In extensive tests, egeplast SLA® Barrier Pipes demonstrate how tight and safe the aluminium barrier layer is. The study conducted under the direction of TÜV NORD confirms that SLA® Barrier Pipes are suitable for transporting environmentally hazardous substances, such as in the petroleum industry. For transporting potentially environmentally hazardous aqueous solutions from industrial separation processes or oil and gas exploration—contaminated with highly volatile organic hydrocarbons and brines—corrosion-resistant PE pipes are a suitable option.
The safe containment of these environmentally relevant constituents within the pipeline systems over many years of operation is the concern of every responsible operator. In the past, leaks caused by corrosion damage to steel pipelines have led to environmental damage that required costly remediation. When transporting hydrocarbons, their good solubility in the PE matrix of the pipe wall has an adverse effect with regard to permeation. In particular, highly volatile hydrocarbons can escape from the pipeline to the outside. Therefore, the suitability of polyethylene (PE 100-RC) pressure pipes with an embedded aluminium barrier layer (SLA® Barrier Pipe) should be demonstrated. Since permeation is a slow transport process through a solid, these barrier-layer pipes were examined over a period of 4 years under the direction of TÜV NORD in field and laboratory tests, compared with pipes made of pure polyethylene. In addition to field tests in real operation at an oil facility, where the media composition was specified, defined and as representative as possible test liquids were prepared for systematic investigation in the laboratory of the Fraunhofer Institute WKI in Braunschweig. To test under the most severe conditions possible, these consisted of a saturated solution of various highly volatile hydrocarbons, including chlorinated ones, and a pure hydrocarbon mixture with a 10% aromatic content.
In contrast to single-layer polyethylene pipes, the SLA® Barrier Pipe proved to be permeation-resistant against all dissolved highly volatile organic constituents investigated. The PE pipe with aluminium barrier layer examined is therefore recommended as an alternative to pipes made of pure polyethylene for loss-free transport of hydrocarbon-containing aqueous liquids such as produced water in oil and gas operations. In combination with permanent monitoring for damage, it also meets the strictest environmental requirements and thus enables reliable protection of the environment. You can find the detailed report on the investigations carried out in the trade press.
You can find a reprint from the trade journal Oil Gas 3/2019 at www.egeplast.de; we will be happy to send you a printed copy on request.
Source: Sustainability
