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TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD Pg.
Nos.
FOREWORD
12.0 APPENDICES
12.1 APPENDIX- I: TABLES …………………... 31
12.1.1 Table 1 -Welding Procedure Qualification Test Requirements …. 31
12.1.2 Table 2 A -Welding Procedure Diameter Qualification Ranges …. 31
12.1.3 Table 2 B -Approval Diameter Range for Welders Qualification Tests …. 31
12.1.4 Table 3-Recommended Welding Consumables for Austenitic St. Steel …. 32
12.1.5 Table 4-Recommended Welding Consumables for Nickel Base Alloys …. 32
12.1.6 Table 5-Recommended Welding Consumables for Copper Alloys …. 33
12.1.7 Table 6-NDT Acceptance Criteria …. 34
12.1.8 Table 7-Extent of Non-Destructive Testing …. 35
12.1.9 Table 8-Maximum inter pass …. 36
12.2 APPENDIX-II : FIGURES …………………... 37
12.2.1 Figure 1 – Removal of Charpy V-Notch Specimens …………………... 37
12.2.2 Figure 2 – Location of Hardness Indentations …………………... 38
12.2.3 Figure 3 – Dimensional Tolerances …………………... 39
FOREWORD
This document has been developed by Corporate Quality and Management Systems
Department, reviewed by User Departments and endorsed by concerned QP Management
for use as Corporate standard.
This document is the replacement of the old version of the following documents: ES-L-23
and ES.5.14.0020. This QP Technical Standard will supersede the said documents and
serve as a technical guidance for preparing project specification on the specific subject.
This document shall be used in conjunction with ASME B 31.3 2008, as clauses 8.0 & 9.0
of this document are supplementary to chapters V & VI respectively of the said standard.
The document in its present numbering, layout and format was prepared in accordance
with the standardization procedures (QP-PRC-A-001 & QP-PRC-A-003).
The document in its present form reflects as far as possible the current QP requirements
taking into account the known available industry practices and the applicable latest
national and international codes and standards.
It is recognised that there will be cases where addenda, data sheets, or other clarifications
need to be attached to the standard to suit a specific application or service environment.
As such, the content of the document shall not be changed or re-edited by any user (QP or
its contractors, suppliers, agents, etc.), but any addenda or clarifications entailing major
changes shall be brought to the attention of the Custodian Department.
The Manager,
Corporate Quality & Management Systems Department
1.0 OBJECTIVE
This standard is to state Qatar Petroleum's (QP) requirements for fabrication, welding,
inspection and installation of austenitic and 25% Cr super duplex stainless steels,
copper base and nickel base alloys process and utility pipework.
2.0 SCOPE
3.0 APPLICATION
This standard shall be applied for projects on new and existing installation for all QP
Production Facilities, both onshore and offshore.
4.0 TERMINOLOGY
4.1 DEFINITIONS
The following definitions apply throughout this standard:
QP Shall mean QATAR PETROLEUM or appointed MANAGING
CONSULTANT
CONTRACTOR The party, which entered into contract with QP for, the
execution of activities as mentioned in a written agreement.
CERTIFYING The party which entered into contract with QP for the
AUTHORITY certification of the project.
THIRD PARTY The impartial body appointed by QP or Contractor possessing
INSPECTORATE the necessary competence to verify that the designs;
qualifications, procedure or fabrications satisfy the specified
requirements.
May Used where alternatives are equally acceptable
Shall Used where the provision is an absolute requirement to be
followed strictly in order to conform to this Standard.
Should Used where provision is recommended to conform to this
Standard.
The term 'approve' as applied to QP is used where QP does not wish work to proceed
unless certain features have been agreed in writing with the CONTRACTOR. This
does not mean that all the details of a document have been considered by QP and
does not absolve the CONTRACTOR responsibilities.
4.2 ABBREVIATIONS
YS Yield Strength
5.4 The CONTRACTOR shall obtain the latest issues of all Specifications, codes and
standards referred to in this document and shall make them readily available to all
personnel involved with the work.
6.1 WORKMANSHIP
CONTRACTOR shall ensure that all materials, workmanship and inspection conform
to the requirements of this standard and shall supply all labour, tools, consumables,
equipment and services necessary to accomplish the task as per contract
requirements.
6.2 PERSONNEL
CONTRACTOR shall be responsible for all errors and omissions in the detailing, layout
and fabrication. It is an obligation of CONTRACTOR to check QP documents and
drawings and to notify QP of any errors or omissions.
7.0 MATERIALS
7.2.1 A quarantine store shall be established at the fabrication site to hold material awaiting
proof of compliance with specified requirements.
7.2.2 A secure store, for holding those materials which after completion of site inspection
are declared satisfactory and to be complete with all necessary and identifiable
certification, shall be similarly established.
7.2.3 CONTRACTOR shall establish both the quarantine and the secure stores and shall
submit details of design, layout and organisation to QP for approval. Special
precautions shall be taken to ensure that all material used for fabrication and
installation of pipework is fully documented and available prior to release to fabrication
and installation.
7.2.4 CONTRACTOR shall adopt the colour coding system specified in QP-STD-R-001 to
identify different types of materials.
7.2.5 CONTRACTOR shall establish procedures for the transfer of identification marks
(including heat number’s) when pieces are cut from their parent pipe as required by
the quality plan. Pipe identification shall be completed prior to cutting.
7.2.6 All media used for marking shall be free from sulphur, chlorides and other halogens
and if the fabricated spools are to be subjected to PWHT the media shall not contain
more than 250 ppm of copper, lead, tin or zinc. The use of adhesive tapes is not
permitted.
7.2.7 Storage and handling of the piping materials in a proper way that it shall not be
contaminated with carbon steel material. The storage area shall also be separated
from the carbon steel storage area. The tools used shall also be dedicated solely for
the subject grade material and were never used previously on Carbon Steel surfaces.
7.3.1 CONTRACTOR shall ensure that adequate protection against damage is provided for
all components during any storage, loading and transportation activities, by providing
adequate timber bearers during the transport and the wrapping of lifting points.
7.3.2 Pipes, completed spools or component parts shall be stored above the ground on
pallets, timber blocking or other similar supports, so as to be kept above the level of
any standing water and be kept free from dirt, grease, paint sprays and any other
harmful treatments which in the opinion of QP could affect its ability to perform its
intended function.
Note: CONTRACTOR shall protect all open ends pipes and flanges by the use
of plastic end caps and timber blinding respectively.
7.3.3 CONTRACTOR shall provide adequate certified safe lifting slings or similar equipment
during handling or lifting operations, which shall be in line with QP- Corporate Lifting
Regulations (QP-REG-Q-001 R4). The use of chains for lifting is not acceptable.
When pipes are lifted by their ends, soft faced hooks shall be used.
7.3.4 Damage to any part of the pipe-work or sub-assemblies, before, during or after
installation shall immediately be brought to the notice of QP.
7.3.5 All completed spools shall be transported by a method, which does not induce
significant deformations or stresses. Care shall be taken in the suitable placement of
lifting lugs and/or temporary attachments.
7.3.6 Particular care shall be taken in the storage and handling of parts which have been
metal sprayed, painted, etc., and should the coating be damaged it shall be restored
to comply with the appropriate coating by a method approved by QP.
7.3.7 Different grades of material, including cut segments or shapes shall be clearly marked
using an identification coding system approved by QP in accordance with QP-STD-R-
001. The materials shall be stored in dedicated locations to avoid inadvertent mixing.
7.3.8 The cutting of pipes and/or plates and transferring of marks and where pertinent, the
particular identity of the piece shall be carried out in such a manner that a particular
grade of material can at any time be identified within a structure. If any material is
found without the appropriate reference CONTRACTOR shall prove the identity of the
material to the satisfaction of QP.
8.1 The following clauses are supplementary to Chapter V of ASME B31.3 - 2008 Edition.
They cover the requirements and procedures for the welding of process pipe-work in
the workshop, yard and offshore. For convenience the headings and numbering
system used within this section follow the same in ASME B31.3.
8.2 The clauses of this section do not relieve the contractor of the responsibilities,
guarantee or of any other contract bond with respect to welding performance and
welding results. During welding operations, inspection and testing the CONTRACTOR
shall observe and follow current regulations concerning personnel safety, prevention
of fire, explosions and accidents. CONTRACTOR shall follow MoE regulations
regarding radiation protection & handling of radioactive sources and X ray unit.
8.3 No exception to this section is allowed without the written authorisation of QP.
327 GENERAL
327.1 PROCESSES
Acceptable welding processes for the fabrication of pipe-work are SMAW, GTAW and
SAW.
Other welding processes shall not be used without the approval of QP. If alternative
processes are intended to be used, any such proposal shall, at the bid stage, state all
items and areas of intended use, together with full details of the process,
consumables and CONTRACTORS past history of use. QP may refuse, or limit the
use of an intended process, and may specify additional testing and inspection
requirements. (Addition)
328 WELDING
The test temperature shall be as per subsection 323.3.4 of ASME B31.3 and The
acceptance criteria shall be as per Table 323.3.5 of ASME B31.3.
(Amendment)
(e) The use of consumable inserts is not permitted. (Amendment)
(f) P-Numbers (and F-numbers).
(i) The extension of a welding procedure specification from the material on the PQR
to a material of a different specification, even if it has the same P-Number, shall
only be permitted with prior approval of QP.
(ii) A change of consumable classification or brand name requires the qualification of
a new welding procedure.
(Addition)
(g) Changes which require a new welding procedure specification qualification, are:-
(i) A change in welding processes or processes combination.
(ii) A change of thickness or diameter outside the ranges specified in Table 2A in
appendix I of this standard.
(iii) A change in the type of current, i.e. AC to DC, or a change in electrode polarity.
(iv) Any change in wire/flux combination.
(v) A change in shielding gas type or nominal composition.
(vi) A change of weld preparation in shape or configuration including fit up tolerances.
(vii) An increase of more than one increment size in the electrode diameter used in
the qualified welding procedure.
(viii) Any change in the post weld heat treatment temperature or time.
(ix) Any change in the rate of addition of any supplementary consumable.
(x) A change from multi-pass to single pass or vice-versa.
(Addition)
(h) All welding procedure qualification test welds shall be subjected to radiographic and
liquid penetrant examination prior to mechanical tests.
(Addition)
(i) All welding procedures shall be subject to a macro examination, and those involving
Austenitic stainless steel and nickel base alloys shall also be subjected to a hardness
survey in accordance with Figure 2, appendix II of this standard, using a Vickers
pyramidal indenter with 10 Kg load.
The maximum hardness allowable is shown as follows:
Austenitic Stainless Steel - 248 Hv10.
Incoloy 825/Inconel 625 - 335 Hv10.
A dendritic type etchant shall be used to ensure clear definition of the fusion line.
A macrograph of each hardness macro-section at a magnification of X2 such that the
hardness indentations are clearly visible together with a sketch identifying the
indentations shall be submitted with the welding procedure qualification test report to
QP for approval.
(Addition)
(j) All welding procedures for Austenitic stainless steels shall be subject to chemical
analysis of the weld metal and a ferrite check. The ferrite number (FN) for various
welds shall be as follows:
3FN for Type 308, 308L, 316 and 316L.
4FN for Type 309
6FN for Type 347
Tubular butt joint test pieces shall be prepared to qualify all welding of pipe-work.
For impact tested procedures the test pieces shall be welded in the vertical (5G) and
horizontal (2G) positions and will qualify all positions and for non impact tested
procedures the test pieces shall be welded in the inclined 45° (6G) position and will
qualify all positions. (Addition)
(k) Welders and welding operators shall not qualify on production welds but shall carry out
performance tests. All welders shall be qualified for all passes, (the use of partially
qualified welders is not permitted).
Existing qualifications may be considered provided that they relate to a similar standard
of work and use welding consumables having the same characteristics as those to be
used in production. Fully correlated documentation demonstrating current qualifications
endorsed by an acceptable CA, continuous experience with the qualified process and
satisfactory past performance shall be submitted to QP for consideration. Acceptance
of this documentation and existing qualifications shall be entirely at the discretion of
QP.
All welder and welding operator tests shall be witnessed by QP or a CA approved by
QP before the welder or welding operator is permitted to weld on any pipe-work. The
decision taken by QP regarding the qualification of any welder or welding operator
shall be final. (Addition)
(m) All welder performance tests for all positional welding shall be performed using the
same materials, P-number, consumable and in the 6G position to qualify all positional
welding in production. In the event that differing material groups are to be welded or
when special welding procedures are to be adopted to meet unusual conditions, the
welder shall be required to satisfactorily pass additional qualification tests as directed
by QP. (Addition)
(n) All welders shall be qualified by visual, liquid Penetrant and radiographic examination
and shall be witnessed by QP’s Inspector. In addition, QP may specify bend test for
welders and operators qualification.
(Addition)
(o) All welding operators shall be qualified in the position to be used in production.
(Addition)
(p) The approval of a welder on a pipe of outside diameter ―O.D.‖ shall include approval
for diameters ranges according to Table 2b in appendix I of this standard.
(Addition)
328.2.2 Procedure Qualification by Others
Not Permitted (Amendment)
328.2.3 Performance Qualification by Others
Not Permitted (Amendment)
328.2.4 Procedure Qualification Record
In order to review and approve a welding procedure QP shall require the following
documentation, as a minimum, to be included in the welding procedure qualification
package:
(i) The PQR sheets,
(ii) The production WPS,
(iii) The WPS used for the qualification test,
(iv) The procedure qualification data sheet, including dates & welders names, of the
actual welding parameters applied to weld the test joint verified by the
CONTRACTOR and the CA. Additionally QP may nominate a representative to
authenticate the records and test results,
(v) The mechanical test results (signed by the test house and verified by the CA (if
applicable),
(vi) The inspection and NDT results (verified by the CA if applicable),
(vii) The parent material test certificates indicating the chemical analysis and
mechanical properties,
(viii) The consumable batch certificates indicating the information specified in
paragraph 328.3.1 of this standard.
(ix) The PWHT charts (where applicable).
(x) Calibration certificates for the used equipment such as; thermometer, volt and
ampere meters etc..
(xi) Welders certificates
(xii) Gases purity and mixtures certificates if used.
(xiii) Corrosion test results if required
Records of the test results for each procedure qualification shall be established and
certified by QP. One of these shall be kept by the CONTRACTOR and shall be
available to those authorized to examine it. Another shall be given to QP.
(Amendment)
328.3 WELDING MATERIALS
328.3.1 Filler Metals
All manufacturers of welding consumables shall be subject to approval by QP. Tables
3, 4 & 5, in appendix I of this standard, detail the classifications of welding
consumables acceptable to QP for specific materials.
The CONTRACTOR shall inform QP of the batch definition used by the manufacturer.
Consumables shall be batch tested in accordance with ASME and shall be subject to
approval by QP.
All as welded weld metal test results classified to ASME for consumables shall have
the following mechanical and chemical properties as a minimum:
(i) Chemical composition of weld metal.
(ii) Tensile and Yield strength.
(iii) The percentage elongation.
(iv) Charpy impact data (where applicable).
(v) Ferrite Number (FN 3-8)
Special consideration shall be given to the chemistry of the deposited weld metal such
that, as a minimum, it matches the corrosion resistance of the parent material.
Handling of welding consumables shall be as per the approved WPS and Manufacture
recommendation. (Amendment)
328.3.2 Weld Backing Material
Not Permitted. (Amendment)
328.3.3 Consumable Inserts
The use of consumable inserts requires prior approval of QP and is subject to the
satisfactory qualification of the welding procedure. (Amendment)
328.3.4 Shielding Gases
Different types of gas or gas mixtures may be used provided that the quality and type
is appropriate to the welding process employed and in agreement with an approved
welding procedure. Where gas mixtures are used, re-qualification shall be required for
any change in gas mixture from that used for the welding procedure qualification.
The moisture content of any gas or gas mixture shall correspond to a dew point of
-30OC or lower. A certificate of purity is required for all shielding gas used in welding
procedure qualification.
In the field, only permitted gases as supplied by the manufacturer, in specially marked
containers shall be used. Gas purity and quality for all containers shall be certified
before use. Gases that are of questionable purity and those in containers that show
signs of damage shall not be used. All containers shall be stored away from extremes
of temperature.
Gas flow meter shall have a valid calibration certificate before use.
(Addition)
328.4 PREPARATION FOR WELDING
General
All equipment that is to be used on the materials covered by this standard shall be
compatible with the base material and individually identified and shall not be used on
other materials in order to avoid contamination. (Addition)
328.4.1 Cleaning
The pipe and fitting surface shall be wire brushed using a stainless steel wire brush for
a distance of 75mm up the bore and on the outer surface. This area shall also be
degreased prior to welding using a suitable chloride free solvent.
All GTAW filler wires shall be degreased prior to use and handled with clean gloves.
The degreasant shall be chloride and sulphide free. (Amendment)
2.5 mm. The SMAW process shall only be used for the root pass in closing
welds where it is impossible to purge the bore. (Addition)
(h) The SAW process shall not be used for pipe sizes below 6" NPS unless
specifically approved by QP (Addition)
(i) Butt and fillet welds in pipes of NPS 2 and smaller shall, where practical, be
made by the GTAW process. (Addition)
(j) All GTAW process equipment shall be fitted with a high frequency starting unit.
GTAW torches should also include a "gas lens" for improved gas shielding.
(Addition)
(k) The bores of all pipes shall be purged in accordance with the requirements of
AWS D10.11M when the GTAW process is employed. (Addition)
(l) All root runs shall be made without interruption other than the changing of
electrodes/fillers or to allow the welder to re-position himself. (Addition)
(m) All attachments shall be located and fabricated in accordance with the
CONTRACTOR'S drawings approved by QP and fulfil the requirements of this
standard.
Permanent attachments, which are made to pressure pipe-work shall be welded
and inspected in accordance with this standard. The NDT of the welds shall be
in accordance with clause 9 of this standard.
Temporary attachments to pressure pipe-work shall be minimised and shall not
be made without approval of QP and shall be welded using qualified welding
procedures and with due care to avoid oxidation of the internal surface of the
pipe-work..
All temporary attachments shall be removed unless permission is obtained from
QP to the contrary.
Temporary attachments shall be removed by plasma cutting and/or grinding. If
plasma cutting is employed, the attachments shall be cut off at a minimum
distance of 5mm from the surface of the material and then ground flush.
Temporary attachments shall not be removed by breaking the back of securing
fillet welds by hammering or any technique which may cause mechanical
damage to the surface of the fabricated pipe-work.
Following the removal of a temporary attachment any damaged area shall be
ground to merge smoothly with the original surface and the surface shall be
subjected to 100% LPI.
Scars or undercut remaining after the removal of temporary attachments shall
be repaired in accordance with a procedure approved by QP. This shall be
ground flush with the surface of the base metal and subjected to LPI before the
joint is offered for final inspection. Each case shall be recorded as a repair.
(Addition)
(n) Vertical down welding is not permitted. (Addition)
(o) For the welding and heat treatment of Valves and Monolithic Insulation
Joints, the manufacture recommendations and precautions shall be
considered to avoid damaging the sealing materials. (Addition)
(p) For the tie-ins weld joints with the existing piping the following shall applicable:
toe of the existing main welds or branch welds is less than the smaller of twice the
thickness of the main pressure pipe or 40 mm should be avoided.
If unavoidable the area to be welded over shall be subject to 100% surface crack
detection and 100% ultrasonic examination prior to welding, then the complete welds
and adjacent area shall be similarly examined.
(Addition)
328.6 WELD REPAIRS
The repair rate shall be reported on a lineal basis, submitted to QP on a weekly basis
and shall not exceed 3% during production. If this level is exceeded the
CONTRACTOR shall investigate the reasons responsible for the increased repair rate
and report his findings to QP with a proposed method of rectification.
All repairs, including those performed prior to PWHT, shall be recorded. Weld repairs
shall be indicated by the use of R1, R2 or RW to indicate first or second repair and re-
weld respectively.
These indicators shall be recorded as a suffix to both the weld and inspection report
numbers. Where welds are repaired or re-welded they shall retain their original weld
number. Inspection reports for weld repairs or re-welds shall retain their original report
number. All recording shall be completed on a progressive basis.
Rectification, repairs and modification shall be fully identified and documented. This
shall include detailed inspection procedures, with an accurate description of the
dimensions and locations of all defects and repairs for reference during final and/or in
service inspection.
The CONTRACTOR shall maintain an up-to-date register of all welds found to contain
unacceptable defects. Repairs performed both prior to and after PWHT shall be
recorded and the register shall be freely available for inspection by QP at any
reasonable time. The register shall include the following information:
(i) Weld identification.
(ii) Weld type and thickness.
(iii) Welding procedure number.
(iv) Welding process or processes.
(v) Welder or welding operator.
(vi) Details of defect.
(vii) Date welded.
(viii) Date defect found.
(ix) Repair procedure.
(x) Date of repair and date repair accepted by CONTRACTOR/QP
(xi) HT records (If any), NDT Methods / Techniques
(Addition)
330 PREHEATING
330.1 GENERAL
Preheating for the materials covered in this standard is not normally required except
to drive off moisture. (Amendment)
330.1.1 Requirements and Recommendations
When preheat is required for heavy section Copper Alloys the temperature shall be
limited to 50 OC. (Addition)
330.1.4 Interpass Temperature
The maximum Interpass temperature shall not exceed the values given in table 8
appendix I of this standard. (Amendment)
331 HEAT TREATMENT
Heat treatment is not normally necessary for the materials covered by this
specification, however, in certain circumstances it may be necessary to heat treat
austenitic stainless steels to reduce residual stresses from welding or cold forming, in
such cases the welding engineer shall be consulted. (Addition)
332.1 GENERAL
Site bending and forming of stainless steels and nickel alloy pipes is not recommended
and should be avoided, however, if it is deemed necessary then all bending processes
shall be done cold. However, where the size and schedule of the pipe is such that
cold bending becomes impracticable hot bending may be utilised. Hot formed bends
shall be solution heat treated in the temperature range recommended by the
manufacturer. (Addition)
335.1 GENERAL
335.1.1 Alignment
(a) Piping Distortions. Removal of pipe distortion using either heating or mechanical
devices is not allowed. (Addition)
344.4.1 Method
Arc strikes outside of the weld preparations shall not be acceptable. Where these are
determined during inspection, the arc strike shall be ground out to a smooth profile
and subjected to LPI. Where the arc strikes are caused by damaged cables the areas
shall be additionally etched to ensure freedom from contamination. (Addition)
344.5.1 Method
X-ray techniques shall be used for all shop radiography of pipework up to 25mm wall
thickness. However, where the use of X-rays is impractical due to space limitation or
unavailability of power source, then, gamma ray isotopes may be used subject to the
advance approval of QP.
In each case the technique shall be qualified using a source side image quality
indicator of the wire type to BSI BS EN 462-1.
The single wall, single image technique should be used whenever possible. Lead
intensifying screens and fine grain high contrast film shall be used. Film density shall
be 2.0 - 3.0 through the thickest portion of the weld and the radiographic sensitivity
shall be 2% or better.
When the double wall exposure technique is unavoidable a minimum of two
exposures for pipe sizes up to NPS 2" and a minimum of three exposures for pipe
sizes between NPS 3" and NPS 8" shall be made. Above NPS 8" sufficient exposures
shall be taken to ensure that the weld seam is fully radio-graphed and that adequate
overlap of film takes place.
Radiography of production welds shall use wire type IQI’s with each film exposure
and this shall be placed on the source side where accessible.
(Amendment)
344.5.2 Extent of Radiography
(c) spot radiography is not Permitted. (Amendment)
(d) where branch connections have wall thicknesses exceeding 16 mm, radiography
shall be carried out (with film on the bore side) when the weld depth is similar to
the wall thickness, i.e. before the reinforcing fillet weld is applied (Addition)
(e) CONTRACTOR shall furnish a dark room and viewing equipment available at
any time for QP or the CA to review radiographs. (Addition)
2) The cap of the weld at test location shall be removed and the surface ground
smooth. Three measurements shall be taken on the weld and HAZ and the
average of the three shall be taken as the result.
3) The maximum hardness allowable shall be as in clause 328.2.1 (j) of this
standard.
(Addition)
344.9 ADDITIONAL EXAMINATION
If QP or the CA has reason to believe that a defect exists in any weld or pass,
including tack welds, then the CONTRACTOR when so directed shall perform all
inspection and testing required by QP.
If percentage checking of welds reveals a defective weld, a further two (2) welds
completed by the welder in question shall be selected for inspection. If these prove to
be defective, the percentage shall be increased at QP’s discretion. These additional
welds shall not be deemed part of the percentage inspection.
If the weld is deemed defective, it shall be repaired or replaced to the satisfaction of
QP.
Where QP deems it necessary to increase the extent of testing other than for reasons
of defects, the CONTRACTOR shall comply with such increased requirements and
perform this work.
QP May request CONTRACTOR to conduct Positive Material Identification
(PMI) test to check the deposited weld metal.
(Addition)
345 TESTING
CONTRACTOR shall submit detailed testing procedure (including flushing and drying)
for QP prior approval for all new lines. However, Contractor shall include in their Test
Package the testing of existing lines also, wherever field welds are completed
between the old and new lines.
Where a new line is tied-in to an existing line, the existing line integrity shall be
assessed in accordance with API 570, Piping Inspection Code, and the remaining
available thickness at the tie-in point shall be checked by Ultrasonic. However,
contractor shall submit a detailed Tie-In procedure for QP prior approval.
In addition to testing of valves at factory, the valves shall be tested at site before
installation. The extent of testing shall be based on the criticality requirements
approved by QP. (Addition)
Contractor shall submit a Test Package for the lines to be tested. This Test Package
shall include and not limited to the following information:
a) Testing limits
b) Testing pressure
c) Testing media, applicable inhibitors, chlorine content.
d) Material traceability to the mill certificates.
e) Applied welding procedures, welders, date of welding NDT, repair...etc.
f) Release note, endorsed by QP/TPI for testing.
g) Test Date
h) Piping system identification tags
CONTRACTOR shall provide QP with at least 24 hours notice of testing.
(Addition)
345.2 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LEAK TESTS
345.2.7 Test Records
All tests shall be witnessed by QP and recorded on test record sheets, which shall be
signed by both the CONTRACTOR and QP. (Addition)
The test medium shall be potable water having PH in the range from 6.5 to 7.5 and
the chloride content shall be less than 25 ppm unless stated otherwise on the contract
drawings or by QP. If these conditions cannot be achieved, QP may permit the use of
a suitable, approved inhibitor. After testing, the tested piping system shall be dried as
required with air or nitrogen. (Amendment)
the water after the test. However, depressurising shall be carried out in steps at
25% of total pressure value and there will be a hold for 15 minutes at each
step.
(f) Check valves shall be opened to ensure that water is completely drained.
(g) A record chart shall be made of the pressures and temperatures during
pressurizing/depressurizing as well as during actual testing.
(Addition)
345.5 Pneumatic testing is not permitted without the specific approval by QP.
(Addition)
345.10 Reinstatement Leak Test
After successful completion of the hydrostatic leak tests, piping
Systems/subsystems shall be subjected to leak test to check the re-instatement work.
The test medium shall be water or nitrogen. The water quality shall be as specified in
345.4.1.
The test pressure shall be 90% of the design pressure or 1.1 of the maximum
operating pressure when the system/subsystem includes old existing piping.
The test duration shall be one hour.
CONTRACTOR shall submit a detailed procedure for the reinstatement leak test for
QP review and approval.
(Addition)
10.0 QUALITY REQUIREMENTS
10.1 CONTRACTOR shall have a current and implemented QA system and QC
procedures for shop and field piping fabrication, erection, etc., in compliance with the
requirements of QP – STD-Q-004 and ISO 9001 for all works undertaken and meet
QP’s specified requirements.
10.2 CONTRACTOR shall, within two weeks of receipt of the order, submit for approval a
detailed quality Plan for fabrication, welding, installation and testing which complies
with the applicable clauses and elements of ISO 9001 Standards and project
specifications.
10.3 It shall define the structure, welding, fabrication, installation and testing
responsibilities, authority levels and internal and/or external interface arrangements of
personnel.
10.4 It shall identify the items and services to which this standard applies the level of
control and verification.
10.5 It shall provide documents such as plans, procedures and instructions for the
accomplishment of welding, fabricating, installation and testing activities to provide
the required quality, taking into account the need for special controls, tests, tools,
skills, etc.
10.6 CONTRACTOR shall be responsible for ensuring that the final documentation and
records provide the necessary objective evidence that the quality required has been
achieved. This shall include the results of inspections, tests, monitoring of work
performance, material and weld identification and related data such as qualifications
of personnel and procedures.
10.7 CONTRACTOR shall provide all necessary certification and documents in
accordance with this standard’s requirements or any alternative standard identified by
QP.
10.8 CONTRACTOR shall appoint only qualified and experienced personnel with the
necessary level of authority to ensure compliance with the requirements of this
standard.
11.0 DOCUMENTATION
11.1 GENERAL
11.1.1 All communication, both documentary and spoken shall be in the English Language
and all dimensions and weights shall be in SI (System International d' Unites) units.
11.1.2 The documents to be prepared by the CONTRACTOR to facilitate the fabrication and
installation of the piping shall provide full and complete information and instructions
including detailed methods and procedures. Approval or review of drawings by QP or
QP’s Representative shall not relieve the CONTRACTOR of his responsibility to
complete the work in accordance with the Contract.
11.2 DOCUMENT SUBMISSION
The CONTRACTOR shall, as a minimum, submit the following documentation to QP
for approval at least two weeks prior to the commencement of work:
a) Fabrication, welding and installation procedures.
b) Detailed fabrication drawings including identification of material grades, weld
details and NDT requirements.
c) List of proposed welding consumables.
d) A Register of proposed welding procedures and their areas of application.
e) PQR's and qualified WPS's including those for weld repair, in accordance with
this standard for both permanent work and temporary attachments.
f) Certificates of welders and welding operators qualified in accordance with this
standard. Documents detailing qualifications and experience of engineers and all
QA and QC personnel.
g) Procedures for the receipt, storage, handling and issue of welding consumables.
h) Material identification (including welding consumables) and control procedures.
i) Certificates for all CONTRACTOR supplied material (including welding
consumables).
j) Procedures for Inspection, NDT, Examination and Testing, Format of the reports
and personnel qualifications.
k) Post Weld Heat Treatment procedures and instructions sheets.
l) Forming/Bending Procedures.
m) Hydrostatic Test Procedure.
12.0 APPENDICES
Thickness Range
Test Method
t 25 mm t > 25 mm
NDT Method LPI/RT LPI/RT
Transverse Tensile 2 2
Bend Tests (Note 1) 4 SIDE 4 SIDE
Macro & Hardness 2 2
Chemical Analysis 1 1
Ferrite Check 1 1
Charpy V-Notch WM Cap NONE 1
Impact Tests WM Root 1 1
(Notes 2 & 3) HAZ Cap NONE 3
HAZ Root 3 3
NOTE :
1) Face & Root Bends to be substituted for side bends when t 10mm.
2) To be taken when required by Clause 328.2.1 of this standard.
3) Sets of HAZ Charpy specimens to be taken at FL, FL + 2 and FL + 5.
Chilled Water
Closed drains of non-sour gas/liquid
D Halon System 5 5
Hot Oil (2) (2)
Open Drains of non-sour gas/liquid
Sanitary Effluent
Non sour Slop Oil
Utility Water
Notes
(1) All lines rated at greater than 600# to be subjected to 100% examination irrespective of service.
(2) 20% examination means 20 welds in 100 welds which are examined 100%, similarly for 5% examination.
The given 5% and 20% examination shall be increased up to 100% if parts of the tested welds are
defective.
WELD METAL
2mm
FUSION LINE
FUSION LINE + 2 mm
FUSION LINE + 5 mm
FL +2mm
FL +5mm
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
1mm
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
1mm 1mm
Detail ‘A’
1
Shall conform to fit-up tolerances
qualified in Welding Procedure.
4
1
12.3.2 Welding
a. Welding Processes
Welding Processes shall generally be restricted to GTAW and SMAW. GTAW
shall be employed for the root and second (hot) pass, which shall both be
completed with the addition of filler metal. SMAW shall be restricted to the fill and
capping passes in pipe having a wall thickness greater than 5 mm.
b. Filler Metal
Consumables shall comply with the chemical composition recommended by the
material manufacturer. The brand name or country of origin of consumables shall
not be changed.
Selection shall be made with due regard to meeting a ferrite level of 35-65% in all
regions of the weld metal and a minimum PRE value of 40. The nickel content
shall overmatch the product unless the finished fabrication is solution annealed.
Only consumables which have received prior approval by QP shall be used.
c. Shielding Gas
High purity argon shielding gases shall be used for welding.
Proprietary gas mixtures may be employed when the fabricator can demonstrate
their successful use to the satisfaction of QP. The root and second pass shall be
deposited with an Argon shielding gas containing 2-3% Nitrogen unless otherwise
approved by QP.
d. Backing Gas
The internal surfaces of pipe work adjacent to welds are to be maintained free
from scale and excess oxidation – slight blueing is permitted. High purity argon
shall generally be employed for the back purge. However QP may approve the
use of argon/nitrogen mixtures. The oxygen content of the purge gas shall be
measured immediately prior to welding and shall be less than 0.5%.
This shall be demonstrated during weld procedure qualification and production by
means of a suitable oxygen meter.
The purge will be maintained for a minimum of three passes.
The method of application of back purging shall be detailed, either in the relevant
WPS or in a separate document referred to by the WPS.
e. Joint Preparation
Materials may be cut mechanically or by plasma. If plasma cutting is used the cut
edge should be ground back 2 mm before welding.
All weld bevels are to be prepared by machining or grinding.
f. Heat Input
Welding Heat Inputs shall not exceed 1.5 KJ/mm. The second and third passes
should be limited to 75% of the actual root pass heat input value. Subject to these
limitations the heat input during production welding shall not deviate from the
qualified by more than ±10%.
12.3.3 Material
a. P Numbers shall not apply to duplex stainless steels.
Each alloy designation shall be separately qualified. A change of material source
or product manufacturing route shall require re-qualification. In addition a change
in base material PRE value exceeding –1.5 or +2.5 shall require re-qualification.
c. Metallurgical Examination
e. Hardness Determination
Hardness surveys shall be required in accordance with 328.2.1(i). The maximum
hardness shall comply with NACE MR 0175.
f. Essential Variables
Any change to the welding procedure outside the allowances of the essential
variables in Clause 6.0 of this standard or the limitations below will require re-
qualification.
i. A tolerance of minus zero, plus 2 mm shall apply to the qualified procedure
root gap.
Thickness tested (t) 0.75 t (but not less than 5 mm) – 1.5 t.
>= 5mm
These thickness limitations reflect the need for careful control over the thermal
cycle applied to duplex steels during welding in order to maintain the
ferrite/austenitic balance and prevent the formation of inter-metallic phases.
iii. No change shall be made in the type of groove or in the basic groove design
from that used in the qualified welding procedure specification. All welding in
the pipe bore shall be qualified.
The joint bevel angle will not be reduced by more than 5 degrees or increased
by more than 10.
iv. The root gap tolerance shall be –0 + 2mm. The fabricator shall ensure that
the qualified root gap is achieved consistently during production welding.
v. The electrode size used in the qualified welding procedure shall not be
changed at any stage.
vii. The PRE for the welding consumables shall not be reduced by more than
0.5%
viii. The calculated heat input shall not be changed by more than 10% for the
comparable run in the PQR.
ix. The welding current shall not be changed by more than 10%.
g. Corrosion Testing
Ferric chloride testing shall be carried out at 35°C. The test method and
acceptance criteria shall be in accordance with BS 4515-2:1999. Samples should
be taken from the 12 and 6 o’clock locations.
In addition to the requirements of Clause 6.0 of this standard, a ferric chloride pitting
test shall be carried out on specimens taken from the 12 o’clock position. The test
and acceptance criteria shall be in accordance with BS 4515-2:1999.
Repairs are not permitted to welds in pipes less than 4‖ diameter; joints shall be cut
out and re-welded. Only one repair attempt is permitted.
Changes/Amendments Made:
Whole Document This standard has been revised to incorporate latest developments in
ASME B31.3 – Chapter V & VI (2008 Edition) and other standards
referenced in the document, and the latest market research and QP specific
requirements.
Note:
The revision history log shall be updated with each revision of the document. It shall
contain a written audit trail of the reason why the changes/amendments have occurred,
what the changes/amendments were, and the date at which the changes/amendments
were made.