Evacuation technology of natural gas

Improvement of safety and reliability of main gas pipelines, improvement of current building codes. Method. In the course of the research, an analytical justification of the main methods used in the repair of gas pipelines related to the evacuation of natural gas was made. The risk of unauthorized depressurization of the main gas pipelines and the safety of operation of gas-pumping units with the use of the method of determination of risk-oriented approach are determined. Results. Increasing the level of safety and reliability of gas transmission facilities, the latest technologies and new engineering solutions require the improvement of existing building codes. The introduction in Ukraine of natural gas evacuation technologies using mobile compressor stations and mobile gas pumping units, as before, lies in the normative plane, namely in the absence in the normative field of the provisions of regulatory legal acts on labor protection and industrial safety, and building norms and rules which would oblige and allow the implementation of these technologies at the design and construction stage. To solve regulatory problems, it is proposed to amend the provisions of existing regulatory legal acts on labor protection. The proposed technical solutions make it possible to evacuate (accumulate) gas from sections of pipelines (transport and gas production facilities) that are subject to repair and shutdown. testing, carrying out other regulatory activities without venting significant volumes of natural gas into the air; without a long stop of the gas transportation technological process; without making significant changes to the structures of pipeline transport facilities. Also, the proposed technical solutions allow you to: significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized depressurization of gas pipelines due to the opening by criminals of the locking devices of the candle line; significantly reduce gas losses that occur due to leaks in the shutoff valves of candle lines; to increase the reliability of stop valves of candle lines; to simplify the connection of units for pneumatic or hydraulic testing of the main gas pipeline; to carry out the selection of gas for household needs in almost all areas where there are gas pipelines; accumulate gas discharged into the atmosphere during routine maintenance at compressor and gas distribution stations, integrated gas treatment plants, etc. Introduction of domestic technologies for evacuating natural gas using mobile compressor stations, along with the need to amend the provisions of regulatory acts on labor protection, also requires amending the provisions of existing industry building codes and regulations. Scientific novelty. Ensuring the introduction of the latest technologies for the evacuation of natural gas from the section of the main gas pipeline to be repaired (shutdown), ensuring the carrying out of pneumatic tests of the main gas pipelines, preventing unauthorized depressurization of gas pipelines, improving the reliability of the overlapping fittings. Practical meaningfulness. It is proposed to amend the provisions of applicable regulations, building codes and rules that will improve the safety (reliability) of pipeline facilities.