Gas Distribution - Gas Pipeline in Coari-Urucu, Amazonas
Customer Situation
Valve Repair Needed in Remote Jungle Location – An LPG terminal located in the Amazonas region of Brazil’s Amazon Jungle is responsible for the largest LPG production in the country (approximately 4 million cubic meters), supplying the north and northeast regions of Brazil. The station’s launcher and receiver was faced with a problem and repairs to the line were needed. The customer hired a contractor to make repairs but to achieve success, it would first be necessary to block the passage of gas. Production could only be stopped for 36 hours during the repair process. Due to the customer’s terminal location, all equipment had to be transported via ferry on the Solimões River, a distance of 460km from the nearest harbor, requiring four full days of river travel.
TDW Solution
Hot Tapping & Plugging – Hot Tapping and STOPPLE® equipment was used to plug the pipeline near the launcher and receiver to stop gas flow. Two STOPPLE plugging operations performed in severely hot and humid Amazon Jungle weather allowed TDW Brazil to guarantee the isolation of the launcher and receiver. Working on his own, the contractor would not have been able to make necessary repairs within the 36-hour timeframe. TDW Brazil plugging service was crucial for the success of the operation. The line stops remained in place for 30 hours after which both plugging heads were removed. This was the first opportunity for TDW to perform services in this remote part of the country.
Customer Benefit
Cost Savings, Uninterrupted Service and Quality Guarantee – The customer relied on quality TDW service to guarantee the effective plugging of the line. Had it not been for TDW’s Hot Tapping & Plugging services, the customer would have had to release roughly 50,000m3 of gas into the atmosphere, causing serious environmental damage, which in turn would have resulted in significant financial loss and high penalty costs. TDW made it possible for the customer to make repairs within the required timeframe.
