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Petroleum Development Oman L.L.C.

Pipeline Construction Specification  
(SP‐1208) 

Document ID  SP‐1208 

Document Type  Standard 

Security  Unrestricted 

Discipline  Pipeline Engineering 

Owner  UEL – Pipelines Corporate Functional Discipline Head  

Issue Date  March‐2016 

Revision  4.2 

This document is the property of Petroleum Development Oman, LLC. Neither the whole nor
any part of this document may be disclosed to others or reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form by any means (electronic, mechanical, reprographic
recording or otherwise) without prior written consent of the owner.
Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

i Document Authorisation

Authorised For Issue

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

ii Revision History
The following is a brief summary of the minimum 4most recent revisions to this document. Details of
all revisions prior to these are held on file by the issuing department.

Revision No. Date Author Scope / Remarks


Version 4.2 Mar 2016 UEL Updated based on FRD Engineering
Standard Challenge
Recommendations.
Version 4.1 Dec 2015 UEL Star Chamber Committee
recommendations implemented
Version 4.0 Dec 2014 UEL Revised typical dwgs & added typical
dwgs for GRE pipelines
Standard references updated and
obsolete standards /DEP deleted.
Added section on PSUA
Appendix D deleted
Version 3.0 Feb 2011 UEL/1 Reviewed, updated and revised.
Major updates includes the followings:
 Update of all applicable
standards throughout the
document
 Removed FBE coating
application.
 Modified recommended
minimum cover for onshore
pipelines (Inline with SP-1211).
 Replacement of Pearson
survey with DCVG.
 Modified Appendix D (List of
Handover And As-Built
Documentation

Version 2.0 September Jan Belt, UIP/5 Specification reviewed updated.


2005 Requirements for GRE pipeline
construction included.
Version 1.0 April 2001 R J Harris, Text of Specification PCS-01 adapted
OIP/31 and re-formatted. References updated
and text edited. No significant
technical changes made.

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
i  Document Authorisation ......................................................................................................... iii 
ii  Revision History ....................................................................................................................... iv 
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................... v 
1  Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 
1.1  Purpose ....................................................................................................................... 1 
1.2  Changes to the Specification....................................................................................... 1 
1.3  Conflicting Requirements ............................................................................................ 1 
1.4  Exceptions ................................................................................................................... 1 
2  Specification Requirements ..................................................................................................... 2 
2.1  Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) ....................................................................... 2 
2.1.1  Scope ......................................................................................................................... 2 
2.1.2  General....................................................................................................................... 2 
2.2  Quality Assurance ....................................................................................................... 2 
2.3  Materials Handling and Control ................................................................................... 2 
2.3.1  Scope ......................................................................................................................... 2 
2.3.2  General....................................................................................................................... 2 
2.3.3  Pipe Inspection ........................................................................................................... 3 
2.3.4  Pipe Handling ............................................................................................................. 3 
2.3.5  Pipe Stacking ............................................................................................................. 3 
2.3.6  Linepipe Specifications ............................................................................................... 4 
2.3.7  Inspection of Materials other than Pipe ...................................................................... 4 
2.3.8  Handling of Materials other than Pipe ........................................................................ 4 
2.3.9  Reconciliation ............................................................................................................. 4 
2.4  R.O.W. and Trenching ................................................................................................. 5 
2.4.1  Pipeline Right-of-Way and Working Strip ................................................................... 5 
2.4.2  Staking, Clearing and Grading ................................................................................... 6 
2.4.3  Trenching ................................................................................................................... 9 
2.5  Stringing and Bending ............................................................................................... 12 
2.5.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 12 
2.5.2  Stringing ................................................................................................................... 12 
2.5.3  Pipe Bending ............................................................................................................ 12 
2.6  Welding and NDT ...................................................................................................... 13 
2.6.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 13 
2.6.2  Off-Plot Pipelines ...................................................................................................... 13 
2.6.3  On-Plot Pipework ..................................................................................................... 13 
2.7  Anti-Corrosion Field Joint Coating............................................................................. 14 
2.7.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 14 
2.7.2  Materials ................................................................................................................... 14 
2.7.3  Surface Preparation ................................................................................................. 14 
2.7.4  Shrink Sleeve Application ......................................................................................... 14 

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

2.7.5  Coating Repairs........................................................................................................ 15 


2.7.6  Testing, Inspection and Acceptance ......................................................................... 15 
2.8  Lowering-In, Backfilling and Reinstatement .............................................................. 15 
2.8.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 15 
2.8.2  Pre-Padding ............................................................................................................. 16 
2.8.3  Lowering-in and Post-Padding ................................................................................. 16 
2.8.4  Tie-ins....................................................................................................................... 17 
2.8.5  Backfilling ................................................................................................................. 17 
2.8.6  Stabilising Sand Areas ............................................................................................. 18 
2.8.7  Livestock Passageways ........................................................................................... 18 
2.8.8  Reinstatement .......................................................................................................... 18 
2.9  Road and Wadi Crossings ......................................................................................... 19 
2.9.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 19 
2.9.2  Road Crossings ........................................................................................................ 19 
2.9.3  Wadi-Crossings ........................................................................................................ 20 
2.10  Concrete Coating for Wadi Crossings ....................................................................... 21 
2.10.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 21 
2.10.2  General..................................................................................................................... 21 
2.10.3  Concrete Materials ................................................................................................... 22 
2.10.4  Application ................................................................................................................ 22 
2.10.5  Curing ....................................................................................................................... 23 
2.10.6  Inspection and Testing ............................................................................................. 24 
2.10.7  Concrete Coating Repairs ........................................................................................ 25 
2.11  Permanent Markers and Barriers .............................................................................. 25 
2.11.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 25 
2.11.2  General..................................................................................................................... 25 
2.11.3  Chainage Markers .................................................................................................... 26 
2.11.4  Block Valve Station Markers..................................................................................... 26 
2.11.5  Road Crossing Markers ............................................................................................ 26 
2.11.6  Wadi Crossing Markers ............................................................................................ 26 
2.11.7  Pipeline Crossing Markers........................................................................................ 26 
2.11.8  Cable Crossing Markers ........................................................................................... 26 
2.11.9  Markers at Horizontal Bends .................................................................................... 26 
2.11.10  Cathodic Protection Markers .................................................................................... 26 
2.11.11  R.O.W. `STOP` Signs .............................................................................................. 26 
2.11.12  Corrosion Monitoring Pit Marker ............................................................................... 26 
2.11.13  Access Barriers ........................................................................................................ 27 
2.12  Station Works ............................................................................................................ 27 
2.12.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 27 
2.12.2  Earthworks ............................................................................................................... 28 
2.12.3  Civil and Mechanical Works ..................................................................................... 28 
2.12.4  Painting .................................................................................................................... 29 

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

2.12.5  Instrumentation ......................................................................................................... 29 


2.12.6  Electrical Works ........................................................................................................ 29 
2.12.7  Fencing..................................................................................................................... 30 
2.13  Cathodic Protection ................................................................................................... 30 
2.13.1  Impressed Current Cathodic Protection ................................................................... 30 
2.13.2  Materials ................................................................................................................... 30 
2.13.3  Installation ................................................................................................................ 30 
2.13.4  Temporary Cathodic Protection ................................................................................ 31 
2.13.5  DCVG Survey ........................................................................................................... 31 
2.13.6  Commissioning ......................................................................................................... 32 
2.14  Quality and Treatment of Hydrotesting Water ........................................................... 32 
2.15  Hydrostatic Testing .................................................................................................... 32 
2.16  Precommissioning Of Pipelines................................................................................. 32 
2.16.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 32 
2.16.2  General..................................................................................................................... 32 
2.17  Work on Live Pipe Systems ...................................................................................... 33 
2.17.1  Scope ....................................................................................................................... 33 
2.17.2  General..................................................................................................................... 33 
2.18  Pre Start Up Audit (PSUA) ........................................................................................ 33 
2.18.1  Requisites for PSUA ................................................................................................. 33 
2.19  As-Built Records and Hand-Over Documentation..................................................... 34 
2.20  Project Close out ....................................................................................................... 34 
2.21  Effective Period ......................................................................................................... 34 
2.22  Review and Improvement .......................................................................................... 34 
Appendix A  Glossary of Definitions, Terms and Abbreviations ....................................... 35 
Appendix B  Reference Documents.................................................................................. 37 
Appendix C  List of Typical Drawings for Pipeline Construction ....................................... 41 
Appendix D  CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR GRE PIPELINES ..................... 75 
User Comment Form .............................................................................................................. 85 

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
This document shall be used as the base specification for construction of all new metallic and
GRE pipelines required in PDO operations. Hydrostatic testing and Pre-commissioning of new
pipelines are covered separately in SP-1212 and DEP 31.40.50.30 respectively. The typical
construction drawings are in Appendix C of this specification. Appendix D of this specification
specifies requirements for construction of GRE pipelines.

1.2 Changes to the Specification


This specification shall not be changed without approval from the Custodian (CFDH
Pipelines), who owns this specification. If you think any part of this specification is not correct,
write your comments on a copy of the User Comments Form. The form is included as the last
page of this specification.

1.3 Conflicting Requirements


In case of conflicting requirements between documents relating to an inquiry or order, the
following priority of documents shall apply:

- Contractual Scope of Work, Purchase Orders and Variations thereto.

- Project Specification and Requisition Sheets.

- This document and PDO/Group standards referred to in this document.

- International Standards and Specifications referred to in this document.

1.4 Exceptions
The user shall obtain written approval prior to construction from the appropriate Technical
Authority within PDO for any deviation from or exception to the requirements of this Standard.
The appropriate technical authorities are set out in SP-2061.

Any work completed with unauthorised modifications may be rejected by the Company. Any
subsequent re-work shall be in accordance with this specification and shall be to the
Contractor’s expense.

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

2 Specification Requirements
2.1 Health, Safety and Environment (HSE)
2.1.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum HSE requirements required during
installation work.

2.1.2 General

The Contractor shall comply in all respects with all HSE Specifications listed in C-6 and C-9
documents of the Contract, paying particular attention to: the requirements for construction
and lifting equipment in SP-1251, PR-1708 and PR-1709; the specification for Environmental
Management in SP-2194, Road Transport in SP-2000 and Contract HSE Management in
GU-140.

As part of Contractor’s mobilisation, Contractor shall submit and obtain Company’s approval
for the HSE Plans and Procedures for the Work, prior to any Work commencing.

2.2 Quality Assurance


SP-1171 “Specification for Quality Specification for Quality Management System
Requirements for Product and Service” covers the minimum requirements of Quality
Assurance required for the Work.

2.3 Materials Handling and Control


2.3.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for handling, storage and
administration of all materials, either Company or Contractor supplied, to be incorporated in
the Work.

2.3.2 General

2.3.2.1 Handling, including but not necessarily limited to receipt, checking, lifting, loading, transport,
unloading, stacking, and storage of materials shall be carried out by the Contractor in such a
manner as to avoid harm to personnel and any damage and loss of materials. Method and
means of transport and handling (including documentation) shall be subject to approval by the
Company.

2.3.2.2 Contractor’s material control and storage procedure shall be submitted to the Company within
two weeks of the start of mobilisation on site, for approval.

2.3.2.3 Contractor shall give the Company at least 24 hours notice in writing on each occasion when
he intends to start transporting Company supplied materials. A lapse greater than 24 hours
shall require re-notification. Pipe can be removed from Company’s yard 7 days per week
during daylight hours, unless otherwise specified by the Company. Contractor shall provide
the Company with a written confirmation of receipt of all materials (identified by type and
quantity) and a written reconciliation of all materials (identified by type and quality)
transported by them from Company’s storage yard on a weekly basis.

2.3.2.4 Contractor is required to supply lifting equipment for lifting materials at all locations.

2.3.2.5 Contractor shall appoint a dedicated site-based materials Controller whose sole function shall
be to control and report on the receipt, issue, and stock status of the Contractor and
Company supplied materials.

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

2.3.2.6 Contractor shall not be held responsible for manufacturing defects in Company supplied
materials, but shall be held responsible for any delays to the Work caused by Contractors
failure to report defects discovered during inspection by the Contractor within 24 hours of
such inspection.

2.3.2.7 Contractor’s procedures for material receipt and return of surplus materials shall conform to
Company’s materials procurement/administration procedures.

2.3.3 Pipe Inspection

2.3.3.1 The Contractor shall visually inspect at the Company storage yards, all pipes internally and
externally for damages, surface defects and defective bevels. The Contractor shall satisfy
himself at this stage of the suitability of each pipe for welding and shall accept all
responsibility thereafter for all damages however caused.

2.3.3.2 Prior to haulage of pipe from Company’s storage yard, Company and Contractor shall carry
out a joint survey of pipe coating damage and bevel damages. On the basis of this survey,
Company will pay the Contractor a lump sum for repair of all bevel and coating damage,
based on the submitted unit rates in the Schedule of Rates, in accordance with this
specification. For bevel damages between 1 and 3 mm deep, the repair shall be by grinding.
For bevel damage depth greater than 3 mm, the repair shall be by re-bevelling.

2.3.4 Pipe Handling

2.3.4.1 Pipe shall not be allowed to drop or strike objects which may damage the pipe and/or coating
but shall be lifted, moved and lowered from one position to another by suitable equipment.
When lifting pipe, non-abrasive wide nylon pipe slings or special lifting hooks equipped with a
non-metallic bevel protectors curved to fit the curvature of the inside of the pipe shall be used.
Temporary attachments for handling or lifting shall not be welded to any pipe. A spreader bar
shall be used for all bulk pipe lifting/handling (excluding welding operations).

2.3.4.2 Trucks used to transport coated or bare pipes shall be free of any materials that might
damage or contribute to movement of the pipe during transport. Pipes shall be protected
against truck beds and side metallic posts by means of non-metallic soft materials. Pipes shall
be loaded and stacked on trucks in such a manner that flexing and shifting of the pipe during
transport is avoided. After loading, suitable non-metallic slings shall be used to tie the pipes
securely to the truck. During transport the tension of these slings shall be regularly checked.
Pipe ends shall be protected from contact with other metallic materials. Contractor shall
ensure that no bevel protectors are lost during transport. Pipes shall only be transported on
trucks (lifting equipment shall not be used to transport pipe).

2.3.4.3 Trucks used for loading of pipes will be checked by the Company prior to lifting the pipes to
ensure that the trucks and loading/load securing arrangements comply with the requirements
of PDO’s Transport Manual TOM/04/001, SP-2000 ‘Road Transport’ and government
regulations.

2.3.5 Pipe Stacking

2.3.5.1 Ground surfaces to be used for stacking of pipe shall be reasonably flat. Stacked pipes shall
be raised above ground surfaces and prevented from movement by berms of screened sand
covered by polyethylene sheeting or by using timber covered with non-metallic soft materials.
When stacked, the bottom layer of pipes shall be wedged or clipped. Pipes of different
diameter, wall thickness, grade or manufacturer shall be stacked separately. Each stack shall
be properly marked to the satisfaction of the Company. It is advisable to stack metallic pipes
in the East-West direction to avoid natural magnetization due to North-South magnetic
polarity.

2.3.5.2 Epoxy-coated pipes shall be stacked during transport and storage using rubber or other
suitable separator strips.

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

2.3.5.3 Pipes shall not be stacked higher than 3.5 metres. Pipes shall be stacked in such a way that
no water is retained inside the pipe during storage.

2.3.6 Linepipe Specifications

2.3.6.1 The linepipe shall be as per SP-1211 section 5.4.

2.3.7 Inspection of Materials other than Pipe

2.3.7.1 Upon receipt of any materials, the Contractor shall ensure that they conform to the required
specification and are suitable for their intended application. Any damage/defects shall be
reported to the Company within 24 hours of receipt of these materials and prior to
transportation to the Contractor’s own storage yard. Visual inspection shall be adequate for
this purpose.

2.3.7.2 In the case of materials delivered in their original sealed crates, Contractor shall only open the
crates to examine the materials upon arrival at his own storage yard, except in the case of
damaged crates which shall be noted and the contents examined when Contractor takes
receipt at Company’s storage yard.

2.3.7.3 If no report is issued for damaged materials 24 hours after receipt (or in the case of 2.3.7.2
above, 24 hours after arrival of materials at the Contractors storage yard), then the materials
shall be considered free from damage and the Contractor shall be considered liable for any
damage reported or found at a later date.

2.3.8 Handling of Materials other than Pipe

2.3.8.1 Materials other than pipe materials such as, but not limited to, valves, fittings, scraper traps
etc., shall be lifted by suitable equipment provided by the Contractor at Company’s storage
yard and at all other locations. When lifting lugs are provided on materials, suitable lifting
hooks shall be used for lifting the materials. It is prohibited to use delicate parts such as hand
wheels, nozzles, etc. for lifting of the materials.

Temporary attachments for handling or lifting shall not be welded to any materials. Fittings
shall only be handled by suitable non-abrasive slings.

2.3.8.2 Materials other than pipe materials will be issued to the Contractor whenever possible in their
original sealed shipping cases/crates. Blinded openings of materials shall be kept closed until
installation. The blinds shall be replaced by the Contractor in case of damage during transport
or storage.

2.3.8.3 During transport, materials shall be secured by suitable non-metallic non-abrasive slings.

2.3.8.4 For materials which shall be stored cool and/or dry as required by the manufacturer or the
Specifications, Contractor shall provide suitable storage, transport and handling facilities in
accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer and/or the Specifications.

2.3.8.5 Contractor shall provide a separate fenced storage area for Company supplied materials.
Stored materials shall be protected from ground surfaces by using timber covered with non-
metallic soft materials. Ground surfaces in storage areas shall be clean and flat. It is
prohibited to store and transport fragile materials in more than one layer.

2.3.8.6 Distribution and supply of materials from Contractor’s storage yard to the worksites shall be
limited to quantities required for approximately one day’s production. Timing of the issue of
materials shall be as per the Company approved work schedule.

2.3.9 Reconciliation

2.3.9.1 At the end of the project, Contractor shall give reconciliation for all Company supplied
materials issued, detailing materials installed, materials wasted and scrapped, and surplus

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

materials. Contractor shall compile a list of the surplus materials, indicating quantity,
description and MESC / SAP number when available.

2.3.9.2 On approval of the surplus list by the Company, Contractor shall return all surplus materials to
Company’s storage yard.

2.4 R.O.W. and Trenching


2.4.1 Pipeline Right-of-Way and Working Strip

2.4.1.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for the Pipeline Right-of-
Way (ROW) and the Working Strip.

2.4.1.2 Survey

The Company shall survey the route for the pipeline and prepare route maps from which the
centreline of the pipeline shall be staked out.

The actual centreline of the pipeline can in some instances deviate from the line staked e.g. at
station approaches. This should be taken into account where the word `centreline` is used in
the remainder of this Section.

The construction survey shall adopt the same marks and benchmarks as used in the
Engineering design unless otherwise approved by the Company.

2.4.1.3 ROW Width

The Right-of-Way for the pipeline is a corridor of 50 metres overall width and comprises:

The “Restricted Area”, a strip of land 25 meters wide on either side of the pipeline measured
from the centre line of the pipeline.

Contractor may make use of a Working Strip, having a width of 31 metres (including a
continuous 6 metre wide vehicle access strip) as shown in typical dwgs TYP-3-0001-001 &
TYP-3-0002-001. Variations, if any, in this width caused by local conditions will be indicated
on the drawings or instructed to Contractor by the Company.

2.4.1.4 Planning/Approvals

Contractor shall, before starting any clearing operations, familiarise himself with any
requirements by the Authorities for work along the pipeline route or in connection with the use
of other lands or roads for construction purposes.

Contractor should notify the Company 7 days in advance before start of work at road,
pipeline, cable, stream, river and wadi crossings and crossings of other existing structures, if
any.

Contractor shall not commence work on such crossings before having obtained approval from
the Authorities and landowners concerned.

The crossings shall be installed to meet all requirements and conditions of the permits, issued
by the Authorities concerned.

In the absence of any specific requirements by the Authorities, Contractor shall comply with
the Company’s instructions.

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

Where the pipeline is laid close to any existing buried or above ground pipeline, flowline and
utility cables, the Contractor shall propose methods to safeguard the existing line (e.g. a
demarcation fence). No work is allowed in such an area without Company approval. Work
near live pipelines shall comply with the requirements of GU-501, ‘Guidelines for Excavating
and Working around Live Pipelines’ and paragraph 2.4.3.2 of this specification.

2.4.2 Staking, Clearing and Grading

2.4.2.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for staking, clearing and
grading along the pipeline route as required for the Work.

Company will have obtained ‘approval in principle’ for laying the pipelines along the routes.
Contractor however will have to obtain permission from the concerned Authorities to execute
the work.

2.4.2.2 Definitions

a) ‘Clearing’ shall mean but is not necessarily limited to the cutting and disposal of
trees, farm crops, bushes and undergrowth.

b) ‘Grading’ shall mean but is not necessarily limited to removal and disposal of
rock, sand dunes, tree stumps and roots.

c) ‘Point of Intersection’ shall mean a point in which the centreline of the straight
sections of the pipeline route changes direction in the horizontal plane. In
general such a point will be outside the actual pipeline centreline because of
the bending radius to be applied.

2.4.2.3 Staking

a) The centreline of the pipeline shall be staked by the Contractor with markers
inter visible by binoculars or survey equipment.

i) Markers are located at the centreline of the pipeline where straight.


Reference markers are established at the Points of Intersection,
perpendicular to the previous pipeline direction, at 25 metre steps from
the pipeline centreline.

ii) The markers are angle-iron profiles or wooden posts with sequential
numbers, starting with no. 1 at start point of the pipeline. Reference
markers are marked with the letter ‘A’ or ‘B’. All markers extend
approximately 500 mm above grade. The ‘A’ and ‘B’ markers are located
at the same side of the centreline marker, ‘A’ being closest to the pipeline
centreline.

b) Prior to the clearing operations Contractor shall stake:

i) Markers in the centreline of the pipeline at distances of maximum 100


metres for straight line sections and maximum 10 metres for horizontal
bends, but in any case not less than one at the centre of every bend.

ii) Two construction markers shall be installed at every existing marker


location or at least every 500 metres except where these have already
been provided at Points of Intersection. Construction markers and
existing markers are to be in one line, perpendicular to the pipeline route.
The distance from construction marker to pipeline centreline shall be 25
metres wherever possible. Construction markers should be painted red
with numbers painted in white. These should be identical to existing

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

marker numbers with letters A (left-side) and B (right-side) added,


(looking in direction of construction). All construction markers should be
angle iron profiles (min. 60 x 60 mm). Each marker should be erected
sturdily enough to perform its purpose during the construction of the
Work.

c) Contractor should be responsible for the maintenance and replacement of the


construction reference markers until the permanent pipeline markers are
placed.

d) The Contractor shall verify that the radius of curvature of the pipeline trench in
any plane is greater than the minimum allowable bending radius specified. Any
deviation from the routing as staked by the Company and/or indicated on the
route maps shall be approved by the Company prior to the clearing operations.

2.4.2.4 Below and Aboveground Services

a) Existing cables, pipelines, tunnels, falaj, etc. if indicated on the drawings are for
information only. Company does not guarantee that the information shown on
the Drawings is either complete or correct. Contractor is entirely responsible for
detecting and locating all underground obstacles whether shown on the
drawings or not, using metal detectors, cable/pipe detectors and other suitable
equipment for detecting buried non-metallic infrastructure like GRE pipelines,
FO cables etc.

b) Contractor shall take utmost care to mark all exposed obstacles to avoid any
possible damage throughout the performance of the Work and restore them to
their previous state if damage occurs.

c) Trenching or other excavation within 2m from any underground services shall


be by hand only.

d) Contractor is entirely responsible for protecting all foreign services throughout


the Work. Contractor shall propose methods of temporary and, if necessary,
permanent support and backfilling for all foreign services encountered, to the
Company and the relevant Authority for their approval.

e) Contractor shall furnish all angle iron and other support material required at
crossings of underground obstacles. Contractor shall furnish and install all tiles
and tile supports to replace existing damaged ones encountered in the course
of the Work. Telephone, telegraph or electric power cables or foreign piping
encountered in the pipeline trench shall be supported prior to sand padding and
backfilling by a Company approved method.

f) Contractor shall contact the local Electricity Authority to determine the minimum
safe clearances allowed underneath overhead power lines at each point where
these cross the Working Strip or access roads. Contractor shall then erect goal
posts at the agreed height on each side of any overhead lines which cross the
Working Strip or any access roads to it which will be used by the Contractor.

g) Contractor shall liaise closely with relevant Authorities and give adequate
notice to them of trench excavation, and subsequently backfilling, in the vicinity
of all underground services to allow such Authorities to inspect and witness
such excavation and backfilling should they required to do so.

h) Contractor shall repair without delay any ‘falaj’ (gravity water transport system)
damaged during the performance of the Work and restore it to the same state
as before the damage occurred.

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

i) Line and cable marking posts, tiles, etc. shall be replaced by the Contractor in
the correct position.

j) Where it is necessary for the Contractor to construct a temporary ROW


crossing over an existing service, Contractor shall hand-dig to expose the
service and verify cover. Contractor shall submit proposals for Company
approval of all ROW crossings. Surface flow line crossings shall be made by
ramping over in accordance with the Standard Drawing TYP 3 0006-001 in
Appendix C.

k) Crossings of major pipelines may require special precautions against damage


by equipments and vehicles. As a minimum, the cover to the existing pipeline
should be 1.5m, achieved if necessary by temporary ramping. Alternatively
concrete slabs with lesser cover may be acceptable subject to approval by
Company. Stresses imposed on the pipeline shall be evaluated in accordance
with API 1102 standard or as per PR 1522. The windrow and any marker posts
shall be reinstated after construction.

2.4.2.5 Clearing the Working Strip

a) The Working Strip should be cleared over its entire width, unless restricted by
the terrain or other features shown on the drawings. Contractor shall carry out
all operations within the limits of the Working Strip and shall not operate within
25 meters from existing pipelines without Company approval.

b) Holes remaining, after stumps have been pulled from the ground, shall be filled
with suitable fill material and compacted.

c) Contractor shall protect all shrines and monuments, including border stones. If
it is necessary to remove a number of these items for safekeeping, the
Contractor shall contact the responsible persons concerned and conform to
their requirements.

d) Where blasting is considered necessary, the Contractor is to comply with the


Sections of the General and Special Conditions and this Specification (ref.
2.4.3.3 Blasting).

2.4.2.6 Explosives (not used for blasting as part of the construction work)

In the event, the Contractor finds explosives in or along the Working Strip the Contractor shall
notify the Company and the appropriate Authority without delay. Contractor shall be
responsible for making all necessary arrangements to have the explosives removed by a
specialist approved by the controlling Authorities.

2.4.2.7 Grading the Working Strip

a) Contractor shall grade off high points and fill low points to allow the pipe to be
bent and laid within the limits set forth herein with due regard to the minimum
radius of bends allowed and shall drill, blast, and excavate rock or other
material which cannot be graded off with ordinary grading equipment in order to
provide an adequate working space along the pipeline route. Contractor should
in general be required to grade the whole of the Working Strip, but a narrower
width may be allowed by the Company, depending on ground conditions.

b) Contractor should perform all necessary grading at road or wadi crossings and
at any other location, required to permit the passage of construction equipment.
Contractor shall bridge over or ford through ditches, wadis and small streams
so as not to interfere with or cause pollution of the water flow and to avoid
damage to stream banks. Contractor shall be responsible for moving all
personnel, equipment and materials across or around all crossings, which may

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require the construction of temporary bridges. No ditches, wadis or drains shall


be filled, bridged or otherwise obstructed without written approval of the
Company and/or the Authorities having effective control over such
watercourses.

c) In rough or steep terrain, Contractor may wish to grade access roads into the
Working strip to facilitate moving in materials, personnel and construction
equipment. Where such roads are required by the Contractor he shall obtain
the necessary permission in writing from the Authorities concerned and shall
furnish the Company with a copy of such permission, prior to commencing any
work on roads. Contractor shall be responsible for and make good, all damage
caused by the construction and use of such roads.

d) Contractor shall only obtain access to the Working Strip from existing road
where such roads cross the Working Strip, or via access roads constructed by
the Contractor between existing roads and the Working Strip at all other
locations. Such access roads shall be agreed with the Company prior to
commencement of Right-of-Way preparation, and shall be sign posted. Existing
pipeline ROW should not be used for access to the Working Strip.

2.4.2.8 Permanent Inspection / Maintenance access road

Location and width of Permanent Inspection / Maintenance access road for pipelines shall be
as per project drawings. These access roads shall be constructed as per SP-1279 Chapter R.

2.4.3 Trenching

2.4.3.1 Scope

a) This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for


trenching as required for the work.

b) A banks man shall attend the operation of each unit of excavation equipment to
prevent personnel entering the field of work of such equipment.

2.4.3.2 Excavation

a) Contractor shall excavate the pipeline trench on the staked centreline of the
pipeline.

b) Contractor shall keep trenching operations ahead of bending and stringing


operations, but at a maximum distance of 15000 metres ahead of backfilling
operations at each spread.

c) The trench shall be excavated so as to provide a minimum depth of cover as


specified in SP-1211 Table-3.

I. Minimum depth of cover shall be measured from the top of the pipe to
the top of the undisturbed surface of the soil or top of graded Working
Strip whichever is smallest. Fill material in Working Strip shall not be
considered to add to the depth of cover. However, surface of fill
material placed to fill low points to accommodate pipe bending
limitations may be used to determine depth of cover subject to approval
by the Company of detailed location-specific design drawings including
soil stabilisation measures such as rip-rap or gabions.

II. The minimum depth of cover at crossing of wadis, drainage ditches,


tarmac and graded roads, tracks and live stock crossings, whether or
not indicated on the project drawings, shall be measured from the

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bottom of wadis, ditches or from the top of roads and tracks as the
case may be. This depth shall be extended 5m outside the edge of the
road, track, wadi, ditch, etc. measured perpendicular to its axis.

d) Contractor shall excavate and grade the trench sufficiently deep and wide to
provide space for 150 mm of padding material after compaction all around the
pipe and for the continuous length of the pipeline.

e) The trench bottom and sides shall be kept free of all brush, skids, pipe
protectors, rocks, large clods, sticks, projecting rocks and other hard objects at
all times. Any such items encountered shall be removed prior to pre-padding
operations so that the pipe is not damaged, punctured or abraded.

f) Where the pipeline crossed other pipelines, sewers, water lines, cables,
conduits or other underground structures of any kind, Contractor shall excavate
and grade the trench to a depth in such a manner that the top of the pipeline
will be at a minimum of 500 mm below the bottom of the underground structure
crossed, subject to compliance with the minimum specified bending radius of
the pipe. If clearance of more than 500 mm is required by the Authorities
having jurisdiction, Contractor shall provide such increased clearance. The
construction over or under all existing structures such as roads, water lines,
telephone lines, and other pipelines shall be the responsibility of Contractor. In
the event that the pipeline crosses over existing structures, the same clearance
as described above shall be maintained and depth of cover as per paragraph
(c) above.

g) In locations where the trench is cut across roads, tracks, paths, walkways, etc.
Contractor shall provide temporary bridges or diversion road of adequate
strength and properly constructed to allow the passage of normal traffic with a
minimum of inconvenience and interruption. Whenever it is permissible to open
cut a road, Contractor shall remove and restore the surface in accordance with
the requirements of the Authorities having jurisdiction thereof or as directed by
the Company. Wherever possible, Contractor should arrange to complete the
trenching, laying and backfilling of such crossings and to remove the temporary
bridging before the end of the regular work day in order to minimise hazard to
night traffic. Proper warning signals shall be placed and maintained while such
crossings are open. If the crossings are open at night, Contractor shall provide
and use warning lights or lanterns, all as required and approved by the
Authorities having jurisdiction and/or the Company.

h) Contractor shall provide and use sheet piles, struts, walling, jacks, pumps etc.,
as required to maintain the trench in good condition until the pipe is laid in
place and backfilled.

i) Contractor shall do hand work in the trench as is necessary to free the bottom
of the trench of loose rock and stones, and all other irregularities so as to leave
the trench bottom in a clean and suitable condition to receive the pipe.

j) If Contractor elects to carry out a rip survey, then the results of this survey shall
be made available to Company. The extent of rock encountered during
trenching shall be recorded on the as-built Alignment Sheets by the Contractor,
whether or not a rip survey is carried out.

2.4.3.3 Blasting

All activities including but not limited to storage, transportation of explosives and blasting shall
be carried out in accordance with the N.F.P.A. No. 495, BS 5607 and the instructions of the
Authorities and/or the requirements in this section, whichever are the most stringent.

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Blasting shall be performed only by a specialist blasting contractor approved and registered
with the Company. A blasting procedure shall be submitted to the Company for review and
approval. The procedure shall detail the restrictions and special requirements for controlled
blasting to be applied when operating in the proximity of existing pipelines and structures, as
defined in clause b), following.

a) A qualified blasting inspector may be appointed by the Company. If an


inspector is appointed, he will be present at all blasting operations to monitor
compliance with the approved blasting procedures.

b) Areas to be blasted are categorised as follows:

i) Where blasting is to be carried out at or more than 50 metres away from


any existing pipelines or structures (either above or below ground), the
Contractor shall submit his proposed blasting procedure and perform a
trial blast for Company approval.

ii) Where blasting is to be carried out between 50 and 20 metres from any
existing pipeline or structure (either above or below ground), the
Contractor shall submit a procedure for controlled blasting, which shall
also detail safety precautions to safeguard existing pipelines or structures
(e.g. break holes, slit trenches, etc.). No trial blasting shall be performed
until the procedures are approved by the Company.

iii) No blasting is allowed within 20 metres of any existing pipeline or


structure (either above or below ground).

c) Blasting shall be carried out prior to stringing the pipes.

d) Ground vibrations due to blasting within 50 m of existing structures shall be


continuously monitored with certified instruments to be provided by the
Contractor and approved by the Company. Peak particle velocities near
existing structures (e.g. pipelines running parallel) shall be kept to a minimum
and must be approved by the Company as part of the Contractors proposed
blasting procedure. In no case shall the peak particle velocity exceed 10
mm/sec.

e) Blasting shall not be permitted in any location where possible danger exists to
the general public, property, existing utilities or other structures. In such
locations other methods of extracting rock shall be proposed by the Contractor
for approval by the Company.

2.4.3.4 Definition of Rock

For depth of cover purposes, rock in trench is defined as the rocky part of the specified trench
which cannot be removed by ditching machines, rock plough, back hoe or ripper, to be
decided after two passes of a D9 Caterpiller tractor (or one pass of a tandem D9) or equal,
equipped with proper ripping equipment.

2.4.3.5 Sloping Trenches

Trenches having a longitudinal slope of more than 10% shall be provided with structures or
retaining barrier(s) as specified on the drawing TYP 3 0025 001 provided in Appendix C of
this specification. No retaining barriers are required in areas of sand dunes.

2.4.3.6 Trench Width

In the case of a single pipeline to be laid in the trench, the trench width shall normally be
outside diameter of the pipe plus 300 mm (i.e. 150 mm on each side of the pipe) unless
otherwise approved by the Company (refer drawing TYP 3 0003 001). In the case of more

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than one pipeline to be laid in common trench, the trench width shall normally be the sum of
the diameters of the pipes plus 300 mm (i.e. 150 mm on each side of the pipe) plus 500 mm
clearance between the outside edges of adjacent pipes unless otherwise approved by the
Company.

2.5 Stringing and Bending


2.5.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for stringing the line pipe
along the trench side and for cold bending of metallic pipe as required for the work.

2.5.2 Stringing

2.5.2.1 No pipe shall be strung before the trench is excavated to full depth and accepted by the
Company to meet the requirements of this Specification. Pipe shall not be placed directly on
the ground but on wooden skids with proper protective padding or sand bags as deemed
acceptable by Company. The skids and protective padding material shall be subject to
Company (CSR) approval. Dragging, skidding or dropping of the pipe is not permitted.
Wooden wedges shall be used to prevent movement of each strung pipe.

2.5.2.2 Where possible the skid elevations shall be planned such that minor differences between
grade profile and bottom of trench profile (e.g. at locations where an increased trench depth is
required) can be accommodated without requiring an additional tie-in. The distance between
the trench edge and the pipe string shall be planned such that safe working space is
provided.

2.5.2.3 Contractor shall be responsible for proper stringing and locating of the pipe by size, wall
thickness, specification and manufacturer. Company may supply line pipe from different
manufacturers. Contractor shall string all line pipe of one manufacturer before commencing
the stringing of line pipe supplied by the second manufacturer. Pipes of different
manufacturers shall not be mixed per line section without prior approval of the Company.

2.5.2.4 Contractor shall string the pipe in such a manner so as to cause no interference with public
roads, footpaths, tracks, etc. Suitable gaps shall be left at intervals as necessary to permit the
passage of live stock and/or equipment across the Right-of-Way and as directed by the
Company.

2.5.2.5 Contractor shall layout and measure the pipes such that, the number of pieces cut-off with
less than one metre length is kept to a minimum.

2.5.2.6 The length of pipe string shall be planned with due consideration of thermal expansion and
other expected or accidental movement of the pipe string. Special attention shall be paid to
strings with one or more bends, in view of the inherent increased risk of failure of skids due to
movements of the pipe. Length of individual pipe strings should not exceed 1 km.

2.5.2.7 Pipe shall be strung with the use of a spreader bar and two guide lines. (See Section 2.3 for
requirements for slings and hooks).

2.5.3 Pipe Bending

2.5.3.1 Contractor shall make all necessary bends required for proper construction of the pipeline,
following a site survey to establish the number and degree of bends required, to ensure that
the installed pipe shall conform to the contours of the pre-padded trench.

2.5.3.2 Contractor shall, before the start of the Work, submit and demonstrate to the Company a
bending procedure, which shall conform to the recommendations of the manufacturer of the
bending machine. This procedure shall be subject to Company’s approval. The procedure

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shall include amongst others, step length, degrees per pull and method and accuracy of
measurement during pulling of the bend.

2.5.3.3 Elastic bend radius shall be as derived from approved bending stress calculations or 500 x D
whichever is more. This value of elastic bend radius shall be indicated on the alignment
sheets.

2.5.3.4 The radius of cold bends shall be not less than that specified in SP 1211 section 4.3.8 and
radius of hot bends shall be not less than that specified in SP 1211 section 4.9.3.

2.5.3.5 The cold bends shall be made by a smooth stretch bending machine. Bends with ripples with
a depth exceeding 0.5 mm, wrinkles and kinks are not acceptable. Contractor shall provide a
procedure for measuring ripples which shall be approved by the Company.

2.5.3.6 The pads, dies and rolls of the bending equipment shall have soft surfaces to avoid damage
to the pipe coating. Where applicable, fully retaining bending shoes shall be used. Roller type
bending machines are preferred. Bends in pipe of diameter 8" or greater shall be made by
using an internal (hydraulic or pneumatic) mandrel.

2.5.3.7 All bends shall be tested in the presence of the Company with a gauging plate of dimensions
as per SP-1212 clause 6.3, prior to installation.

The longitudinal weld of the cold bend shall be located approximately within 10° from the
pipe’s neutral axis. The position of the longitudinal weld for successive pipe joints shall be
chosen such that the longitudinal welds are staggered and always occur in the top half of the
pipe (as specified in the welding specification).

2.5.3.8 The procedure for bending shall be such that the extremities of each joint remain straight over
a minimum distance of 2 m or twice the pipe diameter, whichever is greater. Contractor shall
lay out and measure the pipe for bending such that the length of off-cuts is kept to a
minimum.

2.6 Welding and NDT


2.6.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for the fabrication,
welding, and non-destructive testing of ‘on-plot’ piping and ‘off-plot’ pipelines for oil and gas
service, as required for the Work.

2.6.2 Off-Plot Pipelines

‘Off-Plot’ Pipelines are defined as all pipelines and pipe work covered by Codes ASME B31.4
or ASME B31.8 as specified in the drawings. This includes all pipeline work, block valve
stations and most parts of the pig trap stations.

The minimum requirements for welding are contained in Specification SP-1177 (for Class 1
Pipelines), SP-1174 (for Class 2 & 3 Pipelines) and SP-1097 (for Duplex Stainless Steel
Pipelines).

2.6.3 On-Plot Pipework

‘On-Plot’ Pipework is defined as all pipework and pipe runs covered by the code ASME B31.3
as specified in the drawings.

The minimum requirements are contained in Specification SP-1173.

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2.7 Anti-Corrosion Field Joint Coating


2.7.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for the external field
coating of pipeline weld joints and repair of damaged coatingThe type of field joint coating that
can be applied shall be compatible with and have good adhesion to the mill applied coating:

-- For Polyethylene (PE) / Polypropylene (PP) coated line pipe, the field joint
coating shall be by heat shrink sleeves.

Contractor shall supply all equipment including spares and skilled manpower required for pipe
cleaning, application of coating, coating repair in the field, and inspection and testing of the
same in accordance with this Specification and DEP 31.40.30.37-Gen.

2.7.2 Materials

2.7.2.1 Only materials supplied by Company approved manufacturers shall be used in the Work.

2.7.2.2 Contractor shall as a minimum follow manufacturer’s recommendations regarding material


storage, application methods, equipment, spares and tools. Contractor shall submit for
Company approval and demonstrate to the Company, the proposed work methods for coating
application and coating repair, two weeks prior to application.

2.7.2.3 The materials, at time of application by the Contractor, shall not be older than the shelf life
stated by the manufacturers.

2.7.2.4 The coating materials shall be properly packed and clearly marked with:

- The manufacturer’s name

- Material qualification and identification

- Batch number

- Date of manufacture

- Test certificates and test data

- Storage temperatures

- Material Safety Data Sheet

2.7.3 Surface Preparation

2.7.3.1 Prior to coating, the field joint area shall be blast cleaned. Surface preparation, including blast
cleaning, shall be carried out in accordance with DEP 31.40.30.37/ISO 21809-3 and this
specification.

2.7.3.2 Coating of the field joint shall not take place until the weld has been non-destructively tested
and approved by the Company.

2.7.4 Shrink Sleeve Application

2.7.4.1 Contractor shall propose the application procedure for Company approval. The application
procedure shall be in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and the minimum
requirements specified below, whichever are the most stringent, and shall be demonstrated to
the Company prior to field application by means of a procedure qualification test joint.

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2.7.4.2 The joint shall be heated to a temperature required by the procedure. Induction heaters, ring
burners or propane torches of a suitable type may be used for pipe diameters smaller than
16". Induction heaters should be used for pipe diameters of 16" and larger where the pre-heat
temperature exceeds 100° C. In all other cases burners or torches may be used. Torches
may be used for tie-in welds at Company’s discretion. To check that the required preheat
temperatures have been achieved, a digital contact thermometer shall be used.

2.7.4.3 The sleeve shall be wrapped entirely around the joint. The closure patch shall be positioned
off to one side of the pipe. There shall be a minimum overlap of 50 mm onto the factory
applied coating.

2.7.4.4 The procedure for shrinking the sleeve shall ensure that all entrapped air is forced out at
either end using gloved hands and concave hand rollers. Special attention must be given to
the closure patch and overlapping areas.

2.7.4.5 The installed sleeve shall be left undisturbed for 4 hours or until the adhesive has been
solidified, whichever is the longer.

2.7.5 Coating Repairs

2.7.5.1 Coating repairs shall be executed on all coating damage and imperfections detected visually
or by holiday testing.

2.7.5.2 The coating repair procedure and the required materials for this, including the installation of
repair sleeves when applicable, shall be in accordance with a procedure submitted by the
Contractor and approved by the Company.

2.7.5.3 The repair procedure for mill applied polyethylene / polypropylene coatings shall be selected
based on the criterion of magnitude of the damaged area, i.e.:

a) for pinholes and damages with a diameter or width of 10 mm maximum, a


thermoplastic repair stick shall be used.

b) for damages from 10 mm width to 100 mm diameter, a patch of thermoplastic


heat shrink materials shall be used.

c) for damages with a greater diameter than 100 mm, a thermoplastic wrap-
around shrink sleeve shall be used.

d) minor flaws of polyethylene / polypropylene coating may be smoothed down


using a torch and a hot iron.

Polyethylene / polypropylene coating repair materials shall as a minimum be in accordance


with DEP 31.40.30.31.

2.7.6 Testing, Inspection and Acceptance

2.7.6.1 The testing and inspection for acceptance of the coating system shall be carried out as per
as per DEP 31.40.30.37 and recorded by the Contractor as instructed and witnessed by
Company’s representative. The frequency of testing as specified herein may be altered by the
Company at Company’s sole discretion.

2.7.6.2 Company will carry out a ‘DCVG Survey’ to check the integrity of the buried coating. If coating
defects are found on any portion of the coating, Contractor shall excavate, repair and backfill
at Contractor’s expense.

2.8 Lowering-In, Backfilling and Reinstatement


2.8.1 Scope

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This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for pre and post padding,
lowering the pipe and backfilling, compacting and stabilising the trench as required for the
work.

2.8.2 Pre-Padding

2.8.2.1 All trenches shall be padded before lowering in of pipe string. No padding shall be placed until
the Company has inspected and approved the trench bottom.

2.8.2.2 To ensure that fine and clean padding material is used, the Contractor shall use mobile
screening plants that enable a continuous direct application of padding from the plant to the
trench. The type of screening plant is to be approved by Company prior to mobilisation to site
(maximum sieve size shall be 5 x 5 mm). Mobile screening plants are defined as screening
plants which move along the trench whilst they are in operation. Only in those areas where
mobile screening plants cannot be used due to access problems, pre-screened material may
be used after approval of the source by the Company. Pre-screened material shall be stored
in areas which have been cleared of rocks and stones and protected with plastic sheets to
prevent contamination with unacceptable padding materials.

2.8.2.3 The installed padding material shall be free of sharp rocks, stones, metal parts, roots, clods,
etc. and without sharp edges which could damage the pipeline. Base materials from which
pre and post padding material will be produced shall consist mainly of sandy material. More
than 75% by weight of the screened material should have grain size between 0.06 and 3.0
mm and no more than 25% by weight shall have a grain size between 3.0 and 5.0 mm. To
ensure compliance with the above requirements, the Contractor shall produce a grading curve
with typical screened material from the proposed source of sand or a representative section of
the working strip. If the base material is not sourced from the working strip, sources of
padding material shall first be approved by the Company. Suitable base material from the
working strip may not always be available or acceptable, in which case it shall be Contractor’s
responsibility to obtain suitable padding material from a source approved by the local
government authorities. Near residential areas and roads, padding material shall be dust free
(e.g. 'coarse sand' with a minimum grain size of 0.6 mm) in order to avoid inconvenience or
danger to the public.

2.8.2.4 The bottom of the trench shall be padded with sand throughout its length, whether in normal
ground or rock, so as to provide a minimum compacted padding thickness of 150 mm below
the invert of the pipe. Contractor shall keep the pre-padding operation within 1 km of the
lowering-in operation.

2.8.3 Lowering-in and Post-Padding

2.8.3.1 Welded pipe strings shall be lowered-in within 96 hours of completion of joint coating.

2.8.3.2 Immediately before commencing the lowering-in operation, the coating shall be checked for
holiday and if necessary, repaired to the satisfaction of the Company, as specified in Section
2.7.6. Only side booms shall be used for the lowering operation.

2.8.3.3 Wide non-abrasive slings or belts shall be used in all lowering-in operations and care shall be
taken when removing the slings from around the coated pipe after it has been lowered into
the trench. Any damage caused to the pipe and coating during lowering operations shall be
repaired before backfill commences.

2.8.3.4 The trench shall be maintained in a dry condition during lowering-in and backfill operations.

2.8.3.5 A minimum of 3 sidebooms shall be used for lowering in. Contractor shall submit to Company
a calculation to demonstrate that side booms used are sufficient to withstand the pipeline
section load. During lowering in operations the pipe shall not be subject to bending in excess
of the minimum allowable bending radius. A detailed procedure specifying the means of
demonstrating compliance with the minimum bending radius requirement shall be submitted

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as part of the Contractor’s installation procedures, for Company approval, at least 3 weeks
prior to the planned commencement of any lowering in operations.

2.8.3.6 Contractor shall take measures to restrain the pipe in the trench by means of ‘plugging’, i.e.
placing sand on top and around the pipe at regular intervals (one 2m ‘plug’ on every welded
joint) or Company approved equivalent method. Contractor shall plan the work such that the
lowering in and ‘plugging’ operations take place during the hottest part of the day. Company
may, at its sole discretion, waive the requirement for ‘plugging’ and allow the post-padding
operation to be executed as one continuous operation, dependant on completion time and
ambient temperature considerations.

2.8.3.7 Sand padding shall be placed around and above the pipe, so as to fill the trench to a depth of
300 mm above the crown of the pipe, with the sand padding shaped to its natural angle of
repose and with a minimum of 150 mm at any point around the pipe. No pipe shall be left
overnight in the trench without sand padding around and above the pipe.

2.8.3.8 Where the trench has been excavated through or along drive-ways, walk ways, roads, etc.
and at live stock passage ways and other locations indicated on the drawings, the sand
padding shall be thoroughly compacted by watering and Company approved hand tools, to
achieve a compacted sand fill around the pipe and up to 300 mm above the crown of the pipe.

2.8.4 Tie-ins

Unless otherwise agreed by the Company, tie-ins shall take place in the trench. For tie-ins
outside the trench, holding and lowering operations shall be undertaken in such a manner as
to minimise stresses in the pipe and therefore avoid movement of the pipe from the skids, for
safety reasons. Due consideration shall be given to ambient temperature changes throughout
the day and the resultant pipe length changes/stresses.

2.8.5 Backfilling

2.8.5.1 The trench shall not be backfilled until the Company has approved the sand padding around
and above the pipe and has approved starting the backfilling operation. Any settlement that
occurs after installation or when loaded with hystrostatic test water shall not impose stress on
the pipe because of differential settlement. The properties of the backfill materials shall
permit the CP system to work effectively. The permeability of the replaced material shall be
similar to that of the unexcavated material to prevent tunnel erosion in the case of heavy
rains. Backfilling shall be performed as soon as possible after padding has been approved.

2.8.5.2 In areas containing buried cables, backfilling shall not be performed until all tiles have been
replaced and protected and/or all cables have been supported to Company’s satisfaction. The
backfill around all underground services shall be thoroughly compacted by hand.

2.8.5.3 The material used for initial backfill shall be from the screening plant or other loose material
not greater than 100 mm in diameter, all subject to Company approval. The fill material shall
be placed in such a manner as to avoid disturbing the sand padding and excessive
penetration (more than 150 mm) of rocks into the sand layer. Contractor shall demonstrate
that his proposed method of backfilling achieves this requirement. The initial backfill shall be
placed in the trench to a level slightly above surrounding ground.

2.8.5.4 After the initial backfill, the remaining excavated material shall be neatly crowned over the
trench (the windrow), except in wadi areas. On either side of road crossings, the windrow
shall be tapered from full height to ground level to improve the visibility of drivers on the
ROW.

2.8.5.5 Trenches crossing ditches shall be backfilled with the material excavated from the trench at
the location. If the excavated material, in Company’s opinion is not suitable for backfilling,
Contractor shall provide and use suitable material from another source. Ditches with lined or
otherwise improved surfaces shall be resurfaced in a manner satisfactory to and approved by
the Company and the Authorities. Backfill in or on banks of ditches, wadis shall be compacted

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as necessary to prevent soil erosion or other damage which might be caused by the
construction of the pipeline.

2.8.5.6 Where the trench has been excavated through or along drive-ways, walks, roads, etc., and at
live stock passage ways and other locations indicated on the drawings, the initial backfill shall
be thoroughly compacted by mechanically tamping the material into place. The surface of
such areas shall be stabilised and/or restored to its original condition to the satisfaction of the
Company and the Authorities.

Where wadis or roads are graded, trenched or otherwise disturbed, the Contractor shall
restore the property to its original contour and condition even to the extent of hauling in and
placing new fill materials, gravel and stabilising materials or compounds, or by using special
compaction methods, as necessary to obtain the approval of the Company and the
Authorities.

2.8.5.7 ‘Sloping trenches’ (see Section 2.4.3.5) shall be backfilled as shown on Standard Drawing
TYP 3 0025 001.

2.8.6 Stabilising Sand Areas

To ensure the retention of sand cover in active sand areas (i.e. where the windrow consists of
sand only), the backfill shall be stabilised, preferably with a 150 mm layer of marl or other
stable material. The width of stabilisation shall be 3 metres on each side of the pipeline (plus
0.6 metres for every 3 metres of dune height if the line passes through a sand dune).

2.8.7 Livestock Passageways

Unless otherwise indicated on the drawings, livestock passageways shall be installed at


intervals of approximately 2 km and may be combined with graded road and track crossings.
The livestock passageways shall be constructed with a minimum of 1.5 m cover over the total
pipeline length of 6.5m. The width of the live stock passage shall be 2.5 m. Compaction of the
livestock passageways shall be such that the passing of light vehicles will not have any
detrimental effect on the passageway. Access barriers shall be installed on the ends of the
crossing to indicate the safe crossing width of the livestock passageway for light vehicles.

2.8.8 Reinstatement

2.8.8.1 Contractor shall clean-up the Working Strip and all working areas used by the Contractor
regularly during the course of the work, and shall restore the lands traversed, to the
satisfaction of the Company. Areas of soft sand in the continuous 6 m wide vehicle access
strip shall be removed and replaced by approved infill material so as to leave the vehicle
access strip in a safe condition for driving. The vehicle access strip shall be deviated at road
crossings in order to give a visual indication to drivers of the presence of the road.

2.8.8.2 The excess soil in the working strip shall be levelled in a manner satisfactory to the Company.
All loose rock exposed by the construction operations which is scattered over the working
strip or adjacent property shall be removed and placed over the windrow. However, rocks
larger than 750mm in diameter shall not be placed directly on the backfill material, but may be
placed next to the windrow.

2.8.8.3 All creeks, water courses, wells, syphons, drains, streams, wadis, ditches and irrigation
channels shall be reinstated by the Contractor to their former condition and their banks shall,
if deemed necessary by the Company, be pitched with stone and/or faced with special
protection to prevent washing out or erosion.

2.8.8.4 All enclosures, walls, gates, etc. shall be restored by the Contractor to at least as good a
condition as they were prior to the commencement of the Contractor’s operations to approval
of the Company.

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2.8.8.5 All private roads, bridges and other private structures used by the Contractor for access or
haulage shall be restored by the Contractor to a condition equal to or better than that which
existed prior to the commencement of the Contractor’s operations.

2.8.8.6 Construction roads, used at escarpments, may be required by the Company to be left as they
are.

2.8.8.7 Construction markers shall not be removed, unless requested by the Company.

2.8.8.8 All rubbish/debris left over after removal of camp facilities shall be removed to designated
scrap dumps. The sites shall be levelled and cleared in accordance with the Regulations for
Pipeline Contractor Camps in the Interior and to Company’s satisfaction.

2.9 Road and Wadi Crossings


2.9.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for road and wadi
crossings as required for the work.

2.9.2 Road Crossings

2.9.2.1 All road crossings should preferably be made by the open cut method. Trench less methods
such as horizontal drilling, pipe jacking may be considered for major road crossing to avoid
disruption of traffic. If directional drilling is used, tests are to be conducted to confirm the
integrity of the coating, the method for which is to be agreed prior to the installation of the
pipe.

2.9.2.2 The road crossings shall be installed as shown on the drawings. The crossings shall be
installed to meet at all times the requirements and conditions set forth by the Authorities
having jurisdiction.

2.9.2.3 Contractor shall install an off-set diversion road, when specifically permitted or required to do
so by the Company and/or responsible Authorities and provide adequate maintenance to
ensure safe passage of vehicles. The diversion shall not cross the pipeline where it has
already been installed.

2.9.2.4 Contractor shall at all times and at every unfinished road crossing provide adequate and
proper traffic aids, such as warning signs, and other safeguards to the satisfaction of the
Company and the Authorities to ensure safety of the public. All warning signs shall be in both
Arabic and English language.

2.9.2.5 Contractor shall comply with the following minimum requirements of the Directorate General
of Roads for major road crossings:

a) Contractor shall submit details of all proposed diversions, methods of crossings,


reinstatement and standards of construction to the Directorate General of Roads for
approval before commencing work on site.

b) Reinstatement of roads must be to the same standard as existing roads. Diversion


roads must be constructed with compacted non-plastic materials, which must not
degenerate into dust during use.

c) Approvals must be obtained from Government authorities as applicable, in


consultation with Company External Affairs department.

d) Final approval of any proposed road works must be obtained from the Royal Oman
Police.

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e) Contractor shall be required to give to the Directorate General of Roads, a Bank


Guarantee. This requirement applies to each individual crossing point.

2.9.3 Wadi-Crossings

2.9.3.1 ‘Wadi’ shall mean dry river bed which could be temporarily filled with water following rain. The
wadis will be identified on the Alignment Sheets as ‘Flood plains’, ‘Wadi type ‘A’’, ‘Wadi type
‘B’’, or ‘Wadi type ‘C’ / ‘D’. The Contractor shall perform stability and buoyancy calculations
and submit for approval.

2.9.3.2 Flood Plains are those areas where water can remain stagnant for certain time duration. The
minimum cover for flood plains shall be as per Table 3 of SP 1211.

2.9.3.3 Wadis may be classified based on judgement and careful evaluation of the crossing location
with due consideration to wadi’s width, bed slope, past discharge history and erosion potential
at the crossing location. The wadi types are described below.

a) Type ‘A’ wadis are those where low velocity flow is expected after heavy rains.
At these wadi crossings, line pipe without concrete protection shall be installed
(TYP 3 0015 001) with a minimum cover of 1500 mm. Similar protection shall
be for flood plains except depth of cover.

b) Type ‘B‘ wadis are those where erosion due to high velocity flow is expected
after heavy rains At these wadi crossings, line pipe with continuous concrete
protection shall be installed (TYP 3 0017 001) with a minimum cover of 1500
mm.

c) Type ‘C‘ wadis are those where heavy erosion due to high velocity flow is
expected after heavy rains combined with the existence of large stones and
boulders. At these wadi crossings, line pipe with continuous concrete protection
shall be installed (TYP 3 0019 001) with a minimum cover of 1500 mm.
Additionally, the pipeline trench shall be protected with gabions placed at the
surface.

d) Type ‘D’ wadis – for Type ‘C’ wadis, in case of high H2S levels (> 1000 ppm)
and MOL / SOGL pipelines, a wadi type “D” protection shall be considered in
lieu of type “C”, which has additional requirement of gabions on both sides of
the pipeline and 150mm thick concrete slab, inclusive of wire mesh on both
sides of the pipeline (TYP 3 0027 001).

2.9.3.4 Wadi crossings shall be installed to meet at all times the requirements and conditions issued
by the Authorities having jurisdiction in the area.

2.9.3.5 All concrete coated pipes shall be electrically tested on site prior to installation in order to
demonstrate that there is no contact between the reinforcing steel and the pipe steel. The
concrete shall be applied in accordance with Section 2.10, following.

2.9.3.6 At locations where concrete protection has been applied, the trench shall be backfilled with
coarse gravel and rock with a minimum dimension of 50 mm up to a level 500 mm below
grade level.

2.9.3.7 For type `C` wadi-crossing, gabions consisting of packages of boulders with dimensions
between 100 and 200 mm contained in galvanised, coated steel wire mesh, shall be placed
on top, up to grade level over the full width of the trench. The type of wire mesh shall be
approved by the Company prior to use.

2.9.3.8 Normally the windrow shall not be installed over the pipeline through the wadi section.
However for wide wadi crossings, greater than 100m, the windrow shall be installed
intermittently in order to mark the location of the pipeline (Windrow lengths shall be
approximately 25m at 75m intervals).

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2.10 Concrete Coating for Wadi Crossings


2.10.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for concrete coating of the
pipeline at Wadi crossings type B and C as required for the work. Alternatively concrete
coating may be carried out as per DEP 31.40.30.30 if approved by Company.

2.10.2 General

2.10.2.1 Contractor shall be responsible for the supply and installation of all concrete coatings,
including all associated handling and transport of linepipe etc. Contractor shall furnish all
materials, equipment, labour, supervision, worksite and services incidental to and necessary
for the application of concrete in accordance with this specification and all subject to
Company approval.

2.10.2.2 Concrete coating cut back shall be increased by 100mm over and above the cut back left in
the mill coated pipe.

2.10.2.3 The concrete shall have a minimum dry density of 2400 kg/m3 after 28 days. The minimum
thickness shall depend on the pipe outside diameter as specified below:

Up to 6.625" : 40 mm

6.625" to 12.75" : 50 mm

over 12.75" : 60 mm

The concrete shall be Grade 30 to BS 8110 with a characteristic crushing strength of 21


N/mm2 at 7 days and 30 N/mm2 at 28 days.

2.10.2.4 The mill identity of each pipe length shall be preserved and records kept during and after the
coating process. A certified permanent record shall be supplied to the Company showing the
serial number, average outside diameter, length and all weights.

2.10.2.5 The concrete coating of line pipe shall be applied either in an approved coating plant or in the
field in-situ concrete coating, before welding of linepipes, at Contractor’s option. Field
application shall be by dry mix gunite technique or Company approved equivalent. The plant
application procedure and the coating plant may involve methods other than guniting and
shall be Company approved.

Reference is made to Company Specification SP-1282 for concrete production.

The Contractor shall prepare, and submit to the Company for approval, a minimum of 1 month
before commencement of the work, a detailed coating procedure specification containing, but
not limited to, the following.

- Contractor-supplied materials: specifications, type, supplier, methods of control,


etc.;

- concrete coating procedures covering the concrete mix, placement of steel


reinforcement, concrete application, curing, repair procedures, coating equipment
and facilities and identifying the ranges of parameters to be used;

- inspection and testing (including procedures and pro-forma)

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2.10.3 Concrete Materials

2.10.3.1 The cement shall be ordinary Portland cement conforming to BS EN197 or ASTM C150.
Cement which is held in stock for longer than three months, or any cement which shows signs
of deterioration, partial setting or other defects or which fails when tested, shall be rejected.

2.10.3.2 Aggregates shall be naturally occurring washed sand and shall be hard, dense, durable,
clean, sharp and graded evenly from fine to coarse, as per the grading limits specified below,
and be in compliance with BS 882. If in the opinion of the Company, the aggregate contains
an undesirable proportion of chemicals, dust, clay, organic matter or other undesirable
constituents, the consignment shall be rejected. The grading of aggregate when plotted
against sieve size shall be within the limits tabulated below:

BS 410 Sieve Size Percent by Weight

passing a 3/8 inch 100

passing a no. 4 95 - 100

passing a no. 8 65 - 90

passing a no. 16 45 - 75

passing a no. 30 30 - 50

passing a no. 50 10 - 22

passing a no. 100 2-8

Stockpiles of aggregates shall be covered by tarpaulins.

2.10.3.3 Water for use in concrete shall be clean and free from all substances which may be injurious
to concrete or steel. It shall satisfy the requirements of BS 3148 and contain no staining or
colouring.

2.10.3.4 Reinforcement of concrete coating shall be by one layer of electrically welded galvanised
steel mesh fabric reinforcement to BS 4483. Maximum mesh dimensions shall be 38mm x
38mm x 2 mm wire diameter. The minimum overlap between two consecutive rolls of mesh
shall be 50 mm except at field joints where no overlap is required. The reinforcement shall be
placed at the centre of the concrete coating layer by using P.V.C. spacer blocks or a
Company approved equivalent. The reinforcement shall be clean, free from scale, mud,
grease, hardened rebound or anything likely to destroy adhesion or promote corrosion.

2.10.4 Application

2.10.4.1 Prior to concrete coating, Contractor shall apply a protective layer or ‘barrier coat’ to epoxy
coated pipe. The type of barrier coat to be used shall be a two component fibre reinforced
cementetious coating such as FBE Brushcrete, Fosroc H.I.M, Epoxytar, Rezex water based
epoxy coating ES2 or equivalent. Contractor shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
Company that the proposed barrier coat prevents the occurrence of holidays in the epoxy
coating due to the concrete application process, and promotes a good bond between the
epoxy and concrete coating.

To this end one or more sections of a test joint shall each be coated with a proposed barrier
coat, in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations. The number of applications, film
thickness and curing time shall be representative for the application in the production process.
The test joint shall be concrete coated, whereupon the concrete is immediately washed off
and each test section subjected to a holiday test and an adhesion test both in accordance
with Section 2. 7.

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2.10.4.2 Batching, proportioning and mixing of the materials shall be such that a concrete coating is
provided with the minimum specified strength and density. No batch of cement and aggregate
shall be used in the work if it has stood for more than half an hour after mixing. No rebound
material shall be mixed into any batch.

2.10.4.3 Contractor shall pay attention to the moisture content of the sand used for guniting. If the
sand is too wet, the hose will block and a mortar layer will build up inside the gun. If the sand
is too dry the cement will not adhere to the sand grains on mixing and excessive separation
will occur in the hose. In case the moisture content falls outside the critical range of 5 to 8%,
Contractor shall make the sand suitably damp either by spraying the dry sand with water or
mixing wet sand with specially supplied dry sand.

2.10.4.4 The mixing equipment shall be capable of providing a uniform mix. The dry mix used for
guniting shall be screened to prevent inclusion of stone, flakes from the mixer drum, pieces of
cement bag, etc. Mix temperature shall not exceed 32°C.

2.10.4.5 Concrete shall not be placed until:

a) The line pipe corrosion coating has been holiday detected and approved by the
Company.

b) The barrier coat (if required) has been applied and cured.

c) Reinforcement has been adequately secured in the correct position with use of
spacer blocks, to prevent displacement during concrete application.

d) Shading has been installed to prevent the line pipe temperature exceeding
35°C.

2.10.4.6 Since the technique of guniting relies significantly on the skill of the nozzle man, he shall have
at least 3 years experience in work of a similar nature. Other operators of the guniting crew
shall have a minimum of one year’s experience. Written evidence of such experience shall be
furnished to the Company. Contractor shall have a minimum of five years experience in
guniting or alternatively shall subcontract the guniting work to a specialist Sub Contractor with
similar minimum experience level. The guniting crew shall demonstrate their ability to
consistently coat pipe to this specification by guniting at least three separate quarter length
pipe samples prior to start of production.

2.10.4.7 Before directing the guniting nozzle onto the pipe surface the nozzle man shall ensure that
the proportioning of water and dry mix is correct. Further regulating of the water supply should
be kept to a minimum to ensure uniform concrete quality. The nozzle shall be held in the
optimum position for placement at all times i.e. 0.6 to 1.2 m from and at right angles to, the
surface of the pipe.

2.10.4.8 The outer surface of the concrete coating shall be smooth, without corrugations and
concentric with the steel pipe. At both ends of each pipe, a distance of approx. 0.30 m from
the end shall be completely left free of concrete to facilitate field joints. The concrete shall
taper back from these points at a two-to-one slope until the required thickness of coating is
reached.

2.10.5 Curing

2.10.5.1 The finished concrete coating shall be completely protected from wind, draught, rain, spray,
etc. for a minimum period of 7 days by wrapping with suitable hessian or polyethylene
sheeting. Also during this period the pipe shall not be exposed to direct sunlight and/or
temperature below freezing point. After a period of 4 hours from placement and for the 7 days
curing period, the concrete surface shall be kept wet.

2.10.5.2 The concrete coated pipe shall not be lifted or transported from the curing area during the 7
day curing period. The Contractor shall take precautions to prevent detrimental movement of

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line pipe after concrete coating to minimise handling stresses whilst concrete is hardening
and curing.

2.10.5.3 For factory applied coating, any other curing methods apart from that mentioned in 2.10.5.1
may be adopted subject to approval of the Company.

2.10.6 Inspection and Testing

2.10.6.1 Every length of coated pipe shall be inspected visually and by spiral ring holiday detector and
repaired, in accordance with Section 2.7, Anti-Corrosion Coatings, prior to concrete
application.

2.10.6.2 The concrete shall be visually inspected immediately after the application and after
approximately 3 days. If concrete is faulty, Contractor shall remove cores from the suspected
pipe. If the compressive strength tests of the cores fail to meet the specified strengths,
Contractor shall remove the defective coatings by Company approved method, inspect and
where necessary repair the corrosion coating or reapply the concrete coating. Contractor may
optt not to wait for the test results and immediately initiate the stripping and subsequent
coating repair work.

2.10.6.3 Test panels, made from mild steel, shall be made every day, one at the start of work, and one
during the day as instructed by the Company. These test panels shall be positioned alongside
the work and in a position similar to the work (horizontal, vertical or overhead) and gunited.
On a regular basis, to be decided by the Company, cores shall be taken from each test panel
after it has cured in a similar manner as the coated pipe.

2.10.6.4 Core samples shall be obtained using a diamond core cutter set to ensure that the cut is
perpendicular to the surface and fitted with a positive depth of cut limit to ensure that the core
barrel shall not penetrate closer than 6 mm to the corrosion coat of the line pipe, where
applicable.

The minimum diameter of the core shall be at least three times the nominal maximum
aggregate size. The length to diameter ratio of the core when trimmed for testing shall not be
less than one-to-one. Sampling, storing, testing and calculation shall be in accordance with
the provisions of BS 1881. Cores shall be cut four days after concreting and stored in a curing
tank until tested.

Samples shall be tested as specified in BS 1881. The compressive strength of each specimen
shall be calculated using the computed cross-sectional area based on the average diameter
of the specimen. For acceptance, each core shall have the minimum density and compressive
strength as specified in Section 2.10.2.2.

Company may accept any other method of testing that Contractor can demonstrate to give a
consistently reliable measure of strength attained by the concrete coating. Cube tests will be
accepted for crushing strength instead of core samples, but the required compressive
strengths will be 20% greater than specified for core tests. The Contractor shall arrange for an
independent agency acceptable to the Company to test these cubes.

2.10.6.5 The thickness of applied concrete coating shall be measured on every joint at three or more
points to check compliance with the minimum requirements as per Section 2.10.2.2. The
three points shall be spaced at approximately equal intervals with distance between the end
points at least eighty (80) percent of the coated length. Concrete coatings not in accordance
with the dimensional requirements shall be repaired or stripped and recoated at the discretion
of the Company.

2.10.6.6 Factory applied coated pipes shall be weighed and weight of each coated pipe shall have a
tolerance of +10% on any one joint and a tolerance of –4% on the total length as calculated
from the specified density and thickness. Weighing devices used to determine the weights of
the coated joints shall be certified in writing to provide an accuracy of one half on one percent
(0.5%).

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2.10.6.7 Effective electrical separation between reinforcing steel and pipe shall be determined for each
pipe joint by electrical tests.

2.10.7 Concrete Coating Repairs

2.10.7.1 Concrete coating that is found to be defective at the time of coating shall be immediately
stripped from the pipe and the pipe recoated. All other defects shall only be repaired once the
concrete has hardened.

2.10.7.2 Defective concrete coating areas affected by spalling due to compression or shearing caused
by impact against other objects which have caused a loss of not more than twenty five
percent (25%) of the total thickness of the coating shall be repaired. An area of less than 0.1
m2 per joint where the concrete remaining on the joint is sound shall be accepted without
repairs. Should the area affected be more than 0.1 m2 and less than 0.33 m2 per joint, the
concrete remaining in place over that area shall be undercut so as to provide a key lock for
the same basic material as the coating. Should the damaged area be more than 0.33 m2 per
joint, the coating shall be removed around the entire periphery of the line pipe throughout the
entire damaged area and repaired.

Repairs shall be made by satisfactorily restoring the reinforcing, removing all cracked or
broken concrete at the point of coating damage, wetting the fresh surface of the broken
coating (unless the coating is still too ‘green’ to require it), and troweling a stiff mixture of
cement, water and aggregate, of the same materials and proportions as the coating, into and
through the reinforcing. This mixture shall be built up until the surface is level with the coating
around the repair. The pipe shall then be allowed to moist cure for a minimum of four days.
The resulting coating shall be equal in weight, density, uniformity, strength and characteristics
to the originally applied coating.

2.10.7.3 Concrete cracks that are in excess of 1.5 mm in width and extend over 180° circumferentially
around the pipe, or where cracks are over 330 mm in length longitudinally along the pipe
irrespective of width, shall be repaired. Repairs shall be made by chiselling the crack out to
width of not less than 25 mm throughout the length of the crack. The crack shall be repaired
with materials similar to that from which the coating is made and in a manner similar to that
outlined above.

2.10.7.4 Core sample holes shall be repaired with materials similar to that from which the coating is
made and in a manner similar to that outlined above. The repairs shall be kept moist and
allowed to remain undisturbed for a period of not less than 36 hours. Further curing shall be in
accordance with the Specification.

2.11 Permanent Markers and Barriers


2.11.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirement for the supply and
installation of permanent pipeline markers and access barriers, as required for the Work.

2.11.2 General

The Contractor shall supply and install permanent pipeline markers along the buried pipeline
route as close as possible to the windrow(Max 3m). For aboveground pipelines marker shall
be installed only at every Km (chainage marker) and at road crossings.. Construction details
of all types of markers are shown on the drawings. Each marker consists of a post sealed with
a cap end, mounted with two marker plates as per the drawings. Every marker shall have line
identification and the marker plates should be as per typical drawing TYP 3 0029 001. As-
built chainage shall be indicated on the marker plates with an accuracy of one meter. (The
start point of the pipeline, KP 0, should be the pipeline isolation valve in the scraper trap
station or GRE-Metallic interface flange).

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Colour coding of the background of the pipeline markers shall be as follows:

Crude / Condensate : red

Gas : blue

Water : green

The marker plates shall faced as shown in the respective drawings. Separate markers are
required on parallel lines. Reference is made here to SP-1284 for more information on
pipeline markers.

2.11.3 Chainage Markers

Chainage markers shall be installed along the pipeline at each one (1) kilometre chainage
station. A chainage marker is not required if the distance between its location and any other
type of pipeline marker, as mentioned hereafter in this section is less than 200 metres.

2.11.4 Block Valve Station Markers

Block valve station markers shall be installed along the pipeline at each block valve station.

2.11.5 Road Crossing Markers

Road crossing markers shall be installed at both sides of each paved or graded road
crossing. Location shall be 5metres from the borders of the road.

2.11.6 Wadi Crossing Markers

Wadi crossing markers shall be installed at both sides of each wadi crossing.

2.11.7 Pipeline Crossing Markers

Pipeline crossing markers shall be installed at each crossing with an existing underground or
above ground pipeline.

2.11.8 Cable Crossing Markers

Cable crossing markers shall be installed at each crossing with an existing underground
cable.

2.11.9 Markers at Horizontal Bends

Markers shall be installed at the tangent points of each horizontal bend, with an indication of
the actual bend angle of the pipeline at that location.

2.11.10 Cathodic Protection Markers

At all C.P. test stations, bonding stations and negative connection stations, a pipeline marker
shall be installed. Locations shall preferably be combined with chainage markers. At pig trap
stations, the insulating joint test station post/marker should be installed outside the station
fence but no further than 25 m from the insulating joint.

2.11.11 R.O.W. `STOP` Signs

At each road crossing, permanent `STOP` signs shall be installed on the R.O.W. access strip,
at both sides of the road for the attention of drivers of maintenance vehicles on the R.O.W.

2.11.12 Corrosion Monitoring Pit Marker

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A marker shall be installed adjacent to each of the corrosion monitoring pit, in the case where
the pit is not located inside a station. The marker should be inside the pit fencing.

2.11.13 Access Barriers

2.11.13.1 When specified on the drawings, access barriers shall be constructed in accordance with
Standard Drawing STD-2-1626-001.

2.11.13.2 Breaks in the barriers shall be provided at each road/track/livestock crossing and at least
once every two kilometres to coincide with livestock crossings. At these crossings, removable
barriers shall be installed to prevent normal access from the crossing to the Right-of-Way, but
allowing inspection vehicles to pass when required. Final configuration shall be approved by
the Company Site Representative.

2.11.13.3 Painting of access barriers shall be in black and yellow bands of 0.3 m length.

2.12 Station Works


2.12.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirements for all above and below
ground station works, including pig trap and block valve stations. The sections below make
reference to relevant PDO Specifications and detail any additional requirements. The
following works are included in this Section:

- Earthworks

- Civil and Mechanical Work

- Painting

- Instrumentation

- Electrical Works

- Fencing

Requirements for the following related activities are included in other sections of this
document or other Specification.

- Materials

- Cathodic Protection

- Supply of hydrotest water

- Hydrotesting

- Work on `live` systems

- Use of explosives

- Access barriers

Contractor shall supply all materials and equipment unless stated otherwise in the Schedules.

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2.12.2 Earthworks

a) Pig trap station plots will be prepared, by others, to final elevations unless
specifically stated otherwise in the Scope of Work/Drawings.

b) All earthworks, specifically those relating to supports, drain pits and corrosion
monitoring pits, shall be in accordance with SP1279-C.

2.12.3 Civil and Mechanical Works

2.12.3.1 General

a) All station works shall be fabricated and installed in accordance with the
Drawings and this Specification, including standard Civil and Mechanical
drawings from GU-628 and SP-2039, respectively.

b) Precautions shall be made to prevent entry of sand or debris etc. into pipework
and fittings during construction.

c) Contractor shall maintain the elevations shown on the drawings and carry out
any pipework adjustment necessary to achieve this.

d) Valves with flow arrows shall be installed in the normal flow direction of the
product. Valves in pits shall have adequate access for maintenance.

2.12.3.2 Concrete/ Block work

a) All concrete works shall be in accordance with SP1279-D. Reference is also


made to SP-1282.

b) The block work of corrosion monitoring pits shall be in accordance with SP-
1279-E.

c) Anchor bolts, pipe sleeves, anchor rails, insert and sliding plates shall be built
in as formwork proceeds. They shall be positioned accurately and be firmly
fixed such that no movement shall occur during the concrete pour. If provision
is to be made to allow for slight adjustment in position of anchor (holding-down)
bolts, this shall be clearly indicated on the detail foundation drawings with the
method(s) to be applied.

Anchor bolts, etc. shall be properly protected against damage and corrosion.
Threaded parts shall be greased and securely protected from damage before
pouring of concrete. Anchor bolts shall be as shown on the drawings. All
embedded parts shall be free from oil, loose scale, rust, paint, grease or other
harmful matter.

2.12.3.3 Structural Steel

All structural steelworks shall be in accordance with SP1279-G.

2.12.3.4 Process Pipework

a) Fabrication and welding of process pipework and fittings shall be in accordance


with SP-1173 Specification for Welding of On-Plot Pipework.

The on-plot Specification states that all welding shall be by the uphill technique.
In certain circumstances, downhill welding may be considered for filling and
capping runs, any proposals for which shall be reviewed on a case by case
basis by the Company welding TA-2 and endorsed by the CFDH Welding.

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c) Corrosion probe fittings shall be welded and drilled prior to hydrostatic testing.
Flame cutting of holes is not permitted.

d) The bases and valves of pig indicators shall be installed prior to hydrostatic
testing and the complete assembly fitted after test.

e) If temporary vents are required by Contractor for hydrostatic testing, in stations


or on the pipeline, these shall be provided with prior approval of the Company.
The size of such vents shall be 1 inch. All welds shall be subject to MPI and the
final cap to nipple weld shall be radiographed. Thereafter the cap, nipple and
weldolet shall be painted as specified in Section 12.4 below. The proposed
location for temporary vents shall be U.T. checked for laminations and to
confirm adequate wall thickness. A MPI check shall also be made to confirm
the absence of surface breaking defects, prior to welding or cutting.

f) In the event that anchors are required, these shall be installed at the locations
shown in the drawings. The anchor flange with a pipe joint welded at both ends
shall be completely installed prior to start of civil work. The anchor flange to be
embedded in the concrete shall be coated in accordance with Section 2.12.4
below. Pipe coating shall be tested with the holiday detector prior to embedding
in concrete. The concrete work shall be backfilled and left to cure a minimum of
three weeks before further joints are allowed to be welded to the anchor flange
assembly.

2.12.4 Painting

a) Aboveground pipeline/piping shall be painted if specified in material selection


report and colour shall be white except for the following:

Actuators and insulating couplings red

Covers of corrosion monitoring pits black

Access barriers markers black/yellow

Handrails black

(In special instances Camouflaged paint may be required).

b) Valves and insulating joints shall be painted as per manufacturer specification.


Color should be as specified above.

c) Underground steelwork, pipework, fittings and valves, including those inside


corrosion monitoring pits, shall be coated in accordance with SP-1246. d)
Surface preparation and painting shall be in accordance with SP-1246.

2.12.5 Instrumentation

Contractor shall carry out instrumentation works in accordance with PR-1094 and DEP
62.10.08.11 GEN.

2.12.6 Electrical Works

a) This section refers to permanent electrical works as specified in the Drawings


(normally earthing and bonding only), including standard drawings from SP-
1105, Electrical Standard Drawings.

b) All work shall be carried out in accordance with the following Specifications:

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SP-1099 Electrical Installation Practice

PR-1947 Electrical Safety Rules

SP-1109 Specification for Earthing and Bonding

2.12.7 Fencing

a) The fencing required for the Work shall be of the medium security type, and be
supplied and constructed in accordance with SP1279-P. The exact
requirements for each location are shown in the drawings.

b) If Contractor requires an opening in an existing fence for construction


purposes, he shall obtain prior approval of the Company and restore the
relevant part to its original condition upon instruction of the Company.

2.13 Cathodic Protection


2.13.1 Impressed Current Cathodic Protection

2.13.1.1 The cathodic protection design shall be in accordance with SP-1128 Specification for
Cathodic Protection Design’. Details of various design aspects are indicated in the standard
drawings specified in SP-1136 ‘Specification for Cathodic Protection Standard Drawings’.

2.13.1.2 When a complete new C.P test points connects to an existing system, then the Contractor
shall employ a qualified C.P supervisor who shall have the prior approval of the Company.
When solar panels are required, Contractor shall sub-contract the supply/installation to a
Company approved supplier/contractor.

2.13.1.3 Contractor shall give the Company 5 days notice prior to installation of special C.P items i.e.
solar stations, T/R units and ground bed anode systems, in order to mobilise a Company CP
Inspector.

2.13.2 Materials

Contractor shall procure all materials required for the Work, unless stated otherwise in the
Schedules. Specifications for materials shall be as shown on the drawings. The following
Company Specifications are applicable:

 SP-1129 (Spec for Construction, Installation and Commissioning of CP systems)

 SP-1130 (Spec for CP Materials and Equipment)

 SP-1136 (Standard Drawings)

 PR-1234 (Safe Working Procedures)

2.13.3 Installation

2.13.3.1 Installation of the C.P. System shall be carried out concurrently with the main pipeline laying
work.

2.13.3.2 At approximately 2 km intervals, as shown on the drawings, a C.P. Standard Test Post shall
be installed (Ref. STD-7-3001). Welding of the attachments to the pipeline, including
procedure and welder qualification shall be in accordance with Section 2.6, Welding and NDT.

2.13.3.3 Cable connections to the pipeline (Ref. STD-7-2001) shall also be required, as shown on the
Drawings, at the following locations:

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- pipeline crossings

- current measuring stations

- buried or overhead high voltage powerline

- negative connections

- earthing electrodes

- permanent reference cells

- insulating joints

Where the required connections at pipeline crossings, current measurement stations, etc. are
within 200m of the planned location of a C.P. test station/pup piece point, the latter may be
relocated to coincide with the connection, subject to prior Company approval.

2.13.3.4 All C.P. testing facilities shall be installed in accordance with SP-1129.

2.13.3.5 Where Foreign Service Bonding Facilities are required on foreign services, for cross bonding,
the connection pad may be attached by welding a pad on the foreign services (Ref. STD-7-
3005).

2.13.3.6 Current Measuring Stations shall be installed on the pipeline every 10 km, unless shown
otherwise on the drawings (Ref. STD-7-3004).

2.13.3.7 A Grounding Facility shall be installed at power line crossings and where the pipeline runs
parallel to, and within 50m of a power line (Ref. STD-7-3006).

2.13.3.8 Drain Point Facilities shall be installed as shown on the Drawings (Ref. STD-7-3003).

2.13.3.9 Insulating joints/flanges shall be installed in accordance with Drawings (Ref. STD-7-3007).

2.13.3.10 All C.P. cables shall be installed in accordance with SP-1129. Cable to pipeline connections
shall be made prior to hydrostatic testing. Cable markers shall be installed in accordance with
drawing STD-7-7001.

2.13.3.11 Ground beds, when required and shown on the Drawings, shall be installed in accordance
with SP-1129(Ref. STD-7-6001, STD-7-6002, STD-7-6003, and STD-7-6004).

2.13.4 Temporary Cathodic Protection

In the case that the pipeline is to be buried in a highly corrosive soil and when the installation
of the permanent cathodic protection system cannot be finalized before the pipeline is buried
(pipelines with long construction periods) a temporary cathodic protection system shall be
installed. Such a system shall be designed in the same way as a permanent cathodic
protection system with the exception that material quantities and quality shall be adequate to
cover a lifetime equal to the time of the pipeline construction, as advised by Company CP
specialist, until the expected commissioning of the permanent cathodic protection system.
Anode connections shall be constructed such that they can easily be connected /
disconnected during and/or after commissioning of the permanent system.

2.13.5 DCVG Survey

2.13.5.1 Company will carry out a ‘DCVG Survey’, after installation of the pipeline, to check the
integrity of the buried pipeline coating.. If coating defects are found on any portion of the
coating, Contractor shall excavate, repair and backfill at Contractor’s expense.

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2.13.6 Commissioning

Contractor is required to provide a PDO approved C.P. Contractor to commission the C.P.
system after installation in accordance with documents SP-1129 and PR-1159. The
Contractor should inform the name of sub-contractor they intend to use to execute the
commissioning not less than 28 days prior to commencement of commissioning.

2.14 Quality and Treatment of Hydrotesting Water


The minimum requirements for the quality and treatment of flushing and hydrostatic testing
water as required for the Work is stipulated in SP-1212: Hydrostatic Testing of New Pipelines.

2.15 Hydrostatic Testing


The minimum requirements for hydrostatic testing operations, i.e. cleaning, gauging, filling,
hydrostatic testing and dewatering of pipeline and station works as required for the Work are
covered under a separate specification SP-1212: Hydrostatic Testing of New Pipelines.

2.16 Precommissioning Of Pipelines


2.16.1 Scope

The minimum requirements for precommissioning of oil and gas pipelines including but not
limited to bulk dewatering, final dewatering, cleaning, drying and preservation of oil and gas
pipelines as required for the Work are covered under a separate DEP 31.40.50.30.

2.16.2 General

The Contractor shall carry out the pre-commissioning activities of pipelines in accordance with
the requirements of the Scope of Work, this specification and DEP 31.40.50.30. accordance
with chapters 6 and 8 of DEP 31.40.50.30. Hydrotest water shall be disposed of in
accordance with SP-2194.

Contractor shall supply all materials, consumables, equipment, spares, labour, supervision
and other services incidental to and necessary for the successful performance of the pre-
commissioning work in a manner satisfactory to the Company.

2.16.2.1 Contractor shall make detailed proposals, for Company approval, for the precommissioning
work including but not limited to detailed procedures, programme and schedule for Work.
Contractor’s proposals shall include complete information regarding the following aspects:

- precise definition of the sections to be precommisioned

- the method or combination of methods to be employed

- complete summary and lay out of the temporary pipework, equipment and facilities
including spares for each section to be pre-commissioned.

- the method(s) to be employed to preserve the dryness and cleanliness of the line.

- any tie-in work to be carried out after pre-commissioning.

- precommissioning of valves, branch off takes, etc.

- tests to verify the success of the operation.

- a summary of the amount of material and consumables and the number and
qualifications of personnel, to be used for the precommissioning work.

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- test/calibration procedures for all main equipment and instrumentation.

- calculations and any other evidence necessary to demonstrate that the work will be
executed in accordance with the requirements of the Contract. The sizing of drying
equipment and calculations of the time required for drying shall be based on a film
thickness of residual water of not less than 0.1 mm. Lower values may be assumed
if the Contractor can demonstrate, to the Company's satisfaction, their validity from
previous experience.

2.17 Work on Live Pipe Systems


2.17.1 Scope

This Section of the Specification covers the minimum requirement for work on live pipe
systems as required for the Work.

2.17.2 General

2.17.2.1 The work permit system shall apply to all work on live pipe systems. Contractor shall do all
that is necessary to obtain work permits and to execute the Work in adherence to the work
permit.

2.17.2.2 Specialised tools and equipment as required for the performance of work on live pipe systems
shall only be acquired form the Company approved vendors. A vendor’s representative shall
be present at all times during the use of such tools and equipment.

2.17.2.3 Hot tapping on live pipe systems shall be carried out in accordance with PR-1506 and DEP
31.38.60.10. Welding on pressurised pipes shall be carried out in accordance with SP-1167.

2.18 Pre Start Up Audit (PSUA)


PSUA shall be carried out by Company, to ensure that the facilities are complete and in place
to safely start up and guarantee a sustainable operation. PSUA is a critical assurance activity
for all new or modified facilities and is designed to address core HSE-MS (AI-PSM) and
Operational Readiness requirements prior to decision to introduce hydrocarbons or process
hazards. Within PDO the PSUA is considered a vital and mandatory part of the Corporate
Management Framework.

2.18.1 Requisites for PSUA

PSUA shall be conducted once the following are attained:

All Statement of Fitness elements fully completed, including formal ‘sign-off’


a
by relevant Technical Authorities – per SP-2062.
100% Mechanical Completion/ Construction Completion, including close out
b of all punch list ‘A’ items – per Certification and Completions Management
System (CCMS).
c 100% Pre-commissioning completion – per CCMS.
100% completion of Operations Readiness activities - per PR-1612 /
d
Operation Readiness Self Assessment Tool (ORSAT).
100% completion of preparation for Commissioning – per PR-1159 /
e
Operation Readiness Self Assessment Tool (ORSAT).
100% up to date with Project Close Out process requirements – evidenced
f.
via Auto PCC system – per PR-1150 Project Close Out Procedure

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

2.19 As-Built Records and Hand-Over Documentation


Contractor shall issue As-Built deliverables upon successful commissioning of the facility,
incorporating all comments resulting from the pre-commissioning and commissioning
activities. As-building and Handing over of deliverables shall follow the process outlined in
COMPANY Specification for Handover and As-Built Documentation SP-1131.

Adequate engineering capability shall exist at the site to update all electronic files concurrent
with the completion of construction, fabrication, erection, pre-commissioning, commissioning
and start – up.

2.20 Project Close out


Project close out shall be done in accordance with PR-1150. A project is not complete without
satisfactorily close-out of all activities that are integral to formal completion of the project, and
sign-off of the Project Completion Certificate (PCC).

2.21 Effective Period


The requirements of this specification shall remain in force indefinitely unless superseded by
an authorised revision.

2.22 Review and Improvement


It is intended that the present version (4.2) of this specification will be reviewed and updated
once in every four years. The review authority will be CFDH Pipelines.

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

APPENDIX A GLOSSARY OF DEFINITIONS, TERMS AND


ABBREVIATIONS
A1.1 Terms and Definitions

Company Petroleum Development Oman LLC. The Company may


also include an agent or consultant authorised to act for,
and on behalf of, the Company.
Contractor The party which carries out all or part of the design,
engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning or
management of a project, or operation or maintenance of a
facility. The Company may undertake all or part of the
duties of the Contractor.
Corporate Functional The person within the Company responsible for the
Discipline Head discipline to which the standard belongs.

Manufacturer/Supplier The party which manufactures or supplies equipment and


services to perform the duties specified by the Company.

User The Company, Consultant or Contractor that uses this


document.
shall Indicates a requirement.
should Indicates a recommendation.
may Indicates a possible course of action.

A1.2 Abbreviations

AIC Asset Information Centre


BCD Business Control Document
CCMS Certification and Completions Management System
CFDH Corporate Functional Discipline Head
COP Code of Practice
CP Cathodic Protection
CSR Company Site Representative
EDS Engineering Design Systems
EPC Engineering, Procurement, Construction
FRD Focussed Results Delivery
GRE Glass Reinforced Epoxy
GRP Glass Reinforced Plastic
GRVE Glass Reinforced Vinyl Ester
HDPE High Density Polyethylene
HEMP Hazard and Effects Management Process
IM Information management
MPI Magnetic Particle Inspection
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
NDT Non-Destructive Testing

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

PCC Project Completion Certificate


PE Polyethylene
PLIP Plant Lifecycle Information Plan
PP Polypropylene
ROW Right of Way
RTP Reinforced Thermoplastic

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

APPENDIX B REFERENCE DOCUMENTS


In this SP, reference is made to the following publications. Unless specifically designated by
date, the latest edition of each publication shall be used, together with any
amendments/supplements/revisions thereto.

REFERENCE REF #
PDO STANDARDS
Code of Practice
Corporate Document Management CP-102
Health Safety and Environment Management System CP-122

Specification
Specification for Land Management SP-1012
Specification for welding of Duplex Stainless Steel Pipelines SP-1097
Electrical Installation Practice SP-1099
Electrical Standard Drawings SP-1105
Specification for Earthing and Bonding SP-1109
Specification for Cathodic Protection Design SP-1128
Specification for Construction, Installation and Commissioning of SP-1129
Cathodic Protection System
Specification for Cathodic Protection Materials and Equipment SP-1130
Specification for Handover and As-built Documentation SP-1131
Specification for Cathodic Protection Standard Drawings SP-1136
Specification for Earthmoving and Construction Equipment SP-1143

Specification for welding on pressurised pipes SP-1167


Specification for Quality Management system requirements for SP-1171
Product & Service
Specification for welding of metals SP-1173
Specification for welding of Class 2 & Class 3 Pipelines SP-1174
PDO STANDARDS
Specification for Welding of Class 1 Pipelines SP-1177

Specification for Pipeline Integrity Management SP-1210

Onshore Pipeline Engineering SP-1211


Hydrostatic Pressure Testing of New Pipelines SP-1212
Specification for painting and coating of oil and gas production SP-1246
facilities (Part 1 – 5)
Training requirements for lifting operations personnel SP-1251
HSE Specification, Camps, Offices, Laboratories, Workshops SP-1256
and Industrial Safety Specification

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HSE Specification, Safety, Training Observation Programme SP-1259


(STOP)
Specification for Civil and Building Construction SP-1279
Specification for Reinforced Concrete – Production & SP-1282
Construction Guidelines
Signs and Signboards SP-1284
HSE Specification, Road Transport SP-2000
Mechanical Standard Drawings SP-2039
Technical Authority System SP-2061
GRP Specification (Qualification and Manufacturing) SP-2092
Specification for Polyethylene Liners in Carbon Steel Flowlines SP-2094
& Pipelines
Specification for Environmental Management SP-2194

Design Class Selection for Capital Projects SP-2199

Procedure
Instrumented Protective Functions Test Procedure PR-1094
Commissioning and start-up PR-1159

Safe working Procedures for Cathodic Protection Systems PR-1234


Hot tap Management Procedure PR-1506

Procedure for Analysis of Pipeline Road Crossings PR-1522


Lifting and Hoisting Procedure PR-1708

Lifting and Hoisting PR-1709


Electrical Safety Rules PR-1947

Guideline
Contract HSE Management GU-140

Environmental Assessment Guideline GU-195


Guidelines for the protection of buried sections of surface laid GU-368
Pipelines/Flowlines
Guidelines for Project Certification and Completion GU-623
Management System (CCMS) Users
Civil & Building Standard Drawings Index GU-628
Application and selection of standard pipe supports GU-629
SHELL STANDARDS
Index to DEP publications DEP 00.00.05.05-Gen.

Piping – General requirements DEP 31.38.01.11-Gen

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

Piping classes – exploration and production DEP 31.38.01.15-Gen.

Hot tapping on pipelines, piping and equipment DEP 31.38.60.10-Gen


Design of pipeline pig trap systems DEP 31.40.10.13-Gen.

Upheaval buckling of pipelines DEP 31.40.10.16-Gen


Line pipe induction bends (amendments / DEP 31.40.20.33-Gen
supplements to ISO 15590 – 1)

Linepipe for critical service DEP 31.40.20.37-Gen


(Amendments/supplements to ISO 3183)
Welded and Seamless duplex and super DEP 31.40.20.34-Gen
duplex stainless steel linepipe (Amend. to API-
5LC)
Pipeline Fittings (amendments / supplements DEP 31.40.21.30-Gen
to ISO 15590-2)
Pig signallers: Intrusive type DEP 31.40.21.33-Gen
Carbon and low alloy steel pipeline flanges for DEP 31.40.21.34-Gen
use in oil and gas operations (amendments /
supplements to ISO 15590-3)
Concrete coating of linepipe DEP 31.40.30.30-Gen.

External polyethylene and polypropylene DEP 31.40.30.31-Gen


coating for line pipe
Thermoplastic lined pipelines DEP 31.40.30.34-Gen
External Field Joint And Rehabilitation Coating DEP 31.40.30.37-Gen
Systems For Line Pipe

Pre-commissioning of pipelines DEP 31.40.50.30-Gen

Inspection and Functional testing of DEP 62.10.08.11-Gen


instruments

AMERICAN STANDARDS
Process Piping ASME B31.3
Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquids and Slurries ASME B31.4
Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems ASME B31.8
Issued by:
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Two Park Avenue, New York,

NY 10016-5990, USA

Specification for Linepipe API Std 5L


Specification for CRA linepipe API Std 5LC

SP-1208 Page 39 March 2016


Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

Standard for welding pipelines and related facilities API Std 1104
Steel Pipeline Crossings – Railroads & highways
API RP 1102
Issued by:
American Petroleum Institute
Publications and Distribution Section
1220 L Street Northwest
Washington DC 20005-4070, USA

BRITISH STANDARDS
Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Explosives in the BS 5607
Construction Industry
Issued by:
British Standards Institution
389 Chiswick High Road
London, W4 4AL, UK

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and
Related Products – Visual Assessment of Surface Cleanliness ISO 8501-1
Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and
Related Products – Tests for the Assessment of Surface ISO 8502-1 to 4
Cleanliness
Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and ISO 8503-1 to 4
Related Products - Surface Roughness Characteristics of Blast-
Cleaned Steel Substrates
Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and ISO 11124
Related Products - Specification for Metallic Blast-Cleaning
Abrasives
Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and ISO 11126
Related Products - Specification for Non-Metallic Blast-Cleaning
Abrasives
Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries – Glass Reinforced Plastics ISO 14692
(GRP) Piping
Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries – Induction bends, fittings ISO 15590
and flanges for pipeline transportation systems – Part 1 to 3
Issued by:
International Organization for Standardization
1, ch. de la Voie-Creuse, CP 56,
CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

APPENDIX C LIST OF TYPICAL DRAWINGS FOR PIPELINE


CONSTRUCTION

Sr.
Sketch No. Rev. Drawing Title
No.

1 TYP-3-0001-001 0 ROW and working strip details for metallic pipelines

2 TYP-3-0002-001 0 ROW and working strip details for GRE pipelines

3 TYP-3-0003-001 1 Trench Dimensions for metallic pipelines

4 TYP-3-0004-001 1 Trench Dimensions for GRE pipelines

5 TYP-3-0005-001 0 Cold field bending details for metallic pipelines

6 TYP-3-0006-001 1 Road crossing over existing above ground metallic pipeline

7 TYP-3-0007-001 1 Road crossing over existing under ground metallic pipeline

8 TYP-3-0008-001 0 Road crossing over existing under ground GRE pipeline

9 TYP-3-0009-001 0 Pipeline crossing tarmac road for metallic pipelines

10 TYP-3-0010-001 1 Pipeline crossing tarmac road for GRE pipelines

11 TYP-3-0011-001 0 Pipeline crossing graded road for metallic pipelines

12 TYP-3-0012-001 1 Pipeline crossing graded road for GRE pipelines

13 TYP-3-0013-001 0 Live stock passageway crossing for metallic pipelines

14 TYP-3-0014-001 1 Live stock passageway crossing for GRE pipelines

15 TYP-3-0015-001 0 Pipeline crossing Wadi Type A for metallic pipelines

16 TYP-3-0016-001 1 Pipeline crossing Wadi Type A for GRE pipelines

17 TYP-3-0017-001 0 Pipeline crossing Wadi Type B for metallic pipelines

18 TYP-3-0018-001 1 Pipeline crossing Wadi Type B for GRE pipelines

19 TYP-3-0019-001 0 Pipeline crossing Wadi Type C for metallic pipelines

20 TYP-3-0020-001 1 Pipeline crossing Wadi Type C for GRE pipelines

21 TYP-3-0021-001 0 Pipeline crossing existing above ground pipeline

22 TYP-3-0022-001 0 Pipeline crossing existing underground pipeline

23 TYP-3-0023-001 0 Pipeline crossing existing underground cables

24 TYP-3-0024-001 0 Pipeline in parallel and crossing high voltage transmission line

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

Sr.
Sketch No. Rev. Drawing Title
No.

25 TYP-3-0025-001 0 Retaining Barriers in sloping trenches

26 TYP-3-0026-001 0 Pipeline Markers & signs

27 TYP-3-0027-001 0 Pipeline crossing Wadi Type D for metallic pipelines

28 TYP-3-0028-001 0 Pipeline crossing Wadi Type D for GRE pipelines

29 TYP-3-0029-001 0 Pipeline Markers for metallic pipelines (2 shts)

30 TYP-3-0030-001 0 Pipeline Markers for GRE pipelines (2 shts)


The drawings are for information / guidelines only.

SP-1208 Page 42 March 2016


No Working in this area
Cathodic protection
groundbed
B B

DETAIL `A'

MARKER MOUNTING POLE

SECTION `B-B'

DETAIL `B'

TYP. ROAD CROSSING


B B

DETAIL `A'

MARKER MOUNTING POLE

SECTION `B-B'

DETAIL `B'

TYP. ROAD CROSSING


Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

APPENDIX D CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR GRE


PIPELINES

D.1. Introduction
D.1.1 Background and Scope
This Appendix specifies additional requirements for the construction of all new GRE pipeline
systems in PDO operations. Construction of GRE pipelines shall be carried out as per
requirements provided by the vendor and approved by the Company.

The numbering system in this Appendix is designed to allow for easy reference back to the
main text by using the same numbering system contained therein. Wherever applicable, only
additional requirements and modifications pertaining to construction of GRE pipelines are
given in this Appendix.

Activities that are largely common to both material groups, e.g. HSE, clearing, trenching etc.,
are included in the main text of this specification. Whilst these general topics may be applied
to the installation of any non-metallic linepipe material, including thermoplastic liners, specific
requirements and guidelines in the current version of this Appendix are primarily concerned
with GRE pipelines.

Apart from PE linings, GRE is the only non-metallic pipe material which has been used by
PDO for Class 1 pipelines in Hydrocarbon service. PE lining and RTP linepipe have been in
regular use for Class 2 pipelines (mostly flowlines) for a number of years. Current PDO
specifications SP-2092 and SP-2094 apply for procurement and installation of these
materials. GRE pipelines shall be installed in accordance with this specification and ISO
14692-4, taking due account of the limitations noted in the GRE linepipe purchase requisition
and associated stress analysis executed by the GRE linepipe vendor.

D.2. Specification Requirements


D 2.2 Quality Assurance
D 2.2.1 Each GRE construction crew shall have a dedicated GRE Supervisor appointed by the
contractor. He shall have HND / Diploma in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
Qualification with a minimum 2 years of hands on experience in the construction of GRE
jointing works. He shall report to the Contractors construction manager at the site. He shall
pass the written test and interview conducted by Company’s Quality function before involving
in GRE construction works.

D 2.2.2 Engaging Company Approved full time Vendor’s FSE shall be agreed on case to case basis
depending on the project criticality and experience of the contractor. Deployment of FSE to be
bare minimum shall be agreed and endorsed by Company’s Quality function during the pre-
construction meeting. Annexure to the approved ITP on the minimum point of intervention
shall be prepared and endorsed before start of GRE pipeline construction works.

D.2.3 Materials Handling and Control


D.2.3.2 General

GRE pipes, when compared to metallic pipes, are more susceptible for mechanical damages
from impact. Hence transportation, lifting, loading, handling, unloading and storage shall be
performed in accordance with Vendors method statement approved by the Company.

D.2.3.3 Pipe Inspection

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D.2.3.3.1 The Contractor shall visually inspect and dimensionally check each pipe and fitting.
For Company supplied materials, the inspection shall be done before removal of the material
from the Company’s storage yards. Thereafter the Contractor shall accept responsibility for all
material losses and damage however caused. The inspection shall include a detailed check
for damage or dimensional non-conformances of bells and spigots. Any shortages,
dimensional non-conformance, missing end protectors or damage, including scratches,
gouges, crushing, cracking etc. shall be reported to the Company within 24 hours of receipt.

D.2.3.4 Pipe Handling

D.2.3.4.1 Pipe shall not be allowed to drop or strike objects which may damage the pipe but
shall be lifted, moved and lowered from one position to another by suitable equipment. Non-
abrasive wide nylon or canvas pipe slings of minimum width 200mm shall be used for lifting
pipe. Chains, cables or clamps shall not be used.

D.2.3.4.2 Pipes loaded on the trucks shall not over-hang from the truck bed as the impact from
hitting stones during transportation will damage the pipes. HSE specification as well as Load
safety & restraining requirements shall be in-line with SP-2000 and SP-2001
respectively.Trucks used to transport pipes shall be flat-bottomed and free of any projections
or loose materials that might damage or contribute to movement of the pipe during transport.
Pipes shall be protected against truck beds and side metallic protrusions by means of non-
metallic soft materials. Pipes shall be loaded and stacked on trucks in such a manner that
flexing and shifting of the pipe during transport is avoided. After loading, suitable non-metallic
slings shall be used to tie the load securely to the truck. During transport the tension of these
slings shall be regularly checked. The Contractor shall ensure that no pipe end protectors can
be lost during transport. Pipes shall only be transported on trucks (side booms and other
lifting equipment shall not be used to transport pipe on site for distances in excess of 50
meters).

D.2.3.5 Pipe Stacking

D2.3.5.1 Ground surfaces to be used for stacking of pipe shall be reasonably flat. Pipe shall
not be laid directly on the ground, concrete floors or on to rails. Pipes shall be laid on suitable
supports, such as timber of 100mm x 50mm section. End protectors shall remain in place
during storage and care shall be taken to ensure adjacent socket and spigot ends are kept
out of contact. End protectors may be punctured with a 5mm drill to prevent them blowing off
the pipes.

D2.3.5.2 Pipes may be stacked to a height of 1.5m provided suitable supports are provided
both at the sides of the stack and between layers. Typically, 100mm x 50mm timber (spacer
stripping) may be used for both purposes. Supports between layers should be in vertical
alignment, located no more than 3m apart and a minimum of 1m from the pipe ends. Where
strapping down of stacks is necessary, nylon straps should be used, and for long storage
periods a suitable cover should be fitted on each stack. Additionally, the Contractor shall
comply with GRE pipe manufacturer’s recommendations for pipe stacking. In the case of a
conflict or ambiguity, the Company will determine which requirements shall apply.

D.2.3.5.3 Pipes of different diameter, wall thickness, pressure class, material grade or
manufacturer shall be stacked separately. Each stack shall be properly marked to the
satisfaction of Company.

D2.3.6 Linepipe Specifications

D.2.3.6.1 GRE Line-pipe shall be designed, Qualified, manufactured and supplied in accordance to
SP-2092 part 1.

D.2.3.8 Handling and Control of Consumable Products

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D.2.3.8.1 Adhesives, resins and additives shall be stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s
written instructions in a cool air conditioned area in original packing, away from direct sunlight
and excessive humidity. They shall have at least six months of shelf life remaining, when
received at site. Contractor shall demonstrate compliance with site storage procedures for all
consumables in accordance with detailed consumable handling procedures. A continuous
record of temperatures of adhesive storage conditions shall be maintained. Due to limited
Shelf life of some of these chemicals like thread sealants, they shall be issued for
construction on FIFO (First in and first out) basis in order it does not reach the expiration.

D.2.3.8.2 For reasons of safety, hardeners, catalysts and accelerators shall be stored
separately in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. Solvents shall be similarly
segregated as required by the relevant Material Safety Data Sheets.

D.2.3.8.3 No consumables shall be stored or used beyond its stated shelf life. Safe disposition
shall be exercised in line with the MSDS.

D.2.3.8.4 GRE fittings shall be stored inside or in their original crates out of direct sunlight.

D.2.4 R.O.W. and Trenching


D.2.4.3 Trenching

D2.4.3.2 Excavation

d) The Contractor shall excavate and grade the trench sufficiently deep and wide to provide
a minimum of 500 mm working space on both sides of the pipe (where jointing is done in
the trench) and space for 150 mm of padding material after compaction all around the
pipe and for the continuous length of the pipeline. The trench profile after excavation shall
be such that the radius of curvature in any plane is greater than the minimum allowable
bending radius specified by the linepipe vendor. Local high and low points in the trench
bottom shall be levelled off to provide a smooth continuous profile. The Contractor’s
surveyor shall survey the trench and submit a formal report with photographs, survey data
and a detailed profile drawing with invert levels at 12 m spacing, providing evidence that
this requirement is achieved.

i) The Contractor shall do hand work in the trench as is necessary to free the bottom of the
trench of loose rock, stones and all other irregularities so as to leave the trench bottom in
a clean and suitable condition to receive the pipe. A fulltime dedicated crew shall be
employed by the contractor to maintain the trench in a rock-free condition before and after
pre-padding has been installed, at all times until the trench is completely backfilled.

ii) The contractor shall follow the construction sequence while performing trenching such
that all civil works including concrete slab casting, flange pit construction etc. are
completed before GRE jointing works. This is required to avoid possible impact from
falling objects and provide sufficient time for soil settlement which may result in mis-
alignment at GRE & Metallic interfaces at a later stage.

D.2.5 Stringing and Bending


D.2.5.3 Pipe Bending

D.2.5.3.1 Small changes in direction, in the vertical as well as the horizontal plane, may be
achieved by elastic bending, provided the bend radius is greater than the specified minimum
elastic bending radius specified by the pipe manufacturer for the supplied linepipe. Where this
is not possible, e.g. due to right-of-way restrictions, fabricated elbows shall be used, as
specified in the design drawings and approved by the linepipe manufacturer and the
Company. Special attention is required at transitions between above ground and buried
installation to avoid elastic bending. At locations where the pipeline comes above ground, the
bottom of the trench shall be flat for a minimum distance of 25 m. In this section, elastic bends

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are not permitted. Any changes to the design layout of the pipeline, including moving of bend
locations shall be subject to written approval of the Company and the linepipe manufacturer.
This may require revised stress analyses to be executed for the pipeline.

D.2.5.3.2 To allow for large expansion at bends such as those caused by wide temperature
fluctuations or hydrotest conditions, expansion cushions shall be installed as per design
behind each bend and extending to approximately 5 m each side of the bend. However, it is
required to accommodate the expansion of bends through proper design and stress analysis.

D.2.6 Jointing
D.2.6.1 This section of the specification covers requirements for the jointing of GRE pipelines. The
requirements for GRE crew qualification and production of all types joints including Adhesive,
laminated, and threaded joints are specified in ISO 14692-4. Training and qualification of
Jointers executing the jointing activities shall be carried out by the GRE Vendor by using site
construction tools in actual site environment. Only Qualified & approved jointers shall be
engaged in GRE jointing works. Should the Qualified jointer disengage from GRE jointing
activities for a period more than six months he shall undergo training and assessment again.

D.2.6.2 The Contractor shall prepare a Method Statement covering the jointing work to be carried out
and a detailed procedure for each type and size of joint and fitting to be joined. These shall be
in accordance with the Manufacturer’s instructions, Company specification and standards.
Method statements approved by Company shall only be used while executing the jointing
systems. Separate procedures shall be prepared for shop fabrication, site jointing work and
repair work. All joint types shall be qualified and approved by the Company before its use in
production joints.

D.2.6.3 In order to ensure piggability of the pipeline during hydrotest water filling, in service and for
future decommissioning work using foam pigs, particular attention shall be paid to the need
for effective internal cleaning of each completed GRE adhesive bonded joint after fit-up, and
prior to curing, in order to ensure that no significant amount of adhesive protrudes from the
inside seam of any glued joint. Reference is made ISO 14692-4 table 4.where it is specified
under possible defects – excess adhesive shall not be more than 5% of inner diameter or
10mm which ever is less. The Contractor shall propose a method for cleaning the internal
joints for Company review and approval in his detailed jointing procedure. Where the cleaning
devise (pull through) cannot be passed due to restriction (bends, Tees etc.) Contractor / GRE
vendor may propose alternate methods of cleaning (like use of Disk plate or manual cleaning)
instead of leaving adhesive bead as it is.

D.2.6.4 Each joint shall be inspected and certified by the QC Engineer to have been executed in
accordance with the approved jointing procedures. Inspection or witnessing of the make up of
any joints by the manufacturer’s field service engineer shall not absolve the Contractor of his
responsibilities to provide a fit for purpose joint. As a minimum, the Contractor shall keep
detailed records of make up and curing time, batch number of adhesive components as well
as jointer ID and date/time for each joint.

D.2.6.5 Jointed pipes shall not be moved or handled during curing. It is a good practice to construct
integral socket and spigot pipes with sockets facing the flow direction.

D.2.6.7 Threaded jointing system shall be executed in accordance with approved vendor’s method
statement. Jointing shall be done inside the trench, as rotating longer pipe sections (doubled
pipe) is complex and would require higher torque. Metallic strap wrenches should not be used
for torquing. Alignment and make up torque while assembling Flange and elbow joints shall
be in accordance with GRE pipe vendor’s recommendation and needs to be focused as hydro
test failures reported are mostly from bend and flange joints. Pipes of size Ø3” and below are
vulnerable for thread galling (crushing) once over torqued, therefore use of recommended
strap wrench without flogging on the handle shall be followed during jointing.

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D.2.6.8 All documents / Method statements shall be submitted to the Company for approval.
Procedures and operators shall be qualified to the requirements of the controlling
specifications before commencement of any production jointing.

D.2.8 Lowering-in, Backfilling and Reinstatement


D.2.8.2 Pre-Padding

D.2.8.2.1 All trenches shall be fully pre-padded before lowering in or jointing in the trench. No
padding shall be placed until Company has inspected and approved the trench bottom and
the Contractor’s surveyor has confirmed that the trench bottom profile complies with the pipe
manufacturer’s minimum bending radius requirements. Depending on the soil stiffness
category minimum degree of compaction as per approved method statement / stress analysis
shall be maintained.

D.2.8.3 Lowering-in and Post-Padding

D.2.8.3.1 All pipes shall be lowered in within 96 hours of completion of jointing. The Contractor
shall keep the lowering in operation within 1 km of the jointing operation.

D.2.8.3.3 A minimum of 3 sidebooms shall be used for lowering in strings of jointed pipe in
excess of 50 meter. Cranes shall not be used for lowering in operations of pipe strings longer
than 50 meters. The trench shall be maintained in a dry condition during lowering-in and
backfill operations. During lowering in operations the pipe shall not be subject to bending in
excess of the minimum allowable bending radius. A detailed procedure specifying the means
of demonstrating compliance with the minimum bending radius requirement shall be
submitted as part of the Contractor’s installation procedures, for Company approval, at least 3
weeks prior to the planned commencement of any lowering in operations.

D.2.8.3.4 The Contractor shall take measures to restrain the pipe in the trench by means of
‘plugging’, i.e. placing sand on top and around the pipe at regular intervals (one 6m ‘plug’ in
the middle of every pipe) or by a Company approved equivalent method. The Contractor shall
plan the work such that the lowering in and ‘plugging’ operations take place together during
the coolest part of the day, (i.e. in the morning). Strings longer than 100 meter shall not be
allowed to lie in the trench without sand plugging. This is to avoid ‘snaking’ and abrasion of
the pipe due to thermal movement.

D.2.8.3.5 Sand padding ‘plugs’ shall be placed around and above the pipe, so as to fill the
trench to a depth of 300 mm above the crown of the pipe, with the sand padding shaped to its
natural angle of repose and with a minimum of 150 mm at any point around the pipe. No pipe
shall be left overnight in the trench without sand padding around and above the pipe. (Joints
shall be left fully exposed around the joint circumference for inspection until completion and
acceptance of the hydrotest)

D.2.8.3.6 It is required to restrain the GRE pipeline, leaving the joints exposed before putting
the line for testing. Compaction can be carried out by soaking water in each layer of sand or
by using vibratory plates making sure they will not hit or cross the GRE pipe until reaching
500 mm from the pipe crown. Hand compacting tools should be used at pipe haunches.
Degree of compaction depends on the soil stiffness category used in pre-padding, pipe zone
embedment and post padding as per the approved method statement. At bend, road & wadi
crossing locations minimum height of 500 mm compacted sand should be maintained 30
meters on either side to restrain line movements during hydro test.

D.2.8.4 Tie-ins

D.2.8.4.1 Unless otherwise agreed by the Company, tie-ins of the pipeline sections shall take
place in the trench by means of the same type of connections as the pipeline or if the pipeline
connections are not of bonded type, by means of glued connections, using couplings /
lamination joints if necessary. For tie-ins outside or above the trench, holding and lowering

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operations shall be undertaken in such a manner as to minimise stresses and bending in the
pipe and avoid movement of the pipe from the skids. Due consideration shall be given to
ambient temperature changes throughout the day and the resultant pipe length changes and
induced stresses.

D.2.8.4.2 To minimise excessive internal protrusion of adhesives in bonded tie-in connections,


care shall be taken not to place excess amounts of adhesive near the end of the bell, and to
use the tip of the spigot to locate no more than the minimum required amount of adhesive at
the internal joint seam location.

D.2.8.4.3 All tie-in connections to metallic systems shall be by means of flanged connections.
Tie-ins to other GRE pipe systems may be made by flanged connections or by means of
bonded couplings. GRE Flanges are vulnerable for cracks, for this reason due consideration
shall be given to install GRE flanges stress free with full face contact. GRE to Metallic flanges
shall have spacer / retainer ring inserted on raise face CS / CS-PE flanges as per the
recommendation of GRE vendor. Torquing sequence, increments and maximum torque to be
applied shall be in line with the approved method statement and qualified in accordance with
section 4.4.4 of SP-2092 part-1.

D.2.8.5 Backfilling

D.2.8.5.1 The trench shall not be backfilled until the Company has approved the sand padding
around and above the pipe and has confirmed its approval for the backfilling operation to
commence. Backfilling shall be performed as soon as possible after padding has been
approved, but not prior to the successful completion of the hydrotest.

D.2.8.7 Livestock Passageways

Unless otherwise indicated on the drawings, livestock passageways shall be installed at


intervals of approximately 2 km and may be combined with graded road and track crossings..
For livestock passageways casing shall not be installed as shown in typical drawing TYP-3-
0014-001 as no traffic movement is expected. The GRE pipe at livestock shall be buried at a
minimum depth of 1500 mm to the top of the pipe. The width of the crossing shall be 2.5 m
and the total length shall be 6.5 m. Access barriers shall be installed on the ends of the
crossing to indicate the safe crossing width of the livestock passageway for light vehicles.

D.2.8.9 Anchor Blocks & Thrust blocks

D.2.8.9.1 The need for concrete anchor or thrust blocks in the pipeline system will be
determined during detailed design, depending on the expected operational pressure surges,
temperature changes, nature of the ground and the geometry of the pipeline layout. Approval
shall be obtained from the relevant linepipe and fittings manufacturers, if changes are
required.

D.2.8.9.2 Anchor blocks should normally be located in line with fittings, tie-ins to steel pipe and
to exposed runs of pipe. The concrete should be poured in situ on to undisturbed or
compacted soil. Where parts of the pipe or fitting joints are to be encapsulated by the block,
hydrostatic pre-testing of the joint assembly should be completed first. Alternatively blocks
may be cast before pipe laying and the pipes fastened with brackets inlaid with an elastomeric
strip. All anchor blocks shall be installed and cured prior to commencement of any
hydrotesting activities on the pipeline.

D.2.8.9.3 For GRE lines, a layer of elastomeric material 6 – 10 mm thick shall be wrapped
around sections of pipes or fittings before concrete is applied. Concrete shall not be poured
directly on to unprotected GRE surfaces.

D.2.8.9.4 No more than half the circumference of the pipe or fitting shall be cast into the
concrete thrust block. Thrust block casting around entire fittings or joints shall be avoided.

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D.2.9 Road and Wadi Crossings


D.2.9.2 Road Crossing with Casing

Where GRE pipelines are required to cross under roads and highways, the pipe shall be
protected by installation within a steel or HDPE casing pipe with a minimum cover of 1500
mm to the top of the casing pipe.

Detailed installation methods of cased pipe shall be in accordance with the Manufacturer’s
recommendations for the particular pipeline material and shall be agreed with the Company.
The following requirements shall apply for GRE pipe:

 Specific construction requirements shall be in accordance with the project scope


of work and alignment drawings. The construction of cased crossings is covered
by standard drawing TYP-3-0012-001. Signs indicating maximum axle loadings
shall be provided at each crossing if not designed for Rig 6 loading as per SP
1211.

 The assembled pipeline section in crossing shall be subjected to an air leak


tightness test before its installation into the casing. Hydro test in lieu of air test
can also be considered.

 Cased GRE pipes shall be fitted with centralizers minimum 4 per pipe length at a
maximum spacing of 3000 mm) to ensure the pipe is centred and to prevent
damage during installation. Size of centralizer shall be designed by GRE vendor
in a way such that the pipe gets restrained inside the casing pipe due to the
movement resulting from hydro test and service.

 The ends of the casing shall be sealed with flexible bellows (end seals) of
approved design to be fitted over the casing ends and the pipe to prevent influx of
backfill material into the annulus. Filling the entire annular space with
polyurethane foam is also acceptable.

 Steel casing pipe shall be externally coated to prevent corrosion, with 3LPE or
Company approved coating material.

 Prior to backfilling, suitable devices may be attached to both carrier pipe and
casing pipe on each side of the crossing to enable monitoring of differential
movement between the casing and the carrier pipeline.

D.2.9.3 Wadi-Crossings

Type B and C wadi crossings in GRE pipelines shall be through steel or HDPE casings
with sufficient negative buoyancy to prevent the casing and pipe from floating in empty
condition. Continuous buoyancy compensation and impact protection may be provided by
means properly designed concrete coating of the casing pipe along the full length of the
Wadi crossing. For type A wadi, casing shall not be installed as shown in typical drawing
TYP-3-0016-001. Buoyancy calculations shall be performed for all wadi crossings as
mentioned in clause 2.9.3 of the main text. Metallic Casings shall be externally protected
against corrosion as specified in 2.9.2. above.

Requirement for installation of the GRE pipe into the casing is covered in 2.9.2, above.
Concrete coating of the casing pipe is required in accordance with Section 2.10 of the
main text.

Due to the practical difficulties in inserting longer GRE pipe strings, split casing may be
employed at long wadi crossing subjected to the following:
 Contractor shall prepare a Method statement covering construction activities using
split casing on a case to case basis.

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 The method statement shall include stability & buoyancy calculations required to
restrain pipeline during hydro test / flood event with the proposed protection,
submitted by vendor’s stress engineer and approved by Company.

The typical drawings TYP-3-0016-001, TYP-3-0018-001, TYP-3-0020-001, TYP-3-0028-


001, shall be followed for different wadis as applicable. Pipes installed in ‘Flood Plains’
does not require casing pipe protection, but shall be stabilised at 3 meter intervals by
means of dry Bags of cement/sand mix placed on top of the pipeline as per buoyancy
calculations.

D.2.15 System Hydrotesting and Certification


D.2.15.1 Scope

D.2.15.1.1 On completion of installation, the GRE pipeline system shall be flushed, hydro tested
and certified in accordance with DEP ISO-14692-4 and this specification.

D.2.15.1.2 The testing of each test section shall commence as soon as possible and, so far as is
practicable within the programme, shall be undertaken progressively throughout the
construction of the line. The first 500 meter of jointed pipe shall be tested within two weeks
of completion in order to provide confidence that the workmanship and installation
procedures are fit for purpose. If the 500 meter section hydrotest is satisfactory, then the
lengths of each subsequent test section shall be decided by the Contractor. If the test on
the first 500 meter fails, then the next 500 meter section shall also be tested separately.
The pipeline shall be tested in 500 meter sections until such time that the Contractor
demonstrates his ability to install a 500 meter section without hydrotest failures.

Hydro test of the first 500-mt section can be waived if the following criteria are reviewed
and found satisfactory by Company Pipeline & Quality function.

a) Contractor’s GRE crew have proven track records in the construction of similar GRE
pipeline works with no hydro tests failures.
b) GRE crew involved in the construction are Qualified & Approved by company and are
not disengaged from GRE jointing works for a period more than 6 months.
c) No change in variables such as manufacturer, joint type (threaded , adhesive bonded
...), geometry, pressure rating and diameters range as qualified before.

D.2.15.1.3 Only soft foam pigs shall be used for cleaning, filling and dewatering of GRE
pipelines.

D.2.15.1.4 No gauging of GRE pipelines is required as online pigging is not envisaged for GRE
pipelines.

D.2.15.2 Hydrostatic Testing

The minimum requirements of hydrostatic testing operations relating to safety, materials


and equipment used, cleaning, filling, temperature stabilisation, pressurisation, air content
verification, testing, depressurising, dewatering and hydrotest documentation applicable for
metallic pipelines (SP-1212) shall also be reviewed and taken into account when preparing
the hydrotest procedures for GRE pipelines.

In order to ascertain the integrity of complete installed system, GRE and metallic section
including Tie-in / hook up shall be subjected to a combined strength/tightness. The first one
hour of the test shall be short term strength test, and followed by twenty four hour leak
tightness test. This combined test helps in water saving as it is a combined test and also
ensures the leak tightness of the metallic – GRE flange connections.

D.2.15.2.1 Short term Strength Test

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The pipeline shall be subjected to one (1) hour strength test to a pressure equal to 1.5
times the design pressure or as per ISO 14692 whichever is less. The pressure shall be
maintained at the test pressure + 100 kPa by bleeding or adding water as required.

If a leak is suspected the pressure shall be reduced to the pipeline design pressure before
carrying out a visual examination. No personnel shall come closer than 5 meters from the
pipeline before the pressure has been reduced to design pressure. Subsequently, a “step
test” shall be performed. In this test the test section shall be re-pressurised to the leak
tightness test pressure and after each hour the pressure shall be recorded and the section
re-pressurised by adding water. The quantity of water required to bring the section back to
the test pressure shall be recorded. This shall continue for a period of 24hours. If the
quantity of water added shows a decreasing trend then it may be considered that the
pipeline is tight. If the quantity of water added remains constant then it must be assumed
that the pipeline is not leak tight. No work shall be carried out to repair leaks until the
pressure has been reduced to a safe pressure i.e. static head plus 100 kPa.

During the test, deadweight tester readings shall be recorded every 30 minutes and pipe,
soil and air temperature recorded every 1.5 hours.

D.2.15.2.2 Tightness Test

The pipeline shall be subjected to a 24 hour tightness test, immediately following the
strength test, at the pressure indicated on the drawings. (This should be 110% of design
pressure). No water shall be added or removed during the test.

The test shall demonstrate, to Company’s satisfaction that there are no leaks in the
pipeline. This shall be achieved by visual inspection of each joint every 4 hours during the
hydrotest period. A tightness test check calculation shall be made to verify that no large
leaks have been missed. Allowance shall be made for instrument inaccuracies and also the
pressure changes as a result of average temperature changes, calculated from the formula
given in section D2.15.2.3 (assuming a fully restrained line section). The average
temperature of the pipe may be used for this calculation. The temperature measurements
taken on the exposed pipe may be included in determining the average pipe temperature.

In the event of there being any doubt about the tightness of the line, as determined from the
visual inspections, the test shall be extended or repeated to Company’s satisfaction at no
additional cost to Company. The tightness test calculation shall be provided to the
Company for information.

During the test, the pressure shall be recorded continuously, deadweight tester readings
shall be recorded every 30 minutes and pipe, soil and air temperatures recorded at
maximum 3 hour intervals. The temperature recording interval shall be reduced to 30
minute duration for the first and last 2 hours of the 24 hours to assist with the
pressure/temperature variation check calculation.

D.2.15.2.3 Hydrostatic Testing –Pressure Change Calculation

To determine the theoretical pressure change resulting from a given temperature change, the
following formulae shall be used:

 d (1   2 ) 
  C1  a 2T f  a3T f2    a  2a3T f   a  2a3Ti 
 
Pf  Pi  A1 T f  Ti  A2 log  tE
 d (1   )
  A4 arctan 2
 
  arctan 2
 

 (B1)
 
2
 C1  a 2Ti  a3Ti 2   A3   A3

 tE 

Where:

b3 A3  4a1a3  a 22
A1 
a3

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A2 
1  ba
 b2  3 2




a1 
d
E t
 
1   2  C1
2a3  a3 

For restrained ends: For unrestrained ends:

 a 2b   a b a b a2b 
 2C 2  2(1      2 1 3  2 2  2 3  2C2  3(1     2 1 3  2 2  2 2 3 
ab ab

 a3 a3 a32   a3 a3 a3 
A4    A4   
 A3  A3
 
 
   
where:

-6
Pi Initial Pressure (MPa) C1 498.3 x 10 (1/MPa)

-6
Pf Final Pressure (MPa) C2 -63.32 x 10 (1/C)

-6
Ti Initial Temperature (C) a2 -2.93 x 10 (1/MPa.C)

-6 2
Tf Final Temperature (C) a3 0.038 x 10 (1/MPa.C )

-5 2
E Hoop Modulus (16000 MPa) b2 1.58 x 10 (1/C )


-5 3
Poisson’s ratio (0.35) b3 -0.0113 x 10 (1/C )

 Thermal expansion coefficient t Pipe wall thickness (mm)


(30 m/mC)

d Pipe wall outer diameter (mm)

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Pipeline Construction Specification Version 4.2

USER COMMENT FORM

SP-1208 – Pipeline Construction Specification User Feedback Page

Any user who identifies an inaccuracy, error or ambiguity is requested to notify


the custodian so that appropriate action can be taken. The user is requested
to return this page fully completed, indicating precisely the amendment(s)
recommended.

Name:

Ref ID Date:

Page Ref: Brief Description of Change Required and Reasons

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