During a recent offshore inspection, a BSEE inspector observed operator personnel installing a 100-foot high-pressure hose, with a Maximum Working Pressure (MWP) of 5000 psi, to test pressure safety valves on pipeline pumps. The hose used was designed for hydraulic fluid and not suitable for high-pressure nitrogen; when nitrogen gas at 2500 psi was injected into the hydraulic hose, the hose blistered, allowing nitrogen gas to leak.
BSEE recommends operators and their contractors, where appropriate, consider: