24’’ pipeline carrying oil was failed in the form of longitudinal crack at the 6 O’clock
position resulting in oil spill. The failed pipe was investigated to reveal the main cause of
its failure. The procedure of investigation was built on studying the intact pipe, rupture
area, parent material, and intact weld. Results of chemical analysis, mechanical properties,
and microstructure of the pipe material were confirmed with the specified standard.
Cracks were originated from weld defected sites, initiated by grooving corrosion,
propagated by inertia at the normal designed pressure condition, and stopped when stress
relief is attained. It is recommended to use high quality ERW pipe, with its seam weld line
positioned around the 12 O’clock during installation, to minimize and decelerate grooving
corrosion. It is also important to perform regular or routine inspection, on suitable
intervals, determined by past experience.
2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).