Project Impact
- Successful inspection and repair of feature, in accordance with PHMSA regulations
- Prevented costly purge and downtime for difficult HDD
- Minimized traffic disruption.
- Restore pipeline operating pressure.
- In time, under budget.
Integrity management is not a one-size-fits-all service. The challenges and resulting projects are specific to a particular situation and require input from multiple key stakeholders with various skill sets. Coordination and collaboration are key to effectively and efficiently completing a project on time and on budget. In this project, Acuren’s Integrity and Design Team worked with many different stakeholders, collaborating to effectively meet the needs of the operator on a challenging inspection and repair.
In this project, a major owner-operator in the Midwest had an active line and abandoned line running under a major truck route, surrounded by wetlands. They were looking to address an anomaly identified with ILI on the active line near the abandoned line. The original scope of work included horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to avoid closing the busy truck route. However, due to adjacent swampland, an HDD would have been costly and difficult with substantial downtime of the assets.
By leveraging long-term relationships with the operator’s key contractors, Acuren coordinated developing and managing an alternate solution that allowed for inspection/repair without taking the line out of service. Acuren managed the project elements of planning the excavation, developing safety procedures, facilitating contractors for the repair and excavation, and handling procurement and project costs.
Our first step was to confirm the location of the feature so we could dig in the correct spot on the first try. The IMU coordinates of the feature from the tool vendor were verified using verification digs to match the joint signatures of pipe joints adjacent to the road. The survey data from these exposures allowed us to minimize the excavation scope in the roadway and reduce the disruption to traffic.
After the inspection data was verified, the scope of the project came into focus. Because of the deep excavation required (greater than 20 feet) and its location on a major roadway, the project was considered a high-risk operation by our client. Acuren worked with contractor partners to implement proper safety procedures, install the proper trench shoring system for excavation and repair, and keep the project on schedule. Sticking to the timeline was especially important, as the pipeline pressure had to be reduced until the inspection and repair were completed. Consequently, the operator was motivated to return the line to full capacity as soon as possible.
After the contractor installed a slide rail deep excavation shoring system, the feature was exposed and examined in situ using non-destructive testing methods. Our integrity engineers evaluated that data and recommended a Type B sleeve repair. This repair would address both the short-term and long-term integrity needs of the asset.
At the conclusion of the project, the pipeline was successfully repaired while avoiding the costly purge and downtime of the difficult HDD for which the operator originally planned. Due to the operator’s willingness to build long-term relationships with contractors and listen to feedback and adjust the plan, the project was ultimately completed on time and under budget.
