How to Find a Stuck PIG in a Subsea Pipeline
Finding a stuck PIG in your subsea pipeline, a step-by-step guide
Shutting down a subsea pipeline as a result of a PIG blocking up the system can cost a business tens of millions of dollars in lost production.
Industrial technology specialist Tracerco is on hand to guide you on remedying a blocked subsea pipeline as a result of a stuck PIG in the quickest time possible. Just follow these steps to find the solution:
1. Safety first
A stuck PIG not only creates an immediate production issue which will impact on a business’ revenue, but it also has the potential to pose an EHS risk.
Therefore, a risk analysis of the environment, as well as elements of health and safety must be carried out before any remedial action is taken.
2. Establish methods for locating a stuck PIG in a subsea pipeline
There are a variety of resources available to you when it comes to locating a stuck PIG inside a subsea pipeline, such as those outlined by the Pigging Products and Services Association in this buyer’s guide and those detailed by Offshore Magazine in this flow assurance solutions comparison table.
Carry out thorough background research in order to find the best solution for your situation.
3. Weighing up your options
If you have followed step two, you should now have a number of options available for finding a stuck PIG within your pipeline.
The next step is to determine which one will be best for you — this checklist should help:
- How much access is there to the line?
- Is the level of access enough for the technology that you are looking at to work effectively?
- Will you need to excavate the line with the technology that you’re thinking about using?
- Will the technology perform the screening quickly?
- What is the cost associated with using the technology?
- Will you need to make use of additional resources, such as dive support vessels?
4. Get to work locating the stuck PIG
To make sure this part of the process is carried out as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible, make the technology provider aware of your asset’s design, its access, any additional equipment you have available which can help with the situation and what your expectations are.
With all of this information, an IRM contractor and technology provider should be able to deploy the technology that will deliver the best possible solution for solving your problem.
5. Learn from the experience
In order to reduce the risk of a PIG blocking up your subsea pipeline in the future, it is advised that you tag the PIG’s so that you can continuously monitor them as they work their way through the system. The PIG tracking service from Tracerco can be used to track PIGs throughout the campaign using signal emitter technology.