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INSTALLATION OF HOT TAP CONNECTIONS

INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE

The purpose of hot tapping is to provide a connection to an existing loaded line, where operating conditions so not
permit the line to be taken out of service. The main applications of such a connection are for the provision of new
sales take-off points, tie-over points, and as part of a stopple application.

This section is intended to provide guidance on the safety, job planning, site preparation, installation and testing of
hot tap connections that involve a welded connection of a branch to a mainline pipeline, and reinforced by means of
a full-encirclement saddle, designed and manufactured in accordance with the requirements of WEI SP-51-32
Figure 6A and 6B.

SAFETY

Operational Considerations

The installation of steel pressure containing sleeves and hot tap fittings involve the deposition of weld metal directly
on the carrier pipe. The installation of such fittings requires that welding be undertaken in such a manner that the
possibility of burning through or cracking is eliminated. This may entail a reduction of flow rates (to prevent weld
cracking), or a reduction in pressure (to prevent an unsafe condition in the event of burn-through).

Care must be taken to ensure that the required flow rate restriction or pressure reduction has been effected prior to
the start of the hot tap installation. Flow rate guidelines are presented in section Installation Requirements of this
reference, and pressure reduction requirements are presented in the Section 12 Reference 07 - Safe Working
Pressure.

Orientation and Hazard Identification

Once the hot tap site has been identified, the pipeline shall be located and staked by M&NP’s Operations group.
The Construction group will provide access with support from the Lands group as required. The Construction group
shall also ensure that prior to the commencement of site work, the prime contractor conducts an initial, site-specific
hazard assessment and continues to do so on a daily basis.

All personnel involved in the site work must attend a general orientation that, as a minimum, includes delivery of
both the M&NP and contractor’s safety programs. All personnel working on site shall also be made aware of
planned activities and site hazards on a daily basis.

Excavation

Excavation of the site shall be shall be undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the M&NP Pipeline
Construction Specifications. The site of the excavation shall be away from bends and girth welds.

Prior to mechanically excavating the operating pipeline, its location shall be physically confirmed by hand
excavation, hydrovac or other approved method that will not mechanically damage the pipe. Mechanical excavation
shall not be conducted within 5 meters of the pipeline until it can be seen. During mechanical excavation, both the
top and side(s) of the pipeline shall remain in sight at all times. When mechanically excavating within 5 meters of
an in-service pipeline, a signal person, who must maintain site of the part of the pipe closest to the excavator

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bucket, shall direct the excavator operator. The excavator shall be operated so that the bucket moves away from
the pipe when material is being removed.

Ditches intended for entry by personnel shall conform with proper excavating requirements.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

The ditch shall be 10 meters long and shall have a minimum distance between the ditch wall and the pipe of 1 m.
Steps shall be excavated at either end of the ditch to facilitate entry and egress. The ditch bottom shall be flat and
horizontal with the bottom of the pipe, except that a bell-hole 2.5 m long and 0.6 m below the bottom of the pipe
shall be excavated in the vicinity of the hot tap. If the excavation is in wet or muddy soil, the bell-hole in the vicinity
of the hot tap shall be lined with a level platform so that the top of the platform is 0.6 m below the bottom of the pipe.

Figure 1 shows the required ditch dimensions.

If necessary, a wind/rain/snow shelter shall be erected over the site of the hot tap and shall remain in place if
required until branch welding is complete.

Steps
1m

Steps
1m

10m

Figure 1
Ditch Preparation

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JOB PLANNING

M&NP Responsibilities

The division having responsibilities within M&NP shall consist of:

1. M&NP Design Engineering Group

 Identify the hot tap location, obtain and provide material parameters, including:
o Pipe size,
o Wall Thickness,
o Grade,
o Coating,
o Materials Test Reports, and
o Specifications for the branch connection and reinforcing sleeve

2. M&NP Construction Group

 Identify, qualify and retain the contractor/subcontractor that will perform the work;
 Ensure that regulatory agencies are made aware of the activities to be performed, provide the
required information to them and obtain approvals as required; and,

3. M&NP Operations Group

 Ensure that all work conducted on and in the immediate vicinity of the operating facilities is safe and
does not hamper M&NP’s ability to maintain continuous uninterrupted service.
 Perform locates and stake the locations of pipelines
 Provide required inspection on the work to be performed to ensure it is carried out in accordance with
all federal and provincial regulations, corporate policies and commitments;
 Ensure the work and inspection activities are appropriately documented;
 Ensure that access to the work site is provided.

Site Organization

A Contractor’s Representative and an M&NP Operations Representative shall be appointed prior to the start of
construction. The Contractor’s Representative shall be responsible for ensuring that all equipment and material
required for the job is available and in good working order. The Contractor’s Representative shall also be
responsible for organizing the crew(s) and scheduling the day’s activities with the M&NP Operating Representative
and Gas Control.

As an aid to site planning, suggested lists of equipment and personnel are provided in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1
Typical Minimum Personnel Requirements

Number of Type of Personnel

Personnel
2 Welders
2 Welders Helpers
1 NDT Technician
2 Pipe Fitters
1 Crane or Picker Truck Operator
2 Labourers

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Table 2
Typical Minimum Equipment Requirements

Number of
Type of Equipment
Units
1 Crane or Picker Truck
2 Welding Machines
1 NDT Unit
2 Oxy-acetylene sets
2 Spare acetylene bottles
1 Nitrogen bottle
4 Fire extinguishers
2 Hydraulic jacks
2 10 m length of chain
2 Power grinders
2 Power brushes
1 Pyrometer
1 Electrode hot box

Hot Tap Manual

The Contractor shall prepare a Hot Tap Manual to ensure that the hot tap is performed in strict adherence with this
section, M&NP Operation & Maintenance Specifications Manual, as well as the Contractor’s Specifications. The
purpose of the Hot Tap Manual is to collect all the above specifications and practices into one document. As a
minimum, the Hot Tap Manual shall contain the following documents:
 M&NP Practice “Installation of Hot Tap Connections” (this document);
 Welding Procedure Specification;
 Welding Procedure Qualification Report;
 Contractor’s Relevant Safety Procedures;
 Regulatory Permits (if any);
 Contractor’s Tapping Procedure (in conformance with the Tapping Machine Manufacturer’s
Recommendations);
 Pipeline Technical Data and Maps (location, pipe diameter, pipe grade, pipe wall thickness, operating
pressure, flow rate, coating type, mill test reports); and,
 Key Personnel Contact Information

Scheduling of the hot tap installation shall be coordinated between the Contractor’s Representative and the M&NP
Company Representative along with M&NP’s Gas Control Department.

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SITE PREPARATION

Pipe Preparation

The coating shall be removed to allow for the necessary NDE work to be carried out, and proper fit-up of the fittings.

After removal of the coating, the pipe surface shall be inspected to locate the seam weld. It is not permissible to
weld a branch stub over an ERW seam. It is only permissible to weld a branch stub over a double submerged arc
welded seam if the seam is positioned as indicated in Figure 2.

Hot Tap
Cutter

Longitudinal 1/2 A 1/2 A

Seam
Acceptable Long Seam Location

Unacceptable Long Seam Location

Figure 2
Acceptable Seam Orientation For Tapping Into DSAW Pipelines

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The area on the mainline upon which the welding shall be performed during the installation of the hot tap shall be
ultrasonically examined to determine the wall thickness and the presence of laminations that would preclude hot
tapping in that location. Ultrasonic inspection shall be undertaken in accordance with the requirements of O&MSM
Section 09 Reference 07 - Ultrasonic Measurement Testers – T-MIKE-E. Pipe seam welds shall be radio graphed
in accordance with the requirements of M&NP’s Pipeline Construction Specifications.

Where the pipeline upon which the hot tap weld is to be completed contains laminations, unacceptable pipe seam
defects, or pipe body defects, an alternate location shall be chosen. Non-destructive examination shall be
continued until a sound site has been located for the hot tap.

Determination of Carbon Equivalent

The carbon equivalent of the pipeline being welded shall be determined. Where the pipe can be correlated to a mill
test report by means of pipe location records, the carbon equivalent shall be determined by referring to the
appropriate mill test record. Otherwise, pipe filings shall be obtained for analysis. Carbon equivalence shall be
determined in accordance with the requirements of O&MSM Section 12 Reference 06 - Detection of Carbon
Equivalency.

The approved Welding Procedure shall be referenced to determine whether the carbon equivalent of the pipe is
within the qualified range and to determine whether any flow reduction is necessary during in-service welding, given
the carbon equivalent of the mainline pipe. If the carbon equivalent is outside the range qualified in the approved
hot tap welding procedure, or if the required flow reduction cannot be achieved, then another pipe joint shall be
selected.

Pipe Seam Preparation

After all nondestructive inspection and carbon equivalent testing has been conducted and the candidate pipe
accepted, any weld reinforcement associated with the presence of a double submerged arc pipe seam shall be
ground flush with the base metal throughout the length of the hot tap fitting.

INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

Welding Procedure Qualification and Limitations

Welding procedures to be used for welding on live lines shall be qualified in accordance with the requirements of
CSA Z662.

The cooling rate at which the welding procedure was qualified must be equal to or more severe than the cooling
rate experienced on the pipeline to be welded. In general, this will be the case for any flowing gas condition
provided that the welding procedure was qualified while water was flowing through the qualification pipe. In order to
confirm that this is the case, the heat sink capacity of the pipeline to be welded can be compared against the heat
sink capacity that was recorded during the qualification of the welding procedure.1

Heat Sink Capacity Test Method

The cooling rate experienced during the qualification of a welding procedure must be greater than the cooling rate
of an operating pipeline if that welding procedure is to be used to weld onto that particular pipeline while it is

1
“Development of Simplified Cooling Rate Models For In-Service Gas Pipelines” Pipeline Research Committee International Project 185-914, Cola, M.J., Keifner, J.F., Fischer, R.D., Bubanek,
T.A., Jones, D.J., and Bruce, W.A., July, 1992.

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operating. In order for this to be the case, the average T250-100, as defined in the step-by-step procedure (below)
must be greater for the operating pipeline than in the test pipe that was used to qualify the welding procedure.

The Heat Sink Capacity Test Method is described below.

The equipment necessary to carry out this test is as follows:

 Chalk or soap stone;
 Acetylene Torch (with rosebud tip);
 Digital Contact Thermometer/Temp Sticks;
 Stopwatch

The procedure for determining the heat sink capacity is as follows:

1. Determine the direction of flow for the contents of the pipeline.

2. Using chalk or soapstone, scribe three 50 mm diameter circles approximately 30 cm apart on both sides of
the pipe.
3. Starting with the downstream circle, use the acetylene torch and quickly heat the entire region within the
circle to 300oC using a circular motion. The maximum temperature should not exceed 325 oC.
4. After attaining a temperature of between 300 oC and 325 oC, remove the acetylene torch and apply the
contact thermometer to the center of the circle.
5. While holding the thermometer in contact with the pipe, measure with the stopwatch the time required for
the temperature to fall from 250 oC to 100 oC. This is the T250-100 time for that particular spot.
6. Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 on the next untested upstream circle on the opposite side of the pipe. If the pipe
is still warm, wait until the pipe returns to its normal operating temperature.
7. Once all the measurements are complete, determine the average T250-100 time from all the recorded
readings.

Welder Qualification

Welders shall be qualified in accordance with the requirements of CSA Z662.

Welding Consumables

The use of low hydrogen welding consumables is mandatory for all passes of all welds that are conducted on in-
service pipelines. Once removed from their hermetically sealed packages, all low-hydrogen electrodes must be
held at a temperature of 100 oC to 150 oC until they are used. If any low-hydrogen electrode is removed from its
holding oven for a period of more than four hours, it shall be re-baked at 350 oC to 425 oC.

Welded Installation Requirements

Installation of Reinforcing Ring

When the outside diameter of the branch pipe is equal to or greater than ½ the outside diameter of the mainline
pipe, a reinforcing ring should be welded to the mainline pipe. This will prevent excessive deformation from
occurring in the coupon during the cutting process, and will facilitate the retrieval of the coupon.

The reinforcing ring should be no longer than 50 mm, and shall be made of pipe whose outside diameter is the next
nominal pipe diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the cutter. The reinforcing ring shall be centered on the
pilot guide, and welded in place utilizing the approved in-service welding procedure.

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Preparation of Branch Stub

The branch stub shall be pre-tested in accordance with the requirements of CSA Z662 Clause 8, and then
contoured to fit the mainline pipe utilizing one of the following methods:

 By hand;
 By using templates; or,
 Machine cut on a profiler

Regardless of what method is used to contour the branch stub, measurements must be taken to ensure that the
branch is contoured to fit square and center to the mainline, and once square and center, the branch must be level
on the face. Prior to the squaring of the branch stub, the pipe longitudinal seam shall be radiographed in
accordance with the requirements of M&NP’s Pipeline Construction Specifications, and if it passes the examination,
any weld reinforcement shall then be ground flush with the base metal.

The Branch must be perfectly centered on the mainline, at exactly right-angles to the mainline, and perfectly level
coming off the mainline. The method to be used for lining up the branch is outlined in Figure 3.

After the branch has been fitted to the mainline pipe, spacer tabs shall be welded to the contoured (i.e., “fish-
mouth”) end of the branch and the mainline pipe. Welding is necessary, since the spacer tabs may fall out during
preheating, resulting in misalignment of the branch. The spacer tabs shall all have thicknesses that are equal to the
root opening specified in the approved welding procedure, and shall be placed at the 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00
positions. Once this is complete, the squareness of the branch shall once again be checked in accordance with the
requirements of Figure 3 before the branch can be considered to be ready for welding, in accordance with the
requirements of the Welding Consumables section. If misalignment occurs during preheating, it may be necessary
to secure the branch to the mainline pipe by means of a chain and hydraulic jack once the branch has been
squared.

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#4: Equal Distances

B2
Branch Line-Up Procedure

A1 A2 1. Level on side of Branch Pipe

2. Level on Face of Branch Pipe
3. Branch Pipe Square to Run Pipe
B1
4. Distances to Center Pin A1 and A2 Equal:
B1 and B2 Equal

Top view

#2: Level
#1: Level

C
L
#3: Branch Square
to Mainline

Cross-sectional sideview Projected sideview

Figure 3
Branch Line-Up Procedure

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Welding of Branch

Welding of the branch shall be completed in accordance with the requirements of the approved in-service welding
procedure qualified in accordance with the requirements of the Welding Procedure Qualifications and Limitations
section. If gas flow rate modifications are required to ensure that the heat sink capacity of the mainline is below that
which occurred during the qualification of the approved in-service welding procedure, arrangements should be
made with Gas Control to reduce the flow rate to an acceptable value prior to commencement of welding. Preheat
shall be checked before each arc is struck.

After the branch is in position, four substantial tacks, placed in pairs at opposite sides of the pipe, and separated
from one another by 90o are required to hold the branch in position.

To minimize distortion and possible misalignment, it is important that the welder complete the weld in such a
manner that they are always welding opposite quadrants. The welding sequence shall be in accordance with the
requirements of Figure 4.

During welding, it is critical that the same amount of filler metal is applied in all four positions indicated in Figure 4 at
any given point in time. To further assist in minimizing distortion, it is recommended that an internal clamp should
be placed inside the branch until welding is complete.

Once welding has been competed, the area inside the branch must be clear of all foreign material (slag, sand, etc.)
to prevent damage to the cutter.

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12 O’clock

Hot
Tap
Branch

9 O’clock 3 O’clock

6 O’clock

Figure 4
Hot Tap Branch Installation Welding Sequence

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Installation of Reinforcing Sleeve

The following procedure shall be used when installing reinforcing sleeves:

1. The portion of the pipeline on which the split sleeve is to be installed, including the branch weld area shall be
coated with an approved coating system. The area of the branch where the sleeve-to-branch weld will be
completed should be cleaned, but not coated.

2. The open neck section of the sleeve shall be installed first, and then the back of the sleeve shall be installed.
The two halves shall be brought together as tightly as possible using chains and hydraulic jacks. The gap
between the two halves of the sleeves shall be adjusted so that it is even along its length on each side of the
sleeve. Also, the gap between the outlet of the sleeve and the branch shall be evenly spaced around the
circumference of the branch.

3. The two halves of the sleeve shall be welded together using an approved welding procedure. Welding of the
two halves shall be accomplished with either a backing bar or by means of lap bars to prevent the root bead
from damaging the pipe. To minimize distortion, each welding pass shall be deposited in accordance with the
sequence shown in Figure 5.

4. The outlet of the split sleeve shall be fillet welded to the branch pipe once the longitudinal welds have been
cooled.

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Spli
Sleev
Mainline Pipe

Sequence 2 Sequence 2

Sequence 4 Sequence 4

Sequence 5 Sequence 5
Branc
Pip

Sequence 3 Sequence 3

Sequence 1 Sequence 1

Plan View
Progression of Welding Passes
Welding shall be completed by depositing one pass at a time, starting at t
location, and then progressing to the “Sequence 2”, “Sequence 3”, “Sequence 4” and
“Sequence 5” locations before beginning the next pass.
pass.

Figure 5
Sequence for Welding Longitudinal Seams of Split Sleeve Reinforcing Tee

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Nondestructive Testing Requirements

Qualification of NDT Technicians

Nondestructive inspection of welds shall be performed by personnel who:

a) Are qualified to at least Level II of CGSB Standard CAN/CGSB-48.9712 in the applicable inspection
method; and,
b) Have demonstrated their ability to interpret indications correctly in accordance with the guidelines of
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers “Recommended Practice for Qualification of Technicians
for Nondestructive Examination of Pipeline Full Encirclement Fitting Fillet Welds to Identify Cracks”.

Preliminary MPI Inspection

Nondestructive testing of the branch-to-carrier pipe weld and the sleeve outlet-to-branch pipe weld shall not
commence until a period of 48 hours has elapsed since the completion of the weld. Once this period of time has
elapsed, the entire circumference of the weld shall be inspected using magnetic particle inspection, using wet
fluorescent techniques in accordance with the requirements of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section V,
Article 7.

Ultrasonic Inspection

Ultrasonic inspection shall be conducted on the entire circumference of the branch-to-mainline weld in accordance
with the requirements of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section V Article 5.

The weld shall be inspected from both the branch and mainline sides, utilizing a minimum of two shear wave
probes, having angles of 45 and 70 degrees, and having probe frequencies of 2 MHz.

PRESSURE TESTING

Once nondestructive inspection has been completed in accordance with the requirements of the Nondestructive
Testing Requirements section, and prior to starting the hot tap, the tapping machine, fittings, and hot tap valve shall
be leak tested using nitrogen. The leak test shall be conducted with the boring bar extended and the pilot touching
the pipe.

During the leak test, nitrogen shall be injected through the purge valve on the tapping machine, which pressurizes
the branch fitting, hot tap valve, and tapping machine adaptor. Unless a detailed engineering assessment indicates
otherwise, the test pressure shall not exceed 60 percent of the operating pressure in the line at the moment of test.
After pressurizing, all mechanical and welded joints shall be tested for soundness by means of a soap test. The
tapping may not proceed unless the assembly is leak-free.

TAPPING PROCEDURE

Hot tapping shall be undertaken in accordance with the Contractor’s approved procedure, and in accordance with
the hot tap equipment manufacturer’s recommended practice. Prior to undertaking the tapping procedure, the
tapping equipment shall be checked to ensure that it is in good working order.

Consideration shall be given to completing the tapping operation while the branch area is pressurized with nitrogen
to a pressure equal to the current operating pressure of the pipeline. This will reduce or eliminate any pressure
differential across the pipeline wall while the cutting operation is being conducted.

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