The Way Line Stopping Is Done in the Industry

Allied Pipe Freezing has been in service since 1994 and in the last several years it has stayed committed to high levels of service and delivery of efficient and cost effective solutions irrespective of the size of the project. The company owes its success to very high levels of technical expertise and professionalism that they employ to great effect in every commission.

And, following closely on its commitments is the technology that they deploy to accomplish their projects. As we have mentioned elsewhere about the applicability of the process of Line Stopping, there are very few industries in the world that uses pipes which can’t be serviced with Line Stopping. Line Stopping and the processes that are used therein is perfect for a wide range of materials, viz: Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Cast / Ductile Iron, Pressurised Concrete Cylinder Pipe, Reinforced Concrete Pipe, Alloys, PVC & Polyethylene to name a few.

Like every tech-intensive processes we know of, Line Stopping begins with planning, proceeds to implementation of the solution and finally to review of what has been delivered.

Attention to project planning is essential in the first phase of every LineStopping project. Allied Pipe Freezing will perform a thorough review of your specific hot tapping application by an experienced and qualified technician to insure a safe and successful implementation in the field. The process starts with a valve which is mounted to the hot tap fitting outlet and the assembly is pressure tested prior to performing the operation. That done, the engineer will drill or bore an opening into the pressurized system, without shut-down, or spilling of the content inside, when everything has been done, the equipment are withdrawn and the valve is closed – thereby completing the process.

Pipe freezing – Sometimes it is Necessary

Pipes freezing are not a good thing to happen. It creates all sort of different problems that are not just limited to discontinuation of water supply, you have countless other problems at hand that has to be solved, in short, freezing of pipes is not usually a good thing unless you deliberately want it and pay a professional company to help you freeze supply pipelines. The nuclear facilities, underground and mechanical contractors, municipalities, and refineries all need freezing services sooner or later during their operations.

The oil and natural gas industry is among a few industries that depend on a network of pipelines for their work to keep moving without any interruption and for that they depend on services like Pipe Freezing which essentially is a way to repair pipes without shutting down operations, the liquid inside can stay intact and there is no need to remove the ingredients before undertaking repairs.

How Pipes freezing is done?
 

An effective means of system isolation, freeze plugs are developed within the pipe system through the application of CO2 or liquid nitrogen. The cryogenic process begins with heat being drawn from the product inside the pipe until it reaches a temperature below its freeze point.  Once that is done the subsequent phases of freezing continues. You can insert a new valve, make a new branch connection or modify your piping system with no system downtime.

Whenever you are faced with a no shutdown piping situation, let a Freezing Pipe expert’s decades of commitment to excellence get your job done right.

Common Hazards Associated With Pipe Freezing

Hot tap into valves on wellheads, tubing, trees, and on almost any application needed, with no interruption of service. Pre-planning for the job includes evaluation, procedure, equipment and safety measures because the job is not without its hazards. Risks and hazards extend beyond injury to technicians in some serious cases; Freezing Pipe incidents can lead to product loss, emissions or disruption of service to customers. What are these incidents that have been known to disrupt services and lead to loses?

Physical injuries

As in any workplace that deals with metallic objects, technicians working in a hot tapping environment are vulnerable to the physical risks of falls and trips, accidents that are caused by heavy objects falling on the feet among many other things. These can be easily avoided with a little care and adherence to workplace guides put in place by work safety and care governmental organizations. Debris flying from solid parts can very easily enter the eye or nose of a technician. Apart from that there are other hazards as well. 

Burns caused by exposure to high temperatures
 

Hot metal parts or the heat emanating from the hole-saw is enough to cause serious scalding on the skin and despite protective gear a Pipe Freezing technician may be exposed to hazards of burns if they position themselves too close to the source of heat. In very serious cases, sparks flying from welding devices have been known to catch fire. Hot chunks of metal that get caught up in clothes can cause a fire. Rolled up sleeves and frayed clothes are even at a higher risk of catching fire.

Live repairs to In-service pipelines

Mechanical damage and corrosion is part of every mechanical process and sooner than later, there will be a time when the mechanical system will develop faults and require repair. It must be noted that stopping operations and getting everything back online take time and often culminates in lost time and effort, something not too desirable for time-critical industries such as gas and oil, hence the process of Pipeline Tapping.

Pipeline Tapping is relevant for jobs where the work cannot be halted at all. The risks of opening up pipelines when they are under steam and live are several. In worst cases, it can lead to the air being contaminated with poisonous greenhouse gases. To minimize the risk and keep risk of seepage under control, Pipeline Tapping is the most reliable solution. With the help of this technique costly shutdowns can be averted.

5 Fundamentals to Note about Pipeline Tapping

• Pipeline Tapping should not be considered for routine maintenance.  There are other faster and economically viable alternatives that should be considered before Pipeline Tapping. 

• The task is very technical and requires the expertise of the right people for the job to go through without any untoward happening in site, and most importantly to get operations back online in as short a time as possible.  Hire a talented crew for the job. 

• Concerns of health issues arising from Pipeline Tapping and effect on the metallurgical resources must be addressed by getting a proper plan approved ahead of time to mitigate accidents and unplanned delays.

• Pressure of the ingredients within the pipe must be contained with of adequate thickness or risk leakages. Which means new section that is to be added to the repaired pipeline must be of the same thickness as the one replaced. 

• Proper replacement is of critical importance in Hot Tapping Pipelines. Using anything less than anything approved for the job will invite mishaps.

Pipe Tapping – The Secret behind Maintenance Work Carried Out On Live Pipelines

Imagine the mess a leaking sewage pipeline will create if it is left unattended for weeks at end! In thickly packed urban areas in the UK where sewage lines from every single household converges into one large sewage pipeline, maintenance workers cannot risk such disasters to happen. Preemptive measures are taken in order to mitigate disaster situations. You might have seen maintenance workers going working on pipelines and wondered what actually went on behind the scenes. Well, here is a glimpse into what happens when maintenance workers carry out what they call Pipeline Tapping.

Putting a cork on the pressure

Actually, the very first thing that happens in pipeline tapping is cutting a hole through the hard shell of the pipeline. This allows for tools to be inserted through the hole that helps in controlling the pressure within. What this does it makes it quite possible to manipulate the pressure acting along the pipeline, letting workers plan out their work better without causing any disruptions.

One continuous process

Everything in pipeline tapping is one single process that begins with the pilot bit cutting through the pipe shell and ends with the removal of the coupon (section of the pipe that is cut and removed). When the cutter has done its job, subsequent phases of the process is carried out. Adding new pipelines or removing a redundant section can be easily done with pipe tapping. So effective are the methods of Pipeline Isolation that it can be safely and effectively used for pipes that are on the surface as well as those that are under water.

Pipe freezing – the magic of liquid nitrogen

Freezing pipe or pipe freezing is a much-used pipeline service technique, wherein the content of the pipeline system is freezed with the help of liquid nitrogen. This leads to the formation of the ice plugs, which then allow the maintenance work, without incurring the costs and down time of a complete system drain out.

The procedure is non-intrusive in nature, and involves isolating a short section of the affected pipeline. However, the procedure can be performed by only skilled men. Here are the major advantages of freezing pipe procedure:

• No need for drainage, venting or refilling
• Pipe freezing can be applied on all the popular pipe materials and pipes containing a wide range of liquids
• Environmentally friendly solution
• Safe and cost effective

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Under the procedure, the skilled men cover the pipeline with a jacket, and then liquid nitrogen is introduced into the jacket so as to freeze the content of the pipeline. Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of - 196°C, which quite effectively solidifies the content, and let the workmen complete their work.

As of now, there are many companies that provide freezing pipe and other pipeline maintenance services at affordable charges. With Google search, you can find out a lot about these companies, and land on their websites to get to know more about their offerings, and which one would make more sense to your specific business requirements. 
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Make pipeline repairs easy with line stopping services

Do you work in the maintenance department of an oil exploration company? If yes, there are chances that you might come across different complex situations where find no ways other than pausing the entire line flow. In such situations, Line stopping services are of great help as they allow engineers to carry out maintenance or other tasks without the need to disrupt the existing flow in the pipe. In technical language, it is a mechanical method of creating a temporary isolation in a live main, where some flow exists and thus cannot be frozen, or a complete shutdown is not an option.

There are several advantages associated with line stopping and it ensures easy work on a live pipeline without creating the chances of a total shutdown or major disruption to services. Another advantage with this process is that this process can be carried out on a range of materials such as Steel, Cast Iron, Ductile Iron, Copper, Stainless Steel, Plastics and Cement Asbestos.

The most typical way to add any section onto a live pipe is to cut and weld a new joint. But with this revolutionary service, there won’t be any issue of total shutdown which could make a serious impact to your business.