CS-012 High pressure transmission pipeline of natural gas tee reinforcement

Transmission pipelines are widespread. Most of these pipelines you are not aware of, because they are located underground or at the bottom of the sea. Gas and Oil are typical media transported via transmission pipelines. It is crucial to keep these lines in perfect condition as many times high pressure is involved. This infrastructure also includes block valve stations (BVS) at certain distances. Equipment located in these stations need good maintenance. Inspection discovered welded joints on the gas transmission pipeline did show a high-level degradation. Immediate action was required.

Challenge

The repair challenge in this case was to strengthen the affected weld of a reducing tee (from 18- to 2-inch) at a pressure close to 100 bar. Wrapping a normal tee already is a job that needs to be performed by a trained installer. Wrapping a tee with this large difference in diameter requires even more skills. Together with the client we have designed a flower wrap. This case study will provide you with some inside.

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CS-011 Floating roof repair of the crude oil tank

Tank parks are located all over the world. Many of these tanks contain crude oil or derivates of oil. Characteristic for these tanks is the floating roof. This floating roof moves up and down in relation to the volume of the tank. These roofs are subject of corrosion attack. Holes due to corrosion in these roofs need to be fixed for safety reasons.

Challenge

Oil storage tanks are huge and the floating roof of a tank can have a wingspan of tens of meters. Wrapping the complete roof would be a ridiculous task and a very costly operation. Also hot work in these areas is not possible because of the flammable and explosive materials in the tank. In such cases we will perform the repairs by using a combination of plates, to cover the holes glued to the roof itself, and carbon cloth patches. Also here Putty (compressive modulus filler) and Primer are applied prior installing the carbon patches. Preparation of the roof is done by using pneumatic tools to roughen the surface.

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CS-010 Leak repair and pipeline reinforcement at girth weld of DN700 mm oil pipeline

The pipeline operator detected a leak at the girth weld of a carbon steel pipeline operating at working pressure 16 bar. The damaged weld is on an elbow with a reduction from a diameter of 28-inch to 20-inch (reducer).

Challenge

Composite repair materials cannot be installed directly over the leaking pipe. Leaks need to be stopped always before moving on. This case study describes how to stop the leak. Second challenge was the geometry of the wrapping area. Using different width carbon cloth almost every geometry can be wrapped, like in this case the reducer section of the line.

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CS-009 Additional reinforcement of the pipeline diameter of DN530 mm

The operator of the high-pressure crude oil pipeline requested additional protection due to the planned construction of a motorway above this 20-inch line. The pipeline should be strengthened for a length of 40-meters.

Challenge

Wrapping a pipeline of such a diameter for 40 meters is a job that requires good organization. A blasted and clean surface of the pipeline should be wrapped as soon as possible to avoid flash rust. Irregular surfaces will be treated by a Putty, a compressive modulus filler, followed by applying the Primer for an optimal adhesion between the wrap and the pipeline. The process of mixing and setting of these two-component epoxies is irreversible. The surface still needs to be a bit sticky when the impregnated carbon cloth is wrapped around the pipe. The whole process should be performed in steps and the team leader should keep all crew members busy during the installation.

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CS-007 Repairing a carbon-steel pipeline 11 meters above the ground

Repairing a tee using composites needs a special training program. During Level-1 training courses applied by CTE BV applicants will be trained according ISO 24817 and/or ASME PCC-2 standards. If applied correctly the number of layers over the defected area should count 4-8 layers. In this case one of the girth welds needed to be strengthen by applying a carbon fiber and epoxy composite repair. This operation is a very common activity that trained installers perform daily.

Challenge

The particular challenge in this case was working at height and with a High Temperature solution. Access to the repair area was complicated due to the lack of being able to bring in aerial platform equipment. Scaffolding was the only possibility for the installers to save repair the tee. Although the cost for scaffolding and other safety precautions did increase operational costs, the composite repair was preferred above replacing this part of the pipe. Finally the high ROI (Return on Investment) did decide management to carry out the repair.

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CS-008 Repairing dents in an underground carbon-steel pipeline

Dents in transmission pipelines are a common problem that need to be fixed as soon as possible. Dents will make the pipeline in that particular area weaker. There is a chance of crack forming or even creation of a hole if the dents are not properly repaired. CTE BV is working with epoxy composites and carbon fiber cloth to save repair the pipeline. Compressive Modular Filler (CMF) is applied to bring back the dent area in it’s normal shape. The carbon fiber cloth in combination with epoxy composites will bring back the integrity of the pipe after curing. The case study explains how to approach a dent defect in your pipeline. The repair is performed according the standard ISO 24817.

Challenge

The repair has to take place under pressure to push out the dent as much as possible before applying the CMF putty and carbon fiber wrap. Often natural gas pipelines are buried and access is only allowed when the installer did receive a confined space training.

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CS-006 Extending the lifetime of a pipeline with ten years in 48 hours

Flare lines at refineries often suffer from corrosion. These lines are crucial for the refinery as these systems are used for safe disposal of waste gases by burning them under controlled conditions. Imagine the mixture of chemistry these lines face. Very susceptible for corrosion attacks, mainly internally but also external. The often high temperatures of the medium also accelerate corrosion. Blasting, cleaning and wrapping the lines by applying composite materials is a way to extend the lifetime. Composite materials have strong capabilities and it’s a durable and environmentally accepted method for repair. The engineered repair applied can withstand a 100% wall loss situation of a certain diameter.

Challenge

In this particular case blasting the pipe was not an option. The crew had to roughen and clean the flare line sections by hand(tools). In many instances a Bristle Blaster® of Monti may be the solution. Surface preparation is a key part of a successful wrapping project.

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CS-005 Repairing a massive carbon steel pipe within 24 hours

A small leak under a metal sleeve at a 28” pipe is a problem and requests a fast and proper solution. The size of the sleeve basically would be considered as the defected area which required a repair of a reasonable size. By dropping the pressure in the pipeline the small leak was stopped and contained. Immediately after the leak was stopped the engineered carbon fiber epoxy based system was applied covering the sleeve and surrounding pipe area. The multi-layer carbon fiber solution will last for many years.

Challenge

The timeframe between starting preparation of the 100 kg repair kit, shipping from the Netherlands to Croatia, installing the wrap and curing of the epoxy was roughly 24 hours.

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CS-004 Reinforcing tee joints at a Refinery

Reinforcement of straight pipes, elbow, tees and other geometry by applying the engineered carbon fiber epoxy system provided by CTE BV. This way of repairing pipes at petrochemical plants and/or off-shore platforms saves the client many millions of Euros. Besides an attractive ROI (Return On Investment) this way of repair is also environmentally sound and sustainable. In many cases the carbon fiber wrap will last the lifetime of the pipe.

Challenge

Fast delivery of reliable materials to support the certified installers.

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