14" Crude Oil Line
Aggressive galvanic corrosion caused serious wall loss at multiple pipe touchpoints as well as damage to the concrete supports along a primary crude oil feed pipe to a facility. Risks of loss of containment in several places meant the plant faced the possibility of a shutdown if not addressed.
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Inspection of the 14” crude line identified 17 major findings (wall loss of >50% net wall thickness) and 10 minor findings (wall loss <50% net wall thickness).
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183 touchpoints were lifted and serviced in just 6 weeks using 30 Ovolifts jacks and a crew of 6 technicians. Providing access to multiple touchpoints provided continuous access for crews to perform remedial work.
A pipe stress analysis was conducted to determine allowable pipe bending profiles.
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Due to the risk of loss of containment, all break away lifts were done remotely using hydraulics which ensured all personnel could stand at a safe distance. After performing the breakaway lift, safety crews inspected the touchpoints to verify containment before work was allowed to continue.
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Providing access for maintenance using conventional equipment such as cranes or chain-blocks would have been costly and unsafe, especially on this live pipe which had substantial wall losses.
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All major findings were mitigated by installing a reinforced composite wrap and a wear pad. All other touchpoints that did not have external corrosion issues were protected against future corrosion of the pipe by just installing a wear pad.
