The American Petroleum Institute issued its first safety and environmental protection standard covering layflat hoses, high-pressure equipment which upstream operators use to transport associated water from production operations.
Compliance with Recommended Practice 15WT will assure operators and users that they are deploying the equipment in a manner that maintains the layflat hose’s integrity while transporting water at consistently high volumes and under high pressures, it said on Dec. 17.
API noted that the new standard includes workplace procedures and protocols aimed at driving safe use of production equipment by calling for users to:
Conduct thorough risk management evaluations before deploying a layflat hose deployment to account for possible environmental impacts.
- Avoid operating layflat hoses underwater.
- Install pressure gauges and alarm systems at water transfer pumps to provide continuous operator feedback and alert personnel of overpressure or abnormal changes in pressure.
- Perform pre-job and hydraulic testing.
- Prepare a response to mitigate environmental and operational risks associated with spills.
RP 15WT also outlines proper actions for storage and transportation, including retrieval and respooling of layflat hoses and actions that need to be taken to protect on-site workers during draining and pigging operations, API indicated.
It said that in addition to RP 15WT, a new product specification for manufacturing layflat hose assemblies will be forthcoming. This specification also will include performance requirements for layflat hose materials and couplings. Together, the recommended practices and specifications will further drive the safety, reliability, and environmental integrity of layflat hoses, API said.
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