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Nine-Month Effort

In Search Of The Lost Pig

By Antonio Carlos Ferreira Lino, Durval Florêncio Filho,
Fernando Borja Pereira, José Silvério da Silva and Ulisses Dias Amado, Petrobras

mandril pig was lost and then found in

an operating oil pipeline in Brazil’s
Amazon forest in a project that
involved six field operations involv-
ing 48 days of work over a nine-month period.
The adventure began when a 14-inch man-
dril pig was launched from the Urucu Unit
to run through the ORSOL I oil pipeline in
the Amazon and did not arrive at the Coari
Terminal, located 280 km from the launch
site. The crew at Coari was surprised, to
say the least, when the pig did not turn up
on time. In cleaning operations, low-density
foam pigs normally were used in ORSOL I.
This mandril pig was used for the first time
in ORSOL I to improve the cleaning process.
In the past, other types of mandril pigs were
used without problems.
Once the pig was determined to be lost,
considering the possibility of a lack of sealing,
the crew decided to launch a low-density foam
pig with an abrasive coating. When the origi-
nal mandril pig and the foam pig didn’t arrive, to lack the system sometimes installed to open velocity in the specific location of the lost
the crew sent two more foam pigs without suc- the flap (and maintain it open) during the pig’s pig could amplify the erosion factor and
cess. Pieces of the foam pigs were recovered passage. They also lacked the optional device cause further damage to the pipeline.
in the receiver but most pieces remained lost that normally indicates the position of the flap
somewhere inside the pipeline, along with the aperture. The lost pig was new, equipped with Preliminary Observations
mandril pig. three piston-type cups. Control system data of the lost pig’s journey
The product transported in this pipeline is revealed only one abnormality in the flow
R&D Center Called a light crude oil with a low amount of wax. records — a pressure peak was registered in
CENPES, the Petrobras Research & Prior to the pig’s disappearance, the flow con- the control system at the Urucu Unit that cor-
Development Center in Rio de Janeiro, was ditions were normal; a flow rate of 300 m³/h responded approximately to the location of
contacted by the Coari Storage and Loading and a pressure of 60 kgf/cm² at the launcher Valve Station 5.
Terminal and a team of specialists went to and 5 kgf/cm² at the receiver. Surprisingly, The check valves in ORSOL I were not
the Urucu Unit to collaborate in recovery of after the pig’s disappearance, those rates fully piggable. Our previous negative experi-
the pig. The first step of the recovery process remained unchanged. At the same time, as ences with this type of valve led us to consider
was to compile and analyze the technical data mentioned earlier, due to the characteristics the strong possibility that the pig was trapped
available (pipeline design, pig characteristics, of the light crude oil in the pipeline, heavy in one of the 14 valve stations. As mentioned,
flow rate and pressure records). The main wax deposits were not considered as a cause three low-density foam pigs with abrasive
characteristics of the pipeline are as follows: for the pig to become stuck. However, light coatings, were launched by the Urucu Unit

Length — 280 km. deposits were, at one stage, considered as a and Coari Field Crews in periodic succession

Internal diameter — 13.5 inches. remote possibility. to remove the lost pig. This procedure, while

Minimum bend radius - 30 D. unsuccessful, provided important strategic

Flow rate — 220 to 525 m³/h. Timing information; the low-density foam pigs were

Operating pressure — 15 to 93 kgf/cm². Time is of fundamental concern in any able to pass through the gap between the pipe

Types of valves — swing check valves recovery operation. A prolonged recovery wall and the lost pig without the risk of caus-
and ball valves. time, as occurred in the case of ORSOL I, ing a pipeline blockage.

Launcher and receiver — designed could have caused serious problems such as: With this data, it was possible to prepare a list
according to Petrobras standards and
Wax accumulation — in regular pigging of the most likely causes of the problem, such as:
specifications for pigging operation. routines, wax accumulation is control-
Pig dismantling — the pig launched was

Access areas — there are 18 buried valve lable. However, disruption to a cleaning a mandril pig assembled with only one
stations, 14 with check valves and five routine could create a significant wax central bolt. This design has a reputation
of those with satellite communication accumulation. for structural vulnerability;
with the Coari Terminal to enable remote
Water accumulation — in addition to
Pig trapped — the pig may have been
valve operation from that terminal. They wax removal, pigging removes water. trapped in one of the 14 check valves.
may be accessed only by helicopter. A disruption to the cleaning routine

Cleaning routine — one low-density foam could create a significant accumulation Strategies
pig with abrasive coating once a week. of water which could, in turn, create a Based on the pressure peak registered at the
Not all check valves in ORSOL I are com- pipeline blockage. Urucu Control System, which corresponded
pletely piggable. Consequently, they continue
Pipeline erosion — an increase in flow with Valve Station 5, strategies that focused on

28 Pipeline & Gas Journal / August 2006 / www.pgjonline.com

     P & G J & P P S A P i g g i n g S e c t i o n
applied on the pig. Based on the examination proportionably small pressure drops, given
and analysis of all pig components, it was con- the mass and density of a pig and the relevant
cluded that the pig could be dismantled: amount of physical blockage in the pipeline.
1) Due to a valve misalignment, In this recovery operation, the initial pressure
that specific location were formulated. 2) Caused by a dent in the sector of pipeline drop expectation was around 14.22 psi but the
Maximum priority was always given to the between the launcher and Valve Station 1, reality was 0.6 psi. P&GJ
avoidance of accidents to personnel and/or the 3) As a result of inadequate construction
environment, and any interruption whatsoever Acknowledgements
whereby, the pig was unable to support the
to production. With this in mind, the first strat- Based on a presentation at the Clarion Pipeline Pigging
operational loads, or
egy was to adopt non-intrusive techniques. Technology Conference 2006 in Houston.
4) From an operational failure during the
launching.
Searching Stages Clear evidence of extensive wear was also
Authors: Antonio Carlos Ferreira Lino, project
As the first stage of search produced no sub- technician, joined Petrobras in 1976 where
identified on the Nylstop locknut at the rear of
stantial solutions in the search for the lost pig, he started working on refinery and pipeline
the pig. This abrasive action was undoubtedly
the following operations expanded the focus to projects. In 1989, he joined CENPES in the
caused by the friction between the nut and
the entire pipeline, including low-risk intrusive Exploitation Project Division, working in pig-
pipe wall as the foam pigs pushed the mandril
techniques such as the use of foam pigs with ging technology. In 2001, he joined the Artificial
pig from the moment that it dismantled until it
instrumentation. Contrary to the initial expecta- Lift and Flow Technology Management where
became trapped in Valve Station 1. An inspec-
tions, after nine months, the lost pig was located he continues to work. Since 2000, he has
tion of the pipeline was subsequently sched-
20 km farther away from the launcher. worked as a technical consultant in Pigging
uled to verify all those physical causes.
Six field operations were conducted over Technology.
a period of nine months to retrieve the pig. Observations And Durval Florêncio Filho graduated from
The final operation retrieved the pig and was the Federal University of Minas Gerais with
comprised of the following steps:
Recommendations a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering. He
Mandril pigs fixed with only one bolt have

The CENPES Group first recommended joined Petrobras and has worked at the Urucu
shown to be vulnerable. In the case of a bolt
the excavation of Valve Station 1 to allow Production Unit in Amazonia since 1994. He
failure there is no back-up. This type of assem-
for access to its check valve as well as is involved in pigging activities for subsea
blage has not been a Petrobras preference, par-
a second closure of ORSOL I and the production systems.
ticularly for application in long pipelines with
drainage of the pipeline backwards from Fernando Borja Pereira graduated from
or without check valves. Specifically, they
Valve Station 2 to the Urucu Unit. the Federal University of Minas Gerais with
lack the strength required to support normal

The check valve was opened and the lost a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering.
operational loads and their impact against the
mandril pig finally appeared. He has worked in production facilities and
flap of a check valve.

The final stage of the search was com- pipelines at Petrobras since 1973 and is
Pipelines which work with pigs must be
pleted by the Coari and Urucu Field now involved in pigging activities for subsea
designed and equipped with all necessary
Groups in eight hours, 38 minutes. Some production systems.
facilities to allow the passages of all types of
parts of the lost pig, the coatings of two José Silvério da Silva, operational techni-
pigs applicable.
foam pigs and two electromagnetic trans- As a general practice, check valves are not cian, joined Petrobras in 1979, and has worked
mitters were removed. ideally suited where pigging occurs. However, in Paulínia Refinery, Santos Terminal, Porto

ORSOL I returned to its normal opera- there are definite instances where check valves Hélio, Porto Terminal Urucu. He works at the
tion. A sequence of low-density foam are necessary. In such instances, they must be Coari Terminal as Operational Supervisor. He
pigs then pushed the parts of the lost equipped with a system which allows for the has extensive experience in pipeline operation
pig and packages of magnets that had opening of the flap to ensure that it stays in the and maintenance as well as in loading opera-
remained in the pipeline to the receiver. open position during the pig’s passage. tions of crude oil and LPG.
In pipelines such as ORSOL I where Ulisses Dias Amado graduated with a BS
Summary valve access is difficult, installation of a degree in Civil and Mechanical Engineering.
“In Search Of The Lost Pig” was an epic He has worked for Petrobras since 1979 in
Remote Operation System, or at least a
challenge when we consider some random check valve with a counterbalanced flap, is the Transportation and Storage Engineering
figures: strongly recommended. Sector. He is responsible for the implementa-

Six field operations involving 48 days in Check valves have, to date, been bur- tion and maintenance of the Geographical
the Amazon forest; ied with no access for routine inspection. Information System (GIS) and Technical

Approximately 30 persons were directly One substantial contribution from this entire Documentation Management (GED) of
or indirectly involved in the field opera- operation is that the Petrobras engineering Transpetro — Petrobras Transportation S.A.
tions; groups are changing this standard specifica-

The entire operation from the pig’s dis- tion. The need for routine check valve access,
appearance to its location and removal as demonstrated in the previous account, is
lasted nine months. becoming the standard.

In addition to Petrobras, eight nation- Whenever possible, during the design stages
al and international companies pro- of a long pipeline, strategically located pig
vided technical support. Namely, from signalers should be considered to allow for pig
Brazil — Hidropig, Tracerco, IVC, and tracking and, in the case of a lost or stuck pig,
Transcontrol; from Canada — Apache, to narrow down the search area.
from the United Kingdom — Pigtek, and Identification of a foam pig’s passage with
from the USA – CDI. the use of geophones is difficult, particularly in
buried pipelines. Sometimes common noises,
The Lost Pig either internal or external to the pipeline, could
After removal from the pipeline the lost pig be considered as a pig noise. A second limita-
was sent to CENPES for a detailed analysis to tion of geophones is their inability to record the
identify the possible causes of its dismantling. pig passage. Excessive and exhausting amounts
It was observed that the weld connection of time may be expended as the geophone
between the longitudinal bolt and the frontal Lost pig found
operator waits for the pig passage noise. in check valve at valve station 1.
metal disc was inadequate to support the loads Stuck pigs, even a mandril, can cause dis-

30 Pipeline & Gas Journal / August 2006 / www.pgjonline.com