Debris Removal

The accumulation of debris in pipelines is a common problem but a difficult one to manage safely and effectively. Typically we think of debris as sand produced into the pipeline or deposited during construction but it can also be mechanically recovered scale, corrosion and even welding goods.

To effectively remove any debris requires the use of mechanical scraper pigs but the risk of the pig sticking by building up debris in front of it can be severe depending on the balance between the pipeline diameter and the quantity of debris.

Another factor which complicates debris removal is that it is very difficult to accurately estimate the actual amount of debris in the pipeline and how it is distributed. All this creates risk and uncertainly.

In crude oil lines the situation is worsened by the fact that the debris that the client wants to remove can be oily, sticky and compacted so it is advised to try to clean and loosen the debris as part of any removal project.

SANCCUS SOLUTIONS

The client currently only has three options regardless of the severity of the problem;

A high velocity water or chemical flush
Mechanical pigging
A combination of 1 and 2

By utilising SANCCUS pipeline gel and chemical cleaning technology a much safer and more nuanced approach is possible.

As with wax blockages the client may not know where the restriction lies in a pipeline so an optional step available is to run a surveillance gel. Once established we can then make a judgement call on how severe the deposit is and select from one of the above options.

SANCCUS’s range of debris pick up gels are designed with a specific rheology so that they are highly shear thinning meaning they do not generate a lot of back pressure when in motion but they have a very high static gel strength so if pumping creases they will retain and suspend all the debris collected and hold onto it until pumping restarts.

Our gels can clean the debris, suspend and transport it and safely distribute it throughout its volume and by these three effects massively enhance the efficiency and reduce the risk of a debris removal project.

At the end of the process the gel can be chemically broken which kills the viscosity and drops out the debris which can be separated again from the gel. The leftover broken gel is then safe to dispose of as waste water.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Pipelines Range

Gel technology is very versatile and can be applied anytime during the lifetime of a field from helping to remove hydrotest fluids when commissioning to the bulk removal of hydrocarbons and solids prior to maintenance or when preparing a pipeline for responsible decommissioning.

Aqualift Gel

Aqualift Gel is a non-crosslinked water based gel. The rheology of Aqualift Gel has been carefully tailored to be highly thixotropic so it provides very high viscosity at low shear rates which make it exceptional at suspending captured debris.

Petrolink Gel

Petrolink Gel is an oil based crosslinked pipeline and fracturing gel. It is typically used in pipelines where the presence of water is undesirable due to the risk of hydrate formation or corrosion.

Glycolube Gel

Glycolube Gel is a linear gel made from a blend of natural polysaccharides in a Monoethylene Glycol solution with lubricating properties. It will reduce the friction on a mechanical pig by half on average.

Aqualube Gel

Aqualube Gel is a blend of natural polysaccharides in aqueous solution with lubricating properties. It will reduce the friction on a mechanical pig by half on average.

Aquasurf Gel

AquaSurf Gel is a non-crosslinked water-based gel containing deoiling surfactants. Aquasurf Gel is an excellent combination product for deoiling pipelines where the oil in water requirement is less stringent and avoids having to pump several chemicals in sequence.

M-Gel Pig

M-Gel Pig is a highly flexible gel pig with shape memory used in situations where a mechanical pig cannot be applied. It is capable of extruding through chokes and restrictions up to 50% of its diameter and returning undamaged to its original size and shape once through.

Hyper Gel Pig

Hyper Gel Pig is a highly flexible gel pig with shape memory which is specifically designed for use in environments of extreme temperature. This means that Hyper Gel Pig can be applied under extreme pipe conditions and can also be stored in very hot or very cold climates without damage.

Atlas Pig

Atlas Pig is a highly flexible gel pig with shape memory used in situations where a mechanical pig cannot be applied. It is also capable of withstanding pressures up to 600 barg for up to 72 hours. This allows Atlas Pig to be installed during pre-commissioning.

Mono Gel Pig

Mono Gel Pig is a pipeline pig made from a mixture of gelled monoethylene glycol and water. Having a melting point of around 30°C it is typically used in colder climates and as with all gel pigs it is used in situations where a mechanical pig cannot be.

Hydro Gel Pig

Hydro Gel Pig is a pipeline pig made from a mixture of gelatine and water. Having a melting point of around 25°C it is typically used in colder climates and as with all gel pigs it is used in situations where a mechanical pig cannot be.

Aquazyme Breaker

Aquazyme Breaker is an enzyme based chemical breaker for Aqualift Gel and Aqualink Gel. Aquazyme Breaker attacks the polymers that form the gel chopping them into very small pieces which kills the viscosity of the gel.