Flowlines

[BigInch]

B31.8
ss 802.12 This Code does not apply to
....
(f) wellhead assemblies, including control valves,
flow lines between wellhead and trap or separator, offshore
platform production facility piping, or casing and
tubing in gas or oil wells. (For offshore platform production
facility piping, see API RP 14E.)

I am attempting to ascertain current practices as applied in the field. Knowing that there are variations to "interpretation" of the above clause and no doubt of many others in that and all codes, and without casting judgment in any form or fashion, I'd simply like to ask if anyone is aware, or knows of the use of B31.8 to design any "piping segment" between wellhead, trap or separator, either onshore, in a regulated gathering field, or offshore, especially in the GOM. Presumedly that could be attempted by justification, in light of the apparent contradiction with the above 2007 version of B31.8, that such practice was allowed or not prohibited by previous versions of the code, or versions since, by defining any such segment specifically as a "gas pipeline", rather than a "flowline". I've been long gone from the GOM many years now and I am interested to know what has become the SOP of late?

Just yes, or no, without any details, would do.

We are more connected to everyone in the world than we've ever been before, except to the person sitting next to us. Lisa Gansky

 

[zdas04]

I did a search through the current version of the codes and found similar language in all but B31.3. The way most of my clients read that is up to the outlet meter run is B31.3, after that is B31.8. I built wellsites to B31.8 for most of my career, but it seems invalid today.

David

 

[BigInch]

zdas thanks and Yes I think I can agree with that. I only have B31.8 going back to 1995 edi. where it is identical to today's version, but I think I remember that design to B31.8 was possible before that revision all the way up to (or from) the Xmas tree. Least I know that I did it that way up to 1988, fortunately in unregulated onshore gathering systems that didn't mandate any code at all, so I'm clean. I also remember that I couldn't do B31.8 on offshore GOM flowlines even back then.

Don't ask me to prove that all that would be legal today outside of an unregulated gathering system, say offshore GOM, because I don't see how it could be under the above. I just want to know if there might be some big-armed company man, or much better yet a committee interpretation, or an MMS ruling since then, that I'm not aware of, that somehow bends that paragraph. Not that I want to, it'd somebody else that was thinking about it, until I pointed out that little clause.

We are more connected to everyone in the world than we've ever been before, except to the person sitting next to us. Lisa Gansky

 

[SJones]

What about adding a twist of API RP1111 which takes B31.4 and B31.8 and applies them to offshore flowlines?

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04

 

[BigInch]

Might have possibilities.

We are more connected to everyone in the world than we've ever been before, except to the person sitting next to us. Lisa Gansky

 

[brimmer]

No, typically B31.3