Pipeline and isolation specialist STATS Group has launched the SureTap® Plug, the first dual seal completion plug engineered to maintain Double Block and Bleed (DBB) isolation throughout the entire hot tapping and line stopping activity in the field.
The new technology addresses a long-recognised critical vulnerability at the final stage of hot tapping operations, where conventional completion plugs rely on a single O-ring seal that cannot be tested or verified under modern DBB safety criteria before temporary valves are removed.
It will be launched this week at the Pipeline Pigging & Integrity Management Exhibition and Conference in Houston, Texas.
While operators routinely establish fully tested DBB isolation during hot tapping and line stopping, that protection is typically not available at completion of the hot tap fitting. The inability to confirm seal integrity under modern DBB safety criteria or independently validate plug positioning has led to serious safety incidents in the pipeline industry.
The SureTap Plug has been developed to eliminate this risk by introducing true DBB capability at completion. The plug features two independent compression seals with a testable intermediate annulus, allowing operators to verify both seal integrity and validate/correct plug positioning before removing temporary valves.
STATS' innovative approach fundamentally changes completion plug design by introducing true double block and bleed capability to the final stage of hot tapping operations and addresses long-standing completion safety concerns, while improving operational efficiency across the entire hot tapping workflow.
Angus Bowie, STATS Group Chief Technology Officer, said: "Operators invest in robust double block and bleed isolation during hot tapping and line stopping, only to accept a single, unverifiable barrier at completion. This contradiction has persisted because no alternative existed - until now.
The hydraulically actuated plug incorporates multiple mechanical fail-safes. Internal lock segments must fully engage with a machined groove in the completion flange and a compression prevention plate ensures seals cannot activate unless the plug is correctly positioned with locks fully engaged. As a result, it is impossible to create differential pressure across the plug without all safety mechanisms being correctly engaged and verified.
Sealing performance is significantly improved over conventional O-ring designs due to the seal profile and increased surface contact area, providing reliable isolation even on imperfect fitting flange inner diameters damaged during hot tapping operations.
The SureTap Plug meets IMCA double block and bleed requirements for subsea diver safety and is suitable for use on hydrocarbons, hydrogen and high-pressure liquid CO2 piping systems.
In addition to enhanced safety, the SureTap Plug offers practical operational benefits including a reduced diameter design which allows flow around the plug during deployment, eliminating the need for bypass check valves.
Seals are protected during insertion and can pass through standard valve bores, while an optional dedicated hydraulic launcher allows hot tap machines to be demobilised earlier, reducing equipment hire time and costs.
With a minimum 25-year design life, the SureTap Plug is also suitable for permanent abandonment applications on aging assets, and it is compatible with standard hot tap machines and does not require proprietary deployment procedures or special licensing.
Angus Bowie added: "The launch of the SureTap Plug represents a fundamental shift in completion plug philosophy, bringing the final stage of hot tapping operations into line with the isolation standards already applied throughout the rest of the process.
"Our new plug leverages decades of experience developing high-integrity pipeline isolation tools. The dual seal design follows the same fundamental principles that have made STATS' Tecno Plug and BISEP technologies the industry standard for double block and bleed isolation."
STATS Group will showcase its BISEP line stop and Tecno Plug inline isolation technology at the Pipeline Pigging & Integrity Management Exhibition and Conference in Houston from 19 - 22 January, exhibiting at booth 613.