Inspection Procedure

01-SAIP-06 18 August 2009

Inspection of SSSP Underground Storage Caverns
Document Responsibility: Inspection Engineering Standards Committee

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

Table of Contents

1 Scope............................................................ 2
2 References.................................................... 2
3 Definitions..................................................... 3
4 Safety............................................................ 4
5 System Description........................................ 4
6 Equipment Inspection Schedule.................... 5
7 Inspection Steps............................................ 5
8 Documentation............................................... 7

Previous Issue: 31 August 2004 Next Planned Update: TBD

Revised paragraphs are indicated in the right margin Page 1 of 7
Primary contact: Kakpovbia, Anthony E. on 966-3-8747226

Copyright©Saudi Aramco 2009. All rights reserved.

Document Responsibility: Inspection Engineering Standards Committee 01-SAIP-06
Issue Date: 18 August 2009
Next Planned Update: TBD Inspection of SSSP Underground Storage Caverns

1 Scope

This procedure applies to SSSP Caverns designed in accordance with API STD 620,
Low Pressure Storage Tanks. Design pressure in the vapor space is no more than 15
psig. The cavern tank steel lining is defined as a leak proof and gas tight steel
construction for the containment of liquid petroleum products.

2 References

The following references were used in the preparation of this procedure.

2.1 Saudi Aramco References

Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedures

SAEP-20 Equipment Inspection Schedule
SAEP-316 Performance Qualification Coating Personnel
SAEP-1142 Qualification of non-Saudi Aramco NDT
Personnel
SAEP-1145 Liquid Penetrant Examination

Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards

SAES-D-100 Design Criteria of Atmospheric and Low Pressure
Storage Tanks
SAES-D-108 Storage Tank Integrity
SAES-H-001 Selection Requirements for Industrial Coatings
SAES-H-100 Painting Requirements for Industrial Facilities
SAES-H-102 Safety Requirements for Painting
SAES-W-017 Welding Requirements for Tanks

Saudi Aramco General Instructions

GI-0002.100 Work Permit System
GI-0002.102 Pressure Testing Safely
GI-0006.102 Isolation, Lockout, and Use of Hold Tags

Saudi Aramco Form and Data Sheet

2694-ENG Data and Operating Limits Sheet - Pressure
Vessels

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Document Responsibility: Inspection Engineering Standards Committee 01-SAIP-06
Issue Date: 18 August 2009
Next Planned Update: TBD Inspection of SSSP Underground Storage Caverns

2.2 Industry Codes and Standards

API PUBL 207 Preparing Tank Bottoms for Hot Work
API RP 575 Inspection of Atmospheric and Low Pressure
Storage Tanks
API STD 620 Design and Construction of Large, Welded, Low-
Pressure Storage Tanks
API STD 653 Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and
Reconstruction
API STD 2000 Venting Atmospheric and Low-Pressure Storage
Tanks

3 Definitions

Auxiliary Piping and Equipment: Auxiliary piping and equipment includes: vapor
header; inert gas supply header product header; drain system and collection drum; and
pressure relief valves.

Inspector: A Saudi Aramco Employee qualified to the criteria specified in the

Company's Plant & Equipment (P&E) Inspector Job Descriptions recognized by the
Organization and Industrial Engineering Department (O&IE), and a member of a
business line Operations Engineering/Inspection Unit, or a qualified contract P&E
Inspector.

Cavern Tank: SSSP storage tanks located underground.

Coating Inspector: An Inspector certified Level II in coatings inspection according to

SAEP-316.

Crawler: A remote controlled Ultrasonic thickness device with a permanent magnet

that can be tethered or not tethered.

Expansion Bellows: A sealing mechanism that prevents vapor from escaping around
piping that passes through the roof of the cavern.

Kicker Plate: The curved plate section that connects the cavern wall to the floor.

Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL): MFL is a nondestructive testing method that is used
to inspect storage tank floors. The basic principles involved in this tool include the
saturation of the floor plate with a magnetic flux and the detection of flux leakage.

On-Stream Inspection: The external inspection of piping or pressure vessels while in

service. The Inspection usually consists of visual and the collection of thickness data
by several Non Destructive Testing methods.

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Document Responsibility: Inspection Engineering Standards Committee 01-SAIP-06
Issue Date: 18 August 2009
Next Planned Update: TBD Inspection of SSSP Underground Storage Caverns

Pressure Drop Test: The stripping pit is filled with a liquid and the head pressure is
observed for a set period of time to determine if a leak exists.

Safety Instruction Sheet (SIS): SIS contains safe operating limits, protective devices,
and special safety precautions.

Suction Pit: A pit located at the lower end of the cavern where the submersible pumps
take suction.

Stripping Pit: The stripping pit is located below the suction pit and consists of a drum
and submersible pump to remove water that is present in the product.

4 Safety

4.1 All inspection and testing shall be in full compliance with GI-0002.100, "Work
Permit System."

4.2 All inspection and testing shall be in full compliance with GI-0006.102,
"Isolation, Lockout, and Use of Hold Tags."

4.3 All pressure testing shall be in full compliance with GI-0002.102, "Pressure
Testing Safely."

4.4 All blasting and painting operations shall be in compliance with SAES-H-102,
"Safety Requirements for Painting."

5 System Description

5.1 Structural Steel Floor

5.1.1 The Cavern floor is comprised of an in-situ cast concrete slab inlaid with
steel backing strips, to form a grid pattern, upon which, steel plates are
laid to form a smooth solid steel floor. The steel floor plates are joined
together and to the steel backing strips utilizing full penetration butt-
welds.

5.1.2 The transition piece between the cavern floor and walls is a fully welded
curved kicker plate.

5.2 Structural Steel Walls

5.2.1 The cavern walls are constructed of a matrix of hot rolled steel beams
complete with stiffing and anchor bolt/plates. Pre-formed steel plates are
then full penetration but-welded to the matrix of steel beams to form a
smooth solid steel wall.

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Document Responsibility: Inspection Engineering Standards Committee 01-SAIP-06
Issue Date: 18 August 2009
Next Planned Update: TBD Inspection of SSSP Underground Storage Caverns

5.2.2 The void space behind the steel wall plates is then fully backfilled
concrete to form a composite steel/concrete structure.

5.3 Structural Steel/Cavern Tank Roof

5.3.1 The roof is comprised of a matrix of hot rolled steel beams formed in an
arch shape. This matrix includes stiffening and anchor plates/bolts.

5.3.2 The interior of the arch shape is then clad with pre-formed plates joined
together with full penetration butt welds.

5.3.3 The exterior of the arch is backfilled with concrete to form a composite
steel/concrete structure. The interior arch plates are attached to the
cavern wall plates by full penetration butt welds.

6 Equipment Inspection Schedule

Test and Inspection Intervals

6.1 The initial T&I interval, as recommended by the Manufacturer, and allowed by
SAEP-20, shall be two (2) to five (5) years.

6.2 The subsequent T&I interval shall be ten (10) years, or 120 months, based on
anticipated coating life, per SAEP-20 paragraph 5.5.9.

6.3 On stream inspection (OSI) interval for auxiliary piping and equipment shall be
no more than one-forth the remaining life or five (5) years, whichever is less,
and in accordance with SAEP-20, Table II..

7 Inspection Steps

7.1 Coating Inspection

7.1.1 Inspect visually the internal epoxy coating of the shell, floor, and roof for
any defects such as cracks, bubbles, or blisters. Coating repairs are to be
done per SAES-H-100, paragraph 8.3 and inspected by a Saudi Aramco
certified Level II Coatings Inspector. The results of the coating
inspection shall be used to determine further inspection requirements for
the steel lining. This is based on the assumption that the integrity of the
steel lining is unchanged as long as the coating on the product side does
not show any signs of deterioration or failure.

7.1.2 Apply dye penetrant examination (PT) to the area of coating failure, after
the coating has been removed, to determine if there are any reject able
linear defects are present.

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Document Responsibility: Inspection Engineering Standards Committee 01-SAIP-06
Issue Date: 18 August 2009
Next Planned Update: TBD Inspection of SSSP Underground Storage Caverns

7.2 Inspection for Corrosion and Metal Failure

7.2.1 Using a flashlight held close to and parallel to the plate surface, visually
inspect the welds and plate surface of the floor, walls, and roof for
corrosion, signs of leakage, and defects such as buckling and cracks.
Use the appropriate NDT method to further investigate failures and
develop the required repair procedure.

7.2.2 Visually inspect the vertical sleeves, sleeves entrances through the roof,
and structural supports for suction and fill piping. Continue the
inspection inside the pump pit to include the walls, welded cross-joints,
and stripping pit internals.

7.2.3 Special attention is to be paid to coating of the sleeves supporting

structure, as possible vibration could cause damage to welds and create
cracks that will be visible in the coating.

7.2.4 At the vertical sleeves with "bellows" the two (2) bolts mounted
underneath the flanges are to be removed to inspect the internal bellows
space (refer to Drawing 1-S-AD-DS-CT-200-99785 and Work Procedure
5-A-A5-ST-E-0005). Also, a pressure test and vacuum box test should
be applied.

7.2.5 High stress areas such as: roof plate joint welds; welds at junction of
wall plate and floor; monorail attachments to cavern walls; suction pit;
and stripping should be inspected thoroughly for cracking.

7.2.6 An adequate number of ultrasonic thickness measurements, number and

location to be decided by the Inspector, should be taken on the roof and
wall sections to establish a corrosion rate and determine if metal loss has
taken place. An automated permanent magnet crawler could be used for
this purpose.

7.3 Evaluation of Bottom and Suction Pit

7.3.1 After visual inspection is complete, perform thickness measurement of

the total floor using Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) floor scanner with an
electromagnetic coil. This will give an overall view of the floor
condition and identify areas of corrosion.

7.3.2 Areas identified with MFL having thickness less than nominal thickness
according to the SIS sheet, shall be evaluated using Ultrasonic Testing
(UT) method.

7.3.3 Potential corrosion areas not accessible by the floor scanner shall be
measured by UT method. These areas will be selected by the Inspector.

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Document Responsibility: Inspection Engineering Standards Committee 01-SAIP-06
Issue Date: 18 August 2009
Next Planned Update: TBD Inspection of SSSP Underground Storage Caverns

7.4 Stripping Pit

Non destructive methods such PT, MT, and Ultrasonic angle beam inspection
should be performed on the welds attaching the stripping pit to the suction pit,
especially if there are cracks in the coating. Also, a pressure drop test should be
done.

8 Documentation

A permanent and continuous set of records shall be maintained by the proponent

Inspection Unit on each cavern tank. The records shall include but are not limited to the
following:

a. Current Safety Instruction Sheet, Saudi Aramco Form 2694-ENG.

b. Manufacturer's Data Report.

c. Past T&I reports (including corrosion rates, test results, repairs, and coating
information).

d. Corrosion and remaining life of each component of the cavern.

e. Equipment Inspection Schedule (EIS).

Revision Summary
18 August 2009 Revised the "Next Planned Update". Reaffirmed the contents of the document and reissued
with editorial changes.

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