SSM Su 5003 B

Integrity Critical
SSM-SU-5003-B
Welding and Inspection Requirements for Subsea Pipelines
and Risers
Operating Environment: Pipelines, Subsea
This document is the confidential property of Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and its affiliates. When made available to
any contractor providing services to Chevron U.S.A. Inc. or its affiliates, the contractor’s use of this
document shall be governed by the confidentiality provisions of the applicable contract or bid package.
Without limiting the foregoing, neither the whole nor any part of this document may be disclosed by the
contractor to any third party, other than an affiliate of the contractor that requires this information for
purposes of the contract with the Chevron entity, without the prior written consent of the Chevron entity
that has disclosed this document to the contractor. When requested by Chevron U.S.A. Inc. or its disclosing
affiliate, the contractor must return all copies of this document to the Chevron entity requesting such return
and delete any electronic copies from the contractor’s systems.
Any and all modifications (changes, amendments, etc.) to this document must follow approved
Chevron Engineering Standards governance processes.
Rev. Date Description Author Technology Leader

— 09/07 Initial release as WEM-SU-50.03 R. Shockley S. Mishael
A 11/13 Major revision. Document number changed: J. Lee S. Mishael
formerly SSM-SU-50.03.
B 12/16 General revision. Document number changed to J. Lee K. Baker
5003.
December 2016 © 2007-2016 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. All rights reserved. Confidential – Restricted Access 1 of 84
Integrity Critical
Welding and Inspection Requirements for Subsea Pipelines and Risers SSM-SU-5003-B
Summary of Changes
Revised technical content may be marked with change bars in the right margin as directed by Author.
The Author denotes the following technical changes to this revision as detailed below:
Author notations regarding this revision
Added requirements throughout specification for projects which plan to use acid stimulation.
Added requirements throughout specification for projects which plan to use reeling installation method.
Added references to new CES specification for ECA and inspection acceptance criteria SSM-SU-6152.
5.0 Added Section 5.0 ‘Supplemental Pipeline Design Requirements for Sour Service’.
6.0 Added baseline weld flaw UT acceptance criteria.
20.0 Updated requirements for maximum interpass temperature.
App. B Added baseline fatigue sensitive weld flaw UT acceptance criteria.
Added Appendix C ‘Qualification Testing Requirements for Reeled Risers and Pipelines in Sour and HCAS
App. C
Service’.
App. D Added Appendix D ‘Requirements for Welding Corrosion Resistant Alloy Clad and Corrosion Resistant
Alloy Lined Pipe’.
App. E Former Appendix C is now Appendix E.
Safety Critical Changes (if applicable) are noted below
N/a
December 2016 © 2007−2016 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. All rights reserved. Confidential – Restricted Access 2 of 84
Integrity Critical
Contents
1.0 Scope............................................................................................................................................... 5
2.0 References ...................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Owner Documents .............................................................................................................. 5
2.2 Industry Codes and Standards ........................................................................................... 6
2.3 Conflict Resolution .............................................................................................................. 7
3.0 Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................ 8
4.0 Quality Control ............................................................................................................................. 10
5.0 Supplemental Pipeline Design Requirements for Sour Service ............................................. 11
6.0 Engineering Critical Assessment ............................................................................................... 11
7.0 Pipeline Materials ......................................................................................................................... 12
8.0 Welding Equipment, Tools, Resources, and Supplies ............................................................. 14
9.0 Welding Processes ...................................................................................................................... 15
10.0 Welding Consumables (Electrodes, Filler Metals, Fluxes, and Shield Gasses) .................... 16
10.1 Production Welding Batch Testing .................................................................................... 18
10.2 Storage and Handling of Consumables ............................................................................ 19
10.3 Shielding Gasses .............................................................................................................. 20
11.0 Welding Procedure Qualifications ............................................................................................. 21
12.0 Mainline Procedure Qualification ............................................................................................... 25
13.0 Repair Welding Qualifications .................................................................................................... 29
13.1 Through Thickness Repair Qualification ........................................................................... 29
13.2 Partial Wall Repair Qualification ....................................................................................... 29
13.3 Cap Repair Qualification ................................................................................................... 29
14.0 Welder and Welding Operator Qualification.............................................................................. 30
15.0 Production Welding Requirements ............................................................................................ 32
16.0 Pipe Material Handling, Shipping, and End Protection ............................................................ 34
17.0 Marking of Welds ......................................................................................................................... 35
18.0 Jointing of Pipe ............................................................................................................................ 36
18.1 Multiple Jointing ................................................................................................................ 36
18.2 Spool Base Jointing .......................................................................................................... 36
19.0 Weld Bevel Preparation and Inspection .................................................................................... 37
20.0 Joint Alignment, Clamps, Clamp Release, and Pipe Movement ............................................. 38
21.0 Preheat, Interpass, and Postheat ............................................................................................... 41
22.0 Back Welding ................................................................................................................................ 41
23.0 Arc Strikes .................................................................................................................................... 42
24.0 Proximity of Weld Joints ............................................................................................................. 42
25.0 Girth Weld Inspection and Testing............................................................................................. 43
Integrity Critical
26.0 Nondestructive Examination Records and Reports ................................................................. 43

27.0 Visual Examination ...................................................................................................................... 44
28.0 Manual Ultrasonic Testing and Automated Ultrasonic Testing .............................................. 45
28.1 Manual Ultrasonic Testing ................................................................................................ 45
28.2 Automated Ultrasonic Testing ........................................................................................... 45
29.0 Radiographic Testing .................................................................................................................. 49
30.0 Magnetic Particle Inspection ...................................................................................................... 52
31.0 Repairs .......................................................................................................................................... 52
32.0 Records ......................................................................................................................................... 53
Appendix A Example of Inspection Matrix ........................................................................................ 55
Appendix B Requirements for Fatigue Sensitive Risers and Pipelines ......................................... 57
Appendix C Qualification Testing Requirements for Reeled Risers and Pipelines in Sour and
HCAS Service ............................................................................................................................... 71
Appendix D Requirements for Welding Corrosion Resistant Alloy Clad and Corrosion Resistant
Alloy Lined Pipe ........................................................................................................................... 79
Appendix E Additional References .................................................................................................... 83
Integrity Critical
1.0 Scope
1. The main body of this specification applies to onshore and offshore welding activities for
subsea pipelines and risers that will not be subjected to fatigue sensitive service.
2. Appendix B of this specification applies to pipelines and steel catenary risers (SCRs) that are
in fatigue sensitive service of up to API 5L X65 grade.
3. This specification includes specific requirements for reeled pipelines and pipelines installed
by conventional S-lay and J-lay practices.
4. Pipe materials to be welded per the main body of this specification are limited to
API 5L grades up to and including X70 and in sizes of 3-inch (76.2-mm) and greater
diameters. This specification does not apply to reeled coil tubing used for subsea pipelines.
5. Appendix C of this specification applies to reeled pipelines and risers in sour or hydrogen
charging acid stimulation (HCAS) service.
6. Appendix D of this specification applies to welding corrosion resistant alloy (CRA) clad pipe
and CRA lined pipe.
2.0 References
1. The latest editions of the following specifications, national or industry codes and standards,
including all parts and amendments current at the date of order placement, shall apply to the
work defined in this specification.
2. Supplier shall comply with all applicable jurisdiction requirements (e.g., U.S. Code of
Federal Regulations for the Gulf of Mexico).
3. In case of any conflict between this specification and the requirements of these codes,
standards, or specifications, the more stringent requirements shall apply.
4. Refer to Appendix E for additional references not cited in the text of this specification.
2.1 Owner Documents

PPL-PU-5312 Requirements for Mechanized Ultrasonic Examination of Pipeline Girth
Welds
QAM-SU-6163 Performance Demonstration Qualification Program for NDE
Contractors Performing Ultrasonic Weld Inspection
SSM-SU-5414 Fatigue Testing of Pipeline and Riser and Tendon Girth Welds Subject
to Cyclic Loading
SSM-SU-6152 Engineering Criticality Assessment (ECA) and Development of
Inspection Acceptance Criteria: Girth Welds for Risers, Tendons, and
Other Fatigue-Sensitive Pipe Sections
Integrity Critical
2.2 Industry Codes and Standards

American Petroleum Institute (API)
Std 2RD Dynamic Risers for Floating Production Systems
Spec 5L Specification for Line Pipe
RP 5LW Recommended Practice for Transportation of Line Pipe on Barges and
Marine Vessels
Std 1104 Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities
Spec Q1 Specification for Quality Management System Requirements for
Manufacturing Organizations for the Petroleum and Natural Gas
Industry
ASME International (ASME)

B31.3 Process Piping
B31.4 Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquids and Slurries
B31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC)
Section II, Materials; Part C, Specifications for Welding Rods,
Electrodes, and Filler Metals
Section II, Materials; Part C, Specifications for Welding Rods,
Electrodes, and Filler Metals, SFA-5.01M/SFA-5.01, Welding
Consumables—Procurement of Filler Materials and Fluxes
Section V, Nondestructive Examination
American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT)

SNT-TC-1A Personnel Qualification and Certification in Nondestructive Testing
American Welding Society (AWS)

A4.3 Standard Methods for Determination of the Diffusible Hydrogen
Content of Martensitic, Bainitic, and Ferritic Steel Weld Metal
Produced by Arc Welding
A5.01/A5.01M Specification for Carbon Steel Electrodes for Shielded Metal Arc
Welding (ISO 14344:2002 MOD)
QC1 Standard for AWS Certification of Welding Inspectors
ASTM International (ASTM)

A370 Standard Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing of
Steel Products
E164 Standard Practice for Contact Ultrasonic Testing of Weldments
Integrity Critical
E317 Standard Practice for Evaluating Performance Characteristics of

Ultrasonic Pulse- Echo Testing Instruments and Systems without the
Use of Electronic Measurement Instruments
E709 Standard Guide for Magnetic Particle Testing
E1316 Standard Terminology for Nondestructive Examinations
E1961 Standard Practice for Mechanized Ultrasonic Testing of Girth Welds
Using Zonal Discrimination with Focused Search Units
G48 Standard Test Methods for Pitting and Crevice Corrosion Resistance of
Stainless Steels and Related Alloys by Use of Ferric Chloride Solution
British Standards Institution (BSI)

BS 7910 Guide to methods for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic
structures
BS 8701 Full ring ovalization test for determining the susceptibility to cracking
of linepipe steels in sour service – Test method
BS EN ISO 9712 Non-destructive testing − Qualification and certification of NDT

personnel
DNV GL Group (DNV)

DNV-OS-F101 Submarine Pipeline Systems
DNV-RP-F108 Fracture Control for Pipeline Installations Methods Introducing Cyclic
Plastic Strain
International Organization for Standardizations (ISO)
3690 Welding and allied processes − Determination of hydrogen content in

arc weld metal 9000 Quality Management Standards – Fundamentals
and vocabulary
9000 Quality management systems — Fundamentals and vocabulary
9712 Non-destructive testing – Qualification and certification of NDT
personnel
National Society of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)

MR0175/ISO 15156 Petroleum and natural gas industries – Materials for use in
H2S-containing environments in oil and gas production
2.3 Conflict Resolution

Supplier shall submit any conflicts among the inquiry documents in writing to Owner for
resolution.
Integrity Critical
3.0 Acronyms
1GR One G Rotated (Welding Position Term)
ASA Aged-Strained-Aged
AUT Automated Ultrasonic Testing
AWMT All Weld Metal Tensile
AYS Actual Yield Strength
BM Base Metal
CE Carbon Equivalent
CRA Corrosion Resistant Alloy
CSWIP Certification Scheme for Welding Inspection Personnel
CT Compact Tension Specimen
CTOD Crack Tip Opening Displacement
CVN Charpy V-Notch
CWI Certified Welding Inspector
DSAW Double Submerged Arc Welded
ECA Engineering Critical Assessment
FBE Fusion Bonded Epoxy
FCAW Flux Cored Arc Welding
FL Fusion Line
FSFL Fatigue Sensitive Flow Line
GMAW Gas Metal Arc Welding
GMAW-P Gas Metal Arc Welding Pulsed
GTAW Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
H&D Hurter-Driffield
HAZ Heat Affected Zone
HCAS Hydrogen Charging Acid Stimulation
HV Vickers Hardness Number
ID Inside Diameter
IIW International Institute of Welding
J-R J Integral Resistance (fracture mechanics term)
Integrity Critical
K1SSC Stress Intensity Value to Prevent Initiation of a Sulfide Stress Corrosion Crack
MDT Minimum Design Temperature
MPI Magnetic Particle Inspection
MT Magnetic Particle Testing
MTR Material Test Report
NDE Nondestructive Examination
OD Outside Diameter
Pcm Critical Metal Parameter
PCN Personnel Certification in Nondestructive Testing
PQR Procedure Qualification Record
PSL Product Specification Level
PT Penetrant Test
PWHT Post-Weld Heat Treatment
pWPS Preliminary Welding Procedure Specification
QA Quality Assurance
QC Quality Control
QUTE Qualification of Ultrasonic Testing Examiners
RMS Root Mean Square
RT Radiographic Testing
SAW Submerged Arc Welding
SCR Steel Catenary Riser
SENB Single-Edge Notched Bend
SENT Single-Edge Notched Tensile
SMAW Shielded Metal Arc Welding
SMTS Specified Minimum Tensile Strength
SMYS Specified Minimum Yield Strength
SSC Sulfide Stress Cracking
TOFD Time of Flight Diffraction
UT Ultrasonic Testing
UTS Ultimate Tensile Strength
Integrity Critical
VT Visual Examination (or Visual Testing)

WCL Weld Centerline
WPQP Welding Procedure Qualification Process
WPS Welding Procedure Specification
YS Yield Strength
4.0 Quality Control

1. Responsibility for quality control (QC) shall rest with Supplier.
2. Owner shall be given the opportunity to monitor, witness, and inspect all welding activities.
3. Owner shall be permitted access by Supplier to all fabrication, construction, and inspection
areas prior to award and at all times work is being performed for Owner.
4. Supplier’s quality assurance (QA) or QC plan shall be submitted with Supplier’s proposal
and shall include the following:
a. The QA or QC plan shall be reviewed and accepted by Owner prior to initiating the work.
b. Supplier’s QA or QC plan shall be tailored after a recognized QC and QA standard such
as API Q1, ISO 9000, or equivalent.
c. The QA or QC plan shall address the following as a minimum:
1) Type of inspections.
2) Organization of the inspection and QC program.
3) Use of third-party inspection.
4) Management organization.
5) Procedures for reporting.
6) Corrective action.
d. Supplier shall have written procedures and production practices that are acceptable to
Owner for defining and implementing proper control of the following welding items, at a
minimum:
1) Personnel organization, responsibilities, and qualification requirements.
2) Handling and storage of welding consumables.
3) Qualified welding procedure specifications (WPSs) including all essential and
non-essential variables.
4) Welding equipment requirements and applications.
5) Welder’s performance and maintenance of qualifications.
6) Preheating of welds.
7) Weld fit-up and alignment.
8) Weld acceptability standard.
Integrity Critical
5. The minimum standard of weld acceptance for radiographic testing (RT), magnetic particle
testing (MT), liquid penetrant testing, and ultrasonic testing (UT) shall be as defined in the
API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’ (Section 9).
6. Automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) examinations may be used provided that the
requirements of PPL-PU-5312 are met. AUT examinations shall be used for sour, hydrogen
charging acid stimulation (HCAS) or fatigue sensitive service.
7. For reeled pipelines, the rules of BSI BS 7910 shall apply as modified per Section 7.0 of this
specification.
8. An inspection matrix identifying hold, witness, monitor, and review points shall be submitted
to Owner for review and acceptance a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the start of welding
procedure qualification.
9. Key inspection witness points shall include subsea assembly fabrication inspections,
touchdown point, firing line inspection points, mobilization/demobilization checks, etc. See
examples in Appendix A.
5.0 Supplemental Pipeline Design Requirements for Sour Service

For pipelines operating in sour service at temperatures over 140°F (60°C), a thermal buckling
analysis shall be performed and the calculated stresses shall be as follows:
1. The Von-Mises stress at the inside diameter (ID) and the outside diameter (OD) shall be less
than 90 percent of the temperature de-rated specified minimum yield strength (SMYS).
2. The longitudinal stress at the ID shall be less than 80 percent of the SMYS.
6.0 Engineering Critical Assessment

1. For pipelines of X52 strength and less, including reeled pipe, no engineering critical
assessment (ECA) shall be required unless specified by Owner, and weld acceptability shall
meet the ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’(Section 9) requirements in API 1104.
2. For non-reeled pipelines of strength greater than X52, including X70 strength level, Supplier
may perform an ECA to arrive at weld acceptability criteria, subject to Owner review and
acceptance. As a minimum, the requirements for the ‘Alternate Acceptance Standard for
Girth Welds’ (Annex A) in API 1104 shall be met.
3. For reeled pipe of strengths greater than X52, an ECA shall be performed according to
SSM-SU-6152.
a. Additional tensile testing (e.g., in the aged and strained condition) may be required for
the ECA.
b. Additional testing requirements shall be determined by Supplier prior to ECA.
4. For pipelines in sour or HCAS service, an ECA shall be performed according to
SSM-SU-6152. The requirements in Table 1 shall be met at a minimum, unless ECA
indicates that more stringent requirements apply.
Integrity Critical
Table 1: ECA Acceptance Criteria

Flaw Location Height (mm) Length (mm)
ID Surface Flaws 0−1.0 25
> 1.0−2.0 13
> 2.0 0
OD Surface Flaws* 0−2.0 25
> 2.0 0
Buried Flaws 0−1.0 25
> 1.0−2.0 13
> 2.0−3.0 7
> 3.0 0
Notes:
1. Regardless of ECA allowances, lack of fusion or lack of penetration shall not be allowed in the
root region.
2. No cracks shall be allowed anywhere.
3. Buried flaws shall be defined as flaws that are more than 3 mm from the nearest free surface,
(i.e., ligament > 3 mm).
4. AUT uncertainty has already been included in the values in this table.
*OD surface flaws are not affected by hydrogen charging.
5. Supplier shall provide the necessary weld coupons for single-edge notched tensile (SENT)
specimens to develop the required J integral resistance (J-R) curves and perform segment
tests to validate the J-R curve methodology.
6. SENT testing and segment test validation shall be required for any change in welding
procedure, pipe manufacturer, pipe grade, pipe OD, or pipe thickness.
7. All ECA-related testing shall be performed by Owner-reviewed and-accepted laboratory
using qualified, skilled personnel.
8. The ECA shall be completed by personnel skilled in performing ECA according to
BSI BS 7910 and shall be performed by an organization reviewed and accepted by Owner.
9. Owner shall review and accept completed ECA prior to implementation for use on
production welds.
7.0 Pipeline Materials

1. Pipe materials shall meet the project-specified Owner specifications and shall be properly
marked with material specification and grade and heat or pipe number (traceable to
manufacturer’s test reports).
2. Supplier shall ensure that traceability is maintained at all times during construction,
including weld procedure qualification.
3. Pipe materials shall be carefully handled to prevent damage to the beveled ends.
4. Protective pipe end caps shall be required unless otherwise specified. If the pipe end will not
be immediately welded after beveling, end caps shall be required.
Integrity Critical
5. Supplier shall check pipe and material quantity and condition upon receipt, and the following
shall apply:
a. All damages that are not noted at the time of receipt by Supplier shall be deemed to have
been accepted by Supplier as undamaged.
b. Damaged pipe shall be defined as that which does not meet the requirements of
API 5L, product specification level (PSL) 2, or project specifications under which the
pipe was originally manufactured, whichever is the most restrictive, with regards to
dents, gouges, straightness, bevel burrs and imperfections, and out-of-roundness.
c. For Owner-supplied pipe, Owner shall reserve the right to charge Supplier with the full
delivered cost of pipe and other Owner-furnished materials rendered unusable by acts of
Supplier.
d. When stock pipe is to be used, Purchaser and Supplier shall jointly determine any
required actions to be taken based on the condition of the pipe.
6. A gouge, groove, or dent shall not be repaired by insert patching or by pounding out.
7. Each gouge, groove, or dent that is removed from a length of pipe shall be removed by
cutting out the damaged portion as a cylinder.
8. Supplier shall use pipe in full joint lengths whenever it is practical.
9. Any gouges, grooves, or dents in the pipeline resulting from Supplier’s operations shall be
removed by Supplier, at no expense to Owner, and to the satisfaction of Owner’s
representative.
10. For coated pipe, Supplier shall determine the minimum and maximum coating cut back
distance from the open ends of the pipe for operations such as installation of orbital welding
equipment, preheating elements, welding grounds, AUT equipment, or field joint coating
equipment.
11. When pipe sorting is to be performed, both ends of pipe shall have the same coating cut back
distance, unless otherwise accepted by Owner, thus doubling the possible weld bevel end
sorting combinations.
12. Supplier shall advise Owner of minimum and maximum cut back distances with bid
submission.
13. For pipelines in sour or HCAS service, the following shall apply:
a. Supplier shall obtain pipe end dimensional survey data and submit an assembly sequence
based on the survey data for acceptance by Owner.
b. Prior to performance of the survey, Supplier shall submit the dimensional measurement
procedure and proposed Sub-Supplier, if any, for acceptance by Owner.
c. Supplier shall develop pipe sorting and Hi-Lo measurements for acceptance by Owner.
1) A minimum of 8 Hi-Lo measurements shall be recorded at each pipe weld end and as
close to the pipe end as possible.
2) Hi-Lo shall meet the fit tolerance of 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) at all weld ends in the
flowline.
Note: A more restrictive Hi-Lo may be required for steel catenary risers (SCRs) and a
more restrictive Hi-Lo may support a lower repair rate for pipelines in sour or
HCAS service.
Integrity Critical
8.0 Welding Equipment, Tools, Resources, and Supplies

1. All equipment proposed for use shall be demonstrated to be adequate for the intended
purpose to the satisfaction of Owner’s inspector.
2. Ground clamps shall be reviewed and accepted by Owner and shall be securely fastened to
the pipe to prevent the possibility of arc burns.
3. Ground clamps shall not be welded to the pipe and shall be as follows:
a. Metal parts of the ground clamp that contact pipe surface shall be made of material
similar to the pipe.
b. Chisel points, file stock, and backhoe teeth shall not be acceptable.
c. Copper or copper alloys shall not be used.
d. All arc burns on pipe, including those created from ground clamps, are considered to be
detrimental and shall be removed by a Owner-reviewed and-accepted procedure.
4. All welding machines, line-up clamps, beveling machines, cutting torches, and other
equipment, tools, and supplies used in connection with the welding work shall be kept in
good mechanical and electrical condition so as to produce sound welds.
5. Welding machines shall have adequate controls for making current and voltage adjustments
for all pipeline welding requirements.
a. Supplier shall provide calibrated equipment to properly measure amps, volts, travel
speed, and interpass temperature.
b. Electronic weld data logging equipment with hard copy printout capability shall be used
during welding procedure qualification and production welding.
6. Sufficient meters, portable or permanent, shall be provided to calibrate welding machine
components and to regulate welding parameters as may be needed.
7. Supplier shall provide sufficient welding equipment technicians for major repair and
maintenance of automatic and manual welding equipment on each shift.
8. A list of welding equipment technicians to be used, including level of training and
qualification, shall be submitted to Owner before start of production welding.
9. Supplier shall provide sufficient spare parts and equipment for automatic welding to
maintain a high level of productivity without significant down time.
a. This shall include adequate equipment redundancy to permit change-out of welding
heads, carriages, track assemblies, power supplies, etc., for bench repairs while
maintaining production with spare equipment.
b. A list of spare parts and equipment that will be available on pipe lay vessel shall be
provided to Owner before start of production.
10. Supplier shall supply the same basic configuration, make and model of welding power
sources, welding bugs, guide tracks, lineup clamp, etc., as used for welding procedure
qualification.
Integrity Critical
9.0 Welding Processes

1. Welding shall be carried out using a process or combination of processes that have been fully
qualified according to the requirements of this specification.
a. For fatigue sensitive service, copper backing shall not permitted and the requirements of
Appendix B shall apply.
b. For welds not in sour or HCAS service, the following welding processes or combination
of processes shall be accepted for use:
1) Manual gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW).
2) Manual shielded metal arc welding (SMAW).
3) Semiautomatic (manual) flux cored arc welding (FCAW).
4) Mechanized GTAW – with or without copper backing.
5) Mechanized gas metal arc welding (GMAW) – with or without copper backing.
6) Mechanized FCAW – with or without copper backing.
7) A combination of mechanized GTAW and GMAW – with or without copper
backing.
8) A combination of mechanized GTAW and FCAW – with or without copper backing.
9) A combination of SMAW and mechanized FCAW – with or without copper backing.
2. For welds in sour or HCAS service, copper backing shall not be permitted and the following
welding processes or combination of processes shall be accepted for use:
a. Automatic GTAW.
b. Automatic single torch GMAW – pulse, spray, or globular mode.
c. A combination of automatic GTAW and single torch GMAW.
d. Submerged arc welding (SAW).
3. For the root pass of welds in sour or HCAS service or fatigue sensitive service, the following
welding processes or combination of processes shall be accepted for use:
a. Automatic GTAW.
b. GMAW – pulse (controlled short arc transfer mode shall be permitted only with specific
review and acceptance by Owner).
c. Manual GTAW – for repairs and tie-in welds only.
4. SAW shall only be permitted in the one G rotated (1GR) position.
5. The following welding processes shall not be permitted:
a. Gasless FCAW (Innershield® type) welding.
b. Short arc mode GMAW process. Proprietary hybrid short arc-spray mode GMAW
processes shall be acceptable for root pass welding on single side welded joints only.
Integrity Critical
6. If Supplier proposes the use of an automatic (machine) pipeline welding process, a complete
description of the process, including examples of previously qualified welding procedures
and pipeline projects completed using the proposed process, shall be submitted for review
and acceptance by Owner prior to the award of the contract.
7. Welding processes or combinations of processes other than those listed in item 1 may be
submitted for Owner review and acceptance. As a minimum, Owner acceptance shall require
that the following conditions are met:
a. Owner shall have knowledge and previous satisfactory experience with the process or
system.
b. Supplier shall have a successful past history using the process or system, supported with
documentary evidence and shall be subject to Owner review.
8. Automatic orbital welding equipment shall be modern, fully programmable, and previously
proven on pipelines of similar size and material grade and shall meet the following
requirements:
a. The equipment shall be portable and suitable for use in the environmental conditions
prevailing at the welding station.
b. The operators of this equipment shall be fully trained, skilled, and experienced in the use
of such equipment.
9. Supplier shall develop and implement a contact tip QC and monitoring program to ensure
there is no copper contamination of the weld due to wire feed restrictions, contacting of the
tip to the bevel sidewall, etc.
a. Welds with copper contamination shall not be repaired.
b. The weld with copper contamination shall be cut out as a cylinder, pipe ends properly
re-beveled, and the joint re-welded.
10.0 Welding Consumables (Electrodes, Filler Metals, Fluxes, and

Shield Gasses)
1. All electrodes for the welding method selected shall conform to AWS/ISO classifications.
2. The welding consumables used shall deposit weld metal that is compatible in chemical
analysis and, as a minimum, equal in mechanical properties to the parent metal.
3. Use of cellulosic-coated electrodes shall be limited to pipe materials having strength level
less than X56 base metal strength and E60XX or E70XX electrode strength levels.
4. The use of E70XX-G type electrodes shall not be permitted.
5. The use of low hydrogen electrodes and filler metal shall be limited to E80XX and ER80S-X
maximum strength levels and includes related AWS classification welding consumables
used for the FCAW, GMAW, GTAW, and SAW welding processes.
6. Welding consumables shall be selected to match the chemical and mechanical properties of
the pipe as follows:
a. For sour service, alloying with nickel (Ni) shall be permitted up to 1.0 percent maximum
without additional testing.
Integrity Critical
b. Welding consumables that produce a weld deposit containing more than 1 percent nickel
shall be acceptable only after successful weld sulfide stress cracking (SSC) qualification
in accordance with NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 and acceptance by the Owner.
c. For non-sour service, additional alloy shall be permitted provided the filler metal meets
AWS/ISO specifications and the following requirements unless otherwise reviewed and
accepted by the Owner:
1) Chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and copper (Cu) each shall not exceed
0.35 percent.
2) Nickel (Ni) shall not exceed 1.5 percent.
3) Vanadium (V) shall not exceed 0.04 percent.
d. For water injection systems, the root and hot pass shall be made using low alloy
consumables containing either of the following:
1) 0.8–1.0 percent Nickel (Ni).
2) 0.4–0.8 percent Copper (Cu) and 0.5–1.0 percent nickel (Ni).
7. For non-reeled pipe, the following shall apply:
a. Production welding procedure as-deposited yield strength (YS) of the welding
consumables shall overmatch base material SMYS by a minimum of 5 ksi (35 MPa).
b. The all weld metal as-deposited tensile strength shall overmatch the minimum specified
pipe base material ultimate tensile strength (UTS), but not by more than the lesser of
30 percent of base metal minimum specified UTS or 100 ksi (690 MPa).
8. For reeled pipe, the following shall apply:
a. Production welding procedure as-deposited YS of welding consumables shall be at least
equal to the actual yield strength (AYS) of the production pipe, but shall not be more
than 14.5 ksi (100 MPa) above the specified maximum YS for the base metal unless
otherwise agreed by Owner.
b. The all weld metal as-deposited tensile strength shall not exceed 100 ksi (690 MPa).
c. The YS, UTS, and percent elongation at failure shall be reported for the
aged-strained-aged (ASA) condition, as defined in Appendix C.
9. Filler materials used for sour or HCAS service welds shall be capable of providing deposited
weld metal with a maximum hardness of 250 Vickers hardness number (HV) 10. For reeled
pipe, maximum hardness of 250 HV10 shall apply to welds in the ASA condition.
10. Consumable manufacturers shall be subject to Owner review and acceptance, and the
following shall apply:
a. Manufacturers shall supply actual chemistry and mechanical property data sheets.
b. Actual chemical analysis shall report concentration of carbon (C), manganese (Mn),
silicon (Si), phosphorus (P,) sulfur (S,) nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu),
micro-alloying elements, diffusible hydrogen (H), and all other intentionally added
elements.
Integrity Critical
11. Brand name and manufacturer source of consumables used for procedure qualification shall
be the same as those used for production welding. Any change or variation shall require
re-qualification of welding procedure.
12. Batch testing of consumables shall meet the following requirements:
a. Batch testing shall be required for all filler metals to be used for production welding as
follows:
1) Supplier shall determine necessary filler metal and flux quantities including
sufficient overage to account for wastage or contamination of welding consumables
during production welding.
2) Sufficient quantities of each successfully-tested batch shall be purchased to
complete the work.
b. Consumable purchasing batch testing shall be required for each heat and lot of filler
metals as described in the following:
1) Batch testing of consumables shall be required as follows:
i. ‘Manufacturer/heat-lot/batch/diameter’ basis for SMAW electrodes.
ii. ‘Manufacturer/heat-lot’ basis for GTAW, GMAW, and FCAW filler.
iii. ‘Manufacturer/wire heat’ and ‘manufacturer/flux batch’ for SAW consumables.
2) For the SAW process, each electrode heat or lot (as defined by
AWS A5.01/A5.01M) with each flux lot shall be tested as a combination.
3) Heat or lot, as applicable, of welding filler metal and flux batch size shall be limited
to the smaller of 100,000 pounds (45,360 kg) or the maximum production quantity in
a 24-hour period. Supplier shall perform the tests and certify the results.
4) Electrode manufacturer or Supplier may perform the tests and certify the results.
5) Certification shall be to the applicable ASME BPVC, Section II, Part C, consumable
specification, or Owner-reviewed and -accepted AWS or ISO equivalent standard.
6) The mechanical and chemical test results shall be reported on the certification.
7) Manufacturer’s certificates shall be supplied for each batch of consumables.
10.1 Production Welding Batch Testing

1. Production welding batch testing shall be defined as the additional testing of consumables
using procedure qualification welds or simulated production welds to determine all weld
material yield, tensile, and fracture toughness properties as required for ECA or specified
minimum properties listed herein.
2. Supplier shall perform production welding batch tests during welding procedure
qualification or by performing simulated production welds and testing.
3. Simulated production weld shall be welded in the same manner and technique as the welding
procedure used to produce the production welding procedure test coupons.
4. Consumable batches, other than those used during welding procedure qualification, shall be
subjected to the same batch testing requirements for the intended welding application
including the following:
a. Chemical analysis.
Integrity Critical
b. All weld metal tensile (AWMT) and YS.

c. Fracture toughness testing (Charpy V-notch [CVN] and crack tip opening displacement
[CTOD] or SENT) as applicable for the work.
d. Vickers hardness tests for the weld metal for sour service applications.
5. The largest AWMT test specimens that can be extracted from the production weld shall be
tested as follows:
a. Standard size round tensile specimens (0.505 inch [13 mm] diameter) shall be used if
possible.
b. Larger tensile specimens shall not be required if joint detail will permit.
c. Sub-size AWMT specimens shall be the largest diameter possible given the weld joint
detail and pipe diameter and shall meet the following requirements:
1) For non-reeled pipelines, one AWMT test shall be required to be performed for each
procedure.
2) For reeled pipelines, two AWMT tests shall be required to be performed for each
procedure.
6. For welding procedures that combine different root and hot pass welding consumables from
the fill and cap consumables, the root and hot pass electrodes AWMT properties shall be
determined by the applicable ASME BPVC, Section II, Part C consumable specification or
Owner-reviewed and -accepted AWS or ISO equivalent standard.
7. The AWMT tests shall report YS, tensile strength, percent elongation, and reduction in area.
8. The AWMT test results shall meet requirements of relevant ASME BPVC, Section II, Part C,
consumable specification or Owner-reviewed and -accepted AWS or ISO equivalent
standard.
10.2 Storage and Handling of Consumables

1. Consumables shall be stored, handled, and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.
2. Supplier shall have adequate facilities available for proper storage and handling of
electrodes.
3. Different grades shall be completely separated.
4. Heated quivers or rod boxes shall be placed at each welding station when low hydrogen
welding electrodes are used.
5. Supplier consumable storage and handling procedures shall be submitted to Owner for
review and acceptance.
6. Supplier consumable storage and handling procedures shall cover receipt, storage,
distribution, handling, and exposure time, as applicable, for all welding materials.
7. Welding materials shall be properly controlled to ensure that consumables are traceable to
manufacturer’s actual test reports.
8. Individual identifications shall be required for each batch of consumables.
Integrity Critical
9. Coated electrodes and SAW flux shall be stored in the original unopened packages or
containers until issued for use.
a. Maximum exposure life and maintenance of covered electrodes shall be per
manufacturer’s recommendation.
b. Electrodes removed from storage shall be disposed of if not used within two hours after
removal from canister.
10. Cellulosic welding electrodes shall be stored in hermetically sealed canisters to minimize
absorption of moisture prior to use.
a. Cellulosic electrodes shall not be placed in heated storage ovens of any kind and shall not
be re-baked.
b. Cellulosic welding electrodes that are damaged or have excessive moisture shall be
discarded.
11. Reconditioning of moisture-contaminated coated electrodes or SAW flux shall not be
permitted.
12. Re-baking of low hydrogen electrodes, flux cored wires, and submerged arc fluxes shall not
be allowed.
13. Consumables that become wet, contaminated, or damaged shall be discarded per an
Owner-reviewed and -accepted waste management plan.
14. If the SAW process is used for 1GR welds, the following shall apply:
a. The moisture content of the flux shall be provided on the actual mechanical property data
sheet and all weld metal diffusible hydrogen analysis shall be determined and provided
for each lot of flux.
b. Re-use of flux that has been melted and solidified shall not be permitted.
c. If recycling of flux is being used, the ratio of new to re-used flux shall be greater than
75 percent.
15. Each tin or packet of electrodes, reel of filler wire, and bag of flux shall be clearly marked
with the respective batch number, heat, and lot.
10.3 Shielding Gasses

1. The requirements of API 1104 section ‘Specifications’ (Section 4) shall be applied as
follows:
a. Gas purity and dew point used during the procedure qualification shall be listed on the
welding procedure qualification.
b. Production welding gas supply shall meet or exceed the purity shown on the procedure
qualification and shall be specified in the WPS.
2. Dew point and gas purity shall meet the following minimum requirements:
a. For carbon dioxide (CO2) shielding gas, oxygen content shall not exceed 15 ppm while
moisture content shall not exceed 19 ppm (approximate dew point of −68°F [−55°C])
unless specified otherwise specified by Owner.
Integrity Critical
b. For argon shielding gas, oxygen content shall not exceed 10 ppm (with approximate dew
point of −77°F [−60°C]).
c. Argon shielding gas shall be of a minimum purity content of 99.995 percent.
d. Final gas composition used in production welding shall not vary more than ±2.5 percent
from nominal shielding gas composition during qualification. Examples of
compositional limits are as follows:
1) Nominal: 75 percent argon, 25 percent CO2.
2) Upper limits: 77.5 percent argon, 22.5 percent CO2.
3) Lower limits: 72.5 percent argon, 27.5 percent CO2.
11.0 Welding Procedure Qualifications

1. Prior to the start of production welding, all welding procedures shall be qualified using actual
production pipe, at the high end of the carbon equivalent (CE) or critical metal parameter
(Pcm) range as follows:
a. CE shall be used when carbon content of the pipe is equal to or greater than 0.12 percent.
b. Pcm shall be used when carbon content of the pipe is less than 0.12 percent.
2. Supplier shall notify Owner of date and location of welding procedure qualification test at
least four weeks before start of any test.
3. At least six weeks before the start of welding procedure qualification, Supplier shall provide
to Owner a welding procedure matrix that includes the following information:
a. Pipe specification, grade, diameter, and wall thickness.
b. Welding process(es) and welding consumables to be used.
c. Weld bevel design and tolerances.
d. Examination (AUT) requirements including calibration block information.
e. Mechanical testing information.
f. Document shall be updated with revision number as matrix is modified as part of
welding procedure qualification development.
Note: A preliminary welding procedure matrix is recommended to be provided during the
project proposal phase for each project.
4. Owner inspector shall witness all welding procedure qualifications and welder qualification
tests.
5. Owner shall review, witness, and accept all nondestructive examination (NDE) and
destructive testing.
6. Mechanical testing shall be carried out by a certified testing facility subject to review and
acceptance of Owner.
7. Qualification tests shall be carried out under conditions simulating production welding, using
the same type of welding equipment and facilities (same make and model welding power
sources, welding bugs, guide tracks, etc.) that will be employed during production welding.
For pipelines in sour or HCAS service, the following shall also apply:
a. Electronic weld data logging equipment with hard copy printout capability shall be used
during welding procedure qualification for each weld performed.
Integrity Critical
b. Automatic welding parameters of oscillation amplitude, frequency and dwell time,

amperage pulse rate, etc., unique to the welding system shall be monitored and recorded
by the electronic weld data logging equipment.
c. Detailed as-run sheets shall be completed on a pass-by-pass and welder basis as each test
weld is being made. These as-run sheets shall be submitted as part of the WPS approval
process.
8. The need for an appropriate level of welding preheat shall be determined during weld
procedure qualification.
a. This shall take into account any weldability results that may be available from the line
pipe manufacturer, as well as the chemical composition of pipes, fittings, and flanges to
be qualified and welded in production.
b. The following shall apply:
1) Preheating shall be accomplished by fuel firing, electric resistance heating, or
electric induction heating.
2) Control and verification of specified thermal cycle(s) shall be accomplished using
temperature indicating crayons, contact pyrometers, or thermocouples.
3) Preheat shall be measured at least 3 inches (75 mm) from the weld bevel.
4) Minimum preheat for welding of fittings and flanges shall be 200°F (93°C).
5) Minimum preheat for welding of X60 or higher strength grades of pipe shall be
200°F (93°C).
9. Procedure qualification test welds shall be allowed to cool for a minimum of 24 hours and
shall be subjected to visual examination (VT) and full RT prior to destructive tests. The
following shall apply:
a. Radiographs shall meet the requirements of API 1104.
b. At Owner’s option, the girth weld may be inspected by AUT in lieu of RT.
c. Mechanized welding, when examined by radiography, shall also be inspected according
to a Owner-reviewed and -accepted ultrasonic procedure−manual or AUT.
10. For pipelines in sour or HCAS service, procedure qualification test welds shall be allowed to
cool for a minimum of 24 hours, then shall be subjected to visual inspection, fully
radiographed, and AUT inspected prior to destructive tests. The following shall apply:
a. The radiographs shall meet the requirements of API 1104, as well as the requirements of
ASME B31.3, Table 341.3.2 for severe cyclic conditions. AUT shall meet the ECA flaw
sizes specified.
b. Visual inspection shall meet the requirements of API 1104 and the following:
1) Weld root reinforcement shall not exceed 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
2) Weld cap reinforcement shall not exceed 3/32 inch (2.5 mm).
3) Weld toe re-entrant angle shall be 165 degrees or greater.
4) At no point shall the weld surface lie below the adjacent base metal surface.
Integrity Critical
c. MT acceptance criteria shall be that no linear indications shall exist on the weld cap
reinforcement, cap toes, or pipe wall for a distance of 1 inch (25 mm) from the toes of
the weld.
11. Supplier shall submit all NDE procedures to Owner for review and acceptance.
12. If inspections indicate the presence of flaws exceeding levels permitted in this specification,
the reason for such flaws shall be investigated and explained to the satisfaction of Owner
before re-welding a test piece to the same (or any other) procedure.
13. In addition to the requirements of API 1104, fillet welds in sour service application shall be
qualified with a hardness survey in accordance with NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 as follows:
a. A minimum of two weld passes shall be used.
b. Maximum hardness shall not exceed 250 HV10.
14. The welding procedure qualification process (WPQP) (i.e., welding of pipe test coupons)
shall begin no later than 60 days prior to start of production welding (90 days if CTOD
fracture toughness testing is required). The following shall apply:
a. Supplier shall provide a detailed schedule listing procedures to be qualified and expected
times to accomplish the following individual tasks:
1) Preliminary WPS generation.
2) Equipment set up.
3) Pipe cutting and weld prepping, fit-up, and welding.
4) NDE.
5) Lab testing.
6) Procedure qualification record (PQR) generation.
7) Expected WPS submittal dates.
b. This schedule shall be kept current by Supplier.
15. Supplier shall submit detailed preliminary welding procedure specifications (pWPS),
including any required weld repair procedures, for Owner review and acceptance prior to
commencing procedure qualification testing, and the following shall apply:
a. All welding consumables shall be defined in the pWPS.
b. A register of proposed and accepted welding procedures shall be maintained current by
Supplier and shall be submitted with each submittal of welding procedures for Owner
review and acceptance.
16. Following review and acceptance of the pWPS, Supplier shall carry out qualification tests
demonstrating that welds having the required mechanical properties (strength, ductility,
toughness, hardness, etc.) can be achieved by the procedure.
17. The PQR testing cycle of the WPQP shall be completed a minimum of 30 days before start of
production welding.
18. Each weld procedure shall be uniquely identified, performed, and documented by Supplier
and witnessed by Owner.
Integrity Critical
19. Qualification of proposed procedure(s) shall comply, at a minimum, with the API 1104
section ‘Qualification of Welding Procedure for Welds Containing Filler Metal Additives’
(Section 5) or ‘Mechanized Welding with Filler Metal Addition’ (Section 12).
20. For welds subject to ECA as permitted by this specification, welding procedures shall be
qualified per the following requirements:
a. API 1104 annex ‘Alternate Acceptance Standard for Girth Welds’ (Annex A) or
BSI BS 7910 (non-reeled) – Qualify per API 1104 annex ‘Alternate Acceptance
Standard for Girth Welds’, and this specification.
b. DNV-RP-F108 (reeled) – Qualify per the API 1104 section ‘Qualification of Welding
Procedure for Welds Containing Filler Metal Additives’ (Section 5) or ‘Mechanized
Welding with Filler Metal Addition’ (Section 12), and this specification.
21. Separate welding procedure qualifications shall be required for each pipe diameter and wall
thickness to be welded.
22. For procedures qualified in accordance with the API 1104 annex ‘Alternate Acceptance
Standard for Girth Welds’ (Annex A), the additional mechanical testing, as required by the
API 1104 annex, shall be accomplished.
23. Detailed WPS shall be provided for each type of joint and nominal size to be joined, and shall
meet the following requirements:
a. Each WPS shall clearly identify all of the essential variables, materials, and
specifications, as well as consumables by trade name and classification, in addition to
normal standard ‘code’ requirements.
b. A key requirement of each WPS shall be to indicate the minimum and maximum number
of passes permitted for particular joint thickness and the welding conditions to be used
for each pass or group of passes.
24. Supplier shall review each WPS and PQR to confirm that Owner requirements have been met
before submittal to Owner.
a. Supplier shall submit the qualified WPS(s) and original documentation supporting
acceptability of each procedure and the PQR(s) for review and acceptance by Owner.
b. The following shall be submitted as a minimum:
1) Welding procedure register.
2) WPS(s).
3) WPS(s) for repairs.
4) PQR(s).
5) All PQR lab test results, base metal and filler metal certifications, NDE results, and
chemical analysis.
6) Arc burn inspection and repair procedure.
7) Weld repair limitations (i.e., depth and length of repair for repairs made aft of
tensioners).
c. Owner shall retain a written record of each welding procedure.
Integrity Critical
12.0 Mainline Procedure Qualification

1. Mainline welding procedure qualifications shall include tie-in welds, multiple jointing
welds, and pipe-to-flange or other forging connector welds.
2. During welding of test welds, Supplier shall monitor and record all essential and
non-essential variables including joint fit-up, weld bevel angles, preheat and interpass
temperatures, etc.
a. For mechanized (automatic) welding, all machine parameters of pulse rate, oscillation
width, frequency, dwell time, etc., shall be reported on the welding procedure
qualification run sheets.
b. All key process information important for making high-quality welds that is used during
procedure qualification shall be documented, including items that are neither essential
variables nor non-essential variables, such as pipe degaussing equipment.
3. Each pipeline wall thickness and diameter shall be qualified or re-qualified if certain changes
are implemented according to API 1104 essential variables and the following supplemental
essential variables:
a. A change from seamless to welded pipe and vice-versa.
b. A change in grade of pipe, diameter, or wall thickness grouping (as identified in the
API 1104 section ‘Qualification of Welders [Section 6.0], sub-section ‘Single
Qualification’ [Section 6.2]) and source of supply or manufacturing route.
c. Any increase in International Institute of Welding (IIW) base metal CE of more than 0.03
or Pcm of more than 0.02 as compared to material used for procedure qualification. For
pipes in sour service and when NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 applies, the CE or Pcm (as
applicable) of pipe used in the welding procedure qualifications shall not be less than the
CE or Pcm of production pipe.
d. Any change in size or trade name of consumable or filler wire.
e. Any change in type of current or polarity.
f. For pipelines not in sour or HCAS service, any change in heat input beyond ± 20 percent
from the range established during weld procedure qualification. The following shall also
apply:
1) For welds subject to ECA as permitted by Section 5.0 of this specification, a high
heat input weld and a low heat input weld shall both be fully qualified for each pipe
size and wall thickness.
2) Permitted range for production welding shall be within the high and low qualified
values.
3) In defining the heat input range, Supplier may elect to use the measured range of
average heat inputs per pass or maximum/minimum values per pass.
4) Supplier shall state their heat input basis on each pWPS and fully qualified WPS.
g. For pipelines in sour or HCAS service, any change in heat input from the range
established during weld procedure qualification.
1) All weld procedures shall be qualified to low and high heat inputs that are no more
than ±15 percent from the anticipated midline heat input for production welding.
Integrity Critical
2) For manual and semiautomatic welding, heat inputs of ±20 percent from the
anticipated midline shall be acceptable.
3) A high heat input weld and a low heat input weld shall both be fully qualified for
each pipe size and wall thickness.
4) The permitted range for production welding shall be within the high and low
qualified values.
5) In defining the heat input range, Supplier may elect to use the measured range of
average heat inputs per pass or maximum/minimum values per pass.
6) Supplier shall state their heat input basis on each pWPS and fully qualified WPS.
h. A change beyond ±20 percent from the nominal shielding gas flow rate qualified and
recorded on the supporting welding procedure qualification.
i. Any decrease in preheat from that recorded during weld procedure qualification.
j. Increase in preheat of greater than 100°F (55°C), subject to maximum interpass
temperature limitations.
k. Any change in the following:
1) Minimum number of weld passes.
2) Weld bevel configuration for procedures that are to be AUT inspected in production
welding.
3) Number of root run welders.
4. Mainline procedures shall simulate a root pass burn through and repair as part of the
qualification process and shall include the following:
a. Burn-through locations shall be properly ground to feather the ends of the repair cavity
for re-welding.
b. Re-welding may be done manually or by automatic processes.
5. All procedure qualification test welds not in sour or HCAS service shall meet the
requirements of Section 11.0, item 9 above. All procedure qualification test welds in sour or
HCAS service shall meet the requirements of Section 11.0, item 10 above.
6. As a minimum, API 1104-required mechanical test specimens shall be removed from the
qualification welds at the specified API 1104 clock positions and shall meet the following
requirements:
a. NDE results shall not be used to locate and remove mechanical test specimens.
b. Hardness testing shall also be performed as part of the welding procedure qualification as
follows:
1) Three trans weld Vickers microhardness surveys shall be performed in accordance
with NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 on all test welds.
2) For welds in sour service, additional hardness tests shall be required. Refer to
Figure 1 for additional hardness testing locations.
3) For 5G welding position, samples shall be taken close to the 12, 3, and 6 o’clock
positions.
Integrity Critical
4) Cross-sections for hardness testing shall be ground and polished (diamond paste
finished) and etched to show the weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ)
micro-structures.
5) Load used in Vickers hardness test shall not exceed 10 kg.
6) Maximum hardness shall not exceed 250 HV10 for sour service and 325 HV10 for
non-sour service.
7) Photomicrographs showing the indent locations shall be submitted with the
welding PQR.
8) Retest shall be allowed only if a single hardness point has a value above the
requirement. For welds in sour service, a single point may exceed 250 HV10, but
shall not exceed 265 HV10.
i. The entire specimen shall be repolished and the full hardness survey shall be
conducted again.
ii. If every point meets the acceptance criteria, the weld shall be accepted.
iii. Only one retest shall be allowed.
Figure 1: Weld Hardness Survey
2 4 5 6
1 8
4 mm
3 7
1 mm
18
17 19
4 mm
1 mm
11 15
10 14
9 16
12 13
1.5 ±0.5 mm
NACE REQUIRED
ADDITIONAL OWNER HARDNESS TEST
Notes:
1. Shaded area represents the weld HAZ.
2. The top line of survey shall be positioned so that the impressions in the HAZ coincide with the final layer or change
in profile of the fusion line associated with the final layer.
3. Impressions in the HAZ shall be entirely within the HAZ and located as close as possible to the fusion line, normally
within 0.25 mm of the fusion line.
4. Additional Owner required hardness test shown are taken every 0.15 in. (4 mm), starting from the surface.
Impressions on the top two lines of the survey (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) are identified as cap hardness.
December 2016 © 20072016 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. All rights reserved. Confidential – Restricted Access 27 of 84
Integrity Critical
7. Charpy impact tests shall be run as part of the welding procedure qualification and shall meet
the following requirements:
a. For 5G weld position, test sets of three specimens from weld metal, fusion line (FL), and
base metal shall be taken from the 12, 3, and 6 o’clock positions as follows:
1) Center of weld.
2) FL.
3) FL+3/32 inch (2 mm) in the parent material.
b. For 1GR, 2G, and 6G weld positions, test sets of three specimens from weld metal, FL,
and FL +3/32 inch (2 mm) shall be taken 120 degrees apart.
c. For material exceeding 3/4-inch (19 mm) thickness, impact tests shall also be taken from
the root region in center of weld, FL, and FL+3/32 inch (2 mm) locations.
d. The CVN impact test temperature shall be +32°F (0°C) or project minimum design
temperature (MDT), whichever is lower.
e. Each set of full-size specimens shall have minimum average impact energy of
37 ft-lbs (50 Joules) with no single value less than 30 ft-lbs (41 Joules).
8. For non-reeled pipelines of X60 and higher strength, one AWMT test shall be required from
each procedure qualification in accordance with ASTM A370 as follows:
a. YS shall exceed pipe SMYS by 5 ksi (34.5 MPa) to a maximum of 30 ksi (206.5 MPa).
b. Maximum tensile strength shall not exceed 1.3 × specified minimum tensile strength
(SMTS) of specified pipe grade, and in no case more than 100 ksi (690 MPa) tensile
strength.
9. For reeled pipelines, two all weld metal tests shall be required from each procedure
qualification in accordance with ASTM 370.
a. One tensile specimen shall be tested in the as-welded condition (no additional aging or
straining) and one specimen shall be tested after age-strain aging is performed.
b. As-deposited YS of weld metal shall be at least equal to the AYS of the production pipe,
but shall not be more than 14.5 ksi (100 MPa) above specified maximum YS for the base
metal unless otherwise agreed by Owner.
c. The all weld metal as-deposited tensile strength shall not exceed 100 ksi (690 MPa).
10. For any pipeline on which an ECA is to be performed, destructive testing in accordance with
DNV-OS-F101, Appendix C E300 shall be performed in addition to any other required
testing.
a. CTOD testing shall be required of weld metal and HAZ.
b. Test temperature shall be +32°F (0°C) or at MDT, whichever is lower.
c. Minimum CTOD shall be 0.015 inch (0.38 mm) or higher as determined by ECA
analysis.
11. For pipelines in sour or HCAS service, environmental fracture toughness shall be measured
using CTOD testing as described in Appendix C.5. For non-reeled pipelines, specimens
shall be tested in the as-welded condition, rather than ASA.
Integrity Critical
13.0 Repair Welding Qualifications

13.1 Through Thickness Repair Qualification
1. Root repairs shall not be allowed for welds in sour and HCAS service.
2. Through thickness repairs shall be qualified by removing the weld deposit of a previously
welded mainline procedure test coupon, then replacing the weld using the mainline
procedure or similar welding technique to repair the weld joint as follows:
a. One half of weld joint shall be removed and replaced at a time.
b. Weld metal removal shall be described in the pWPS and followed by the welder.
3. All NDE and mechanical testing requirements of Section 12.0, including fracture toughness
for ECA, shall be performed and the results found acceptable for determining qualification
status.
13.2 Partial Wall Repair Qualification

1. Partial wall repairs shall require weld metal removal of a minimum of half the wall thickness.
A minimum of 1/8 inch (3 mm) of wall thickness shall remain at the bottom of the excavated
weld joint, and depth of repair shall be documented.
2. A previously welded mainline procedure test coupon shall be used, excavating to desired
depth, then replacing the weld using the mainline procedure or similar welding technique to
repair the weld joint as follows:
a. One half of the weld joint shall be removed and replaced at a time.
b. Weld metal removal shall be described in the pWPS and followed by the welder.
3. All NDE requirements of Section 12.0 and the following mechanical and metallurgical
testing requirements shall apply:
a. One (1) macrosection and one (1) microhardness.
b. One (1) transverse tensile test.
c. CVN tests of weld metal, FL, and HAZ (FL+ 3/32in [+2 mm]).
4. Test results shall meet the requirements of Section 12.0.
5. If an ECA is performed, fracture toughness samples shall be tested and shall meet
requirements of Section 12.0.
6. Welding consumables and processes used for partial wall repair that have not been
previously qualified per Section 12.0 shall require full qualification to Section 12.0 in
addition to partial wall repair qualification testing.
13.3 Cap Repair Qualification

1. Cap repairs are defined as limited-depth excavations of cap weld metal which are replaced
with new weld metal. Cap repairs shall meet the following requirements:
a. Excavation depth shall be limited to 3/16 inch (5 mm).
b. Minimum length of repair shall be 4 inches (100 mm).
Integrity Critical
c. Cap repairs may be completed in a single pass or multiple passes, except for welds in
sour service as follows:
1) Single pass and multiple pass shall be individually qualified.
2) Cap repairs for sour service applications shall be qualified and completed in
production with a multiple pass technique with the last weld pass completed on weld
metal only.
2. A previously welded mainline procedure test coupon shall be used, excavating to desired
depth, then replacing weld using the mainline procedure or similar welding technique to
repair the weld joint.
3. Testing requirements shall be limited to one hardness test only as follows:
a. One microhardness traverse shall be required across the weld and shall be located
0.04 to 0.08 inch (1 to 2 mm) below the pipe surface.
b. Test results shall meet requirements of Section 12.0, item 6b, number 6).
4. Welding consumables and processes used for cap repair that have not been previously
qualified per Section 12.0 shall require full qualification to Section 12.0 in addition to cap
repair qualification testing.
14.0 Welder and Welding Operator Qualification

1. Welder and welding operator testing and qualification shall be in accordance with the
API 1104 section ‘Qualification of Welders’ (Section 6) or ‘Mechanized Welding with Filler
Metal Additions’ (Section 12) for welding operator qualifications.
2. Supplier shall use only skilled workmen for welding as follows:
a. Each welder or welding operator employed by Supplier shall be required to pass a
welding test on material of similar type and thickness as the material required for the
project for the type and methods of welding the welder or welding operator will
complete, including attachment welds.
b. For projects using reeled pipe of X60 and higher grades, project pipe shall be used for
welder and welding operator qualification.
3. Prior to commencement of production welding, each welder or welding operator shall be
qualified by NDE and mechanical testing as required by the API 1104 section ‘Qualification
of Welders’ (Section 6) or ‘Mechanized Welding with Filler Metal Additions’ (Section 12)
for welding operator qualifications.
a. Qualification of welders or welding operators by RT alone pursuant to the requirements
of API 1104 shall not be acceptable.
b. As a minimum, the nick-break and bend tests prescribed in the API 1104 section
‘Qualification of Welders’ (Section 6) shall be tested in addition to RT, UT, or AUT
examination.
4. Testing of prospective welders and welding operators shall be at Supplier’s expense.
5. Supplier shall be responsible for the following:
a. Furnish welding materials and equipment the same as those to be used on the pipeline.
b. Furnish a coupon cutting machine and testing equipment.
Integrity Critical
c. Prepare all test nipples.

d. Supply pipe material for the performance of weld procedure and welder qualification
except when Owner supplies all pipe, including pipe for welding procedure and welder
qualification. In such case, Supplier shall advise Owner of quantity of pipe required a
minimum of 10 days prior to the start of qualification activities.
6. Welder and welding operator shall make a test weld under simulated field conditions or on
pipe lay vessel, as appropriate, as follows:
a. Weld shall be examined and tested by Supplier, and witnessed and accepted by Owner.
b. Repair welder qualifications shall be conducted simulating actual repair techniques.
c. Repair techniques shall include excavation and groove preparations.
7. Welding technique and welding speed (inches/minute [mm/minute]) shall be recorded on the
qualification test report.
a. All welder qualification tests shall be performed using the equipment and accepted WPS
to be used in production welding.
b. Test welds for qualification of welders or welding operators shall be made in the
presence of Owner inspector and shall be visually inspected during welding and upon
completion.
c. Any welder or welding operator may be rejected by Owner inspector based on VT,
regardless of NDE or destructive weld test results.
8. Destructive testing of welder or welding operator qualifications shall be accomplished at an
Owner accepted materials testing laboratory and shall be witnessed by Owner representative.
9. The welder or welding operator shall be disqualified if any of his/her test welds do not meet
standards of acceptability as outlined in the applicable standard for destructive testing,
regardless of the results of any prior RT.
10. If it is the mutual opinion of Owner and Supplier representatives that a welder or welding
operator has failed to pass a test because of unavoidable conditions or conditions beyond
his/her control, that individual may be permitted to immediately repeat the qualification tests
in accordance with the applicable standard with Owner review and acceptance. No other
retests shall be permitted.
11. RT or AUT shall be made of each test weld.
12. When both RT and AUT are specified by other paragraphs of this specification, requirements
of both RT and AUT shall be met.
13. Welder or welding operator shall be disqualified if any of his/her test welds do not meet the
standards of acceptability per API 1104, project specific requirements, and additional tests
required by this specification.
14. A record of qualified welders or welding operators shall be maintained by Supplier and shall
be available for inspection or upon request by Owner as follows:
a. Each welder shall be assigned a unique number to aid in correlation of qualification
records.
Integrity Critical
b. The record shall include welder’s name, date of test, and WPS used.
c. A certified copy of these records shall be furnished to Owner upon completion of the job.
15. Owner may require retesting of, or have removed from the job, any welder or welding
operator who, in the judgment of Owner inspector, is responsible for an excessive number of
defects or who is not performing to an acceptable level of workmanship.
16. No welder shall work on any phase of the pipeline for which he has not been tested and
accepted by Owner.
17. Each welder or welding operator shall be given a unique number that shall be marked in paint
against all welds produced by him. Paint type, quality, and lettering style shall be previously
agreed with Owner.
18. Supplier shall keep a list of qualified personnel up to date and available for inspection.
a. List of qualified personnel shall, as a minimum, include the following:
1) Welder’s name.
2) Unique identification number issued by Supplier.
3) Date of qualification for the procedure.
b. Should a welder leave, his/her number shall not be duplicated.
19. Supplier shall keep a separate list of each qualified welding procedure reviewed and accepted
by Owner.
20. Arc-air gouging and grinding shall be carried out by personnel who have previously satisfied
Owner that they are competent to do so and in accordance with a Owner-accepted procedure
by qualification according to Owner-accepted repair welding procedure for full or partial
penetration repairs.
15.0 Production Welding Requirements

1. Production welding shall be performed to Owner reviewed and accepted welding procedures.
2. Supplier shall provide Owner with a certified copy of all welding procedure qualification
tests prior to commencing production welding.
3. Each welder qualified to work on the project shall have access to a copy of each welding
procedure to be used in the performance of the work.
4. Supplier shall be responsible for keeping current records of welders, welding operators, and
welding qualification tests as follows:
a. Records shall be kept at the worksite and shall be available to Owner inspectors at all
times.
b. Owner shall reserve the right to require additional tests during construction if there is
doubt about the competence of the welders or welding operators.
c. For this purpose, Supplier shall maintain a certified pulling/bending machine on-site or,
as an alternative, the services of an accredited offsite materials testing laboratory shall be
available.
Integrity Critical
5. Immediately prior to alignment with pipeline, each joint of pipe shall be swabbed along its
full length as follows:
a. Swab may be air-driven.
b. Swabbing shall remove all dirt, mill scale, and other foreign substances inside the pipe.
c. Swab shall incorporate a steel disc, minimum 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, with a diameter of
90 percent of nominal pipe ID or 1/8 inch (3 mm) less than nominal pipe ID, whichever
is smaller.
d. In the event that the steel disc will not pass through a joint with the plane of the disc at
right angles to pipe wall, that joint shall not be installed in the pipeline.
e. Each rejected joint of pipe shall be clearly marked as a reject, and shall be removed from
job site.
6. Working clearance shall meet the following requirements:
a. Working clearance shall be such as to afford the welder maximum comfort during
welding.
b. Minimum clear space shall be 16 inch (406 mm) at any point around outside surface of
pipeline and 40 inches (1 m) along length of pipeline centered on the weld joint.
7. Weather protection shall meet the following requirements:
a. Applicable welding procedures reviewed and accepted by Owner shall be strictly
adhered to at all times with regard to welding parameters and environmental conditions.
b. Welding shall not be done when, in the judgment of Owner representative, the quality of
the completed weld could be impaired by prevailing weather conditions.
1) These conditions shall include airborne moisture, dirt particles, and high winds at a
minimum.
2) Weather protection devices shall be used where necessary.
3) Owner representative shall be the sole authority in determining whether conditions
are acceptable to perform production welding.
8. Weld cleaning shall meet the following requirements:
a. Weld spatter shields shall be placed on top of pipe to protect pipe coating from weld
spatter damage.
b. Following completion of each weld pass and before the succeeding pass is initiated, weld
shall be cleaned as follows:
1) Hand chisels, power chisels, grinders, brushes, and slag hammers may be used to
clean the surface of welds completed with the SMAW, FCAW, or SAW processes.
2) Before applying the next bead or between weld passes, all scale, oxides, dirt, slag,
silicate, coatings, and other impurities shall be completely removed from each pass
with the use of a powered steel brush, except the root pass where grinding shall be
acceptable.
3) Power wire brushing shall be used to clean the hot pass immediately after
completion.
4) When mechanized welding is used, succeeding beads shall be cleaned as necessary.
c. Weld shall receive a final cleaning after the cap pass is complete to provide a suitable
surface for NDE and subsequent coating.
Integrity Critical
9. Tack welds shall meet the following requirements:

a. When reviewed and accepted by Owner, tack welds shall be a minimum of 2 inches
(50 mm) long, performed with the same weld procedure as the root run and by a qualified
welder.
b. All tacks shall be welded as per requirements of Owner-accepted weld procedure.
c. Preheat of tack welds shall be the same as Owner-accepted weld procedure for the pipe
or fitting diameter and thickness to be welded.
d. Tack welds incorporated into the final weld shall be ground to a feather edge at each end
to ensure adequate fusion on the root pass.
e. Welding shall commence immediately upon completion of tack welding while
maintaining proper preheat temperature.
10. Backing and chill rings shall meet the following requirements:
a. Use of integral steel backing rings (that become part of the completed weld) shall not be
allowed.
b. Use of chill rings for welding shall be prohibited unless reviewed and accepted by
Owner.
16.0 Pipe Material Handling, Shipping, and End Protection

1. All pipe, equipment, and materials shall be handled at all times in a proper manner to prevent
damage to pipe walls, coating, anodes, beveled ends, valve assemblies, etc.
a. Pipe shall not be dragged.
b. Pipe shall be handled at all times with wide, non-abrasive slings, Teflon-lined or
aluminum end hooks, or other equipment reviewed and accepted by Owner
representative.
c. When lifting pipe with end hooks, a spreader bar shall be used between lifting lines.
d. During handling, pipe shall not be subject to impacts or jars.
2. Coated pipe shall be handled at all times with wide, non-abrasive canvas or leather belts, or
other equipment reviewed and accepted by Owner representative as follows:
a. Tongs, bar pinch bars, chain slings, or rope slings with canvas cover shall not be used
without prior review and acceptance by Owner.
b. Composition belt slings with protruding rivets, pipe hooks, or any other handling
equipment found to be injurious to the coating shall not be permitted.
3. Supplier shall provide adequate and securely covered storage for materials likely to be
affected by weather as follows:
a. Materials shall be handled and stored in a manner to preserve their condition, prevent
loss, and protect against any damage or theft.
b. Materials shall be elevated to prevent contact with the ground or other corrosive surfaces.
c. Materials shall be placed on skids, timbers, or dunnage for this purpose.
d. Pipe, valves, and flanges shall be stored with temporary closures over the ends.
Integrity Critical
4. Pipe shall be stacked in such a manner so as to prevent damage to pipe and coating.
5. Supplier shall submit a proposed stacking arrangement, including stacking heights with
calculations, to Owner for review and acceptance prior to use.
6. During transportation on pipe haul vessels and storage on the pipe lay vessel, stacking of
concrete-coated and fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) or other coated pipe shall conform to the
requirements of API 5LW and shall not exceed the static load as specified for the individual
coating systems.
a. In any event, Supplier shall ensure that stacking methods do not damage pipe or pipe
coatings.
b. Bottom layer shall be supported by bearing strips or wooden wedges spaced along its
length to prevent displacement or rolling.
7. When transporting pipe, valves, or other material, a means for tie-down support shall always
be used.
8. Cradles, padding, or other strapping necessary to protect materials during transportation
(including transport of pipe on cargo barges in heavy sea conditions) shall be designed and
placed in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of shifting loads or other potential
motion.
9. Pipe ends shall be adequately protected during transportation, handling, fabrication, and
installation in accordance with Owner project specifications.
10. End covers, where provided, shall remain in place until pipe is added to string rack or when
fabrication commences.
11. On completion of stage fabrication or end of work day or shift, end covers and desiccant shall
be replaced as necessary.
17.0 Marking of Welds

1. All welds shall be given a unique number in sequence as follows:
a. Sequence shall be recorded on bar charts or field drawings.
b. If the Supplier system uses both bar charts and field drawing for recording the joint
number sequence, then the combination of both may be used.
c. Weld numbering sequence shall be submitted to Owner for review and acceptance.
2. Prior to RT or AUT, Supplier shall paint the weld number on the pipe at the 2 o’clock and
10 o’clock positions adjacent to weld at a point where it shall remain visible after field
coating as follows:
a. Weld numbers shall be used by surveyors to record weld locations and for radiographers
and AUT operators to identify the welds.
b. Weld numbers shall be applied with spray can or brush using water-proof paint of a
contrasting color to the pipe coating.
c. Punch marking or steel stamping shall not be permitted.
Integrity Critical
18.0 Jointing of Pipe

18.1 Multiple Jointing
Multiple joint welding (double, triple, or quad) may be performed manually, by mechanized
welding processes, or by a combination of manual and mechanized processes, providing the
multiple jointing process has been qualified per this specification and has been reviewed and
accepted by Owner.
18.2 Spool Base Jointing

1. During spool base jointing of stalks, as well as joining of stalks during reeling onto pipe lay
vessel, pipe sorting may be necessary to meet this specification.
2. Pipelines of X52 strength and less shall not require sorting, unless specified by Owner.
3. If sorting is required, sorting shall be done by analysis by Supplier to determine the nominal
AYS of each heat and lot of pipe per size and wall thickness as follows:
a. Spreadsheets shall be generated from pipe mill test certificates to sort pipe by AYS.
b. The mean YS and standard deviations (two minimum) shall be determined.
4. Mean and standard deviation information shall be used to confirm the welding procedure to
be used for welding the pipe of equal strength and to other pipe of unequal strength is
overmatching by comparing the AWMT data to the pipe data.
a. This effort usually takes several iterations to arrive at the optimum sort to apply the
qualified welding procedures to the pipe correctly. The object shall be to meet the
DNV-OS-F101 requirements for girth welds exposed to accumulated plastic strain.
b. The following shall apply:
1) Measured 0.5 percent YS of project pipe supply shall not exceed SMYS by more
than 14.5 ksi (100 MPa) as required by DNV OS-F101.
2) The DNV OS-F101 allowable overlap between weld metal AYS and pipe supply
AYS of 2.9 ksi (20 MPa) shall be used.
i. This shall be represented and supplied by a function of the standard deviation
from the pipe supply AYS and AYS of the weld metal to be used for welding the
designated grouping of pipe.
ii. This overlap shall be allowed to account for the typical distribution of material
YSs represented by lot testing.
5. Pipe shall be finally sorted by analysis based on best fit between all-weld-metal tensile tests
of individual filler metal heat and the pipe supply.
6. Physical sorting and racking of pipe shall be done based on analysis and pipe joints shall be
welded together accordingly.
7. If analysis is marginal in meeting weld metal overmatching criteria (i.e., weld metal AYS
matching the actual pipe AYS), Supplier shall advise Owner that additional welding trials
may be required to find heat and lots of acceptable filler metal or additional testing of
proposed heat and lots of existing filler metal may be required.
Note: Supplier is advised that higher strength grades of pipe become difficult to source
acceptable filler metals for reeled pipelines.
Integrity Critical
8. Tie-in welds stalk-to-stalk shall be done using mainline procedure to the extent possible.
9. All tie-in welds that cannot be welded with the mainline procedure shall be separately
qualified, including applying reeling and installation strain to the test welds before
mechanical testing.
19.0 Weld Bevel Preparation and Inspection

1. Weld preparation shall be suitable for the welding process selected.
2. All field bevels on line pipe shall be made with a beveling machine as follows:
a. Hand beveling shall not be permitted.
b. Field bevels shall be cut and finished at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the pipe,
evenly and without rough surfaces.
3. Supplier shall include a re-facing machine as a contingency for repairing any damaged bevels
on board the pipe lay vessel.
a. Should re-beveling be necessary in the field, this operation shall be done by machine tool
cutting or by machine oxygen cutting, manually operated and using a floating head.
b. For machine or automatic welding, only machine tool cutting shall be permitted.
Machine oxygen cutting may be used only for manual or semiautomatic welding
processes.
c. Bevel angle and land shall be as described in the appropriate WPS.
4. Bevel dimensions, including tolerances, for mechanized (automatic) GTAW, FCAW,
GMAW, or SAW procedures shall be reviewed and accepted by Owner prior to procedure
qualifications.
5. When AUT is to be used to accept the welds, the AUT Supplier shall agree to the bevel
tolerances allowed.
6. Manual oxygen cutting shall not be used for beveling ends of pipe for pipe-to-pipe or
pipe-to-forging welding.
7. Owner inspector review and acceptance shall be required for permission to use manual
oxygen cutting equipment.
8. Surfaces to be welded shall be smooth, uniform, and free from laminations, scale, slag,
grease, paint, and other foreign material that may adversely affect weld quality and
mechanical properties.
9. Beveled welding ends and the edges of the pipe shall be cleaned by power tools to a bright
finish prior to line-up.
10. Burrs, small nicks, or irregularities on beveled welding edge shall be removed, subject to
dimensional tolerance limits, with the aid of a rotating grinding disc.
11. For reeled pipelines, any pipelines on which AUT will be used, and any pipelines on which
an ECA will be performed, all beveled welding ends and the surfaces of the pipe shall be
buffed clean by power tools using 60 grit or finer flapper disks.
a. These surfaces shall be cleaned to a bright finish prior to line-up.
Integrity Critical
b. Burrs, small nicks, or irregularities on the beveled welding edge shall be removed,
subject to dimensional tolerance limits, with the aid of files or buffing wheels.
c. Grinding disks shall not be used.
12. Immediately prior to line-up, Supplier shall visually inspect the uncoated pipe ends internally
and externally for nicks, dents, general damage, laminations, or other surface defects.
13. Should laminations or split ends be discovered in the pipe, defective end shall be cut off and
re-beveled, and the new end shall be ultrasonically inspected for laminations for a minimum
of 8 inches (203 mm) from the bevel prior to installation.
14. All foreign materials such as mud, oil, grease, shop paint, etc., except internal or external
coating applied for permanent protection of pipe, shall be removed by Supplier from both
internal and external surfaces to a distance of 8 inch (203 mm) from each side of the proposed
weld.
15. In the event that pipe is multiple jointed in Supplier’s yard, a swabbing operation with a steel
disc shall be performed prior to multiple jointing the pipe as follows:
a. Just prior to installing multiple joints into the pipeline, the entire length of the multiple
joint shall be blown out using compressed air.
b. Compressed air cleaning shall be performed so that the entire joint length is free of loose
particles and debris.
20.0 Joint Alignment, Clamps, Clamp Release, and Pipe Movement

1. Details of alignment clamps shall be submitted to Owner for review and acceptance.
2. Joints shall be aligned with an internal line-up clamp, except for tie-ins or under exceptional
conditions, as reviewed and accepted by Owner. In these situations an external line-up clamp
may be used, with Owner acceptance, with external line-up clamp qualified in welding
procedure qualification program.
3. Copper backup shoes shall not be used for sour, HCAS, or fatigue sensitive service pipelines.
If service is not sour, HCAS, or fatigue sensitive service and a copper backing clamp is to be
used, Supplier shall develop and employ a written inspection program acceptable to Owner
that ensures the backing is smooth, has the correct relief and correct mass for the weld joint
thickness, and that copper backing components are not degraded to the point where weld
quality is affected.
4. Supplier shall demonstrate that acceptable welds can be reproduced joint-to-joint using the
process and backing to be used in production as follows:
a. These welds shall be completed on board the pipe lay vessel employing all welding
stations prior to the start of production welding.
b. The first production welds shall not be used for meeting this demonstration requirement.
c. A minimum of 10 consecutive successfully completed girth welds shall be welded to
confirm repeatability.
d. Welds shall meet NDE RT or AUT requirements using production procedures reviewed
and accepted by Owner.
e. When both RT and AUT are specified by other paragraphs of this specification,
requirements of both RT and AUT shall be met.
Integrity Critical
5. Details of alignment clamps to be used shall be submitted to Owner for review and
acceptance.
a. Use of internal line-up clamps shall be mandatory for pipe sizes 8 inches (203 mm) and
larger, and shall be preferred for all pipe diameters.
b. Internal clamps shall not be removed until root pass has been 100 percent completed.
c. Internal line-up clamps shall be pneumatic and shall be equipped with fiber or rubber
rollers so that internal coating on pipe, if so furnished, will not be scratched or marred in
any way.
d. For pipe sizes of 8 inches (203 mm) and smaller, a no-clamp fitup procedure may be
used.
1) When a no-clamp fitup procedure is permitted, a written procedure shall be required
that includes ID and OD Hi-Lo measurements before root pass welding and OD
Hi-Lo measurements after root pass welding to confirm that the Hi-Lo values have
not changed significantly during the welding of the root pass.
2) This procedure shall require review and acceptance by Owner.
6. For welds on pipe diameters less than 8 inches (203 mm), for tie-in welds, and for welds
joining valves, flanges, or fittings where an internal line-up clamp cannot be used, an
external line-up clamp shall be used and shall remain in place until 50 percent of root pass,
uniformly distributed around circumference, has been completed.
7. Use of internal clamps shall be shown not to induce undue stress into weld joint.
8. Force shall not be used to correct misalignment other than the nominal forces associated with
use of conventional clamps.
9. The maximum misalignment, Hi-Lo, or offset shall be as follows:
a. For reeled pipelines of X60 and greater strength pipe, not more than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
b. For pipelines of X52 and lesser strength pipe, not more than 1/8 inch (3.2 mm).
c. For non-reeled pipelines using X70 and lesser strength pipe on which an ECA is
performed, equal to 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
d. For non-reeled pipelines using X70 and lesser strength pipe on which an ECA is NOT
performed, equal to 1/8 inch (3.2 mm).
e. For sour or HCAS service, 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
f. Abutting ends of each pipe joint accurately aligned to minimize Hi-Lo between surfaces.
g. Alignment of abutting ends to minimize offset between surfaces.
h. If an offset larger than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) for reeled X60 and stronger pipe or 1/8 inch
(3 mm) for non-reeled X52 and weaker pipe is caused by dimensional variations, equally
distributed around circumference of pipe.
10. If a wall thickness offset is encountered that exceeds 3/32 inch (2.4 mm), it shall be made by
tapering the inside wall of the thicker pipe to a maximum 30-degree angle and a minimum
14-degree angle so that misalignment is not greater than 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
a. Supplier shall furnish internal tapering machine and perform the tapering work.
b. At its option, Owner may provide or direct Supplier to provide transition pieces.
Integrity Critical
11. For reeled pipelines, if a wall thickness OD offset is encountered that exceeds
0.100 inch (2.5mm), the thicker wall pipe shall be removed from the flowline. No tapering
shall be done.
12. Each pipe joint element shall be properly aligned to preceding pipe joint prior to being
welded.
a. Correction of misalignment by use of steel hammers shall not be permitted.
b. Longitudinal welded pipe seams shall be located in the top quarter of pipeline.
c. Longitudinal seams in adjacent sections of pipe shall be on opposite sides of the top
center and shall be staggered by not less than 20 degrees.
d. In all bends, the longitudinal seam shall be in a plane at right angles to the bend.
e. Pipe joints shall be rotated to prevent adjacent joints having aligned longitudinal weld
seams.
13. Where the welding procedure requires a root gap for a full penetration weld, spacing tools
shall be used in conjunction with line-up clamps to ensure proper joint spacing.
14. Pipes on both sides of the joint shall not be raised, lowered, or otherwise moved, until both
the root run and the second run (hot pass) have been completed, unless Supplier can
demonstrate to the satisfaction of Owner that the root run alone is adequate to resist
deformation and cracking.
15. Unless otherwise reviewed and accepted by Owner, Supplier shall clean and contour grind
the root weld pass to remove undercutting, rough surfaces, and other defects as follows:
a. A 5/32-inch (4-mm) or 3/16-inch (5-mm) thick grinding wheel shall be used to grind the
root pass when the root pass is welded with the CO2 GMAW process or when using
SMAW (stick) electrodes with a diameter greater than 1/8 inch (3.2 mm).
b. A 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) thick grinding wheel shall be used to grind the root pass when stick
electrodes, 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) diameter or less, are used for welding the root pass.
c. Grinding shall be required for all starts, stops, and convex surfaces when the root pass is
made using the CO2 GMAW process.
d. Burn through areas shall be feathered before repair by welding.
16. After the root pass has been completed, the hot pass shall be applied in the same welding
station as the root pass.
17. In the case of mechanized welding, the hot pass may be applied in another welding station
provided the root pass is at least 3/16 inch (5 mm) in thickness or 25 percent of nominal pipe
wall, whichever is greater.
18. Time delay between completion of the root pass and starting of the hot pass shall be the same
as or less than that qualified during weld procedure qualification.
19. Succeeding beads may be applied in other welding stations as follows:
a. Before applying the next bead, all scale, slag, and coatings shall be completely removed
from each pass with the use of a powered steel brush, except the root pass where grinding
is acceptable.
b. Power wire brushing shall be used to clean the hot pass immediately after completion.
Integrity Critical
20. No two succeeding passes (i.e., hot and filler passes or filler and cap passes) shall start or stop
at the same point in the circumference.
21. End-to-end spacing between starts or stops shall be a minimum of approximately one weld
bead width.
22. In the case of pipe lay vessel manual welding, the vessel shall not be moved until root and hot
passes are complete.
23. Movement of the pipe during root pass welding shall be prohibited except as reviewed and
accepted in advance by Owner.
24. Hammering on pipe shall be prohibited.
21.0 Preheat, Interpass, and Postheat

1. Preheat, postheat, and interpass temperatures specified in the accepted WPS shall be strictly
followed.
2. Preheating and postheating shall be accomplished by fuel firing, electric resistance heating,
or electric induction heating.
3. Control and verification of the specified thermal cycle(s) shall be accomplished using
temperature indicating crayons, contact pyrometers, infrared guns, or thermocouples.
4. Preheat shall be measured at least 3 inches (75 mm) from the weld bevel.
5. The maximum interpass temperature shall be that established during WPQ testing.
a. Maximum interpass temperature qualified shall not exceed 600°F (315°C).
b. Interpass temperature shall be measured at the weld bevel edges near the point at which
the arc will be struck for the next pass, and at a point approximately 90 degrees ahead of
the pass starting point.
6. For fitting-to-pipe and fitting-to-fitting welds, preheat shall be applied from the OD and
verified on the ID.
7. Any requirement for post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) shall be established during weld
qualification tests. In such cases, specific heating and cooling rates, hold temperature, and
hold time requirements shall be included in the WPS (or separate procedure) by Supplier and
be subject to review and acceptance by Owner.
8. Postheat, where applicable, shall be done immediately after welding.
22.0 Back Welding

1. Back welding shall be allowed only when joining fitting-to-fitting or pipe-to-fitting where, in
Owner representative’s opinion, misalignment is encountered and has caused or may cause
rejection of the weld by RT and where, in Owner representative’s opinion, back welding
would result in acceptance by subsequent RT.
2. Prior to using back welding, Supplier shall qualify a back welding procedure as described in
this specification.
3. Back welding shall not be performed at any point located farther than the lesser of two pipe
diameters or 24 inches (610 mm) from an open end of pipe or fitting.
Integrity Critical
4. Back welding shall be prohibited for welds in sour service, HCAS service, or fatigue service.
5. Back welding shall be permitted only upon written acceptance by Owner and when no other
reasonable alternative is feasible.
23.0 Arc Strikes

1. Arcs shall be struck only on fusion faces and not on other areas of pipe.
a. An earth saddle making good electrical contact with the pipe may be used for striking the
electrode where this is necessary for removing slag from the tip or to facilitate the
starting of the arc.
b. Inadvertent arc strikes shall be avoided on any pipe or fittings, and if they occur, may
require that the affected area of pipe or fitting be cut out as a cylinder and replaced at
Supplier’s expense.
2. At the discretion of Owner, arc strikes may be repaired in accordance with an accepted arc
strike repair and inspection procedure as follows:
a. Supplier shall develop and submit a proposed procedure to Owner for review and
acceptance.
b. This procedure shall include the following, at a minimum:
1) Method of removal of arc strike from the body of the pipe (e.g., grinding, sanding,
etc.).
2) Method of inspecting the area to ensure complete removal of the arc strike and any
associated HAZ (e.g., etch with ammonium persulfate or nital).
3) Method of inspection for evidence of any remaining cracks (e.g., MT or penetrant
test [PT]).
4) Method of determining remaining wall thickness of the pipe in arc strike repair area
(e.g., UT).
3. In the event that remaining wall thickness is less than the minimum specified in API 5L, the
affected pipe shall be cut out as a cylinder.
24.0 Proximity of Weld Joints

1. Adjacent circumferential welds shall be separated by a minimum of one pipe diameter or
6 inches (150 mm), whichever is greater.
2. Branches, fittings, and attachments shall be located away from other welds on the pipeline
with the minimum separation of the greater of the following:
a. Diameter of branch or fitting.
b. Six times wall thickness of thickest component.
c. 6 inches (150 mm).
3. Exceptions to weld spacing requirements of item 1 and item 2 above shall be at the sole
discretion of Owner.
Integrity Critical
25.0 Girth Weld Inspection and Testing

1. One hundred percent (100 percent) of production welds shall be nondestructively tested in
accordance with the API 1104 sections ‘Inspection and Testing of Production Welds’
(Section 12.8), ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’ (Section 13.9), and ‘Procedures for NDT’
(Section 11), and any additional requirements of this specification.
2. Production girth welds shall be subjected to 100 percent RT or AUT along the full
circumference. Production girth welds for pipelines and risers in sour or HCAS service shall
be subject to VT, MT, and AUT along the full circumference.
3. Any defects located by Supplier shall be promptly brought to the attention of Owner.
4. Supplier shall perform NDE work necessary to inspect Owner’s pipeline welds by RT or
other Owner-accepted NDE methods in accordance with this specification.
5. Supplier shall provide personnel qualified to operate equipment so that no delays occur and
shall ensure that all RT and other NDE equipment function properly.
6. Any costs or delays by welding personnel due to or caused by Supplier shall be absorbed by
Supplier.
7. Supplier’s inspection personnel shall maintain the same shift schedule as NDE personnel.
8. Supplier shall furnish all materials, test reports, equipment, labor, and supervision, and shall
bear all other expenses, including royalties for equipment or methods used or required to
complete all required NDE.
9. Prior to commencement of production welding qualification, Supplier shall submit all NDE
procedures (VT, RT, MT, PT, and UT, or AUT) to be used to Owner for review and
acceptance.
10. At Owner's option, the girth weld may be inspected by AUT in lieu of RT.
11. Minimum acceptance standard of weld quality for RT, MT, PT, and manual UT shall be as
defined in API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standard for NDT’ (Section 9).
12. AUT acceptance criteria shall be flaw types and sizes determined by ECA per BSI BS 7910,
SSM-SU-6152, and DNV-RP-F108, as applicable.
26.0 Nondestructive Examination Records and Reports

1. Supplier shall furnish a copy of the following documents for all NDE:
a. Written NDE procedures to be used for production welding.
b. Supplier’s employee training practice for the NDE technicians qualification program.
c. Certification of NDE technicians.
d. NDE technician eye tests.
2. Supplier shall maintain production reports thoroughly detailing all NDE performed as
follows:
a. A report, in duplicate, of interpretations and recommendations shall be submitted daily
for Owner representative’s signature, together with any radiographs covered by the
report.
Integrity Critical
b. Owner representative’s signature shall acknowledge receipt of the radiographs only.

c. Welds rejected by NDE shall be noted on the inspection report.
d. Supplier shall indicate on the report the disposition of each rejected weld.
3. Production record shall include the following details for each field joint, as a minimum:
a. Date and job reference.
b. Unique pipe numbers.
c. Weld number.
d. Welders’ identifying marks.
e. Method of NDE used to evaluate the weld.
f. NDE results, including accepted discontinuities and film artifacts, if any.
g. Signature of technician performing NDE.
4. A record shall be maintained of all defective welds stating nature, location, and disposition of
defects.
5. Numbering system for NDE of production welds shall be agreed upon by Owner and
Supplier prior to commencement of production welding.
6. Numbering system used shall be based on the construction weld number and shall provide a
means of identifying weld repair NDE and replacement weld (cut out) NDE.
7. Daily production record shall be available to Owner for inspection at all times.
8. At completion of the job, Supplier shall submit to Owner complete certified NDE records for
all production welds completed on the project.
9. At the completion of the work, all radiographs shall be properly dried, packaged, labeled,
sealed, and submitted to Owner at a Owner-designated location.
a. All radiographs of each weld shall be fastened together.
b. Envelopes containing radiographs of several welds shall list on the front the following
information:
1) Number of welds.
2) Date.
3) Covering report number.
c. Boxes containing a number of envelopes shall list on the outside the same information as
required on the envelopes and shall also list the alignment sheet station numbers for the
section of the line covered by the radiographs stored therein.
27.0 Visual Examination

1. Owner shall have the right to perform VTs at all times.
2. Owner may reject a weld either during welding or after a weld has been completed if the weld
is not carried out in accordance with requirements of this specification.
Integrity Critical
3. Each weld shall be visually examined and shall meet acceptance criteria in the API 1104
sections ‘Qualification of Welders’ (Section 6) and ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’
(Section 13.9) plus the following criteria:
a. Weld cap reinforcement shall be plainly visible and shall not exceed 3/16 inch (5 mm).
b. Weld cap reinforcement shall be reasonably smooth with no large ripples or undulations.
c. No slag or heavy oxides shall be present.
d. For automatic gas metal arc pipeline and flowline welds, maximum cap pass height shall
be 3/32 inch (2.5 mm) or as otherwise specified by Owner.
4. For welds in sour or HCAS reeled service, the VT acceptance criteria shall meet the
following requirements:
a. When measured, weld root reinforcement shall not exceed 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
b. Weld cap reinforcement shall not exceed 3/32 inch (2.5 mm).
c. At no point shall the weld surface lie below the adjacent base metal surface.
d. Hi-Lo fit-up measurements shall be recorded and verified to be within the specified
maximum of 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
28.0 Manual Ultrasonic Testing and Automated Ultrasonic Testing

28.1 Manual Ultrasonic Testing
1. Manual ultrasonic testing (UT) shall be required as follows:
a. Following field cut-back of weld bevels, 8 inches (200 mm) from the pipe end shall be
required.
b. A zone 4 inches (100 mm) wide around planned cut-offs for nozzle, branches, etc., shall
be required.
c. Minimum wall thicknesses after grinding shall be verified.
d. Acceptance shall be in accordance with the relevant pipe material specification.
2. All manual UT examiners shall possess one of the following:
a. Current API qualification of ultrasonic testing examiners (QUTE) certification.
b. Personnel certification in nondestructive testing (PCN), category W ‘critical flaw
sizing’.
c. Current Owner manual UT performance demonstration qualification according to
QAM-SU-6163.
3. Owner shall reserve the right to test proposed UT operators prior to acceptance using
Owner-accepted procedures on a test weld.
28.2 Automated Ultrasonic Testing

1. Supplier shall have demonstrated and documented prior experience in AUT during
production of pipeline girth welds according to the API 1104 annex ‘Alternate Acceptance
Standard for Girth Welds’ (Annex A) with demonstrated accuracy of ±1/32 inch (±0.8 mm)
for defect sizing and location.
Integrity Critical
Note: See PPL-PU-5312 for additional information and requirements.

2. Suppliers without documented production experience shall submit to an equipment and
personnel qualification program with the costs of the qualification program to be borne
by Supplier.
3. Owner shall define requirements of the qualification program and shall be the sole judge of
the acceptability of the qualification results.
4. Minimum system specifications required by Owner shall be defined by the following:
a. ASTM E1961.
b. ASTM E317.
c. ASTM E1316.
d. ASTM E164.
5. UT operators shall be qualified and certified by examination in accordance with the
requirements of Level II (ultrasonic method) of the latest edition of ASNT SNT-TC-1A or
equivalent PCN or certification scheme for welding inspection personnel (CSWIP) Level II
for critical flaw sizing and shall submit their records of certification.
a. In addition to qualifications, AUT operators shall have received a sufficient level of
training in AUT inspection, including practical and theoretical aspects pertinent to the
equipment and configuration to be examined.
b. This training shall be documented.
28.2.1 System and Operator Demonstrations

1. Prior to initiation of work, Owner shall review and accept UT operators and the AUT
inspection system as follows:
a. Operators and systems shall qualify for this pipeline inspection by demonstrating their
ability to detect and characterize typical weld indications and determine their acceptance
according to the API 1104 annex ‘Alternate Acceptance Standard for Girth Welds’
(Annex A) criteria.
b. Characterization shall include the ability to locate the indication within the weld and
determine through wall height to an accuracy of ±1/32 inch (±0.8 mm) or better.
c. Operator qualification shall be performed during weld procedure development and
welder qualification and shall consist of examination of one or more welds with
destructive confirmation that defect location and size is within the accuracy
requirements.
d. Qualification test shall be administered and witnessed by Owner prior to production
welding.
2. Supplier shall provide Owner with the resumes of operators proposed for the production
inspection.
a. Resumes shall list operator qualifications, certifications, and history of experience in
AUT inspection and evaluation of pipeline girth welds to the requirements of the
API 1104 annex ‘Alternate Acceptance Standard for Girth Welds’ (Annex A).
b. Owner may elect to waive operator qualification requirements.
Integrity Critical
c. Minimum experience considered for primary operator shall be at least 2000 girth welds
to the criteria in item 1 above.
28.2.2 Procedure Qualification

1. Ultrasonic inspection shall be performed in accordance with documented detailed procedures
reviewed and accepted by Owner.
2. Procedures shall be prepared and accepted by a Level III in the ultrasonic method.
3. At least 45 days before start of weld procedure development, Supplier shall be provided with
samples of project pipe and welding bevel design to be used.
4. Supplier shall determine shear wave ultrasonic velocities at the smallest and largest
anticipated inspection angles to be used.
5. At least 30 days before start of weld procedure development, Supplier shall provide Owner
with the results of velocity measurements and Supplier recommendation on the number of
calibration standards required.
6. At least 30 days before start of weld procedure development, Supplier shall provide Owner
with the design of the calibration blocks and a written procedure for AUT of production girth
welds and AUT of repair welds, including AUT scanner calibration method and frequency.
7. Owner shall have final acceptance of all procedures and calibration standard designs.
8. For production weld inspection, Supplier shall provide an AUT procedure that allows for full
volumetric examination of a weld in a single pass, from both sides of the weld.
9. The AUT procedure shall perform as follows:
a. Provide for reliable detection and characterization of all relevant indications in pipeline
girth welds.
b. Characterize these indications as to their nature.
c. For those indications that are potential defects, determine the circumferential length and
through-wall heights of potential defects so that acceptance criteria may be applied.
10. Determination of indication acceptability shall include the ability to accurately locate and
size, to within ±1/32 inch (±0.8 mm), all linear and volumetric indications and determine
interaction of potential defects as defined in the figure depicting Criteria for Evaluation of
Imperfection Interaction (A.11) in the annex ‘Alternate Acceptance Standard for Girth
Welds’ (Annex A) of API 1104.
11. Defect location and sizing shall be required to permit use of Owner-defined acceptance
criteria based on the ECA provisions of the API 1104 annex ‘Alternate Acceptance Standard
for Girth Welds’ (Annex A), or BSI BS 7910.
12. Minimum acceptability standards for weld defects by ultrasonic examination shall be in
accordance with the API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’ (Section 13.9).
13. For repair weld inspection, Supplier shall provide an AUT procedure that allows for full
volumetric examination of a weld in a single pass from both sides of the weld.
14. The AUT procedure shall provide for characterization of defects and their location to the
requirements of the API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’ (Section 13.9).
Integrity Critical
15. Test details, including a notation of all defects along with a hard copy recording of the
inspection, shall be submitted to Owner for review and acceptance.
16. Owner shall notify Supplier of acceptance of each procedure and technique validated.
17. Upon acceptance from Owner, the procedure shall become a mandatory requirement and
changes shall only be permitted with further acceptance from Owner.
28.2.3 Weld Inspection Record

1. Weld inspection record shall consist of a complete strip chart type record showing reference
point, direction of scanning, weld number, date and time of inspection, and operator’s name.
Owner shall review and accept record format.
2. Supplier shall submit ultrasonic reports daily to Owner as directed using pre-reviewed and
pre-accepted forms.
3. Supplier shall ensure that all electronic data files and hard copy graphs are further identified
with the following:
a. Project name.
b. Work order number.
c. Date.
d. Operator name.
e. Weld number.
4. Completed hard copy graphs shall be catalogued and packaged by Supplier.
5. Boxes of hard copy graphs shall be numbered sequentially.
6. Back-ups of digital data shall be made immediately after the weld has been scanned, data
analyzed, and weld accepted or rejected, with a minimum of two back-ups of each file on
separate mass storage media.
7. System hard disk shall not be considered as a back-up.
8. Upon completion of the project, all electronic data files shall be archived on CD-ROM and
shall be presented to Owner.
9. Supplier shall supply Microsoft® Windows®-based viewing software for the files and
instructions for its use.
28.2.4 Production Weld Calibration Block and Inspection Scanner

1. Calibration reflectors shall be positioned on every bevel surface with a vertical component,
and when multiple reflectors are used for inspecting a surface, the maximum vertical height
of inspection zones shall not exceed 5/32 inch (4.0 mm) unless reviewed and accepted
by Owner.
2. Calibration reflectors for fill zones shall be 1/8-inch (3.2-mm) flat bottom holes positioned
on the bevel.
3. Calibration reflectors for root and cap areas shall be notches whose maximum through wall
height shall not exceed 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
Integrity Critical
4. Calibration reflectors for detection and characterization of volumetric defects shall be

1/16-inch (1.6-mm) flat bottom holes positioned at the weld centerline (WCL) and with the
flat surface at a 45-degree angle to the centerline.
5. Inspection scanner shall include separate focused, pulse-echo transducers for inspection of
root, cap, and volumetric area of the weld.
6. Inspection scanner shall also include a set of time of flight diffraction (TOFD) probes to
ensure detection of any off-bevel indications.
7. Inspection scanner may include focused pulse-echo and tandem transducers or only tandem
transducers to inspect other areas of the weld. Repair weld calibration block and inspection
scanner shall be as follows:
a. A separate repair weld calibration block and inspection scanner shall be configured for
inspection of repaired mechanized production welds.
b. Repair inspection scanner shall meet the requirements detailed in item 5 above.
c. Repair welding procedure shall limit the angle of the repair gouge or grind as follows:
1) Calibration reflectors for fill zones shall be 1/8-inch (3.2-mm) flat bottom holes
positioned on the bevel.
2) Maximum vertical height of inspection zones shall not exceed 5/32 inch (4.0 mm)
unless reviewed and accepted by Owner.
8. Inspection scanner shall include pulse-echo 60-degree equivalent inspection angle
transducers to inspect the fill area of the repair weld.
a. Selection of appropriate transducers shall be the responsibility of Supplier.
b. Repair scanner shall include TOFD transducers for full volume inspection.
c. During repair inspection, any TOFD indication that is not substantiated by the
pulse-echo transducer responses shall be investigated with manual ultrasonic inspection.
9. With prior review and acceptance by Owner, manual ultrasonic inspection with appropriate
transducers and calibration reflectors may be used in lieu of scanning with a mechanized
repair scanner.
10. Repaired weld shall be first scanned with the production scanner, operated in the manner of
inspection for production welds. This scan shall verify that the original defect has been
removed.
11. Repaired weld shall then be scanned with the repair scanner to ensure that repaired area
meets UT requirements of API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’ (Section 13.9).
29.0 Radiographic Testing

1. Supplier shall provide all equipment, facilities, and personnel, including internal crawler
x-ray inspection services, required for the performance of all NDE as required under this
specification.
2. Supplier shall have equipment and labor available for loading and unloading crawler type
internal x-ray system for daily replacement of batteries and servicing.
3. Supplier’s crawler technicians and radiographers shall be experienced at operating
crawler-type internal x-ray machines.
Integrity Critical
4. X-ray machines shall have the capability of being accurately positioned and actuated
remotely.
5. Crawler-type internal x-ray machines furnished by Supplier shall have at least two (2) fail
safe devices such as the following:
a. Stop trolley.
b. Anti-runaway.
6. Retrieval equipment shall be furnished by Supplier and shall be available at all times at any
work site location or aboard pipe lay vessel.
7. Qualification of radiographers shall be in accordance with the ASNT SNT-TC-1A
supplement for qualification of radiographers.
8. RT procedures shall include film brand and type. Film substitutions shall require Owner
review and acceptance, and the following shall apply:
a. All film used shall be fresh stock.
b. Outdated or expired film emulsions shall not be permitted.
c. With radioactive isotope sources, a fine grain film, acceptable to Owner, shall be used.
9. Prior to commencement of production welding, Supplier shall demonstrate that each RT
procedure will produce images that meet or exceed requirements of the API 1104 section
‘Procedures for NDT’ (Section 11) as follows:
a. Either x-ray machines or radioactive isotopes may be used as sources of radiation.
1) For sour, HCAS, or fatigue sensitive service, x-ray machines shall be used.
2) Gamma radiography shall only be permitted with written Owner acceptance.
b. Source of radiation may be located either inside or outside of the pipe as specified in
API 1104.
10. Unless otherwise specified by Owner, radiographic sensitivity shall be 1 percent or better in
the welded area, which may require longer exposure. This shall conform to the ASME
BPVC, Section V.
11. Supplier shall be responsible for protection and monitoring of all personnel working with or
operating near x-ray or gamma radiation.
a. Protection and monitoring shall comply with all applicable local, state, and federal
regulations.
b. Total tolerance or dosage shall not exceed 0.1 roentgen per week.
c. Where radioactive materials are used, the area affected by radiation shall be surveyed
and the limits of hazards shall be posted.
12. API 1104 penetrameters shall be used in conformance with the API 1104 section ‘Procedures
for NDT’ (Section 11).
13. Thickness of penetrameter shall be in accordance with the requirements for penetrameters in
the paragraphs on radiographic inspection in API 1104 section ‘Procedures for NDT’
(Section 11).
Integrity Critical
14. A standard test radiograph shall be made in accordance with API 1104 to establish limits for
production radiography in situations where the penetrameter cannot be placed inside the pipe
and must be placed on the exposure holder.
15. Before commencing inspection, Supplier shall make three radiographs of a weld using source
side and film side penetrameters with each penetrameter identified as to its location.
Radiographs shall be made of welds of the same diameter group and wall thickness group
and of radiographically similar material to that which will be used during production.
16. Defects noted from the radiographs shall be recorded on the same RT report form to be used
during production inspection.
a. Three copies of this RT report, together with copies of the test radiographs, shall be
submitted to Owner.
b. Owner’s representative shall decide whether the procedure is satisfactory.
17. Film shall be exposed so that the average Hurter-Driffield (H&D) density shall not be less
than 2.5. Therefore, the density through thickest portion of weld metal shall not be less than
1.8 in accordance with API 1104.
18. When requested by Owner, film or other imaging media shall be processed, handled, and
stored so that images are interpretable for at least 3 years after they are produced.
19. Radiographs shall be free from all artifacts caused by bending, dirt, faulty screen, static
marks, light leakage, and handling.
20. At the option of Owner’s representative, any film containing artifacts interfering with
interpretation of the radiograph shall be discarded and the weld shall again be radiographed
at no additional cost to Owner.
21. A densitometer or film comparison strip shall be kept at the site when radiographic
interpretation is being performed and made available upon request of Owner.
22. All interpretations of radiographs shall be made in accordance with appropriate paragraphs
under the API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’ (Section 9).
23. Owner’s representative shall have the option of examining radiographs immediately
following their development.
24. In any case, no weld shall be coated or pipe lowered until radiographs are reviewed and
accepted by Owner’s representative.
25. Supplier shall use a high intensity viewer to inspect radiographs.
26. Films shall be clearly identified by lead numbers, letters, and markers so that location of the
weld and any discontinuity in the weld may be accurately located and evaluated.
27. Supplier shall consecutively number all radiographic films taken to correspond with the field
joint welds.
28. Supplier shall keep a logbook to record by station numbers the following information:
a. Number of girth welds made.
b. Number of girth welds nondestructively tested.
c. Disposition of rejected welds.
Integrity Critical
29. Supplier shall mark a set of Owner drawings to show all film numbers and corresponding
welds on the drawing.
30. The set of Owner’s marked-up drawings and film numbers shall be made a part of the
radiographic film logbook.
31. Radiographic film logbook shall be furnished by Supplier and shall be hardback bound,
8-1/2 × 11 inches (216 mm × 280 mm) in size, and of sufficient capacity to include all
required data in one volume.
32. Upon completion of the job, Supplier shall present radiographic film logbook along with the
film negatives to Owner.
33. Minimum acceptability standards for penetration, fusion, burned through areas, slag
inclusion, gas pockets, discontinuities, and undercutting shall be in accordance with the
API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’ (Section 9), and ASME B31.4 and
ASME B31.8 as applicable.
30.0 Magnetic Particle Inspection

1. Supplier shall supply a magnetic particle inspection (MPI) procedure for review and
acceptance by Owner.
2. ASME BPVC, Section V, Article 7 T-743 production technique shall not be allowed.
3. MPI shall be required on the following activities:
a. Re-beveling due to pipe damage or cut outs.
b. After arc gouging and grinding of weld repair excavations and prior to repair welding.
c. On completion of weld repairs.
d. On removal of arc strikes.
4. When MPI is applied on parent pipe (e.g., following re-beveling) no linear defect or
lamination shall be permitted.
5. MPI acceptance criteria shall conform to API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’
(Section 9) unless otherwise specified by Owner.
6. Any relevant indication revealed by MPI shall be investigated and removed by grinding or
re-cutting as necessary.
7. MT operators shall be qualified in accordance with ASNT SNT-TC-1A or reviewed and
accepted Owner equivalent.
8. Owner shall reserve the right to test proposed MPI procedure prior to acceptance of the
procedure.
31.0 Repairs
1. When welds fail to comply wholly or in part with the requirements of this specification, all
defects shall be removed by arc gouging, grinding, or machining.
a. As an option, Supplier may elect to cut out the entire weld.
Integrity Critical
b. Entire removal of a weld shall entail cutting out a section of pipe as a cylinder containing
the weld or, at a minimum, cutting through the existing weld and machining back on both
sides of the weld at least 1/4 inch (6 mm) from the toe of the weld cap.
2. Repair and removal of defects shall be done in accordance with the API 1104 section ‘Repair
and Removal of Defects’ (Section 13.10) and any additional requirements of this
specification.
3. No weld shall be repaired without the prior review and acceptance of Owner.
4. Weld repairs shall only be performed in accordance with the appropriate qualified repair
weld procedure, and the following shall apply:
a. Only a single repair shall be attempted on any weld defect.
b. Supplier may qualify and submit re-repair procedures for Owner’s review and
acceptance.
c. If Supplier’s re-repair procedure qualification is accepted by Owner, use of the
procedure shall be at the discretion of Owner’s representative.
5. Repairs of cracks shall not be permitted.
6. If a crack is present in any weld, the entire weld shall be removed.
7. When machining, gouging, or grinding is necessary to remove a subsurface defect, care shall
be taken that the entire defect be removed to clean metal before repair welding is started.
a. Sides and ends of the repair groove shall be properly sloped to permit a sound weld repair
to be made.
b. MPI of the excavation shall be performed to ensure that the defect has been completely
removed prior to repair welding.
8. Minimum physical length of any repair weld shall be 2 inches (50 mm) plus adequate run in
and run out transition lengths that are dependent on the depth of the repair cavity.
9. Weld repairs aft of the pipe tensioners or in the curved portion of the pipelay ramp shall only
be accomplished after Supplier performs an engineering analysis to determine how much
weld metal may be safely removed before the weld metal is subject to cracking or failure.
a. This analysis shall be submitted to Owner for review.
b. If Owner accepts this repair procedure, after review of the analysis, such acceptance shall
not relieve Supplier of the responsibility for the weld.
10. Repaired welds shall be subjected to the same NDE requirements and acceptance criteria as
the original weld.
32.0 Records
Supplier shall maintain comprehensive records for all welding and inspection activities that shall
include the following at a minimum:
1. Welding PQRs.
2. Welder qualification certificates.
Integrity Critical
3. Pipe and weld numbers and location within pipeline or piping system.
4. Details of all weld repairs.
5. PWHT records.
6. NDE inspection records.
7. Nondestructive personnel qualification certificates.
Integrity Critical
Appendix A Example of Inspection Matrix

Table 2 is an example of an inspection matrix. This matrix is an example only and is very basic. Each
project will have detailed QA, QC, and inspection and test plan details applicable to the specific project.
Table 2: Inspection Matrix Example

Levels of Criticality
No. Activities Comments
A1 A2 A3
1 Specification and Standards X
2 Drawings X
3 WPS
a. Qualification Testing W X Per API 1104 requirements and this
specification.
b. Review and Acceptance by Owner V
c. Records X
4 Welder/Welding Operator Qualification Testing
a. Qualified Welder Identification V
b. Qualification Records X
c. Qualification Monitoring and V
Maintenance
5 NDE Procedures V Verify acceptance
6 NDE Personnel Qualification Record X ASNT Level II
7 Supplier’s Welding Inspector Qualification X AWS certified welding inspector (CWI)
per AWS QC1
8 Welding Equipment V Verify suitability and performance
9 Weld Material V Verify type, grade, storage, and handling
10 Preparation and Fit Up V Check cleaning, weld bevel, and
alignment
11 Production Welding
a. Preheat V
b. Essential Variables V Verify compliance with WPS
c. Non-Essential Variables V
d. Heat Input V
e. Weld Profile and Size V
f. Welder’s Identification V
12 Visual Examination of Welds X
13 NDE of Welds
a. Procedures V Verify use of accepted procedures
b. AUT O X X Observe sample
c. MT O X X Observe sample
Integrity Critical
No. Activities Comments
A1 A2 A3
14 Post-Weld Heat Treatment V X
15 Supplier Inspection Reports X
(1) Witness/Verify by Owner Rep
(2) Review Documentation by Owner Rep.
(3) Obtain Certification/Test Documents
Notes:
X - Required
O - Observe
V - Verify
W - Witness (Hold Point)
Integrity Critical
Appendix B Requirements for Fatigue Sensitive Risers and

Pipelines
B.1 General Requirement and Conditions
1. This appendix shall apply when specified in the project specification or data sheet that a riser
or pipeline is in fatigue sensitive service.
2. The weld fatigue class shall also be provided by Owner.
3. This appendix shall apply to risers and pipelines in fatigue sensitive service, regardless of
installation method.
4. Requirements in this appendix, as listed, shall be additions or modifications to requirements
in the main body of this specification.
a. Requirements of the main body of this document shall apply unless otherwise amended
by this appendix.
b. Any conflicts found between this appendix and the main body of this document shall be
directed to the Owner for resolution.
5. Full scale fatigue testing shall be completed as part of each WPS to fatigue testing
requirements and limits of SSM-SU-5414.
6. The cost of fatigue testing and any required retesting associated with fatigue testing shall be
borne by Supplier unless otherwise reviewed and accepted by Owner.
7. For fatigue sensitive service, pipe end preparations shall require a maximum Hi-Lo of
0.02 inch (0.5 mm) at the ID.
8. To meet the Hi-Lo requirements, end sorting and match or end boring and machining of each
pipe shall be required during qualification and production as follows:
a. To facilitate sorting, ends shall be measured with laser measuring equipment and sorted
for best fit-up for the project using computer programs designed for sorting pipe.
b. Sorting of pipe shall be the responsibility of Supplier.
c. Responsibility for measuring ends with laser measuring equipment shall be as agreed by
Supplier and Owner.
9. No weld repairs shall be permitted for risers and pipelines designated in fatigue sensitive
service. See Appendix B.7 for allowance of cosmetic in-process weld modifications of cap
passes prior to removal or preheat and completion of any NDE.
B.2 Engineering Critical Assessment

1. For risers and pipelines in fatigue sensitive service, an ECA shall be performed based on
Owner’s specification, BSI BS 7910, the guidelines of DNV-RP-F108, or Owner reviewed
and accepted alternatives.
2. SENT testing and segment test validation shall be required for any changes in essential
variables associated with weld procedure qualification and as reviewed and accepted by
Owner.
Integrity Critical
3. CTOD testing shall be required for each welding procedure qualification with testing in weld
metal and HAZ.
a. B X 2B specimens shall be required unless otherwise accepted by Owner.
b. Test temperature shall be +32°F (±0°C) or at MDT, whichever is lower.
c. Minimum CTOD shall be 0.015 inch (0.38 mm) or higher as determined by the ECA.
B.3 Welding Equipment and Welding Processes

1. Supplier shall provide calibrated equipment to properly measure amperes, volts, travel speed,
and preheat or interpass temperature.
2. Electronic weld data logging equipment, with hard copy printout capability, shall be used for
procedure qualification and production welding.
3. Welding shall be completed using a process or combination of processes that have been fully
qualified according to this appendix. The primary processes to be used shall be the following:
a. GTAW.
b. GMAW – pulse, spray, or globular mode. (Controlled short arc transfer mode shall only
be permitted for root pass and only with specific review and acceptance by Owner.)
c. Combination of GTAW and GMAW processes with limitations listed in this
Appendix B.3.
d. SAW process permitted only in 1GR position.
e. Other welding processes proposed by Supplier specifically reviewed and accepted by
Owner.
4. Copper backing shall not be permitted with the use of any welding process.
5. Mechanized (automatic) welding equipment and mechanized fixtures, including internal
line-up clamp, shall be the same as the production welding equipment. Any change shall
require requalification.
B.4 Welding Consumables (Electrodes, Filler Metals, Fluxes, and

Shielding Gas)
1. Welding consumables shall be procured from welding consumable manufacturer with
certification to the appropriate ASME BPVC, Section II, Part C, and this specification.
2. Actual mechanical tests, chemical analysis, and diffusible hydrogen content analysis to
AWS A4.3 shall be provided for each heat or lot and diameter of welding filler metal per
SFA-5.01M/SFA-5.01, Schedule I, of ASME BPVC, Section II, Part C, as a minimum.
3. Original manufacture identification (manufacturer and trade name) for all welding
consumables shall be maintained.
4. Renaming of welding consumables by the Supplier shall not be permitted.
Integrity Critical
5. Every heat or lot (batch) of welding consumables to be used in production, other than those
used during PQR welding procedure qualification, shall be batch tested by Supplier using
welding parameters that shall be used in production.
a. Welding shall be completed by Supplier with mechanical testing and chemical analysis
by Owner-accepted third-party laboratory.
b. Batch testing shall include chemical analysis of bare filler metal or deposited weld metal,
all weld metal diffusible hydrogen content, tensile (yield, ultimate, elongation, and
reduction in area), Charpy impact test (energy, lateral expansion, and percent shear), and
fracture toughness (CTOD) testing to the requirements of this specification and project
requirements.
c. For SAW process, each heat of electrode shall be batch tested with the lot of SAW flux
that will be used in production welding.
1) Welding of test coupon for batch test mechanical properties shall be completed
within the range of the qualified welding procedure that will be used in production
for the welding consumables being batch tested.
2) Certification of welding consumable batch testing shall follow the basic
requirements of the appropriate ASME BPVC, Section II, Part C welding
consumable specification, with modification of testing requirements of this
specification, including this appendix and any additional project specification
requirements.
6. Additional welding filler metal requirements shall be as follows:
a. Production welding procedure as-deposited weld strength of welding consumables shall
be greater than the AYS of base metal (based on material test reports [MTRs] for each
pipe), but shall not be more than 14.5 ksi (100 Mpa) above the specified maximum YS of
the base metal, unless otherwise agreed by Owner.
b. Minimum AWMT strength elongation shall not be less than 18 percent.
c. Maximum all weld metal as manufactured diffusible hydrogen content for all welding
consumables shall be 5 ml/100g per AWS A4.3 or ISO 3690.
B.5 Welding Procedure Qualification

1. A proposed welding procedure for use in fatigue sensitive service shall have three welding
procedure qualification parts that make a set of documents for one specific WPS.
a. Low heat input qualification test with all mechanical tests completed.
b. High heat input qualification test with all mechanical tests completed.
c. Full scale fatigue tests satisfactorily completed per SSM-SU-5414 and welded at the
nominal weld heat input condition. (Nominal shall be defined as the midline heat input
between the qualified high and low heat input grouped on a rational welding pass basis
[root, hot, fill, and cap]).
Note: Specific details of qualification are provided in other sections of this

specification.
2. All three parts shall be completed in full to have an acceptable WPS for review and
acceptance by Owner.
Integrity Critical
3. Qualification of welding procedures shall comply as a minimum with the following three
requirements:
a. The API 1104 section ‘Qualification of Welding Procedures for Welds Containing Filler
Metal Additives’ (Section 5) or section ‘Mechanized Welding with Filler Metal
Additions’ (Section 12), as applicable.
b. API 2RD.
c. This specification, including this appendix.
4. Each WPS shall contain all non-essential and essential variable requirements of API 1104
and additional requirements of this specification.
5. After machining the bevel, all pipe coupons to be used for weld qualification or fatigue
testing shall be inspected for planar type defects per the following:
a. Bevel face shall be inspected by MT for any linear defects.
b. Pipe body within 4 inches (100 mm) of OD bevel shall be inspected by manual UT
(straight beam) for any lamination type defects.
6. Minimum, maximum, and average heat inputs for each weld pass for each weld qualification
test (minimum, maximum, heat input, and fatigue test welds) shall be electronically
measured and recorded using a weld data logger as follows:
a. Weld data logging equipment used shall allow as a minimum the sampling of at least
voltage, amperage, and travel speed for each pass.
b. For mechanized (automatic) welding, the oscillation parameters such as amplitude,
frequency, and dwell time shall be recorded and shall be listed in the welding procedure
qualification documentation and specified in the WPS.
c. For pulsed procedures, the effective heat input shall be calculated on the basis of simple
average values and, in all cases, the manufacturer and model of equipment shall be an
essential variable of the qualification.
7. The WPS shall be qualified by making welds within a heat input range that has been qualified
by mechanical testing and by testing of fatigue samples welded at the midline of the qualified
low and heat input range.
8. In defining the heat input per pass, Supplier may elect to use measured range of average heat
input per pass or recorded maximum and minimum values per pass.
9. The maximum range of welding heat input shall not exceed ±15 percent from anticipated
mid-line heat input that will be used to weld fatigue samples and production welding.
a. Supplier shall establish production heat input range for each weld pass by welding a
complete weld qualification at the low heat input values and a complete weld at high heat
input values. See Appendix B.5, item 1.
1) These welds shall meet mechanical, fracture toughness (CTOD), and NDE
requirements as specified in this specification and this appendix.
2) Maximum and minimum heat inputs and range of heat inputs for each weld pass
shall be measured and recorded.
3) During weld procedure qualification, electronic weld data logging equipment shall
be used sampling at least the voltage, amperage, and travel speed of each weld pass.
Integrity Critical
b. To complete each welding procedure qualification, a set of fatigue samples shall be

welded using mid-line heat input based on qualified minimum and maximum heat input
and acceptably fatigue tested per the requirements of SSM-SU-5414.
c. The same data logging equipment shall be used for fatigue welding tests and production
welding.
10. Minimum preheat temperature qualified, as specified in the WPS and used in production,
shall be at least 200°F (93°C).
a. Preheat temperature shall be measured at a distance of at least 3 inches (75 mm) away
from the weld bevel, on both sides of the joint, at 90 degree intervals around the pipe,
prior to start of welding.
b. Interpass temperature readings shall be taken as close to welds as possible, in the
immediate area where subsequent welding is to resume.
11. Qualification welds shall be examined per the following requirements:
a. Mechanized (automatic) welded coupons shall be examined by VT, MT, RT, and AUT
methods to Owner reviewed and accepted procedures.
b. Manual and semiautomatic welded coupons shall be examined by VT, MT, RT, and
manual UT or AUT.
1) AUT shall only be used if it is planned to be used for production welds.
2) Acceptance criteria shall be the same as for mechanized (automatic) welded
coupons.
c. All NDE shall be documented and included in welding PQR documentation.
d. Radiographs shall meet the requirements of API 1104, and the root and cap shall be free
of undercut and concavity. AUT shall meet the ECA flaw sizes specified.
e. Visual inspection shall meet the requirements of API 1104 and the following:
1) Weld root reinforcement shall not exceed 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
2) Weld cap reinforcement shall not exceed 0.100 inch (2.5 mm).
3) Weld toe re-entrant angle shall be 165 degrees or greater.
4) At no point shall the weld surface lie below the adjacent base metal surface.
f. MT acceptance criteria shall be no linear indications on the weld cap reinforcement, cap
toes, or pipe wall for a distance of 1 inch (25 mm) from the toes of the weld.
12. In accordance with this specification, acceptance standards for qualification welds shall be
identical to those for production welds and shall meet the requirements of the API 1104
section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’ (Section 9) as weld flaw acceptance criteria
developed using the results of the completed ECA.
13. NDE shall not be used for selection of the location for mechanical test specimen.
14. Supplier shall prepare and qualify procedure for grinding and sanding of weld caps for
fatigue sensitive service as follows:
a. Procedure preparation and qualification shall include details of grinding, including
profile, maximum surface roughness, and directionality of grinding serrations.
Integrity Critical
b. Procedure shall be reviewed and accepted by Owner.

c. Procedure shall be used on fatigue test coupons.
d. At least one sample from each WPS fatigue qualification shall be retained as a
workmanship sample for production welding.
e. No sanding shall be allowed in the HAZ.
f. Sanding marks shall be parallel (within 30 degrees) of the longitudinal axis of the pipe,
and surface roughness shall not exceed 250 µ-inch (6.3 µm) root mean square (RMS).
g. Sanding marks may be in any direction when the surface roughness is less than
125 µ-inch (3.1 µm) RMS.
h. When it is necessary or desirable to sand the cap flush and smooth, including the
weld toes to remove all weld lines, the sanded area shall not extend more than
0.040 inch (1 mm) into the pipe wall.
i. The sanded area shall not reduce the wall thickness below the required minimum
thickness.
j. Non-sanded pipe wall, HAZ, and weld thickness shall be verified by AUT.
B.6 Mainline Procedure Qualification Details

1. The following changes in joint detail shall require requalification from that qualified in the
PQR for machine (automatic) welding:
a. Change in total included angle beyond ±2 degrees.
b. Change (±) in root face or root gap greater than 0.008 inch (0.2 mm).
2. Change of ±1 degree in bevel angle shall require a new AUT calibration block and
re-configuration of the AUT scanner.
3. The following changes to a qualified WPS shall require requalification of the WPS:
a. Change in welding heat input outside of the maximum and minimum heat input qualified
on the supporting PQRs.
b. Change in gas shielding flow rate from that qualified in the supporting PQRs.
4. Mechanical testing requirements shall be as follows:
a. CVN impact test temperature shall meet the requirements of Table 3.
Table 3: Charpy Test Temperatures
Nominal Wall Thickness (mm) Test Temperature Relative to MDT (°C)
≤ 20 MDT
20 < t ≤ 40 MDT – 10
> 40 MDT – 20
1) Full-size CVN impact specimens shall be required unless pipe wall thickness is less
than 0.43 in (11 mm).
2) CVN impact specimens (set of three at each notch location) shall have minimum
average impact energy as shown in Table 4.
Integrity Critical
Table 4: Charpy Impact Requirements

Average Energy Minimum Energy
Pipe Grade
Joules Ft-lbs Joules Ft-lbs
X60 42 31 35 26
X65 45 33 38 28
X70 50 37 40 30
i. There shall be no provision for retests, unless it can be shown that a welding
defect, base metal lamination or segregation, or specimen machining error or test
machine problem interfered with the test.
ii. Retests shall be accomplished in a complete set of three specimens at the notch
location requiring retesting.
iii. Retests shall only be completed when reviewed and accepted by Owner.
3) For double submerged arc welded (DSAW) pipe, two additional sets of three Charpy
impact tests shall be conducted using samples so that the specimens are completed at
FL and FL+3/32 inch (2 mm) associated with the circumferential (girth) weld
intersection and the pipe longitudinal weld seam.
4) FL and HAZ being tested shall be the longitudinal seam weld metal.
5) Absorbed energy, lateral expansion, and fracture appearance (percent shear) shall be
reported for all CVN tests.
b. Vickers hardness tests shall be completed per the locations and hardness locations
specified in Section12.0, item 6b of this specification and as follows:
1) For sour service, maximum hardness in weld metal, HAZ, and parent material shall
be per NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 requirements.
2) For welds not in sour service, maximum hardness shall be 275 HV10 in weld metal
and HAZ.
3) Photomicrographs showing the indent locations shall be submitted with each
welding PQR.
c. Cross-sections used for Vickers hardness testing shall be ground and polished (diamond
paste finish) and etched to reveal the weld metal and HAZs. These polished
cross-sections shall be visually examined and shall meet the following requirements:
1) No cracks.
2) Complete fusion at root, between layers of weld metal, and between weld metal and
base metal at the bevel interface.
3) No undercut of the cap pass with the base metal.
4) ID reinforcement of 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) maximum and OD reinforcement of
1/8 inch (3.2 mm) maximum.
5) No point on ID and OD weld surfaces lies below (is thinner than) adjacent base
metal.
Integrity Critical
6) Weld reinforcement blends smoothly with adjacent base metal with a target
re-entrant angle of 165 degrees (unless weld surfaces are to be ground flush).
7) Surface condition used in fatigue testing is the condition used in production.
B.7 Repair Welding–Qualification and Production Use

1. No weld repairs shall be permitted for welds in fatigue sensitive service.
2. Cosmetic cap weld corrections prior to VT shall be permitted before the weld falls below the
minimum preheat temperature using Owner reviewed and accepted qualified procedures and
personnel.
a. Any unacceptable defect shall require full cut out of weld area as a cylinder, including
the HAZ. Manual re-beveling of the weld bevel shall be prohibited.
b. Cosmetic cap weld correction procedure shall be qualified as follows:
1) Testing requirements shall be limited to three hardness test coupons completed at the
12, 6, and 3 or 9 o’clock pipe locations.
2) For each coupon, one micro-hardness transverse shall be required across the weld
and shall be located 0.04 to 0.06 inch (1 to 1.5 mm) below pipe surface.
3) Tests shall meet a maximum hardness required by NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 for
sour service or 275 HV10 maximum for non-sour service.
B.8 Production Welding Requirement

1. Supplier shall measure and document heat input for each weld pass in the same manner for
the procedure and fatigue qualification tests as follows:
a. Supplier may elect to document maximum and minimum or Supplier may average heat
input for every weld pass.
b. Measurements shall be performed with an electronic arc data monitoring system that, as
a minimum, samples at a high rate the voltage and amperage, and provides data storage
and hard copy printout of the maximum and minimum and average heat input for each
weld pass.
c. Maximum, minimum, and average heat input per each production weld pass shall be
within the range of heat input specified in the WPS as qualified by supporting PQR.
2. Interruption of welding shall meet the following requirements:
a. Interruption of welding between the root pass, hot pass, and first fill pass shall not exceed
the times qualified in the WPS.
b. At least 25 percent of joint thickness shall be completed before any interruption of
welding is permitted.
c. A maximum of 2 hours interruption in welding shall be permitted under continuous
preheating.
d. If preheat is lost or the interruption is greater than 2 hours, the joint shall be cut out as a
cylinder and re-welded.
Integrity Critical
3. For weld profile, ID and OD shall meet the following requirements:

a. Weld on ID and OD shall be free of undercut or concavity and weld surface shall not lie
below the adjacent base metal surface at any point.
b. Root surface shall have a uniform surface without any significant irregularities, such as
surface porosity or unmelted filler metal (wire) on or in the ID surface.
c. Maximum weld reinforcement shall be as follows:
1) ID: 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
2) OD: 3/32 inch (2.5 mm).
d. Cap shall be smooth and shall have a re-entrant angle of 165 degrees or greater with the
pipe OD surface unless weld is smoothed flush with base metal.
e. With Owner-specific review and acceptance of Supplier’s procedure for cap grinding,
the cap may be sanded 100 percent flush with base metal. Procedure shall include
process for measurement of pipe and weld metal thickness to ensure that minimum
design thicknesses are maintained.
f. Other cap welding processes shall be considered by Owner.
1) Such process shall meet re-entrant angle requirements at all circumferential
locations.
2) Maximum allowable re-entrant angle shall be qualified by fatigue testing.
g. Welds used in production shall be qualified by fatigue testing per requirements of
SSM-SU-5414.
4. For welds subjected to fatigue sensitive service, pipe ends shall be machined or matched to
achieve pipe wall centerline misalignment and Hi-Lo required in this appendix as follows:
a. ID machining shall be performed only if necessary.
b. For reeled pipes, Supplier shall perform sufficient analyses to ensure that ID machined
pipes are suitable for reeling.
c. Supplier shall submit ID machining dimension criteria and supporting documentation for
Owner review and acceptance.
d. Pipe ends by specific pipe end identification shall be sorted into groups within specified
ranges for use and selection for mainline welding.
5. Maximum Hi-Lo at ID shall not be greater than 0.02 inch (0.5 mm) and maximum Hi-Lo at
OD shall not exceed 1/16 inch (1.6 mm).
a. At least eight Hi-Lo measurements shall be completed and recorded around the pipe on
fit-up to ensure that this Hi-Lo is met.
b. Supplier shall perform sufficient end measurements prior to fit-up to ensure that the steel
wall centerline misalignment and Hi-Lo can be met.
6. When specified Hi-Lo on any weld exceeds the requirement, Owner shall be consulted.
a. The remedy may be to change out the joint by finding another with a better match, or to
allow a slightly higher misalignment per Owner’s review and acceptance by executing a
detailed analysis to find the maximum permitted Hi-Lo for the specific joint.
b. Supplier shall develop a written procedure, subject to Owner review and acceptance, for
method of handling Hi-Lo non-conformance issues prior to start of pipelay operations.
Integrity Critical
7. During fit-up for welds subject to fatigue sensitive service, end measurements shall be taken
as required to calculate and document internal alignment at a minimum of eight equidistant
locations around pipe circumference.
a. This measurement shall be made using the top of the vertical land as the reference point.
b. Supplier shall prepare a procedure for calculation of misalignment and Hi-Lo and shall
submit to Owner for review and acceptance.
c. Fit-up information shall be available for NDE interpretation.
8. Arc strikes less than 4 inches (100 mm) from weld bevel shall be cut out as a cylinder. No
repairs shall be permitted.
B.9 Girth Weld Inspection and Testing

1. NDE procedures for welds in fatigue sensitive service shall be prepared by NDE Level III
personnel.
2. Inspectors and NDE personnel used by Supplier for inspection of fatigue sensitive flow line
(FSFL) and SCR welds shall have previous SCR experience and shall be currently certified
by national or international certifications.
3. Supplier shall have written procedures, reviewed and accepted by Owner, to describe all
inspection requirements to ensure full compliance with Owner’s specifications, including
this appendix.
4. Written reports shall be required for specified inspections.
B.10 Visual Examination

The following items shall be inspected by Owner’s inspector as described below:
1. Base metal shall be inspected for damage, cleanliness, and completed weld joint
requirements as follows:
a. 100 percent near each end of pipe inside and outside.
b. Joint fit-up, including Hi-Lo measurements, documented prior to start of welding.
2. Root and hot pass welds shall be inspected for contour, cracks, and visible discontinuities,
100 percent of weld deposited.
3. Fill and cap welds shall be monitored for compliance with the WPS and general welding
requirements and procedures, at a minimum of 10 percent.
4. Completed welds shall be inspected for 100 percent compliance with API 1104, Owner’s
drawings, and this specification for quality, contour, and size.
5. For root gauging, finished root welds shall provide free passage for gauging pigs and
appropriate drift testing shall be completed to verify this capability.
6. For arc strikes, the following shall apply:
a. No arc strikes shall be permitted within 4 inches (100 mm) of the toe of the weld cap. Arc
strikes in this area shall be cut out as a cylinder.
Integrity Critical
b. Arc strikes more than 4 inches (100 mm) from the toe of the weld cap may be removed
(repaired) by grinding with review and acceptance of Owner.
c. Repair of arc strikes shall not reduce the wall thickness by more than 5 percent below the
adjacent wall thickness or below the minimum allowed, whichever thickness is greater.
d. All repaired arc strike areas shall, at a minimum, be inspected for cracking using liquid
penetrant testing or MT and for any remaining HAZ using a 20 percent solution of
ammonium persulfate test.
e. No cracking or residual HAZ shall be acceptable.
f. Arc strike repairs and subsequent testing shall be witnessed by Owner.
7. Every ID production weld shall be examined by remote video camera inspection using a
system and procedure reviewed and accepted by Owner.
B.11 Manual Ultrasonic Examination

1. Manual ultrasonic operators shall be certified to Level II in accordance with
ASNT SNT-TC-1A or accepted equivalent under BSI BS EN ISO 9712 or ISO 9712.
2. For any shear wave examination, manual ultrasonic operators shall hold PCN category W or
API QUTE critical flaw detection and sizing certification or shall take and pass Owner’s
performance demonstration test.
B.12 Automated Ultrasonic Inspection

1. Supplier shall have demonstrated and documented prior experience in AUT inspection
during production of pipeline girth welds according to the API 1104 annex ‘Alternate
Acceptance Standard for Girth Welds’ (Annex A) with demonstrated accuracy as follows:
a. ±1/32 inch (±0.8 mm) of defect sizing and location.
b. Sizing tolerance may be ±1/16 inch (±1.5 mm) for embedded flaws that are not fully
contained within 0.08 inch (2 mm) from surfaces.
2. Accuracy of defect sizing for FSFL and SCR production welds shall be ±1/80 inch
(±0.3 mm) for root and cap areas.
3. Accuracy shall be determined by qualification and validation as outlined in DNV-OS-F101,
and statistics shall be determined based on the mean plus 2 standard deviations.
a. Qualification and validation shall also determine the inaccuracy in length sizing to be
used in the ECA correction.
b. When acceptance criteria for weld evaluation are defined, the aforementioned
determined AUT tolerance from Appendix B.12, items 1, 2, and 3, shall be considered, in
addition to ECA calculation results and any other pertinent information.
4. Supplier may offer an AUT system based on the application of pulse-echo with TOFD or
phased array technique with TOFD.
a. Techniques shall be complemented with creeping wave probes for interrogation of cap
and near cap areas.
b. Systems shall be qualified in accordance with DNV-OS-F101. Evidence of prior
qualifications may be submitted for Owner review and acceptance.
Integrity Critical
c. Suppliers without documented production experience acceptable to Owner shall submit

to an equipment and personnel qualification program with the costs of the qualification
program to be borne by Supplier.
1) Owner shall define the scope and requirements of the qualification program and shall
be the sole judge of the acceptability of the qualification results.
2) Qualified systems shall undergo a validation exercise as outlined in DNV-OS-F101
that shall be project-specific on diameter and wall thickness range aligned with
variations in essential variables outlined in DNV-OS-F101.
3) Validation shall, as a minimum, cover 10 flaws per diameter and wall thickness
salami-sectioned on 0.039-inch (1-mm) intervals to determine procedure accuracy
for both through wall height and length.
5. Welds shall be re-examined whenever any of the following occur:
a. Welds are examined at sensitivity lower than 70 percent full scale height, where
80 percent full scale height is the calibration value.
b. Welds exhibit a loss of coupling.
c. Calibration scan shows that the system is in any way out of calibration. In this case, all
welds examined since the last successful calibration shall be re-examined.
6. AUT system and operator demonstrations shall be completed with an AUT system that has
electronic data processing capability to receive, process, and display information from each
transducer so that a true representation of the weld is provided.
7. AUT procedure qualification shall contain the following information in addition to Owner’s
AUT specification requirements:
a. Applicable codes and standards.
b. Reference to applicable welding procedure.
c. Technique, including the following:
1) Sensitivity.
2) Calibration technique and references.
3) Assessment of imperfection.
4) Reporting and documentation of results.
B.13 Production Weld Calibration Block and Inspection Scanner

1. AUT transducer array shall be specially designed for the type of weld that will be inspected.
2. A calibration block corresponding to the weld cross-section shall be made from project pipe
or forging materials so that all zones of interest throughout the weld shall be identified and
feedback from each transducer shall be verified.
3. For FSFL and SCR welds, calibration block wall thickness shall be consistent with the range
of FSFL and SCR pipe wall thickness.
4. If the FSFL and SCR wall thickness vary more than 0.8 inch (2.0 mm), multiple calibration
blocks shall be used to ensure adequate inspection, especially in root and cap regions.
Integrity Critical
B.14 Weld Flaw Acceptance Criteria

1. Weld flaw acceptance criteria for welds subject to fatigue sensitive service shall be based on
ECA and shall be subject to Owner review and acceptance.
2. The baseline fatigue sensitive weld flaw acceptance criteria, from which ECA acceptance
criteria are adjusted, shall be as outlined in Table 5.
Table 5: Weld Flaw Acceptance Criteria

Surface Breaking Allowed Allowed
Buried Flaw*
Flaws* (Maximum) (Maximum)
Height (mm) Length (mm) Height (mm) Length (mm)
0.0−0.5 25 0.0−1.0 25
>0.5−1.0 13 >1.0−2.0 13
>1.0−1.5 7 >2.0−3.0 7
>1.5 0 >3.0 0
*Buried flaws shall be defined as flaws that are more than 3 mm from the nearest free surface,
i.e., ligament > 3 mm.
3. For FSFL and SCR welds made in a fabrication yard onshore, and for offshore welds, the
following requirements shall apply:
a. Any crack shall be unacceptable and the weld shall be cut out and re-welded.
b. Planar weld flaws shall be accepted according to the criteria listed in Table 5, for both
surface breaking root or cap flaws and buried flaws.
c. Volumetric flaws shall be evaluated by the same method as planar flaws.
d. In all cases, defect and surface interaction shall be considered in defining flaw height and
length as defined in the Owner’s AUT specification requirements and the API 1104
annex ‘Alternate Acceptance Standard for Girth Welds’ (Annex A).
1) Because the criteria are influenced by the welding process to be used on the FSFLs
and SCRs and the mechanical properties of these welds, a specific AUT qualification
shall be qualified for each welding process used on each diameter and wall thickness
of pipe to be welded in production.
2) After a welding process has been defined and qualified, full-scale fatigue samples
shall be manufactured and tested to verify the fracture mechanics predictions.
3) Based on the results of the mechanical testing and the performance during fatigue
testing, the production weld acceptance criteria shall be defined.
e. Lack of fusion or lack of penetration shall not be allowed in the root region.
B.15 Magnetic Particle Inspection

1. MPI acceptance criteria shall conform to API 1104 section ‘Acceptance Standards for NDT’
(Section 13.9) unless otherwise specified by Owner.
2. MPI shall be performed in accordance with ASTM E709.
3. The prod MPI technique shall not be used for the MPI examinations.
Integrity Critical
4. Supplier shall use MPI to inspect 100 percent of the final weld surface of all FSFL and SCR
welds after all grinding or sanding has been completed.
5. In addition, MPI shall be performed on all qualification and fatigue test welds.
6. MPI procedure shall include the following, as a minimum:
a. Type of magnetization.
b. Type of equipment.
c. Surface preparation.
d. Wet or dry method.
e. Make and type of magnetic particles and contrast paint
f. Magnetizing current.
g. Demagnetization.
h. Description of testing technique.
i. MPI areas demagnetized after inspection, if required.
7. MPI acceptance criteria shall be such that no linear indications from MPI shall be permitted
on the weld cap reinforcement, cap toes, or pipe wall for a distance of 1 inch (25 mm) from
the toes of the weld.
Integrity Critical
Appendix C Qualification Testing Requirements for Reeled Risers

and Pipelines in Sour and HCAS Service
C.1 General Requirements and Conditions
1. This appendix shall apply when it is specified in the project specification or data sheet that a
riser or pipeline is in sour or HCAS service, and the riser or pipeline is reeled.
2. Requirements in the appendix, as listed, shall be additions or modifications to requirements
in the main body of this specification.
a. Requirements of the main body shall apply unless otherwise amended by this appendix.
b. Any conflicts between this appendix and the main body of the specification shall be
directed to Owner for resolution.
3. Where a riser or flowline contains welds of differing properties or geometries, testing shall
be performed on each weld type.
4. In this appendix, the stress intensity value to prevent initiation of a sulfide stress corrosion
crack (K1SSC) shall be used interchangeably to refer to stress concentrations specifically for
sulfide stress corrosion, as well as for general hydrogen charging.
5. Appendices C.3, C.4, and C.5 shall apply for all reeled risers or pipelines in sour or HCAS
service. Appendix C.6 shall additionally apply for risers or pipelines in fatigue sensitive
service.
6. All test samples shall be fabricated as described in Appendix C.2.
7. For the purpose of this appendix, the clock position of maximum initial tensile strain shall be
referred to as the ‘extrados’, and the clock position of maximum initial compressive strain
shall be referred to as the ‘intrados’.
8. For an example testing matrix, see Table 6.
C.2 Sample Fabrication
C.2.1 General Fabrication Requirements

1. Full-scale reeling simulation samples shall be made of the same grade, diameter, and wall
thickness pipe, manufactured at the same facility using the same production route according
to the same manufacturing specification as the actual pipe to be used for the project.
2. Each full-scale reeling simulation sample shall consist of pipe pups joined by girth welding,
with welds separated by a minimum of 2 times the nominal pipe OD or 2 ft (0.6 m),
whichever is greater. For fatigue testing, pipe strings shall be of sufficient length for testing
in accordance with SSM-SU-5414.
3. All girth welding shall be conducted in accordance with a WPS that has been identified for
use on the project. Owner shall review each WPS for acceptance prior to welding.
4. Sufficient full-scale reeling simulation samples shall be fabricated for all testing for each
WPS considered. Supplier shall submit a plan for the number of welds and a cut sheet
showing the location of each test specimen to be removed for Owner review and acceptance.
Integrity Critical
5. All girth welds shall be inspected by UT.

a. If the pipeline is not in fatigue sensitive service, acceptance criteria shall be as per
Section 6.0.
b. If the pipeline is in fatigue sensitive service, acceptance criteria shall be as per
Appendix B.14.
6. In the event that an unacceptable girth weld flaw is identified, the weld shall be rejected.
Weld repairs shall not be permitted.
C.2.2 Full-Scale Reeling Simulation

1. Each sample shall be subject to aging at 482°F (250°C) for 1 hour prior to straining to
simulate elevated temperature during coating process prior to spoolbase welding.
2. The extrados, intrados, and neutral axis of each sample shall be clearly marked both with
paint and by low-stress stamping. Samples for full-scale fatigue testing shall not be stamped,
and shall be marked only with paint.
3. Each sample shall be subject to a strain sequence that fully simulates the production reeling
strains, including partial recovery (backup of the lay ship) activities.
a. The baseline strain sequence shall be 2 percent, 0 percent, 2 percent, 0 percent, 2 percent,
0 percent, 2 percent, 0 percent, 2 percent, 0 percent.
b. Supplier may propose revision based on actual strain induced by the lay ship equipment
and procedures for Owner review and acceptance. Supplier shall consider potential
contingency lay ships in proposal for strain sequence revision.
4. Straining method shall be shown to produce representative strains in samples via the
following methods:
a. Straining machine shall be qualified by straining a representative test string with strain
gauges on either side of each weld, on the side of maximum initial tensile strain.
b. Strain shall be controlled by bending the pipe to comply with a former of radius no larger
than the lay ship’s reel. Supplier may propose an alternative method of straining for
Owner review and acceptance.
5. After straining, each sample shall be subject to a second strain aging treatment for
482°F (250°C) for 1 hour. The proposed aging procedure shall be reviewed for acceptance
by Owner (to simulate design life in service at elevated temperature).
C.3 Mechanical Testing

For each WPS considered, ASA samples shall be subject to the following mechanical testing:
1. Tensile testing of six cross-weld tensile coupons to at least 5 percent strain, prepared as
described in API 1104 section ‘Tensile Strength Test’ (Section 5.6.2) as follows:
a. Two coupons each shall be extracted from the extrados, intrados, and neutral axis.
b. A stress-strain curve shall be generated for each tensile test coupon, with both axes fully
labelled.
c. Failure shall occur in the base metal.
Integrity Critical
2. Weld hardness surveys at the extrados, 12 o’clock, and 6 o’clock welding positions.
a. Hardness surveys shall be as shown in Figure 1.
b. Owner shall review and accept laboratory procedure to ensure that FL indents are as
close to the FL as possible.
c. All individual hardness measurements shall be below 250 HV10.
3. Charpy impact tests as per Section 12.0, item 7 for non-fatigue-sensitive pipe, or as per
Appendix B.6, item 4 for fatigue-sensitive pipe.
4. CTOD testing of as-welded (not ASA) SENT samples to develop the required J-R curves and
segment tests to validate the J-R curve methodology.
a. Testing shall be as described in Section 6.0 and the project ECA specification.
b. Six SENT specimens shall be required.
C.4 Full Ring Test

1. For each WPS considered, full-ring samples shall be prepared and tested as per BSI BS 8701
with modifications as described in this section.
a. For manual welding procedures, three samples shall be required.
b. For fully automatic welding procedures, two samples shall be required.
c. A single pipe shall be used to produce all the required samples.
2. Full-ring samples shall be subject to tensile stress in the axial direction.
a. Axial tensile loading shall require welding of flanges to the ends of the full-ring samples,
as well as stress analysis.
b. Loading shall be accomplished by jacking, turnbuckles, or other mechanical means.
c. Proposed testing procedures, including sample preparation, apparatus, and loading
procedures, shall be reviewed for acceptance by Owner.
d. Loading criteria shall be as follows:
1) Full-ring applied tensile load shall be 90 percent of the pipe AYS in the
ASA condition.
i. Pipe AYS shall be determined by tensile testing of ASA samples.
ii. Duplicate tensile specimens shall be taken every 45 degrees around the
circumference of pipe, from one side of weld (16 total specimens).
2) Strain gauges shall be installed every 22.5 degrees around the circumference of the
weld, alternating on either side of the weld, as close as possible to the weld toe.
3) The average of the strain gauge readings shall be above the target value.
4) No point around the circumference shall be loaded above 120 percent of the target
value. The loading shall be stopped and maintained at the level prior to any point
exceeding 120 percent of the target.
Integrity Critical
5) Strain gauges shall be continuously monitored by computer and shall be checked by

lab personnel every 7 days.
i. Full sample loading shall be restored as necessary.
ii. Non-return valves at the hydraulic cylinders will help to eliminate load drop-off
as the pump pressure is released.
6) Testing shall be at ambient pressure and temperature in a project-specific solution. If
multiple severe environments are expected during operations (e.g., sour production
fluids, spent acid flowback), the most severe expected environment shall be used for
testing.
i. Final solution composition shall be agreed upon during detail engineering.
ii. Details of the pre-exposure shall be determined during detail engineering.
3. General acceptance criteria shall follow BSI BS 8701. Full-ring testing acceptance criteria
shall be as follows:
a. No growth of imperfections shall be allowed during testing as determined by
UT inspection.
b. Polished cross-section samples from extrados, intrados, and neutral axis shall be free of
cracking.
4. Full-ring samples shall be fitted with flanges to facilitate fit-up to test rig.
a. Supplier shall submit flange MTRs to Owner for review and acceptance prior to
purchase.
b. Supplier shall submit pipe to flange WPS to Owner for review and acceptance prior to
welding of flanges to samples.
c. Supplier shall ensure that flanges after welding are parallel to level required by test lab
for proper performance of test.
C.5 Fracture Mechanics Testing

1. For each WPS considered, ASA samples shall be subjected to CTOD testing to determine
K1SSC fracture initiation resistance.
2. Specimens shall be taken as compact tension specimen (CT) or single-edge notched bend
(SENB) from pipe mid-thickness, from the extrados of the sample, in the L-C or NP
orientation.
3. Tests shall be performed at ambient temperature in a project-specific solution.
4. Specimens shall be exposed to solution for 96 hours prior to commencing tests.
5. Calibration tests shall be performed as follows:
a. One specimen each shall be taken from the WCL, HAZ, and base metal.
b. Specimens shall be used to determine frame stiffness of screening and validation test
frames.
c. Specimens shall also be used to establish baseline properties by measuring CTOD for use
in screening and validation tests.
Integrity Critical
6. Screening tests shall be performed as follows:

a. Two specimens each shall be taken from the WCL and HAZ.
b. Specimens shall be subjected to slow rising displacement tests or equivalent. The load,
CTOD, and crack length shall be measured during testing.
c. Fracture toughness shall be calculated from the measured values and converted into
K1SSC values. The K1SSC values shall be used to determine which location (WCL or HAZ)
is most severe.
7. Validation tests shall be performed as follows:
a. A minimum of four specimens shall be taken from the most severe location as
determined by the screening tests.
b. A constant load shall be applied to specimens in test solution for 30 days. The load need
not be the same for each specimen.
c. At least one specimen shall show no cracking for 30 days.
1) An additional specimen shall be tested at equivalent K1SSC for verification.
2) Upon passing of the second specimen, the K1SSC of that specimen shall be taken as
K1SSC for this qualification.
C.6 Fatigue Testing
C.6.1 Fatigue Crack Growth Rate
Note: This series of tests establishes the fatigue crack growth rate over a range of stress
intensity factors. The crack growth model is used as an input to the ECA to establish
allowable initial defect sizes for inspection.
1. The appropriate crack growth data for the project-specific solution shall be established.
2. For the onshore mainline procedure, CT specimens shall be extracted from ASA samples,
centered on the girth weld. Fatigue crack growth rate testing shall not be required for all other
welding procedures.
a. Specimens shall be extracted in the L-C or NP orientation.
b. Specimens shall be extracted half from the intrados and half from the extrados.
3. A frequency scan shall be performed to determine the loading frequency with the fastest
crack growth rate as follows:
a. Scans of two specimens shall be performed, one from the intrados and one from the
extrados.
b. Scans shall take place in the project-specific solution.
c. ΔK and Kmax shall be maintained by continual monitoring and shedding the applied load
range as crack length increases during the test.
d. Loading frequency shall be decreased from 1 Hz down to 0.001 Hz in steps as follows:
1) Steps of 1.0, 0.33, 0.1, 0.033, 0.01, 0.001 Hz.
2) After each 0.039-inch (1-mm) of crack incremental growth.
Integrity Critical
4. Paris Law fatigue crack growth rate tests shall be performed as follows:
a. Two specimens shall be tested, one from the intrados and one from the extrados.
b. Scans shall take place in the project-specific solution.
c. Specimens shall be tested at the fastest growth rate frequency from the frequency scan, or
the operational fatigue rate (whichever is lower).
d. Fatigue crack growth rate tests shall be performed as a function of ΔK with a constant
Kmax.
5. In-air crack growth tests shall be performed as follows:
a. Two specimens shall be tested, one from the intrados and one from the extrados.
b. Tests may be performed at a relatively high frequency (5−10 Hz) in air.
c. Tests shall be performed as a function of ΔK with a constant Kmax.
C.6.2 S-N Knockdown Factor

1. As input to the S-N based assessment used for design, the knockdown factor from the
project-specific solution shall be established.
Note: The knockdown factor quantifies the relative performance of the service
environment-exposed strip specimens to the in-air strip specimens. The knockdown
factor need only be determined for one weld procedure and then be applied to
full-scale fatigue performance for all weld procedures.
2. Longitudinal strip specimens shall be extracted from ASA samples, each containing at its
center a segment of the girth weld.
3. Fatigue resistance-enhancing treatment of the OD cap (e.g., grinding the cap and peening the
toes) may likely be required to ensure that the test quantifies the performance of the weld on
the ID (i.e., ensures that the OD performance does not drive the test result).
4. All strip specimens shall be taken from the extrados.
5. For in-air tests, six strip specimens shall be fatigue tested to failure (or run out) in air at three
stress levels (two specimens per stress level). In-air fatigue tests may be run at high
frequency, 5−10 Hz.
6. For in-situ tests, six strip specimens shall be fatigue tested to failure (or run out) in
project-specific solution at three stress levels (two specimens per stress level). The loading
frequency shall be determined by the frequency scan test detailed in Appendix C.6.1.
C.6.3 In-Air Full-Scale Fatigue Performance

For each WPS considered, ASA samples shall be subjected to full-scale fatigue testing as
specified in SSM-SU-5414.
Integrity Critical
Table 6: Weld Qualification Test Matrix for Reeling Installation in Sour/HCAS Service
Section No. of
Test Type Reasoning Environment Comments
No. Tests
To simulate coating prior to spoolbase welding, string heated to 482°F (250°C) for
Full Scale Simulate Coating, 1 hour prior to straining.
C.2.2 Reeling Reeling, and N/A N/A String subjected to maximum number of strain cycles allowed during installation.
Simulation Operating Lifetime After straining, string heated to 482°F (250°C) for 1 hour to simulate lifetime of
service at temperature.
2× extrados, 2× intrados, and 2× neutral axis.
Cross-Weld Mechanical
C.3 6 Air Full stress-strain curve (to 5 percent strain) to be recorded using extensometer and
Tensile Tests Properties
reported on graph with both axes fully labelled.
In accordance with Owner hardness map (see Figure 1).
Hardness Mechanical 1x extrados, 1x intrados, 1x neutral axis.
C.3 3 Air
Survey Properties Owner to review and accept hardness maps to ensure acceptable placement of FL
indents.
Specimen number shown is number of sets of three specimens required.
Specimens taken as per Section 12.0, item 7.
C.3 CVN Impact Toughness 9 Air
For material thicker than 3/4 inch (19 mm), similar number of specimens will be
required from root region of weld.
C.3 CTOD – SENT Reeling ECA Input 6 Air Performed on unstrained girth weld to test susceptibility to tearing during reeling.
Applied stress shall be 90 percent AYS of parent pipe, applied in axial direction
Project
C.4 Full Ring Test SSC Resistance 3 using hydraulic jacks.
Solution
Only two tests required for automatic welding procedures.
1 × WCL, 1 × HAZ, and 1× base metal (BM).
K1SSC – Fracture CT or SENB samples allowed (to match screening and validation tests).
C.5 3 Air
Calibration Toughness Calibration used to determine CTOD curve that will be used to calculate J values for
in-situ testing.
2× WCL, 2 × HAZ, and 2× BM.
K1SSC – Fracture Project CT or SENB samples allowed.
C.5 6
Screening Toughness Solution Step load or slow rising displacement test performed to determine approximate
K1SSC of each location.
Four samples to be taken from most severe location (lowest K1SSC) determined in
K1SSC – Fracture Project screening tests.
C.5 4
Validation Toughness Solution CT or SENB samples allowed.
Samples to be tested at constant load for 30-days to validate K1SSC.
Integrity Critical
Section No. of
Test Type Reasoning Environment Comments
No. Tests
1× extrados, 1× intrados.
Fatigue Fatigue Testing Project CT samples.
C.6.1 2
Frequency Scan Frequency Solution Determines the loading frequency of most rapid crack growth for knockdown factor
and fatigue crack growth rate tests.
Fatigue Crack Paris Law Project 1× extrados, 1× intrados.
C.6.1 2 CT samples.
Growth Rate Determination Solution
Determines the fatigue crack growth rate in project-specific solution.
3× extrados and 3× intrados.
6 Air Control tests used to determine fatigue knockdown factor due to sour service
Fatigue S-N Knockdown exposure.
C.6.2
Segment Factor 3× extrados and 3× intrados.
Project
6 Loading frequency as determined by Appendix C.6.1.
Solution
Tests used to determine S-N fatigue knockdown factor.
Testing per SSM-SU-5414.
Full Scale 12 full weld samples required.
C.6.3 Fatigue Resistance 12 Air
Fatigue Where Supplier proposes production welds without removal of cap, Owner requires
additional tests with caps removed to demonstrate root performance.
Notes:
1. Extrados is taken to mean location of maximum initial tensile strain. Intrados is taken to mean location of maximum initial compressive strain.
2. If multiple sour/HCAS solutions are to be used during operations, additional equivalent testing must be performed in each solution.
3. Matrix shows the number of tests required for each weld procedure.
Integrity Critical
Appendix D Requirements for Welding Corrosion Resistant Alloy

Clad and Corrosion Resistant Alloy Lined Pipe
D.1 General Requirements and Conditions
1. This appendix shall apply to the circumferential (girth) seam welding of corrosion resistant
alloy (CRA) clad and CRA lined carbon steel, API 5L X52 through API 5L X65 pipe,
installed by the J-lay or S-lay installation methods.
2. CRA clad or lined pipelines installed using the reeling method or CRA clad or lined pipelines
or risers that are in fatigue sensitive service are not covered in this appendix.
3. All welding per this appendix shall be completed to the requirements of API 1104 and the
additional requirements of this appendix.
D.2 Materials
1. Pipe used per this appendix shall be manufactured clad pipe or manufactured lined pipe
procured to a Owner or project technical specification for CRA clad or CRA lined pipe. The
carbon steel base pipe shall be of API 5LX grades 52 through X65.
2. The CRA material shall be of 0.120 inch (3 mm) minimum thickness unless otherwise
specified by the Owner.
3. The CRA material shall be one of the following alloys as specified by the Owner:
a. Alloy 625 (UNS N06625).
b. Alloy 825 (UNS N08825).
c. Alloy 316L (UNS S31603).
d. Duplex stainless steel (UNS 31803 or UNS S32205).
4. Pipe ends (clad and lined pipe) supplied for circumferential seam welding shall have the clad
or lining on ID ends cut back 1.5 inch (38 mm) minimum and weld overlayed with minimum
of two layers of type 625 (AWS classification ERNiCrMo-3/ENiCrMo-3) weld metal. This
overlay shall be machined to match the ID of the pipe and shall have a maximum 125 RMS
maximum surface roughness.
D.3 Welding Requirements

1. All main ‘firing line’ welds shall be made without backing (copper or other) using
mechanized arc welding systems.
2. The following welding procedures shall be acceptable for double joining of pipes for onshore
or offshore.
a. Mechanized GTAW.
b. Mechanized gas metal arc welding pulsed (GMAW-P).
c. SAW (for double jointing only).
3. If preliminary welding procedures use GMAW-P, back-up main ‘firing line’ welding
procedures shall also be qualified with mechanized GTAW and/or manual GTAW/SMAW.
Integrity Critical
4. The GTAW process, as a minimum, shall be required for the root and hot passes of all welds.
5. The following welding processes shall be acceptable for tie-in spool welding and yard
riser-welding:
a. Mechanized GTAW.
b. Mechanized GMAW-P.
c. Manual GTAW.
d. SMAW (fill and cap passes only).
6. Welding consumable requirements shall be as follows:
a. Alloy 625 (ERNiCrMo-3 / ENiCrMo-3) welding consumables shall be used for welding
the circumferential seams of all joints and materials from root pass through cap passes
for all CRA clad/CRA lined pipe listed.
b. Each welding procedure qualification with Alloy 625 weld metal shall be completed with
an all weld metal using largest size all weld metal tension test specimen possible,
reporting yield, ultimate strength, and percent elongation. The minimum YS reported
shall be 72.5 ksi (500 MPa).
7. Hardness shall be completed to the requirements/hardness indenture locations of
NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 with the following acceptance criteria:
a. 300 HV10 maximum in the carbon steel backing material and HAZ.
b. 350 HV10 maximum for Alloy 625/825 weldment, cladding material, and HAZ.
c. 250 HV10 maximum for Alloy 316L cladding material and HAZ.
d. 330 HV10 maximum for Alloy S31803/S32205 cladding and HAZ.
8. Corrosion testing meet the following requirements:
a. The main ‘firing line’ and root repair procedure welding procedure qualifications shall
be corrosion resistance ASTM G48, Method A tested when welding to Alloy 625 and
Alloy 825 CRAs, after the removal of all carbon steel backing base metal.
b. The maximum corrosion rate shall be 1 mmpy for Alloy 625 and 0.5 mmpy for
Alloy 825.
9. Fracture mechanics tests shall meet the following requirements:
a. When an ECA is required per Section 6.0, both weld metal and HAZ (course grain)
locations shall be tested at MDT or lower for the project.
b. Testing of the HAZ shall be with removal of the clad material from each test specimen.
The weld metal shall meet a minimum J value of 700 N/mm and the HAZ shall meet a
minimum CTOD values of 0.015 inch (0.38 mm).
c. J-integral test single-edge notch tensile (SENT specimens) shall be used in accordance
with DNV-0S-F101, Appendix A, Section E100, Table A100 and Appendix B,
Section A900.
Integrity Critical
10. Additional welding requirements shall include the following:

a. All requirements of the main body of this specification shall apply to this appendix
except as otherwise modified by this document, including welding procedure
qualifications and production welding.
b. Only the specific shielding gas mixture qualified in the welding procedure qualifications
shall be used for production and shall meet the following requirements:
1) Gas mixtures containing hydrogen shall not be acceptable for shielding or back
purging.
2) All shielding gases shall be supplied with certification stating purity limits and
permitted tolerances on composition limits. A plan of random production testing of
shielding and purge gases shall be submitted for Owner acceptance.
c. All welds shall be back purged for welding and the purge shall be maintained until at
least a 3/8 inch (10 mm) minimum weld deposited has been completed in the weld joint.
1) The purge gas shall be 100 percent welding grade argon unless another purge gas is
accepted by the Owner.
2) Back purge shall have a maximum oxygen content of 500 ppm using
Owner-accepted gas analyzers for both welding procedure and production welding.
3) The methodology of back purging production welds shall be to a written procedure
and shall be submitted to Owner for review and acceptance.
d. The minimum preheat for the welding with Alloy 625 welding consumables shall be
100°F (40°C).
e. The maximum weld interpass temperature for welding with Alloy 625 welding
consumables shall be 350°F (175°C).
f. Alloy 625 welding consumables are brand and trade name specific and thus brand and
trade name use on welding procedure qualification shall be used in production.
11. On each welding procedure qualification, chemical analysis shall be completed
0.07 inch (2 mm) below the surface of the root weld and shall meet a maximum iron
content of 5 percent. The elements Ni, Cr, Mo, C, and niobium (Nb) shall be reported.
D.3.1 Repair Welding Procedure Specification

1. Repair welding procedures shall be qualified and shall include the following.
a. Root repair (repair carried out on partially completed welds with only weld root or weld
root and hot pass) shall be subject to Owner acceptance and a suitable qualified AUT
procedure.
b. Partial penetration (partial thickness) repair after completion of weld (maximum
prepared welding groove depth) shall be up to within 0.2 inch (6 mm) of the inside
surface.
c. Cap repairs shall be permitted up to a depth from the surface of 0.25 inch (6 mm) and
shall be completed with a minimum of two weld passes. Full penetration (through
thickness) repairs and back welding shall not be permitted.
Integrity Critical
2. The repair WPS shall meet the requirements of this specification and shall contain the
following additional information:
a. Method for removal of defects.
b. Final preparation and method of inspection of the excavated area.
c. The minimum and maximum length of the section to be repaired.
d. Any limitation with regards to locations where the procedure can be used.
e. Sketch of excavation area showing position to original weld.
3. A weld repair qualification test shall be performed on each WPS that will have weld repairs
performed on it during production.
4. Single pass weld repairs shall be prohibited.
5. The minimum length of weld repair shall be 3 inches (75 mm).
6. Arc air gouging shall be followed with grinding to bright metal and remove all affected metal
using Owner-accepted procedure. All arc air gouging operators shall pass an
Owner-accepted qualification test.
7. Arc air gouging shall not be used on any portion of the CRA clad or lining material (i.e., root
repair).
8. Only one repair attempt shall be permitted on each defect location on a per weld joint basis.
D.3.2 Welders and Welding Operator Qualification

1. Qualification of all welders shall be conducted prior to any production welding. Previous
qualification shall not be accepted under any circumstances.
2. Welding operators shall be qualified in accordance with API 1104 section ‘Mechanized
Welding with Filler Metal Additions’ (Section 12).
3. Welders shall be qualified in accordance with API 1104 section ‘Qualification of Welders’
(Section 6).
4. The Supplier for welding shall submit a welder/operator training plan to Owner for
acceptance that includes a list of proposed personnel, time line for graining, equipment and
coupon requirements, and training locations.
5. All documentation related to welders and welding operators’ qualifications shall be recorded
in a welders qualification record that shall be available for Owner review.
6. Welder and welding operator qualification shall include bend tests and AUT. RT with
manual UT may be substituted with Owner review and acceptance.
D.3.3 NDE of Production Welds

All production welds shall be 100 percent examined by VT, liquid penetrant examination, and by
AUT to Owner reviewed and accepted procedures.
Integrity Critical
Appendix E Additional References

The following references are not cited in this specification but are listed here for further
reference.
E.1 Owner Documents

PPL-SU-1050 Welded Line Pipe: Electric Welded and Submerged Arc Welded Line
Pipe
PPL-SU-1051 Seamless Line Pipe
PPL-SU-4737 Hot Induction and Cold Shop Bending
E.2 Industry Codes and Standards

American Petroleum Institute (API)
RP 1111 Design, Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of Offshore
Hydrocarbon Pipelines (Limit State Design)
RP 2X Recommended Practice for Ultrasonic and Magnetic Examination of
Offshore Structural Fabrication and Guidelines for Qualification of
Technicians
ASME International (ASME)

Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC)
Section VIII, Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels,
Divisions 1 and 2
Section IX, Qualification Standard for Welding and Brazing
Procedures, Welders, Brazers, and Welding and Brazing Operators
ASTM International (ASTM)

E3 Standard Guide for Preparation of Metallographic Specimens
E8/E8M Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
E23 Standard Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic
Materials
E384 Standard Test Method for Microindentation Hardness of Materials
E399 Standard Test Method for Linear-Elastic Plane-Strain Fracture
Toughness K1c of Metallic Materials
E1820 Standard Test Method for Measurement of Fracture Toughness
British Standards Institution (BSI)

BSI BS EN ISO 15653 Metallic materials - Method of test for the determination of quasistatic
fracture toughness of welds
Integrity Critical
International Organization for Standardizations (ISO)

14731 Welding coordination – Tasks and responsibilities
U.S. Code of Federal Regulation (CFR)

Title 30 CFR Mineral Resources; Chapter II - Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement, Department of the Interior; Subchapter B – Offshore;
Part 250 − Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations in the Outer Continental
Shelf
Title 49 CFR Transportation; Subtitle B − Other Regulations Relating to

Transportation; Chapter I − Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration, Department of Transportation; Subchapter D − Pipeline
Safety;
Part 192 − Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline:
Minimum Federal Safety Standards
Part 195 − Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline

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Operating Environment: Pipelines, Subsea

Rev. Date Description Author Technology Leader

Author notations regarding this revision

Safety Critical Changes (if applicable) are noted below

26.0 Nondestructive Examination Records and Reports ................................................................. 43

2.1 Owner Documents

2.2 Industry Codes and Standards

ASME International (ASME)

American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT)

American Welding Society (AWS)

ASTM International (ASTM)

E317 Standard Practice for Evaluating Performance Characteristics of

British Standards Institution (BSI)

BS EN ISO 9712 Non-destructive testing − Qualification and certification of NDT

DNV GL Group (DNV)

International Organization for Standardizations (ISO)

3690 Welding and allied processes − Determination of hydrogen content in

National Society of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)

2.3 Conflict Resolution

VT Visual Examination (or Visual Testing)

4.0 Quality Control

5.0 Supplemental Pipeline Design Requirements for Sour Service

6.0 Engineering Critical Assessment

Table 1: ECA Acceptance Criteria

7.0 Pipeline Materials

8.0 Welding Equipment, Tools, Resources, and Supplies

9.0 Welding Processes

10.0 Welding Consumables (Electrodes, Filler Metals, Fluxes, and

10.1 Production Welding Batch Testing

b. All weld metal tensile (AWMT) and YS.

10.2 Storage and Handling of Consumables

10.3 Shielding Gasses

11.0 Welding Procedure Qualifications

b. Automatic welding parameters of oscillation amplitude, frequency and dwell time,

12.0 Mainline Procedure Qualification

13.0 Repair Welding Qualifications

13.2 Partial Wall Repair Qualification

13.3 Cap Repair Qualification

14.0 Welder and Welding Operator Qualification

c. Prepare all test nipples.

15.0 Production Welding Requirements

9. Tack welds shall meet the following requirements:

16.0 Pipe Material Handling, Shipping, and End Protection

17.0 Marking of Welds

18.0 Jointing of Pipe

18.2 Spool Base Jointing

19.0 Weld Bevel Preparation and Inspection

20.0 Joint Alignment, Clamps, Clamp Release, and Pipe Movement

21.0 Preheat, Interpass, and Postheat

22.0 Back Welding

23.0 Arc Strikes

24.0 Proximity of Weld Joints

25.0 Girth Weld Inspection and Testing

26.0 Nondestructive Examination Records and Reports

b. Owner representative’s signature shall acknowledge receipt of the radiographs only.

27.0 Visual Examination

28.0 Manual Ultrasonic Testing and Automated Ultrasonic Testing

28.2 Automated Ultrasonic Testing

Note: See PPL-PU-5312 for additional information and requirements.

28.2.1 System and Operator Demonstrations

28.2.2 Procedure Qualification

28.2.3 Weld Inspection Record