During more than two years of efforts to address plugging issues in a DeWitt County, TX oil pipeline, operator field personnel attempted several methods to resolve the problem. These methods were unsuccessful, and communication was eventually lost.
Laboratory sample testing, along with analysis by highly experienced Ideal’s experts closely coordinating with the operator, indicated a high likelihood of large amounts of deposition along the entire horizontal section of the line. As paraffin and other deposits accumulated in the line over time, the amount of pressure required to flow increased, and caused a reduction in flow across the line. In addition to paraffin restrictions, two pigs launched earlier in the year were lost in the line and never recovered.
Information Collected by ConocoPhillips and IES During Site Visits
Length of the pipeline was 3,900 feet of 4-inch diameter pipe with a MAOP of 1,440 psi.
Operations log book for the Jansky line indicated the line had last been pigged in March 2019.
Reported pipeline operating pressure had been between 600-700 psi prior to losing communication across the line.
IES recommended deploying a lance from the pumping end of the line at Jansky A1 in order to spot the PipeRenew® as close to the blockage as possible in order to expedite the remediation process.
A sample of the deposition obtained during the lancing operations was taken to the current chemical provider's laboratory for testing. Testing confirmed the sample provided was primarily made up of paraffin wax.
IDEAL'S RESPONSE
Ideal recommended their PipeRenew® treatment, the only non-hazardous, environmentally responsible remediation solution that effectively removes paraffin and asphaltenes. The PipeRenew treatment reacts with the portion of oil that contributes to the acid value to make a simple soap. This breaks up the paraffin and allows it to be pumped out.
PROJECT CHRONOLOGY
Day 1
EHS rigged up lancing unit and ran lancing unit using water to 150' in pipeline.
Ideal blended 7 bbls of PipeRenew® and EHS lanced with it to fill the pipeline.
Day 2
EHS ran lancing unit using water and repaired lancing unit hose.
Ideal blended 7 bbls of PipeRenew®.
EHS lanced with water and injected 100 gallons of PipeRenew® before removing lance.
Texas Energy injected 11.9 bbls of PipeRenew® to fill and pressure the line.
Day 3
Minimal Communication was Established
Blended 7 bbls of PipeRenew®.
Texas Energy injected 7 bbls of PipeRenew®.
Blended 7 bbls of PipeRenew® to send to the second leg of the pipeline.
Texas Energy injected the remaining 1.5 bbls of PipeRenew® from leftover second leg batch.
Day 4
Pressured up line and allowed it to soak overnight.
Day 5
Ideal bled down the pipeline and relaxed the line at both ends.
Ideal blended 7 bbls of PipeRenew®.
Texas Energy injected 7 bbls of PipeRenew® into the pipeline.
Ideal blended a second batch of 7 bbls of PipeRenew®.
Texas Energy injected 7 bbls of PipeRenew®.
Texas Energy injected water into the pipeline.
Day 6
8:00 a.m - The line was bled on the receiving end to 0 psi. The front end of the line decreased to 300 psi.
9:00 a.m. - Started pumping on the line. Mixed 330 gallons of PipeRenew® and transferred into the water tank on Frank's truck.
10:00 a.m. - Started receiving solids
12:30 p.m. - Still recieving solids, followed by water and PipeRenew® coming through the line.
Lancing team rigged down to move to another pipeline.
Frank's pumping truck was rigged down and moved to the receiving line on the next pipeline and pumped 0.75 bbls.
3:00 p.m. - Ideal ordered pump and pump operators to arrive. Ideal ordered fresh water, which was to be delivered by Frank.
3:30 p.m. - Ideal set up a high-velocity pumping operation. Lined up lance tooling from Lafayette, Louisiana.
Pump truck arrived and Ideal assessed the site for proper fit and set up
Day 7
Three water trucks arrived on-site. Pump truck was rigged up and set up was tested.
Blended 14 bbls of PipeRenew® and transferred it to pump truck.
Pump crew pumped at a rate of 5 bbls per minute, pumping 210 bbls of water.
Ideal crew checked returns at the other end of the line - all good at 12 noon.
Crews broke down operations to move.
1:00 p.m. - Crews moved to Frisbee location to pump. Arrived at Frisbee location at 1:30 p.m. Sourced additional connecting equipment required.
2:30 p.m. - Pump team began rigging up
3:00 p.m. - Pressure testing was completed. Pumped 130 bbls of PipeRenew® at a rate of 5.5 bbls per minute.
3:35 p.m. - Line pressure spiked to 975 psi and pumping was halted.
Confirmed clean line returns from Jansky A1 to Frisbee.
Confirmed 25 bbl line was plugged and broke down connections at Frisbee.
Moved pump truck and water truck and crews back to Jansky A1.
4:30 p.m. - Pump crew rigged up and tested line
Pumping halted due to pressure. Operations were shut down for the day.
Day 8
Set lancing equipment at location. Joined crews at work location to spot pump truck and rig up.
Pump truck tested rig up and began pumping 14 bbls of PipeRenew® into the line.
11:00 a.m. - 20 bbls of PipeRenew® were mixed and pumped into the line
12:30 p.m. - 34 bbls of PipeRenew® were pumped into the line
Travis and Baxter went to Jansky A1 to check for returns, which were few.
PIC realized a one-inch line was open at 1:00 p.m. and taking most of the 34 bbls pumped. PIC and Ricky closed the one-inch line at 1:15 p.m.
Main line remained plugged.
IES crew mixed another 20 bbls of PipeRenew® and injected into pump truck tanks.
1:30 p.m. - Crew began pumping again with high pressure and few returns.
5:00 p.m. - 4 bbls of PipeRenew® were pumped into the line at , with 0 psi on the return side. Closed line at both ends, pressured up line, and allowed it to soak overnight.
Pressure readings were 1,150 psi on pumping end and 675 psi on receiving end at 5:30 p.m.
Day 9
Documented morning pressures - 600 psi on both ends of the line.
Ricky had construction crew move receiving lines to the center of the tank.
Ricky opened the line at 8:45 a.m.
9:00 a.m. - Pressure on pumping end was 200 psi; pressure on receiving end was 0 psi
Began pumping. Solids appeared at 10:15 a.m.
11:15 a.m. - All solids were pushed through the line and liquids were flowing
11:30 a.m - Pumped water into the line at a rate of 5 bbls per minute. Line pressure was 620 psi.
12:00 noon - Line was deemed clear at
Switched focus to line going to the separator.
12:15 p.m - Pumped 2 bbls in two minutes at 400 psi. Line was clear.
12:30 p.m. - Rigged down pump truck and moved to Frisbee location
1:00 p.m. - Rigged up pump truck at Frisbee location and tested line. Pumped 50 bbls of PipeRenew® at a rate of 5 bbls per minute at 620 psi.
2:30 p.m. - Rigged down pump truck
All lines were deemed clear and the job was completed incident free.
HIGH PERFORMANCE RESULTS
Ideal personnel expedited the process by deploying the treatment by a lance from the pumping end of the line, as close to the blockage as possible. Once full communication was established, the line was flooded with a low concentration of PipeRenew solution and pumping continued until no solids were present at the receiving end of the line. Ideal then swept the line with water by pumping 1.5 times the line volume at a high rate to remove any remaining solids or debris.
During the remediation process, pieces of the poly pigs were recovered. After only nine days of incident-free treatment, full flow was restored and line returned to service.
For more information about how non-hazardous, environmentally responsible PipeRenew® remediation treatment can cost-effectively remove paraffin and asphaltenes from your pipeline, contact your Ideal Energy Solutions representative today.
