Productivity Improvement in Construction of Onshore Oil & Gas Pipeline Tie in Joints Execution

One of the economical ways of transporting crude oil or gas over long distances is through onshore pipelines. Construction of onshore pipelines, involves considerable repetitive activities at various stages of the project. Cost incurred in the construction of pipelines depends on the length of the pipeline, the route and the timely completion of the project. One of the difficult areas in the execution of onshore pipeline construction is “tie in” joints on either side of crossings like roads,railtracksetc. Theaimofthisresearchworkistoimprovetheproductivityofexecutionof“tiein”jointsinonshore oil transporting pipelines so that more number of “tie-in” joints can be executed in a day. Improvements are proposed by suggesting alternatives like advanced tools and equipments or by suggesting alternative work methods to the existing conditions. Suggestion of alternative tools is achieved by using end caps to cover the ends of the pipeline sections, ring type cutting and beveling machines and semi automatic welding for “tie-in” joints. Also, an alternative work sequence has been suggested that has the potential to reduce the operational cost of equipments to a certain extent. The outcome after incorporating these alternatives to the existing as well as the proposed alternative work method is assessed by developing a simulation model. Comparison based on percentage reduction between the alternative work method and the existing work method revealed a 50% reduction in time and 46% reduction in cost.