Success Stories
PIPELINE INSTALLATION: REINFORCEMENT AND REPAIR
Problems
An above ground pipeline located in North West Canada with external wall loss caused by under insulation corrosion was in jeopardy of causing an unexpected shutdown. The logistics and timing to replace the pipeline would require months to complete and would disrupt the flow of oil while the new pipeline was being constructed.
Conditions
The pipeline transmits crude oil that is warmed to prevent the oil from thickening during below freezing winter conditions. The difference in the surface temperature of the pipeline and the external atmospheric conditions surrounding the pipeline caused pockets of moisture to be trapped under the thermal insulation which eventually caused localized corrosion pits to form. The pipeline ILI identified metal loss up to 80% in several locations on the pipeline resulting in immediate action to be taken to prevent a failure in the pipeline.
Solution
The repair was completed in a tented environment due to the below freezing winter conditions illustrated in the above photo. The external corrosion was addressed by sandblasting each of the repair areas to remove any rust and foreign matter. Each of the corrosion pits were filled with a 17,000 psi high compression strength liquid epoxy called Syntho-Poxy™HC to reconfigure the pitted pipe back to it’s original geometry. With the pipeline back to it’s original geometry, the entire repair length was coated with 30 mils of an anticorrosion, adhesion promoting and load transferring epoxy called Syntho-SubSea™LV.
The two-part epoxy effectively stops any future corrosion from forming under the thermal insulation while also providing a load transfer median engineered to cycle and work with the 1,400 psi (97 bar) design pressure of the pipeline. Within a matter of an hour the corrosion pits were filled and the line was recoated before wrapping the entire repair length with Syntho-Glass®XT, a 54,000 psi (3723 bar) tensile strength fiberglass composite sleeve, which restores the structural integrity of the pipeline.
Result
The areas of metal loss were reinforced, fully restoring the structural integrity of the pipeline back to it’s original design specifications. The composite repair allowed for the pipeline to remain operational while a logistics team is building a new pipeline that will be installed during a scheduled shut down. The Syntho-Glass XT composite repair was completed without the need to shut down pressure throughout the pipeline, thus saving the oil & gas company hundreds of thousands in associated shutdown costs.
