®

Making the Impossible

Possible

V O L . V I , N O . 2 | A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 1 4

® Registered trademark of T.D. Wil l iamson, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. ™ Trademark of T.D. Wil l iamson, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. © Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. T.D. Williamson, Inc.

Quality runs deep.

Scan with your smartphone for a demonstration.

North & South America +1 832 448 7200

Europe / Africa / Middle East +47 5144 3240

Asia Pacific +65 6364 8520

To learn more about the Subsea 1200RC Tapping Machine or our

entire line of Offshore Service solutions, contact your nearest

TDW representative or visit www.tdwilliamson.com.

with the Subsea 1200RC Tapping Machine from TDW.

Remote operation enables subsea access, reduces diver dependency and speeds execution.

Compact and lightweight for easy handling in adverse conditions.

Performs from shallow depths down to 3,000 meters (9,842 feet).

Topside laptop control ensures total visibility for optimal accuracy and efficiency.

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with the Subsea 1200RC Tapping Machine from TDW.

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2 | EXECUTIVE OUTLOOKFrom the Land, to the Sea.

4 | GLOBAL PERSPECTIVEPipeline challenges meet pipeline solutions.

6 | TECHNOLOGY FOCUS Locked In: Offshore isolations for smaller diameter lines.

8 | SAFETY MATTERSSeeing all the pieces when it matters most.

10 | FUTURE THINKINGPlaying catch-up when product demand outpaces service capability.

12 | MARKET REPORT Working in Isolation: From valve repair to construction zones.

20 | TOUCHPOINTSPipeline events, papers and conferences.

28 | BY THE NUMBERSOffshore pigging in 4 phases.

14 | Cover Story: Raising LimaWith a sinking platform and more than 5 million customers at stake, global mobilization and new technology save the day.

22 | The Power of UnityWhether working in the Gulf of Mexico or the North Sea, at shallow depths or great, operators must partner to overcome common issues.

D E P A R T M E N T S

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jim Myers MorganMANAGING EDITOR Waylon SummersART DIRECTOR Joe AntonacciDESIGN PRODUCTION Kat Eaton, Mullerhaus.netDIGITAL PRODUCTION Jim Greenway, Ward MankinPHOTOGRAPHY Douglas Barnes, Adam Murphy, Ezequiel ScagnettiCOVER STORY ILLUSTRATIONS Patrick Gnan, represented by Deborah Wolfe, LTD.

T.D. WilliamsonNorth and South America +1 918 447 5000Europe/Africa/Middle East +32 67 28 3611Asia Pacific +65 6364 8520Offshore Services +47 5144 3240info@tdwilliamson.com | www.tdwilliamson.com

Want to share your perspective on anything in our magazine?Send us an e-mail: Innovations@tdwilliamson.com

V O L . V I , N O . 2 | A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 1 4

Innovations™ is a quarterly publication produced by T.D. Williamson.

®Registered trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. ™ Trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries.© Copyright 2014. All rights reserved by T.D. Williamson, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in the United States of America.

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Look around at one of the technologies you interact with – your cellphone, tablet, touchscreen monitor. Now ask yourself where it came from – not guessing which country in which it was manufactured, but how it actually came into being. Who dreamt it up? Or what drove its creation? Chances are, the origin of several of your gadgets, or at least their respective components, can be traced back to one world altering event – the global military conflict of the early 1940s.

Although many of the technological advancements of that time were directly related to combat efforts, such as developments in heavy weaponry, aircraft and naval vessels, there were many less overtly celebrated breakthroughs in supporting fields like electronics, communications and industrial technology – including … momentous advancements in the transportation of hydrocarbons.

Consider the first subsea pipeline, constructed in the UK in 1942. This engineering feat was a test of the Allied ability to run pipelines in the English Channel, which ultimately supported troops following the Normandy landing in 1944. Although the energy industry didn’t take immediate advantage of this technology, the inevitable advance toward commercial subsea development had begun.

Around this same time, T.D. Williamson was recruited into the pipeline business – via what became a pigging project – to support the war effort. As a result of the immediate and intense international need for more oil and gas, TDW experienced its first era of accelerated onshore research and development growth.

For the next 60 years, TDW focused on solving the increasingly complex challenges of onshore operators, developing a portfolio that covers nearly every aspect of pipeline service. But near the turn of the millennium, increasing offshore demand for equivalent expertise and services compelled TDW to look to the sea.

Already a global company, with manufacturing facilities and service centers throughout the world, TDW was well positioned to meet offshore operators where they were. Of particular value were its strategic hubs in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea. From these hubs TDW began engineering a new wave of offshore pipeline solutions, helping operators manage risk, optimize throughput and extend asset life.

So, the next time you pore over a platform’s Piping and

BY MIKE BENJAMINSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT –

MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY, T.D. WILLIAMSON

E X E C U T I V E O U T L O O K

From the Land, to the Sea

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Instrumentation Diagram (PID), isolate a dropped object zone during construction, or plan the replacement of an emergency shutdown valve, you’ll know where that technology was born, and what drove its existence. You’ll also know that TDW will be right there with you, continuing to invest

in processes and technologies to help manage and reduce risk in offshore operations, effectively helping you reach farther, wider and progressively deeper.

And that’s what this issue of Innovations™ magazine is about. We hope you find great value in it and enjoy the experience.

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Automation is Key To increase the efficient control of both the volume and flow of natural gas liquids into its processing plant, a provider in Ohio invested in its second 24” x 30” SmartTrap® Automated Combo Pigging System, replete with accompanying infield service. In addition to significantly reducing the manpower requirements associated with the daily pigging of its 24” trunk line, the automated launcher will lessen wear and tear on its 24” valves, minimize employee exposure to hazardous environments, and reduce the escape of “unaccounted for natural gas” from closure openings.

Increase in Eagle Ford One of the top 10 producers in the Eagle Ford shale play has recently maximized the throughput of its extensive small diameter gathering system by adopting a progressive pigging and integrity management program provided by TDW. Following thorough cleaning of its 6", 8", 10" and 12" lines with progressively more aggressive pigs, the operator is now reaping the benefits of maximized flow and more acccurate data from its DEF and MFL integrity inspection runs.

INDIA USA

Forces of Nature A submerged 30" gas pipeline ruptured due to strong floodwater currents following heavy rains and was forced through 5 to 8 meters of river bottom, shooting nearly 30 meters above the water level. The operator was forced to shut down the line. However, TDW was able to mitigate the loss by quickly creating a bypass to allow product to flow within just 5 weeks.

GlobalPerspective

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CANADA COLOMBIA

A Better UnderstandingSeveral of Canada’s pipeline operators recently convened in Toronto for a three-day integrity conference hosted by TDW. In addition to a keynote address by Gonzalo Juarez, Senior Manager – Integrity Strategy & Risk, Enbridge Gas Distribution, operators received training on the Multiple Dataset Platform, EMAT Crack Detection, Data Analysis and Nondestructive Examination – including an in-depth look at Positive Material Identification (PMI). The training concluded with a tour of the Enbridge Gas Distribution, Training & Operations Center.

NORWAY

Isolate and Accomplish A liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer in Sarawak is planning to replace several valves on its 36" offshore trunk line. To accomplish the safe isolations needed to perform this maintenance, TDW has been retained to provide the operator with its non-intrusive SmartPlug® isolation tool technology. In 2009, the operator successfully performed an almost identical scope of work on another of its trunk lines.

GlobalPerspective Pressurized Pipeline Solutions From Around the World

MALAYSIA

>>

Emergency ResponseOne of the country’s largest producers is securing its safe operating future by filling in the remaining gaps of its Emergency Pipeline Repair System (EPRS). To round out preparedness on its class-900 liquid pipeline network, the company recently acquired additional hot tapping equipment and attended advanced operator training at the TDW Colombia facility.

Well PreparedMany offshore operators have been investing in greater safety through Emergency Pipeline Repair Systems (EPRS). In essence, EPRS means pre-investment in emergency repair solutions and associated hardware BEFORE a failure occurs – to increase response capability, lessen environmental impact, and reduce downtime. As part of a Master Service Agreement with TDW, a major US based E&P company has recently secured storage and maintenance for two 34" clamps and access to TDW’s remote controlled subsea hot tapping machine, the Subsea 1200RC.

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6

T E C H N O L O G Y F O C U S

Locked In:Offshore Isolations

Companies that create technology are always working on the next big idea.

Often, innovation originates from breakthrough, whiz-bang, lightning-strikes thinking.

But sometimes, instead of a revolution, an evolution will do just fine.And sometimes, that evolution begins with a little prompting from

the marketplace.Such is the case with the hydraulic locking capabilities of the

tetherless, remote-controlled SmartPlug® isolation system. Evolving versions of this non-invasive plugging technology have been isolating offshore pipelines for more than 20 years. SmartPlug tools, designed by pipeline service provider T.D. Williamson (TDW), remotely isolate and stop product flow to a designated area of the pipeline so that maintenance, repair or tie-ins can be performed in a safe, inert environment.

A key component of the system is its ability to hydraulically lock into place during isolation in a lower pressure line. This locking mechanism supplements, or can even replace, pipeline pressure differential to more securely hold the isolation tool in place.

Without hydraulic lock capabilities, and in the case of a substantial drop in pipeline pressure, the differential pressure across the plug could diminish to a point that the tool could naturally begin unsetting. This would cause both the pipeline operator and service provider to take immediate corrective action, resulting in delays and wasted time and money, potentially jeopardizing the whole operation. But hydraulic locking capabilities provide an additional level of safety and security, allowing the tool to maintain the isolation regardless of pressure changes within the pipeline.

“Hydraulic lock capability greatly increases safety during pipeline isolation,” Gary Anderson, Director of SmartPlug Technology, explains.

“By continuing to expand the locking function across all sizes of the tool, operators will ultimately benefit from the same safeguards and risk mitigation, regardless of the diameter of their line.”

Hydraulic Locking a NecessitySmartPlug tools come in a variety of sizes – for every pipeline diameter from 8 inches to 48 inches, there’s a unique, specific isolation tool with a proprietary intelligent control system to match. Offshore operators who had experience using the SmartPlug tool in larger diameter pipelines

asked TDW to add hydraulics to the control system for use in their smaller diameter lines. According to Anderson, not only do operators see the technology as desirable, some believe it’s a necessity.

Anderson cites an example of an operator working in the Gulf of Mexico who sees hydraulic locking capabilities as a requisite part of its plugging operation.

“For this operator, the hydraulic locking capability is a ‘must-have’ safety feature,” Anderson says. “The client needs to isolate a smaller diameter pipeline, but the previous control system for this particular size of SmartPlug tool didn’t yet have the ability to hydraulically lock the tool in place.”

This need expedited the introduction of the next generation of control module that will bring the tool within the client’s operating guidelines and provide the requisite level of safety and redundancy.

All SmartPlug control systems are operated topside by laptop computer. The system uses extremely low frequency technology to enable communication so the operator can send commands and receive real-time, two-way, through-wall data about plug, pipeline and other key conditions.

The newest control module continues to expand

the locking options for operators of smaller diameter lines. But, regardless of diameter, operators continue to rely on the DNV-certified, double block safety of the SmartPlug® isolation system.

Risk is defined by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) as, “the

qualitative or quantitative likelihood of an accidental or

unplanned event occurring, considered in conjunction with

the potential consequences of such a failure. In quantitative

terms, risk is the quantified probability of a defined failure

mode times its quantified consequence.”

The SmartPlug isolation system provides operators with

options for self-locking technology in high pressure lines

and hydraulic locking for use in low pressure. Both choices

provide a double-block method to greatly reduce risk, as

every SmartPlug tool receives a Type Approval Certificate from

DNV, confirming compliance with DNV-OS-F101 standards.

Certification includes a detailed Failure Mode, Effects, and

Criticality Analysis study based on a Fault Tree Analysis.

Doubling Risk Reduction

SmartPlug® isolation technology featuring hydraulic locking in low pressure lines

S A F E T Y M AT T E R S

In the summer of 2013, an offshore oil and gas operator needed to isolate a large diameter subsea pipeline. Although the company had performed basically the same operation on the same line just a few years earlier – utilizing SmartPlug® isolation technology to double block and seal the line – this was not a simple case of procedural “copy and paste.”

Following recent catastrophic events, operators have become even more conscious of process safety risk, gaining a heightened sensitivity to low-frequency, high-potential consequence operations. And as a tribute to an industry in constant search of safer operations, the mindset has shifted toward a more customized and comprehensive approach, even for routine maintenance.

It’s not just operators that have changed their outlook in recent years. Pipeline service companies are taking a new approach to how they do business, as well. Service companies have been traditionally very tool or singular service-centric. They know hot tapping or pigging, Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) or hydrostatic testing. Ask them about inline inspection or cutter repair, and they could write a white paper. But ask them to leverage their expertise to create a well-rounded risk-mitigation plan, and they’d likely tell you that wasn’t in their wheelhouse.

This operation was going to break tradition. This time, hazard identification, risk assessment, and Hazard and Operability review (HAZOP) meetings were no longer the other guy’s job. This time, big-picture risk was everyone’s job.

T.D. Williamson (TDW), the service company that provides

Seeing All the PIECES

“The P&ID diagrams are highly technical, so learning

how to read them is like learning a different language.

Without that understanding, we can’t effectively engage

in high-level risk discussions. We’d be too tool-centric and

not environment-centric.”

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SmartPlug technology, was involved in planning meetings from the start. For the project, they worked through various scenarios and emergencies: How will communication work? How will the diving control center on the vessel get information on the status of the isolation? What’s considered a sound isolation, and what should be done if something does not meet the criteria?

The collaborative planning proved to be worth it.After the technicians deployed and activated the

SmartPlug tools on each side of the target area, one of the seals wasn’t keeping the pressure consistent enough. While the pressure was in normal range, it did not seal to the operator’s unique requirements. These project-specific limits were specifically designed to provide additional diver safety during the operation.

Now, the teams had the ability to follow the established contingency plan. They quickly pulled the plug and replaced it with a backup plug at another location in the pipeline, which worked. Due to the pre-planning, the teams didn’t need to stop and develop a response to the setback.

A New Mode of OperationSome service companies are taking their involvement in risk assessment and planning one step farther. For example, at TDW, technicians receive specific training aimed at getting them to see things from the operator’s perspective. In the training, engineers teach technicians how to read the P&ID (called either a Piping and Instrumentation Diagram or a Process and Instrumentation Diagram, depending on the company) and to analyze and

understand the full environment surrounding the isolation operation, not just in relation to the particular tool.

By thinking beyond how the tool operates, to how it impacts and is impacted by what’s happening on the platform or facility where the isolation is taking place, the technicians are better prepared to consult operators in the project planning phases.

Larry Ryan, Director of SmartPlug Operations for TDW, says this new way of doing business isn’t always easy, but it’s certainly worth it. “The P&ID diagrams are highly technical, so learning how to read them is like learning a different language. But with this added knowledge, our technicians can sit in the HAZOPs and discuss what would happen if things don’t go exactly as planned. They can’t do that unless they can understand the diagrams. Without that understanding, we can’t effectively engage in high-level risk discussions. We’d be too tool-centric and not environment-centric.”

Cool-headed DecisionsWhen service company personnel and operator staff share knowledge from day one, the team as a whole is better equipped to handle situations that arise and keep a cool head when things don’t go correctly.

“When you’re offshore, and you’ve got your whole field shut down on a huge pipeline and infrastructure, time is not your friend,” Ryan said.

“So the last thing you want to do is make decisions in the heat of the moment. You want to make them in the cold light of day when everyone is sitting around onshore, before anything happens.”

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F U T U R E T H I N K I N G

Deepwater, Black Gold RushToday’s gold rush is a “black” one, but in California, circa 1848, when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, on the banks of the South Fork American River, it was the color of the sun. Word of riches, ripe for the taking, spread like wildfire. Within a year, a mass pilgrimage of would-be prospectors fueled by million-dollar dreams braved the journey west to make their fortunes.

But even as the Forty-niners staked their claims, the voracious appetite for gold quickly outstripped the original miners’ modest means for recovering it. By the 1850s, mining technology had evolved from “placer” mining with simple pans, to diverting entire rivers into elaborate sluices, and finally, to surface methods that utilized high-pressure hydraulic blasting hoses, and “hard-rock” or quartz mining underground.

While these new methods were vastly more efficient than previous ones, at the

Playing Catch-Up When Product Demand Outpaces Service Capability

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

time, little thought was given to either short-term safety issues, or the long-term consequences on the health of the people or the land they impacted. History marks this era of rapacious growth as a cautionary tale for others attempting to harvest resources from deep beneath the surface of the Earth.

As operators probe further and further to find resources, the frontier they must now contend with lies deep beneath the ocean floor. Until not long ago, the challenges that faced them in this hostile environment made viable oil production next to impossible. However, advances in deepwater oil and gas technologies have allowed production to shift into high gear. But the process is not without caveats.

“THE GAP”

The nature of deepwater production requires multiple systems, including flow-lines, to withstand the extreme pressures of the external environment and that of the reservoir. Various flow-line architectures exist which contend with these pressures and the potential shifts in temperature due to production. Steel pipe covered with external insulation, pipe-in-pipe (PIP), and other “layered” pipeline systems have emerged which accommodate these pressure and thermal demands.

The architectures which make these deepwater pipes effective in maintaining product flow – combined with the effects of the high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) environments into which the “next generation” pipe is often deployed – have created a unique set of obstacles for inspection, repair, maintenance, and expansion.

The industry has made laudable advances. For example, to help prevent hydrates and wax buildup from blocking deepwater lines, engineers have introduced new forms of insulation and heated flow lines, while swaged end connections can shut down production in the event of an outer pipe breach. But as the industry steers toward deepwater production, the technology to service these applications has a way to go to catch up.

What happens, for example, should a hydrate

or paraffin blockage occur in one of these remote deepwater lines? If the operator is not able to remove the blockage by non-intrusive means, intrusive methodologies provide the only chance to resume flow within the line. This scenario requires remote installation of a fitting, remote tapping of the line, and remote insertion of technologies to remove the

hydrate or paraffin blockage. “Service providers are tasked with matching

their solutions to the needs of the operator throughout the lifecycle of the pipeline,” notes Jeff Wilson, Chief Technology Officer for T.D. Williamson (TDW). “They must also ensure that both the specific tasks of the intervention go according to plan, and that the long-term reliability for any systems remaining on the line following the intervention is considered and accounted for.”

Finally, aside from general maintenance and servicing needs, the technology to monitor integrity and, hopefully, prevent deepwater calamity before it becomes catastrophic, must also be brought up to speed.

PIONEERS ON THE NEW FRONTIER

Joint industry projects (JIPs) are one way that oil and gas companies, pipeline service providers, and technology experts from outside the industry are coming together to help fill the technological gaps associated with servicing pipelines in deepwater environments. Through combined expertise, efforts and financial resources, JIP participants can more quickly address and overcome the myriad

As operators probe further and further to find resources, the frontier they must now contend with lies deep beneath the ocean floor.

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M A R K E T R E P O R T

Working in Isolation How Isolations Can Help Solve Pipeline Challenges – From Valve Repair To Extending Reservoir Life

The Malampaya Shallow Water Platform in the Philippines provides 40 percent of the gas to Luzon, one of the most populated islands in the world. So shutting it down for any length of time could result in gas shortages and serious damage to Luzon’s economy.

But that’s exactly the proposition that Shell Philippines Exploration and Production (SPEX) was faced with in 2010, when they learned that a shallow water platform’s main emergency shutdown valve (ESDV) and neighboring manual block valve were defective. If the platform needed to be isolated in case of emergency such as a fire, the valve could leak and fuel the flames. The consequences could be disastrous – major hydrocarbon spills into the environment, potential loss of the platform, and large-scale disruption of an integral part of Luzon’s supply of energy.

Due to the dangers inherent to a leaky valve, most operating companies diligently monitor internal leakage in critical valves and replace them if the leakage rate is above a certain threshold.

That threshold had been crossed. SPEX, the line’s owner-operators, knew the valves had to be replaced. But what solution would cause the least disruption to the island’s

energy supply?One option would be to bleed down the line, blow

down 504 km (313 miles) of pipeline, purge the entire length of the pipeline using nitrogen, replace the valves, then carry out additional purging steps prior to the reintroduction of natural gas. Blowing down the line

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would cause the loss of a significant amount of product, massive gas flares, and lengthy shutdown of the gas supply from the line to the island.

Since that option was clearly unattractive, SPEX chose to explore isolation. During an isolation exercise, a short portion of the pipeline housing the valves is shut off from the rest of the pipeline and depressurized. Once the isolation is secured, the valves can be replaced.

A proven method of isolation involves the SmartPlug® tool. SmartPlug technology has been used for more than 20 years to isolate portions of pipelines, while withstanding maximum allowable operating pressure. The process involves pigging the SmartPlug tool to the isolation point and setting the plug. While the plug is navigating the line, a wireless communication system – called the SmartTrack™ System – allows engineers to track its movement. Once the plug is in the proper location, the engineers use SmartTrack technology to remotely set the plug.

As it was critical that the shutdown time be kept to a minimum, SPEX opted to use the SmartPlug tool to isolate their line.

“SPEX appreciates that bleeding down an entire gas export pipeline is time-consuming and costly, so we chose instead to deploy pressure isolation of the line downstream,” said Sarawak Shell Sdn Berhad/Sabah Shell Petroleum Project Manager Nathan Stephenson.

SPEX’s decision to use SmartPlug technology was a resounding success. The operation was completed without incident, and the island’s energy supply remained intact.Beyond Maintenance: What Operators Don’t Know About IsolationsValve maintenance – maintenance similar to that undertaken by the operator for the aforementioned Philippines project – is the most common SmartPlug operation. However, according to Rolf Gunnar Lie, TDW Regional Manager of Business Development in the Far East Asia Pacific, SmartPlug technology can be used for much more.

One growing SmartPlug application is the isolation of subsea pipelines during massive construction projects. During construction, heavy equipment is lifted and carried over the underwater

pipes. It goes without saying that dropping a multi-ton object on a pipe could result in a catastrophic spill. By isolating a short portion of the pipe, construction work can continue with significantly reduced risk and the contents of the rest of the pipeline can remain in place.

Other perhaps lesser known SmartPlug applications in use today are isolations for hydrotesting, midline repair and tie-ins.

Gary Anderson, Director of SmartPlug Technology, cites the ability to extend the life of subsea reservoirs as a cutting-edge SmartPlug tool use.

“We want to extend the life of subsea reservoirs by planning a bypass location and booster station during pipe lay. The booster station would lie dormant until the pressure from the reservoir no longer produced a strong flow of product. At that point, we would pig down the SmartPlug tool, isolate the pipeline, and reroute the flow through the bypass and booster.”

TDW has already achieved a record 299 day isolation, but these reservoir-extending isolations would be in place much longer, perhaps three to five years. Anderson projects it will be available soon.

Until then, operators will likely continue to use SmartPlug isolations in their most well-known capacity: as a low-risk, cost-saving alternative to blowing down lines for planned maintenance.

SmartPlug technology uses two independent plug modules – each of which is capable of isolating the full pipeline pressure. This independence provides a true double-barrier in the unlikely event that one of the systems fails.

It’s because of this redundancy that SmartPlug technology meets the Norwegian Det Norske Veritas (DNV OS – F101) and other stringent standards & requirements for pipeline pressure isolation.

A Positive Redundancy

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Raising A New Technology Helps Fix a Flow Station in Double Time

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he phone rang one morning in the spring of 2013. After Syamsu Alam, Pertamina EP’s President Director, hung up the phone, he

knew he would have to make a quick and difficult decision that could affect employee safety, the citizens of West Java, and energy supply.

The Lima Flow Station, located off the coast of Jakarta

in the Northwest Java Sea, was at risk of structural failure.

The flow station, acquired by Pertamina EP in 2009 when

they purchased BP West Java, was starting to sink into

the seabed.

Seabed subsidence in a fixed offshore platform isn’t

uncommon – especially in a flow station like Lima, which

has been around since 1973. The sinking is caused by a

release in pressure in the reservoir’s porous rock after years

of oil production. This pressure reduction causes the rock

TA New Technology Helps Fix a Flow Station in Double Time

THAILAND

CAMBODIA

LAOS

VIETNAM

MAYANMAR

MALAYSIA

MALAYSIA

PHILLIPPINES

SINGAPORE

SOUTH CHINA OCEAN

INDIAN OCEAN

INDONESIA

APPROXIMATELY 50% OF

JAKARTA’S RESIDENTS WERE

FACING THREE MONTHS

WITHOUT ACCESS TO

GAS FOR COOKING

AND HEATING.

50%

Jakarta

to compact, which lowers the seabed, taking the platform along with it.

Now, the Lima Flow Station wasn’t going to disappear overnight, but the seabed subsidence was beginning to bring the platform too close to the water. Offshore platforms are built to stand high above the ocean, protecting the structure, equipment, and workers from potentially destructive wave force. The space between the average wave height and the platform – called an air gap – must allow a sufficient separation between the water and the station. Allowing Lima’s air gap to fall below that distance could seriously compromise the safety of the flow station’s production platform, compression platform, living quarters platform and bridges – especially if a strong storm caused significant waves.

Lima will be retired in 2026, but Alam knew that Pertamina EP couldn’t wait that long to fix the problem. He consulted with Jamsaton Nababan, Vice President of Surface Facilities. After some deliberation, Alam and Nababan came up with a solution to the problem: Raise Lima Flow Station by four meters.

Pertamina EP hired its main contractor and a project management firm to carry out what became known as the Lima Subsidence Remediation Project. The two companies got started right away and, for a moment, it seemed that the sinking station problem would be fixed without issue.

Shortly after the project got underway,

Alam was presented with an even more difficult challenge: To safely lift the flow station’s most critical platforms and facilities, they would have to shut down several pipelines connected to it, severely limiting the gas supply for approximately three months.

This was the last thing that Alam wanted to hear. Pertamina EP is the main supplier of gas to West Java, including the big city of Jakarta. It supplies gas to Kujang’s fertilizer plant, a refinery in Balongan, and several power stations. The Lima field also supplies natural gas to millions of residential consumers, with many depending on it for their electricity. Disrupting the gas supply for a mere three days would be a problem. Three months would be a disaster.

To further complicate matters, Pertamina EP is a government-owned company. Any accidents or disruption in gas supply would have political implications. And, of course, shutting down the flow of product would cause them to lose profit.

In other words, the pipelines had to keep running no matter what.

FORMING A SOLUTIONRakhmat Sani, a sales engineer at T.D. Williamson (TDW), got the call from Pertamina EP. They explained that the project needed TDW’s expertise in a pipeline isolation project, specifically the installation of several IN

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lines to bypass the 14-inch and 20-inch main gasline pipelines (MGL) that extend from the TLA and TLD platforms to the L-PRO platform, as well as the 24-inch MGL pipeline that extends between the L-PRO and a port onshore. Pertamina EP wanted to isolate the affected lines while the bypass lines were installed – keeping gas flowing to Jakarta.

TDW specializes in isolating pipelines using hot tapping and plugging. Hot tapping involves connecting a piece of equipment to the pipeline, then making an opening in the pipeline so that the plug can be inserted. The company’s STOPPLE® plugging system is used for hot tapping and plugging. It helps isolate sections of pipeline, then allows the rerouting of the product through a temporary bypass so that the isolated section of pipeline can undergo maintenance. This procedure allows the operator to keep the oil or natural gas supply flowing while repairs are made.

After the pipeline is repaired, a diving team comes in and plugs the openings created for bypass.

Sani assured Pertamina EP that the line intervention and temporary isolation project wouldn’t be an issue – but then Pertamina EP revealed that TDW needed to get their part of the project done in just four months to avoid the gas shutdown – an unprecedentedly short timeline.

PLANNING FOR SUCCESSTDW Project Manager, Mohamad Ameen, came on board to manage Pertamina EP’s isolation and rerouting project. Ameen knew he would have to go to extreme lengths to meet the client’s tight deadline.

“Typically, a subsea hot tap and STOPPLE isolation takes several months – but TDW was asked to plan, research, and execute in less than four,” explains Ameen. “We had never completed a project of this type so quickly. In fact, I don’t think anyone in the industry has completed such a big project in such a short time.”

Ameen and Edmund Ang, a TDW Operations Manager, didn’t waste a second. They, along with others at TDW, came up with a unique plan: To safely bypass the pipelines and keep gas flowing, they would need to perform nine hot taps, then execute STOPPLE isolations in six different locations. In order to complete the project in the four month timeline, the team would have to

execute all nine hot taps simultaneously, followed by performing, concurrently, all six STOPPLE plugging operations.

Not only did TDW need to get the project done quickly, they needed a lot of equipment and personnel to complete it. Usually, the company uses equipment from its nearest location and builds more if necessary. “Because our timeframe was so short, we opted to mobilize equipment from other locations around the world,” says

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In order to complete the project in the four month timeline, the team would have to execute all nine hot taps simultaneously, followed by performing, concurrently, all six STOPPLE® plugging operations.

Ameen. “That way we were able to get it all to Singapore to do a final assessment test before going offshore.”

“Such complex operations typically take several months to plan,” explains Ang.

ALL HANDS ON DECKTDW, Pertamina EP and the contractors all met to plan every detail of execution. First, various pieces of hot tap and plugging equipment from North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific were gathered in Singapore, along with a team of expert technicians. Once they completed system integration testing and a mock-up simulation of 14-, 20- and 24-inch hot tap and STOPPLE plugging, the team was ready to mobilize to the offshore jobsite.

In hot tapping and plugging, the entire execution is performed by subsea divers. The underwater operation takes a great deal of skill

to avoid human error. For example, if the plug setting is not completed, the pipe contents can escape, causing a potential safety hazard and wasting valuable product.

A diving contractor was brought on to support the project with their divers and dive support vessels (DSVs). Working in five-member teams at depths of 131 feet below the surface, the divers deployed a 1200 XL and a SubSea 1000 XL Hydraulic Operated Tapping machine. They took field measurements on the subsea mechanical clamps to calculate the cutting distance, then mounted the tapping equipment and completed the hot taps to cut into the pipeline.

SAVING TIME WITH SIMULTANEOUS ISOLATIONS With all nine hot taps completed, it was time to carry out the task of installing six STOPPLE

“SUCH COMPLEX OPERATIONS TYPICALLY TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS TO PLAN”– EDMUND ANG

TESTING &MOCK-UP

SIMULATIONFOR HOT TAP& ISOLATION

24in.PIPE

DIAMETER

14in.PIPE

DIAMETER

20in.PIPE

DIAMETER

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE

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63DAYS EXECUTED

SIMULTANEOUSLY

9 HOT TAPS6 ISOLATIONS

plugging heads onto the mechanical fittings and setting them into position, so that gas could continue flowing through the bypass lines while maintenance was performed on the main pipelines. In order to get this done within Pertamina EP’s timeline, the STOPPLE plugging operation had to be performed in six locations at once.

At this critical juncture, the offshore technicians ran into a problem that almost delayed them. “We discovered that a piece of equipment had been damaged during execution,” recalls Ameen. “We had actually never had a piece of equipment damaged like that before, and we didn’t anticipate it.” The project manager quickly procured a replacement and the project was able to move forward.

“When subsea, just one hot tap can take several weeks, including planning,” Ameen explains. In just 23 days, the team completed all

hot tapping, plugging and isolation of all lines – a feat that kept Pertamina EP’s project perfectly on schedule.

With STOPPLE plugging equipment in place, the pipelines remained safely isolated while the bypass lines were commissioned and the L-PRO platform was raised. The entire operation took only 63 days, keeping safely within Pertamina EP’s timeline.

How was the team able to pull off the tapping and plugging operation in such an unprecedented amount of time? Edmund Ang credits use of the latest plugging technology.

A SEAL THAT SNAPS INTO PLACEPlugging the openings where the bypass occurred is the last phase in a hot tap and plugging operation. Murky waters, such as those at the Lima flow station, can complicate an operation, because it’s difficult for divers to determine exactly when the

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131

FEET

BELOWSURFACE

5-MEMBERDIVINGTEAMS

EQUIPMENT

Shipped in from: NORTH AMERICAEUROPEASIA PACIFIC

Normal Planning& Completion

8+months

SUBSEA HOT TAP

LIMA Planning & Completion 4

months

CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

DUG Bakken and Niobrara2-4 APRIL | Denver, CO | USA

ASME Plant Engineering & Maintenance10 APRIL | Pasadena, TX | USA

Kinder Morgan Supplier Showcase20-22 MAY | Houston, TX | USA

AGA Operations Conference20-23 MAY | Pittsburgh, PA | USA

MANGO - Missouri Association of Natural Gas Operators

25-27 JUNE | Lake Ozark, MO | USA

CGA Measurement and Regulation School 2-5 JUNE | Edmonton, AB | Canada

OWWA/OMWA Joint Annual Conference & Trade Show4-7 MAY | London, ON | Canada

ESDA 2014 (ASME 12th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis)25-27 JUNE | Copenhagen | Denmark

Moscow International Energy Forum21-23 APRIL | Moscow | Russia

9th Pipeline Technology Conference

12-14 MAY | Berlin | Germany

Indicates TDW will present a white paper at this event

EXPO FORO PEMEX 201422-24 APRIL | Mexico City | Mexico

ACPS - Atlantic Canadian Petroleum Show18-19 JUNE | St. John’s, NFLD | Canada

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A P R I L 2 0 1 4

2-4 DUG Bakken and Niobrara Denver, CO, USA

10 ASME Plant Engineering & Maintenance

Pasadena, TX, USA

21-23 Moscow International Energy Forum Moscow, Russia

Booth A6

22-24 EXPO FORO PEMEX 2014 Mexico City, Mexico Booth 313

TDW Events, Papers & Conferences

TouchPoints

DUG Bakken and Niobrara2-4 APRIL | Denver, CO | USA

ASME Plant Engineering & Maintenance10 APRIL | Pasadena, TX | USA

Kinder Morgan Supplier Showcase20-22 MAY | Houston, TX | USA

AGA Operations Conference20-23 MAY | Pittsburgh, PA | USA

MANGO - Missouri Association of Natural Gas Operators

25-27 JUNE | Lake Ozark, MO | USA

CGA Measurement and Regulation School 2-5 JUNE | Edmonton, AB | Canada

OWWA/OMWA Joint Annual Conference & Trade Show4-7 MAY | London, ON | Canada

ESDA 2014 (ASME 12th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis)25-27 JUNE | Copenhagen | Denmark

Moscow International Energy Forum21-23 APRIL | Moscow | Russia

9th Pipeline Technology Conference

12-14 MAY | Berlin | Germany

Indicates TDW will present a white paper at this event

EXPO FORO PEMEX 201422-24 APRIL | Mexico City | Mexico

ACPS - Atlantic Canadian Petroleum Show18-19 JUNE | St. John’s, NFLD | Canada

21

TDW experts deliver – providing technical presentations and hands-on demonstrations throughout the world. To learn more: tdwontour@tdwilliamson.com.

4-7 OWWA/OMWA Joint Annual Conference & Trade Show

London, ON, Canada

12-14 9th Pipeline Technology Conference Berlin, Germany

20-22 Kinder Morgan Supplier Showcase Houston, TX, USA Booth 73

20-23 AGA Operations Conference Pittsburgh, PA, USA

2-5 CGA Measurement and Regulation School Edmonton, AB, Canada

18-19 ACPS - Atlantic Canadian Petroleum Show St. John’s, NFLD, Canada

25-27 ESDA 2014 (ASME 12th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis)

Copenhagen, Denmark

25-27 MANGO - Missouri Association of Natural Gas Operators

Lake Ozark, MO, USA

J U N E 2 0 1 4 M AY 2 0 1 4

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• Answers to Complex Questions

• Developed at Operator Request

• Preparing Operators for What’s Next

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hether they’re working in the moderate Gulf of Mexico or the more treacherous North Sea, at shallow depths or levels where

divers can’t reach, offshore operators face certain common issues. Like the best way to increase throughput. And how to mitigate risk associated with construction, flow assurance, integrity management and repair.

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Pooling industry expertise guides offshore operators to technical solutions.

Participating in Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) is one way operators can collaborate to solve the problems they share. JIPs are focused on advancing technologies to meet operators’ business needs, particularly in the realm of increasing production and extending reserves. By leveraging the resources of its members – which include operators, service providers and various vendors – the JIP can often

come to a solution faster and with more likelihood of commercial success than any single participant toiling on its own.

The Engineering Services department at T.D. Williamson (TDW) has a lot in common with JIPs. Both build upon collaborative relationships to generate innovations. In fact, the Engineering Services department was created with the sole

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purpose of developing strategic solutions for offshore operators by leveraging portals for success, like integrating knowledge from intra-industry sources, as well as from TDW’s internal experts. In addition, both JIPs and Engineering Services are the result of market demand. Operators have often requested that TDW partner with them in developing conceptual solutions to complex operational challenges, but until now, the company had not institutionalized a process for generating cross-functional solutions spanning multiple departments.

Answers To Complex QuestionsAs the manager of Engineering Services, George Lim is, perhaps, a bit of a guru. Or,

in today’s business parlance, a thought leader.Instead of spiritual seekers, though,

he’s sought out by operators looking to manage their businesses with greater certainty and less risk.

Oh, and rather than being perched on a mountaintop, he’s easily accessible by phone or email. No pitons, boots or climbing expertise required. And one more thing, unlike the crest-dwelling guides of old, Lim doesn’t work in seclusion to solve the issues that operators bring to him, challenges that lately have ranged from how to detect and plug leaks in an Arctic subsea line using fiber optic cable, to the remote control of subsea hot tapping in water 1500 meters (4921 feet) deep.

Instead, Lim assembles subject matter experts from the company’s regions and Centers of Excellence, teams them with subcontractors

and other partners when necessary, and leads them through a process that includes:

• Evaluating the operator’s technical issue and objectives,

• Reviewing operational, economic and environmental considerations, and

• Developing an engineered solution drawing from multiple areas of expertise.

If this sounds like the stuff of engineering and feasibility studies, well, it is. Engineering and feasibility studies are among the types of integrated work Engineering Services produces,

along with method statements, narratives and calculations for opportunity scoping.

Developed At Operator RequestWith more than 30 years of offshore experience on his resume, there’s no question that Lim understands the unique demands of offshore operations. (In fact, he was recently also named the company’s interim Director of Offshore Market Development, a position he’ll hold concurrently with his Engineering Services role.)

But how did he know that operators would welcome the kind of comprehensive problem-solving that Engineering Services furnishes?

The short answer is, because they repeatedly request it through TDW’s regional sales teams. Like the time the UK E&P division of a global energy giant asked TDW for help removing a stuck pig and wax plug from a 16-inch pipeline. Lim’s team provided a method statement and remediation

STUDIES PROCEDURE INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE BASE

proposal that integrated products, services and multiple skill sets.

Or when an operator in the North Sea, unfamiliar with subsea hot tapping, desired to tie-in a new, piggable oil line into an existing export line. The Engineering Services response included everything from a hot tap market study, business and technical risk, and piggability assessment, to the subsea hot tap procedure and evaluation of the isolation valve and fitting options. The study results were incorporated by TDW’s regional sales and operations teams into a proposal for the actual tie-in services, including the supply of valves and fittings through subcontracted vendors.

“The offshore industry is extremely cautious,” Lim explains. “There are a lot of steps they do in advance to make sure their operations are done correctly. Studies are a typical tool of offshore operators. Any time they need to do something

and they’re not sure what the risk looks like, they initiate an engineering study.”

Lim goes on to state that it is not the intention of Engineering Services to compete with the established industry of independent engineering companies who traditionally provide Front End Engineering Design (FEED) work for operators. Instead, the department is a response to customer requests for the specific knowledge that TDW can bring, given its experience and expertise in intervention, isolation and pigging technologies. “TDW adds value to the operator’s evaluation process where the solution involves a wide range of its solutions.”

According to Chief Technology Officer Jeff Wilson, who oversees Engineering Services, the department not only enables TDW to participate

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Developing Viable SolutionsGEORGE LIM – Manager of Engineering Services, T.D. Williamson

>>George Lim, who heads Engineering Services, thinks the new department could also become the formal gateway for TDW to participate in more Joint Industry Projects (JIPs). JIPs are formal, highly structured collaborations formed by operators, service companies, vendors, and academia to investigate technical challenges and develop viable solutions.

Lim cites the DeepStar Global Deepwater Technology Program, which is based in Houston, TX, and has 70 members, and Aberdeen, U.K.’s ITF, which bills itself as ‘the internationally recognized champion for facilitating collaborative development of innovative technologies within oil and gas and related industries’ as two of the best-know JIPs.

“JIPs are a common practice in the offshore industry in particular,” Lim says. “They’re a way for service providers to partner with operators to better understand the market challenges and contribute to more comprehensive solutions.”

“Instead of channeling a request to one

department, we’re identifying what the operator’s greater

needs are and bringing distinctly

different technologies together to meet them,”

Wilson says.

deepwater challenges, such as remote operations in extreme environments.

TDW has already developed technology that can connect to deepwater lines and install a wide variety of remote-controlled, third-party-client solutions, as well as perform remote hot tapping. But operator need is outpacing development.

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM LINE

Although the upfront cost to E & P companies operating in extreme environments can be immense, the potential value of these high pressure, high temperature deepwater opportunities simply outweighs the existing challenges. As a result, the development, adoption and implementation of advanced deepwater pipe materials will only increase going forward, so having the technology to sustain

and expand these systems, while simultaneously addressing issues of safety and securing the environment, is more than common sense, it’s good business.

“Due to overall economics, operators realize they’re going to need these new pipe materials,” says Wilson, “so industry starts with pipe, and from there, other technologies to inspect, to repair, and maintain must follow.”

The California Gold Rush suffered many challenges, but today, we have the opportunity to forge a destiny for the new Gold Rush with careful planning, commitment to best practices, and cooperation between operators, the service industry, and the community they serve. When future generations look back at “The Black Gold Rush,” if the challenges of deepwater oil are met thoughtfully, and with due diligence, the legacy will be a bright one.

Deepwater, Black Gold Rush CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

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in operators’ studies, it also allows TDW to create solutions that are more comprehensive in scope.

“Instead of channeling a request to one department, we’re identifying what the operator’s greater needs are and bringing distinctly different technologies together to meet them,” Wilson says.

“We’re accelerating our progress as an integrated concepts solution provider.”

Preparing Operators For What’s NextSo far, Lim and the teams he’s pulled together have guided offshore operators toward sound decisions of how to deal with pipeline flooding, pipeline blockage, diverless subsea tie-ins, corrosion and related threats, deepwater wax and hydrate remediation, and the impact of dents, ruptures and repairs.

They’ve also been involved in emergency preparedness work. This is an area where Lim and

Wilson see tremendous opportunity for the industry, particularly in planning ahead to minimize the effects of unexpected events ranging from infrastructure damage to weather disasters. The Emergency Pipeline Repair System (EPRS) studies that TDW offers not only calculate the probability of failure, they also demonstrate the potential risks of various emergency situations and outline different repair scenarios.

And with aging pipelines (30 percent of the world’s 250,000 km [155,343 miles] of offshore pipelines are at least two decades old); unpiggable lines (about 50 percent of offshore pipelines can’t be pigged); and pipelines simply too deep to be reached safely by divers, offshore companies have a lot of risk to avert.

Which means George Lim, the guru of TDW’s Engineering Services department, has a lot to contemplate.

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Raising Lima CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

INCREASED SAFETY » No potential leak path through flange

» No plug drop » Interlock system » Operator can retrieve set, pressurized plug without being positioned over it

EFFICIENCY » Easier, quicker setting process » Plug can only be set correctly » Correct coupon alignment eliminates piggability problems

MAINTENANCE » Flange and plug have fewer parts compared to standard LOCK-O-RING design

SIMPLICITY EQUALS SAFETYOnce the leaves are fully extended, the LOCK-O-RING® Plus

completion plug provides operators increased safety and simplicity.

LOCK-O-RING® Plus Plug Features & Benefits

plug has been set. With divers struggling with traditional, unwieldy equipment, each plug setting can take several hours.

To save time, the team decided to try something previously performed only onshore: Installation of LOCK-O-RING® Plus completion plugs.

This completion plug technology was patented in early 2011, and has been successfully used to complete multiple onshore STOPPLE isolation jobs. The technology had been thoroughly tested for subsea, but had not yet been used on a subsea job.

Each STOPPLE fitting has a flange with no side openings, which reduces any potential leak paths. This flange helps with the attachment of the bypass system. Once the bypass is removed, the flange can also assist with the attachment of the LOCK-O-RING Plus completion plug.

A feature of the completion plug that made it the right tool for Pertamina EP’s project is that its interlock system indicates when the leaves are fully extended, which lets divers know, with certainty, when it is positively set in the flange. Plus, the plug setting machine used to set the

plug transfers pressure from the pipeline to the inside of the plug setter, balancing the pressure by counteracting the force pushing against the machine. Altogether, this system provided divers and engineers with a quicker and safer way to complete their work underwater.

PERTAMINA EP’S CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO COOKThe Lima project was a distinguished introduction of the LOCK-O-RING Plus completion plug to its new subsea application. Now that the technology has proven to be effective underwater, the door has been opened to using the technology in similar projects following the shared experiences and lessons learned by Pertamina EP, the contractors and TDW’s project managers.

Most importantly, Pertamina EP was able to raise their Lima Flow Station without any incidents or disruptions to the gas supply. Jakarta and the rest of West Java had gas for cooking and power, and Pertamina EP didn’t lose profits from a shutdown.

“We asked our team to make the impossible possible, and they did it,” says Nababan.

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As part of the pre-commissioning process operators rely heavily on flooding, cleaning

and gauging pigs, almost always opting for bi-directional discs (easier to reverse if needed). Commissioning largely depends on batching and specialty dewatering pigs. The decommissioning process utilizes both batching and cleaning pigs.

Flooding, Gauging, Batching, Dewatering

BY THE NUMBERS

Chemical, Discs, Cups, Brushes, Scrapers

Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL), Ultrasonic (UT), Circumferential MFL, Geometry

Tetherless, Double Block, Remote-controlled

Pigging to clean and displace

liquids is essential to maximize throughput and extend offshore asset life. Clear communication and planning is key to eliminate waxy buildup, clear debris from internal pitting, effectively apply corrosion inhibitor and remove water.

Primarily divided between Ultrasonic (UT) and Magnetic

Flux Leakage (MFL) technology, accurate and timely integrity data are critical to the safe operation of offshore lines, particularly as these lines are in an often harsh, high-consequence environment that can be entirely inaccessible to divers.

The purpose of a non-invasive isolation system is to pressure isolate a section of pipeline during

maintenance, emergency repair or construction, while the rest of the pipeline remains at operating pressure. The primary advantage of such systems is the ability to minimize pipeline downtime and reduce lost transmission revenue.

1234

COMMISSIONING

CLEANING & DISPLACEMENT

INLINE INSPECTION

ISOLATION

OFFSHORE PIGGING in 4 phases

29

Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL), Ultrasonic (UT), Circumferential MFL, Geometry

THINGS CAN GET CONFUSING JUST BELOW THE OCEAN’S SURFACE, but keeping your lines clean and safe is a clear proposition. Pipeline service providers assist operators in developing and executing customized pigging programs aimed at maximizing throughput and increasing operational safety. Although possibly overwhelming at first glance, these complex programs can be simplified into just four phases.

OFFSHORE PIGGING in 4 phases

North & South America

Europe / Africa / Middle East

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Offshore Services

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® Registered trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. ™ Trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. ©Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. T.D. Williamson, Inc.

Trusted PartnershipFor four generations, companies around the world have trusted TDW’s unwavering commitment to pipeline performance.

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North & South America

Europe/Africa/Middle East Asia Pacific

Offshore Services

+1 918 447 5000

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® Registered trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. ™ Trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. © Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. T.D. Williamson, Inc.

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Trusted PartnershipFor four generations, companies around the world have trusted TDW’s unwavering commitment to pipeline performance.

So can you.

Inline Inspection • Non-destructive Evaluation • Interactive Reporting