Pipeline Pressure Testing & Inspections

Typical loading arm testing with water.

A highly specialized service provided by PPSI is pipeline hydrostatic pressure testing. Pressure testing verifies the structural integrity and strength of a pipeline by verifying its ability to withstand higher than normal pressures without deformation, damage, or failure. This form of integrity testing is required by industry regulations and could involve scheduled compliance, emergency response for a suspected pipeline leak, qualify a higher MOP, or re-qualifying newly repaired or constructed pipelines. Testing services are for pipelines, loading arms, truck racks, hot pits, tanks, and secondary containments.

Government environmental protection regulations are forcing facilities with petroleum or other products that are hazardous to the environment to have their product pipelines pressure tested periodically. Marine pipelines, station piping, intrastate, & interstate pipelines are regulated by different Government agencies depending on jurisdiction. Our state of the art data collection equipment is accurate to .05% of full scale range, is well maintained, and third party calibrated annually to ensure accurate data collection.

Unlike some of our competitors, we do not take a “quantity of tests performed in a day” over “quality of each test" approach to hydrostatic testing. Our methodology to testing includes performing pre-test calculations on line fill, test volume, %SMYS of the pipe, and detection of air entrapment, as well as, performing a complete visual inspection of every component in the test section and documenting even minor deficiencies such as corrosion, metal loss, and coating failures. Complete and accurate testing reports (In a proprietary format) with full documentation including validation calculations verifying volume change and temperature compensated pressure gain / loss is provided, as well as recommendations on correcting deficiencies are presented to the pipeline owner after the testing. The validation calculations take variables such as pipe material, pipe location, product, and weather and uses the physical characteristics of each in a complex set of calculations to certify pressure / volume increases and decreases are within acceptable limits. If a line cannot pass a test, we will make all available corrections to achieve a satisfactory result before declaring the line a “failure”. This temperature compensated calculation method is an absolute must when underground or inaccessible piping is involved where a simple visual inspection for active leaks cannot be completed.

A major advantage of utilizing hydrostatic strength testing over NWGLDE certified leak detection testing is cost per test. If a standard hydrotest is declared a failure, a third-party certified precision leak test can be used to verify the failure saving money on all tests that were declared as successful. In addition, despite claims to the contrary, all leak detection testing is affected to some degree by temperature fluctuations and the sensitivity of the tests decreases as the pipeline test section volume increases.

Our personnel are DOT qualified (By written NCCER exam) and have the knowledge of the regulations and industry standards to ensure the client will remain in compliance. Our DOT OQ qualifications and safety records can be found on the ISNET web site. (www.isnetworld.com). Our Drug & Alcohol programs are third-party administered and can be reviewed at the NCMS website. (www.nationalcompliance.com) PPSI is certified in the State of California to perform pipeline hydrostatic pressure testing and that listing can be found on the State Lands Commission Website: http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/pipeline/pipeline_hydrotest

Our comprehensive 100% visual inspection of aboveground portions of piping that is performed with every hydrotest has found the following pipeline anomalies, some of which were found and corrected before a hydrotest was even performed.