Pipeline Engineering Trainee
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)
What was this role about?
One-year EIDAAD rotation across pipeline design, construction, and integrity management, providing comprehensive exposure to the full pipeline lifecycle from initial concept through operational integrity. The program covered both onshore and offshore pipeline systems, with rotations through design offices in Muscat and field operations at major facilities including Fahud Gas Plant, Qarn Alam Heavy Oil facility, and various wellhead gathering networks across PDO’s concession area.
Key focus areas included:
- Design phase: Wall thickness calculations, route optimization, crossing designs, and constructability assessments
- Construction support: Field engineering, welding supervision, coating application, and hydrotest execution
- Integrity management: Corrosion assessment, inspection planning, and fitness-for-service evaluations
- Technical documentation: Engineering deliverables, QA/QC procedures, and regulatory compliance packages
The rotation provided hands-on experience with both sweet and sour service pipelines, high-pressure gas transmission systems, and complex multiphase flow networks typical of mature oil field operations.
Overview
A pipeline is a closed, pressurized transport system (pipe + fittings + valves + stations) used to move fluids from a source to a destination with minimal handling. In the oil & gas context, pipelines connect wells → gathering systems → processing plants → storage/terminals → refineries/export, but the same infrastructure concept also applies to water, steam, and industrial chemicals.
Pipeline Engineering covers the full lifecycle of a pipeline system—concept selection, design, construction, commissioning, and integrity management—to transport fluids safely and economically over long distances.
What is a pipeline used for?
Common uses include:
- Crude oil transport: from fields to export terminals or refineries.
- Gas transport: from processing plants to consumers, power generation, or export.
- Produced fluids: multiphase flow (oil/gas/water) in gathering networks.
- Utilities: water injection, produced-water disposal, and plant/field utilities.
- Special services: chemicals (MEG, methanol, inhibitors), slurries, or hot fluids where applicable.
Why use pipelines?
Compared to trucking or frequent handling, pipelines are typically:
- Safer: fewer loading/unloading operations and reduced exposure.
- Lower OPEX per unit at scale: efficient continuous transport.
- More reliable: steady flow, predictable operations, fewer logistics constraints.
- Lower environmental footprint per unit transported (when designed and operated correctly).
What makes up a pipeline system?
A pipeline is more than pipe-in-the-ground. Typical components include:
- Line pipe + fittings: bends, tees, reducers, flanges, etc.
- Valves & stations: isolation valves, pig launcher/receiver stations, metering, pumps/compressors.
- Protection systems: coating, cathodic protection (CP), electrical isolation, corrosion monitoring.
- Controls: instrumentation + SCADA for pressure/flow/alarms and remote operations.
- Crossings & interfaces: roads, wadis, rail, existing utilities, tie-ins, and hot taps where required.
Highlights
- Produced design calculations (wall thickness, buoyancy, upheaval buckling, road crossings) and alignment drawings to ASME B31.4/B31.8.
- Supported construction workflows: hydrostatic testing, NDT coordination, HSE plan, QA/QC, ITP, AFC docs.
- Contributed to concept studies (CAPEX/OPEX, route selection) and flow simulations (PIPSIM, Pipeline Studio, OLGA).
- Performed material and corrosion assessments and integrity reviews.
Tools & Skills
- Pipeline design + integrity, ASME B31.4/B31.8.
- Hydrotesting, NDT coordination, QA/QC documentation.
- Flow simulation (PIPSIM, Pipeline Studio, OLGA); cost/route studies.
Eidaad Internship Feedback
The Eidaad Internship Feedback Report provides a comprehensive evaluation of my performance, technical skills, and professional development during my pipeline engineering rotation at PDO. It covers feedback from mentors and supervisors, highlighting my contributions to design calculations, construction support, and integrity management throughout the placement.
Supporting Documents
[!Notice] All files linked below are approved for publication and do not contain confidential or sensitive information.
Job Task 1 (1/2): Metallurgy & Metallic Materials Summary
Document ID: JT1-1
A concise review of pipeline metallurgy, including pipeline steel grades, key material properties, material selection for oil & gas service, and an overview of material failure mechanisms.
Job Task 1 (2/2): Overview of Pipeline Engineering (Supervisor Presentation)
Document ID: JT1-2
This presentation was prepared specifically for my supervisors and covers the fundamentals of pipeline engineering. It explains the pipeline lifecycle—feasibility, design, construction, and integrity management—while highlighting best practices and processes adopted in industry projects.
Job Task 2 (1/7): Cold Bending
Document ID: JT2-1
Explains the method of cold bending steel pipelines, acceptance criteria, allowable radius, field tolerances, and quality controls for installing bends safely.
Job Task 2 (2/7): Construction Pipeline Engineering (Supervisor Presentation)
Document ID: JT2-2
This presentation—prepared for my supervisors—explains the full pipeline construction workflow, from stringing and welding to NDT, coating, lowering-in, and the required field documentation.
Job Task 2 (3/7): Hydrotest Calcs: Air
Document ID: JT2-3
Outlines how to perform hydrostatic test calculations using air, including test setup, minimum and maximum pressure requirements, and safety considerations.
Job Task 2 (4/7): Hydrotest Calcs: Gauge
Document ID: JT2-4
Details pressure test calculations using gauge pressure, including conversion methods, acceptance limits, and example calculation tables.
Job Task 2 (5/7): Hydrotest Calcs: Pressure–Temperature Effect
Document ID: JT2-5
Explains the influence of temperature on pipeline hydrotest pressure, includes correction equations and demonstration problems for adjusting readings.
Job Task 2 (6/7): Hydrotest Calcs: TP
Document ID: JT2-6
Describes calculation of test pressures for pipelines as per standards, including inputs, safety factors, and acceptance guidelines.
Job Task 2 (7/7): Pipeline Maintenance
Document ID: JT2-7
Overview of key pipeline maintenance procedures: pigging, corrosion control, emergency response, and routine inspection to ensure long-term integrity.
Job Task 3 (1/1): Concept Studies and Design & Feasibility
Presentation for PDO Supervisors
Document ID: JT3-1
This presentation provides a structured overview of how to perform pipeline concept and feasibility studies for PDO projects. Topics include: route selection principles, option screening workflows, risk and cost evaluation techniques, and recommended approaches for early-stage pipeline design. The aim is to enable a clear decision-making process and alignment with PDO’s technical and safety requirements.
Job Task 4 (1/3): Buoyancy
Document ID: JT4-1
Describes methods for mitigating pipeline buoyancy, such as concrete weighting and trenching, including calculations to assess floating risk.
Job Task 4 (2/3): Road Crossings
Document ID: JT4-2
Provides engineering guidance for pipelines beneath roads/rails: design criteria, safety measures, casing pipe use, and construction workflow.
Job Task 4 (3/3): Upheaval Calc
Document ID: JT4-3
Detailed account of upheaval buckling assessment for pipelines: covers load modelling, mitigation strategies, worked examples according to code.