Some Important Piping Codes and Standards for Saudi Aramco Related Works
Codes and standards both provide the engineering criteria or method through which the piping integrity can be ensured and it simplifies the design consideration to make sure adherence to the standards. Piping codes and standards are the main pillars of any piping industry. As, the integrity of the piping system depends upon the considerations and principles used for designing, construction, inspection, and maintenance of the system. In practice, the assurance that the design and construction of a piping system will meet safety requirements is achieved through the use of published engineering codes and standards.
SAES (Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards) series for design, construction and inspection of piping systems are owned or operated by Saudi Aramco and are implemented strictly without compromise to ensure safety and most highly regarded best practices as covered in SABP. These standards set the rules and basis for selecting the applicable Saudi Aramco engineering standards or materials and documentation. For the most part, SAES supplements in some way ASME B31 ,API and ASTM .
For pipeline and piping standards, Saudi Aramco established the following SAES ;
SAES-A-004 – General requirements for pressure testing of a new and existing pipelines ( ASME B31's, API and other applicable codes.)
SAES-L-100 – Applicable codes and standards for pressure piping system. (ASME B31.1, B31.3, B31.4 and ASME B31.8)
SAES- L-136 Pipe election and Restrictions
SAES-L-450– Construction of On-land and Near Shore Pipeline ( ASME B31.4 and B31.8 transportation piping code)
SAES-L-310 Design of Plant Piping
SAES-L-410 Design of Pipelines
SAES-W-012 Welding requirements for Pipeline
It further goes to adoption of key component of the following ASME B 31 series
Saudi Arabia is the world's largest producer and exporter of oil, and has one quarter of the world's known oil reserves – more than 260 billion barrels
ASME B31.1 Power piping (steam piping etc.)
ASME B31.3 Process piping
ASME B31.4 Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquid Hydrocarbons and Other Liquids
ASME B31.5 Refrigeration piping and heat transfer components
ASME B31.8 Gas transmission and distribution piping systems
ASME B31.9 Building services piping
ASME B31.11 Slurry Transportation Piping Systems (Withdrawn, Superseded by B31.4)
ASME B31.12 Hydrogen Piping and Pipelines
Saudi Aramco also adopts NACE MR0175 for sour service to address metallic surface cracking and exposure to high levels of H2S.
This article does not cover detailed outline and description of the standards; SAES, SAEP, SABP, ISO, ASTM and ASME.
Image Courtesy :ARAMCO facility in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia