04-05-04 RasGas has entered into a six-year Long Term Service Agreement (LTSA) with PII Pipeline Solutions, GE Energy of the United Kingdom for the provision of Pipeline Integrity Management Services. Commenting on the agreement, Brant Edwards, Offshore Asset Manager said the LTSA provides RasGas with a long-term relationship with an industry expert in order to closely monitor the health of new and existing export pipelines, and to carry out timely and cost effective integrity management services.
"A relationship with an experienced pipeline service provider such as PII, GE Energy will also provide an opportunity for optimisation of maintenance costs through Risk-Based Inspection techniques, which will improve the reliability of pipeline operations while enhancing the availability of pipelines for gas transportation needs. The RasGas and GE Energy association represents a distinctive model for the long-term health management of RasGas pipelines in Qatar", he added.

Jerry Wolahan, RasGas Managing Director and Mike Simmons, Global General Manager from PII, a member of the GE Energy, Oil and Gas group of Companies formally signed the new agreement. Saud S. Abukishk, Director of Hassan Ali Bin Ali Establishment, the local representatives for PII, was also present on the occasion.
With the commissioning of a 38-inch diameter, 100 km long pipeline for the transportation of natural gas from the company's offshore producing facilities to RasGas' train 3 facilities in January 2004, RasGas entered into a new era of wet gas export pipeline operations in Qatar, said Amarnath Jha, Pipeline Engineering Specialist.

Detailing the nature of the project, Amarnath Jha stated that due to the increased potential for severe corrosion, difficulties with liquid handling, and the phenomenon of gas hydrate formation, wet gas pipelines carrying hydrocarbon gas along with associated water present unique operating problems.
"The presence of water along with sour gases greatly increases the potential for corrosion inside pipelines if risks are not properly mitigated. Multiphase flow with gas, condensate, and water travelling together within the pipeline can create the potential for slug flow and flooding of onshore receiving facilities if the flow regime is not appropriately managed", he noted.

He said that in hydrocarbon transportation systems, gas hydrates can also form when fluids containing light natural gas components (methane, ethane, propane, H2S, etc.) and uninhibited water come in contact at the appropriate temperatures and pressures.
The solids formed by hydrates are seriously detrimental to oil and gas processing operations as they can grow large enough to block gas transmission pipelines with plugs that are impermeable to liquids and have greatly lowered permeability to gas, he added.