Staying free-flowing

Hydrocarbon pipelines are essential to ensure energy security for many countries around the world. Pipelines play a critical role in meeting the energy needs of households, businesses, and industries by providing a reliable, efficient, and cost-effective means of transporting hydrocarbons.

One of the primary advantages of pipelines is their ability to transport large volumes of hydrocarbons efficiently and safely over long distances. Pipelines offer a more cost-effective way to transport hydrocarbons than other modes of transportation, such as trucks or tankers, which can be more expensive and have higher environmental risks.

To maintain the integrity of these pipelines, regular inspection and maintenance is crucial for ensuring the safe and efficient transportation of oil, gas, and other products. Regular inspections help identify potential issues before they become major issues, preventing integrity threats, and reducing the risk of incidents or environmental damage.

Hot tapping and line stopping

Pipeline hot tapping and line stopping are two critical techniques used for maintenance, repair, and modification of pipelines without interrupting the flow of the product, reducing downtime and increasing efficiency.

Pipeline hot tapping involves cutting a hole into a pressurised pipeline to create a new branch connection without disrupting the flow of the product. The hot tapping process requires specialised equipment and highly skilled technicians to perform the procedure safely and efficiently. Firstly, a split tee is welded onto the pipe (or a mechanical tee is fitted if welding is not possible) and a pressure test is conducted against the parent pipe. A valve is then added, and a drilling machine mounted which has a pressure competent boundary to ensure no unplanned release of pipeline contents during the cut. The cutter is normally a hole cutter with centre pilot drill which acts both as a guide and to retain the pipe coupon.

Line stopping, however, involves stopping the flow of product through a pipeline temporarily. This technique is used to perform maintenance on a short section of the pipeline without depressurising the entire line when incumbent valves are not avail-able or not providing the required level of isolation. During line stopping, a tempo-rary plug is inserted into the pipeline to prevent the flow of product …

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