Glossary of Pipeline Pigging Terms
Posted by on August 15, 2020 in Blog.
Did you know that early pipeline pigs were made from materials such as straw, barbed wire and leather? They were originally called “pigs” because of the squealing sound they made
while traveling through the pipelines.
Eventually, the name became an acronym for “Pipeline Inspection Gauge” or “Pipeline Intervention Gauge”.
Pipeline pigs have come a long way since their days of straw and barbed wires. Now pipeline pigs are made of sophisticated materials and possess advanced technology to make pipeline maintenance easy and effective.
And with this evolution comes a wide range of terms to describe what pipeline pigs are available to the oil and gas industry!
What is a Pipeline Pig?
Simply put, a pipeline pig is an independent and self-contained device, tool or vehicle that moves through the interior of a pipeline in order to inspect or clean the pipe.
Pigs can be made out of a variety of materials and perform a wide range of services and inspections.
Pipeline pigs can be divided into two categories: instrumented pigs and utility pigs.
Instrumented pigs contain sensors, electronics and recording functions in order to internally inspect a pipe. These pigs can further be distinguished into configuration pigs and in-line
inspection tools.
Configuration pigs collect data from inside a pipeline while in-line inspection tools (also known as “smart pigs” or “intelligent pigs”) use non-destructive testing techniques to inspect the interior wall of a pipe.
A utility pig performs mechanical functions such as cleaning the pipeline.
For each category of pig, there are many different kinds of pigs that serve different purposes.
Here is a glossary of pipeline pigging terms:
Pipeline Pigging Terms
Batching Pig: A utility pig that forms a moving seal in a pipeline that separates liquid from gas or separates two different products being transported in the pipeline.
Camera Pig: A configuration pig outfitted with a camera and lighting in order to take photographs of the inside surface of a pipe.
Cleaning Pig: A utility pig that is driven by cups made of resilient materials to form a piston-like seal inside the pipe.
Gauging Pig: A utility pug that can be deformed by obstructions in the pipeline in order to gain evidence of these obstructions.
Gel Pig: A utility pig that is made out of a gelled liquid an d used for cleaning.
Geometry Pig: A configuration pig designed to record conditions, such as dents and wrinkles and internal corrosion, of a pipeline by taking measurements of the inside surface of the pipe.
Launcher: A portion of the pipeline used for inserting a pig into a pressurized pipeline.
Mapping Pig: A configuration pig that uses inertia sensing to collect data from the inside the pipe that can then be analyzed to produce an elevation and plan view of the pipeline route.
Sphere Pig: A utility pig that is shaped as a sphere and made out of rubber or urethane used commonly as a batching pig.
Receiver: A pipeline facility for removing pigs from pressurized pipelines.
Trap: A pipeline facility for launching and receiving tools and pigs.
We Know Pipeline Pigs!
In face, it’s our specialty at Apache Pipeline Products!
Feel free to browse our selection of pipeline pigs to choose the right pig for your application, or contact us for more information regarding pipeline pigs and pig-related products.