Alternative Piping Material For Malaysian Fuel Gas Distribution

Abstract

Fuel gas distribution system in Malaysia can be divided into the Natural Gas (NG) and the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution system. The distribution pipeline system for NG and LPG in Malaysia are using either steel pipes or plastic pipes (polyethylene pipe). However it has become common in other parts of the world such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe and Japan that copper pipes are being used for their distribution system. They have found that copper is an alternative for safe and superior piping material suitable for interior distribution systems. Therefore copper pipes should also be considered as an alternative piping material for Malaysian gas distribution. This paper will discuss what the International Code and Malaysian Code of Practice has to say about copper, what are the limitations of using copper and also the testing of Malaysian Gas in order to determines its suitability in using copper as pipe material. The comparisons were made between the utilisation of copper pipe in gas pipeline installation in other countries and the limitations of gas pipeline systems in Malaysia, the assessment of their performance and the duty limit of copper pipes.