Cleaning of lengthily uncleaned pipelines

During operation of pipelines various deposits of sand, salt, paraffin, asphalt, corrosion products, hydrates, pyrophores and emulsions occur, which may lead to nar-rowing of the run-in diameter, increase in operating pres-sure and cause an accelerated corrosion.
We present a wide range of specific methods of pipeline cleaning, which were developed for the purpose of solving all the mentioned above issues.
We carry out the following types of work:
– standard cleaning using cleaning pigs;
– cleaning using cleaning pigs with magnifying di-ameter;
– cleaning using mechanical pigs;
– cleaning from solid particles using pigs in combi-nation with gel-pigs;
– removal of saline deposits;
– removal of paraffin deposits;
– removal of pyrophore deposits and hydrates;
– removal of corrosion products;
– cleaning prior to the in-line inspection;
– cleaning after the upon the pipeline laying;
– cleaning in case of alteration of pipeline use;
– cleaning with the purpose of pipeline decommis-sioning.
Key cleaning concept – avoiding the deposit-plugging of the pipeline.
While conducting work of such kind, it is necessary to use the technology of step-by-step cleaning, especially when cleaning the lengthily uncleaned crude pipelines. The technology was developed by our associates as far back as in 1996, for the purpose of cleaning the sub-merged crossing of the “Vyatka-Ashit” pipeline (O=325 mm) over the Kama river for “Bashneft”, which has not been cleaned for 23 years.
The technology was upgraded using practical experience of cleaning lengthily uncleaned pipelines of “Ros-neft-Stavropolneftegaz”, “Bashneft”, “Tatneft”, “Belkamneft”, “LUKOILPerm”, “LUKOIL-Komi”, “TNK-Nyagan”, ”Varyeganneftegaz”, “Orenburgneft” and oth-ers.