Document No.

CBU-GP 30-25
Applicability STP
Date May 3, 2007

Guidance on Practice for

Field Instruments - General

CBU-GP 30-25

Carson Business Unit

SITE TECHNICAL PRACTICES
May 3, 2007 CBU-GP 30-25
Guidance on Practice for Field Instruments - General

Foreword

This STP is supplemental to ETP GP 30-25 and offers deviations specific to Section 7.3.2 (c), 7.3.2
(e), 7.3.3 (h), 7.3.3 (j), and 7.3.4 (a)(1) to address use of Swagelok compression fittings and tubing.
Both the ETP and this supplemental STP must be referenced.

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May 3, 2007 CBU-GP 30-25
Guidance on Practice for Field Instruments - General

Table of Contents
Page
Foreword............................................................................................................................................2
7.3 Instrument piping and tubing………………………………………………………………..…4

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May 3, 2007 CBU-GP 30-25
Guidance on Practice for Field Instruments - General

7.3.2 Impulse lines

c. Restriction orifices for tubing are not used at the Carson Refinery.
e. Compression fittings may be used for instrument impulse lines downstream of the line or
vessel isolation valves. Unless otherwise approved by BP, tube and compression fittings
shall not be used for the following applications:
Guidance is provided to consideration of exceptions that may arise from package
vendors or from cost reduction initiatives. Exceptions may be justified in materials,
sizes, pressures, and temperatures to be used, subject to rigorous testing of actual
components to be used and subject to BP approval.
1. Joints requiring frequent dismantling.
This is vendor-specific, but it would be expected that a high quality compression
fitting, correctly made up, could be dismantled and remade at least 80 times. For
added safety, limit the acceptable number of times that a fitting can be dismantled to
half the number tested by the vendor. Thus, compression fittings may be acceptable
for cases if dismantling is expected 40 times or more, if this can be substantiated by
Vendor. This is acceptable for the majority of instrument installations. For any
joints requiring frequent dismantling, plant procedures and technician training
should cover leak testing, examination of fittings for wear and galling, and other
factors related to joint dismantling.
The NoGo gauge supplied by vendors may not be suitable for use on reassembly of
the fitting, due to tightening slightly past the original position.
2. Impulse line sizes exceeding NPS 1/2.
Information contained within this document on sizes larger than (NPS 1/2 is
provided for guidance only. Any use on larger sizes is by exception, and type testing
is recommended.
3. Corrosive fluids, where the process or environmental conditions will result in crevice
corrosion or stress corrosion cracking, and cannot be mitigated with proper materials
selection.

7.3.3 Tubing
h. Minimum tubing sizes and wall thickness should be as shown in Table 3. All instrument
tubing installations shall otherwise comply with the BP Carson Refinery Piping Material
Specification 205, commonly known as POPV. Deviations from Table 3 must be
approved by BP Engineering.

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May 3, 2007 CBU-GP 30-25
Guidance on Practice for Field Instruments - General

Table 3 - Minimum tubing sizes and wall thickness

Function
(in) (in)
Pneumatic signal tubing and air supply to 1/4 0.035
individual instruments and for pneumatic
shutdown systems
Process connected impulse lines (clean 3/8 0.049
service) , air supply tubing for on/off piston type
valve actuators, pneumatic volume booster
outlet lines, steam tracing and process sample
lines connected to analyzers.
Process connected impulse lines 600# ANSI 1/2 0.035
Class and below
Process connected impulse lines 900# and 1/2 0.065
1500# ANSI Class

j. Process impulse tubing shall be labelled where it enters a control panel or analyzer sample
handling station. It is not necessary to tag tubing at each end that runs thru a wall, bulkhead
or equipment obscuring one end from the other.

7.3.4 Tubing fittings

a. Fittings shall be as follows:
1. Swagelok compression fittings and tubing shall be used and different manufacturers
shall not be interchanged.

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