Influence of old rectangular repair patches on the burst pressure of a gas pipeline

Seven full scale hydrostatic burst tests were carried out on pipes extracted from an API 5LX52 gas pipeline that contained rectangular and elliptical fillet welded patches and other repairs of different geometries. All breaks took place after widespread yielding. This analysis shows that the patches that generate greater risks are those that: (1) were attached to the pipeline at very low pressure, (2) were placed to repair large defects, (3) are rectangular, long in the direction of the pipe, and narrow, (4) the quality of the weld is doubtful. Based on data reported by In Line Inspection (ILI), of the four conditions mentioned above, only the third can be assessed in order to quantify risks and to schedule replacements.