Pipeline renewal or lifetime extension?

Abstract

In 2014, the Rotterdam - Rijn Pijpleiding (RRP) Maatschappij decided to conduct a vast experimental test programme with the objective to demonstrate that the lifetime of the pipe sections with channeling corrosion in their 54 years old 24" grade API5L X52 oil product pipeline is sufficiently high for the future safe operation of the pipeline. The experimental work included material characterization testing, full-scale fatigue testing under cyclic internal pressure, hydrostatic / burst testing and wide plate testing. The experimental programme, details of which are presented in the paper, is still ongoing but the provisional analysis of the data suggests that the detected channeling corrosion in the pipeline has no detrimental effect on fracture and fatigue resistance provided the original design and current operational conditions are satisfied