A common ancillary asset used in oil and gas is temporary transmission hoses for virtual pipelines, often those that transport compressed natural gas (CNG). With asset management, it’s important to be proactive and not reactive to ensure the reliability of the hoses.
The integrity of the assets can be compromised from exposure to corrosive chemicals, or if they were improperly routed or secured in service. Additionally, the connections at the end of the hoses can become damaged over time and must be tested as well.
Hose Inspection Procedures
To maintain the integrity of these hoses, periodic inspections are required. A new
hose must be tested from the factory and then continues to be requalified on a
yearly rotation.
1. Visual Inspection
Hoses are inspected visually to make sure the manufacturer tag is still installed and that there are no visible signs of damage.
Common signs of damage are:
- Corrosion
- Broken braids
- Excessive wear
2. Hydrotest or Pneumatic Test
The hoses are tested with their appurtenances as a system to verify integrity and ready for field usage.
3. Cleaning and Drying
Hoses are dried and cleaned to remove any residue or contaminants.
4. Reporting
Complete integrity data package is issued for individual hoses, giving ready-for-field use peace of mind every time.
Importance of Documentation
When developing management programs for ancillary assets, maintaining records is crucial. Without proper documentation, risk of failure increases greatly. PL Testing will manage a traceability program for all hoses, including asset identification, manufacture date, MAOP, recertification date, and issuance of certification conformance date.
By tracking this information and routine inspections, the following benefits are obtained:
- Assets meet regulatory compliance
- Proper maintance scheduling
- Downtime is minimized during asset servicing
Through customer specifications, PL Testing writes custom integrity plans
to deliver ready-for-field use hoses. Contact us today.
