Two benefits of using thermoplastic liners in oil and gas pipelines are to provide a barrier between the corrosive production fluids and the steel carrier pipe, and to maintain secondary containment in the event that the liner fails. In the event of a liner failure or breach, it can be detected before the outer steel carrier pipe fails avoiding a potential loss of containment. To demonstrate integrity of the liner throughout its life cycle from construction and installation through commissioning and startup and finally during operations is paramount to having confidence in the ability of the liner to serve these purposes. Several different methods of confirming integrity are used throughout these stages including: visual inspections, pressure testing, annulus pressure monitoring, nondestructive examination and fluid analysis. Based on field experiences with both smooth and grooved thermoplastic liners different methods of demonstrating liner integrity are described and advantages and disadvantages presented.

Subject
Carrier pipes, Trends, Annulus, Pipelines, Gas pressure, Installation, Flanges, Ventilation, Mechanical failure, Fluids, Steel, Maintenance, Thermoplastics
Keywords:
thermoplastic, liners, sour gas, lined pipelines, corrosive gas, pipeline integrity, polymeric liners, polymers
© 2004 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
2004
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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