Diverting Pigs in a Pipeline or Piping System

A pig diverter, comprising:

• a hollow housing having a flowline inlet port, a flowline outlet port, a pig entry opening and a pig exit opening, all communicating with the interior of the housing;
• and
• a pig holder enclosed by and movable within the housing between a receiving position and a launching position;
• wherein, when in the receiving position, the pig holder is aligned with the pig entry opening to receive a pig;
• and
• when in the launching position, the pig holder is aligned with the pig exit opening to launch a pig and effects fluid communication between the flowline inlet port and the pig exit opening;
• and wherein a flow path is defined within the housing outside the pig holder, in a space between the housing and the pig holder.

A method of diverting a pig, comprising:

• when a pig holder is on a receiving axis,
• directing a flow of fluid from a pigging path outlet to a flowline outlet port, and
• receiving the pig into the pig holder from the pigging path outlet;
• moving the pig holder and the received pig from the receiving axis onto a launching axis;
• directing a bypass flow of fluid around the pig holder within an enclosure in which the pig holder is movable between the receiving axis and the launching axis;
• and
• when the pig holder is on the launching axis,
• directing a flow of fluid from a flowline inlet port to a pigging path inlet via the pig holder, and
• launching the pig from the pig holder into the pigging path inlet.