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Hot Tapping
Pipeline Pigging
PSI - Offshore |
US Toll Free
1-888-839-6766
International
1-918-447-5100
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In November of 2006, a large refinery in the
Lake Charles, Louisiana area was faced with an emergency situation when their lone operating high vacuum separation tower blew out an end cap on its 12-inch cooling line. To compensate for fluid being lost through the rupture, flow rates on the main coolant line had to be increased. The added flow had to provide enough fluid to the 4-inch lateral lines and spray nozzles to sustain an acceptable level of cooling to keep the tower from shutting down entirely. The normal operating temperature for the tower is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. With the breach, internal temperatures rose to 300 degrees and production rates for the tower had to be reduced by 50 percent, resulting in a significant daily revenue loss. The second of two towers was not available for use. The consequence of shutting down the one operational tower to make repairs would result in a much greater revenue loss.
Working directly with the customer, Dave Albertson in TDW Services relayed the need for a creative solution to Senior Engineering Designer Rick Pruett in TDW Pigging Products. Taking details by phone, Rick and the team at TDW Pigging Products designed and built a specialized plugging pig within five working days. To be successful, the custom designed pig had to withstand 300-degree temperatures, negotiate two, back-to-back 45-degree bends, a 90-degree short radius bend at the top of the tower, adjust to thick walled pipe, |
Separator tower
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| then thicker walled pipe, and finally spread to conform to thin walled pipe, plug the rupture and maintain a seal for at least 18 months. |
Also working with the customer, Calvin Schmidt with TDW Services coordinated the movement of equipment and technicians to the project site. The custom pig was shipped over the weekend and arrived on site at the refinery on Monday. The line tap was performed on the second day. Additional challenges were met by highly experienced TDW technicians on site. A TDW 1200 Tapping Machine had to be elevated to a height that was approximately a third of the way up the side of the tower and mounted at a 45-degree angle. The high rate of coolant flow in the 12-inch line could not be stopped or even slowed during the tapping process.
Custom pig proves it can negotiate a 90-degree elbow
| Performing a 45-degree tap into a line flowing at a high rate is perhaps the most difficult tapping procedure a technician faces, much less one that has to be rigged, welded and |
performed at a considerable height. Since the line tapping process took place on the side of the tower, there was no dedicated pig launcher available. The 1200 Tapping Machine was literally transformed into a pig launcher by removing the cutter, adding a special launching adapter to the boring bar and bolting the tapping machine back onto the SANDWICH® valve. When the SANDWICH valve was opened, the custom plugging pig was hand-cranked into the line. Once the pig was inserted, it made its way upward through the 45 and 90-degree bends and plugged the rupture within two minutes. Almost immediately, refinery technicians began to see temperatures drop inside the separation unit. Within an hour, temperatures had dropped approximately 100 degrees. Within three hours, the unit was back to its normal temperature of 120-degrees and became fully operational.
The key to success during this emergency tapping and plugging project for the Louisiana refinery was the ability of TDW engineering to quickly grasp the details and the challenges presented by the problem to be solved and quickly assemble a knowledgeable and experienced in-house team who contributed their considerable insight and abilities on short notice. As a result, the custom plugging pig was fabricated and shipped in record time. Once on site, the custom pig was reconfigured slightly by TDW technicians to accommodate exiting conditions.
For additional information about TDW pigging products and services, call 918-447-5400.
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Custom pig loaded into the 1200 tapping machine and ready to launch
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T.D. Williamson, Inc. continues to provide the most comprehensive hot tapping, plugging and pigging instruction available in compliance with Department of Transportation covered tasks, standards and requirements. Rigorous hands-on training and operator qualification LineMaster™ programs are TDW's commitment
to the industry.
LineMaster Training assists you with ensuring that your technicians are trained at
the highest level available. In our state-of-the-art facilities and with our pressurized simulated pipeline, TDW's LineMaster Training program is an in-depth series of classes designed to fulfill DOT Pipeline Safety Operator Qualification rules. To meet DOT requirements, training programs must include classroom time, written exams and hands-on simulated conditions. TDW's LineMaster Training meets these requirements.
TDW LineMaster Training is the best in the business. The company you've trusted with your piping maintenance needs for more than 80 years has the experience to train your technicians and operators effectively and efficiently.
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March |
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Mechanic Maintenance Training for Hot Tapping & Plugging Equipment
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12-15 |
Tulsa, OK - USA |
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April |
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| T-101 Pipeline Drilling Machine |
3-4 |
Tulsa, OK - USA |
| Hot Tapping & Plugging for High Pressure Transmission Pipeline |
9-12 |
Tulsa, OK - USA |
| Hot Tapping & Plugging for Low Pressure Distribution Pipelines |
16-19 |
Tulsa, OK - USA |
| Mechanic Maintenance Training for Hot Tapping & Plugging Equipment |
23-26 |
Tulsa, OK - USA |
New European Program call:
32-67-28-36-44 |
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Nivelles, Belgium |
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Class Information and Registration Form
For more information, contact TDW at 918-447-5100 or toll-free at 888-839-6766.
Or call your local TDW representative.
New European LineMaster Training Program in Nivelles, Belgium contact Anne.Roberfroid@TDW.be or Call 32-67-28-36-44
Don't forget to visit TDW's booth at upcoming trade shows. We are attending several in the next few months, including:
Please check the entire 2007 show listing on the website.
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