Proper Pumping Critical For Successful Hydrostatic Testing

摘要

Hydrostatic testing of pipelines is a commonly used procedure for ascertaining the fitness of the line for continuous service. It is used principally in the construction of both natural gas and petroleum liquids pipelines or the remediation and repair of existing lines. More recently, the testing has been used as a component of the external corrosion direct assessment (ECDA) toolbox for gauging the integrity of hazardous liquids pipelines as prescribed by federal mandates CFR 49 Part 195 or gas lines under the guidelines of CFR 49 Part 192. As the term suggests, the portion of the pipeline under test is filled with water and pressurized beyond the maximum operating pressure (MOP) designated for that line and then held at that pressure for a predetermined time period. Under the governmental mandates, test pressure of 125% of the MOP is required continuously for four hours and then further testing at 110% of MOP for another four hours, or as specified in the testing specifications for the pipeline. If, during the test, the line breaks or leaks, an immediate pressure drop occurs. In that instance, the segment where the leak occurred is identified, excavated, repaired and retested.