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Mechanical Damage

Third-party Damage is a leading  cause of damage to pipelines resulting in damage such as dents, cracks, gouges, etc. This damage, if not addressed, can lead to eventual failure of the pipeline.

TDW offers a full suite of solutions to help pipeline owners and operators find, assess, and repair mechanical damage.

In the Gas Transmission industry, these services enable operators to:

  • Ensure the pipeline is clean prior to deploying any inline inspections.
  • Inspect the pipeline and provide details of any integrity concerns.
  • Pinpoint damage and prioritize any repairs.
  • Restore the pipeline to operating condition.
  • Save time and money through minimally invasive technologies.
  • Avoid bleeding down the entire pipeline.
  • Quickly and safely mitigate risk to personnel and the environment.

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    Pigging assists Gas Transmission operators in assessing non-emergency mechanical damage by cleaning the in-service or out-of-service pipeline prior to evaluation. Cleaning prior to inline inspection (ILI) improves data capture and provides the most accurate information about necessary repairs. 

    As isolation operations are often necessary to facilitate the repair of mechanical damage, pigging prior to the isolation is essential to success. By removing built-up liquids, contaminants, and deposits on the pipe wall, operators can help ensure first-time success and a flawless isolation for a quicker turnaround and less downtime. 

    • VANTAGE® V cleaning pig – Remove both hard, crust-like and soft, gummy deposits, as well as ferrous materials.
    • WCK cleaning pig – Removes contaminants and deposits that increase resistance to flow.
    • REDSKIN™ foam pig – Used for light cleaning; one version incorporates a urethane cleaning wrap with bypass groove that effectively removes paraffin and other soft deposits that could lead to corrosion.
    • UNISPHERE™ pig – Provides heavy-duty removal of liquid hydrocarbons and water from pipelines and piping systems.

    Technical assistance is available from TDW subject matter experts for special circumstances or if the path to a solution requires consultation.

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    Using advanced inline inspection (ILI) technology to detect and characterize dents and other damage with a high degree of accuracy, TDW helps Gas Transmission operators optimize the number of inspection runs and unnecessary excavations, saving time while lowering operational risks and costs.

    • Multiple Dataset (MDS) platform – Combines multiple technologies to generate comprehensive, critical information in a single tool run. Utilizes all available technologies to detect and prioritize interactive threats associated with third party damage.
    • SpirALL® Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) – Using a unique sensor/magnetizer configuration, guided ultrasonic (sound) waves are transmitted into the pipe wall through direct contact, allowing EMAT to inspect natural gas and liquids pipelines. If there is axial cracking caused by third party damage, EMAT collects data related to axial cracking (i.e., Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC), Hydrogen Induced Corrosion (HIC), fatigue cracks, etc.) and correlates those results with MDS.
    • Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) – High resolution technology detects and sizes volumetric corrosion features such as metal loss in dents, optimized for liquids pipelines.
    • Gas magnetic flux leakage (GMFL) – High resolution technology detects and sizes volumetric corrosion features such as metal loss in dents, optimized for natural gas pipelines.
    • Deformation (DEF) technology – High resolution geometry inspection detects minute bore reductions.
    • XYZ Mapping (XYZ) – Supplies highly accurate location information about every defect reported by pairing global positioning system (GPS) coordinates with inertial mapping.

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    TDW provides non-destructive in-ditch assessment of internal and external damage, from localized areas up to entire joint lengths. Through its suite of non-destructive evaluation technologies, TDW helps Gas Transmission operators determine if a dent or other damage contains cracking, and provides highly accurate direct and indirect measurements of pipeline anomalies to assist in addressing issues before they become critical. 

    • Phased array – An advanced ultrasonic inspection used to detect and size planar anomalies, such as cracks and crack-like features. This evaluation allows for permanent documentation of acquired data for anomaly growth monitoring.
    • Conventional shear wave ultrasound – Detects and sizes planar anomalies, such as cracks and crack-like features, that are perpendicular to the pipe wall.
    • Digital depth pit gauge – Measures external pipe anomalies, detecting corrosion and other flaws.
    • Automated laser profilometry – Determines corrosion depths on large external sections of pipeline and provides fast, accurate data on corrosion damage and deformations. Provides permanent documentation.

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    In the Gas Transmission market, where pipeline shutdown often is not an option, TDW offers safe and efficient hot tapping and plugging (HT&P) solutions for a wide array of pipeline defects and maintenance challenges, from dents to corrosion to valve failure.

    The HT&P process incorporates a high pressure pipeline fitting, valve, tapping machine, and isolation equipment – all working together to provide a safe and proven isolation solution. Once the area of pipeline that needs work has been safely isolated and evacuated, the line modification can be performed.

    TDW isolation technology plays a critical role in this process, and a temporary bypass allows work to be performed without the need to stop product flow. The TDW STOPPLE® Train isolation system, for example, uses double block and bleed technology to help increase efficiency and safety during pipeline modification. This approach to line isolation, which only requires a single pipeline tap, reduces costs associated with fittings, valves, welding and inspection services. The bleed port affixed on the line ensures that any product that bypasses the first seal is contained and evacuated through the bleed port, which helps operators better protect people and the environment.

    Whether operators purchase equipment to perform their own HT&P jobs or turn to TDW to execute the service for them, they can rely on the company’s broad line of equipment and consumables. TDW application engineers are recognized industry experts, ready to assist operators through each project phase – from start to finish.

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