Pipeline infrastructure will require replacement, rerouting, and modification throughout its lifecycle.  Over the past number of years our clientele has been challenged in dealing with the segments that need to either be removed or decommissioned.  Part of this challenge is looking for an effective, efficient service provider with an impressive safety culture that could offer options. In this case, cleaning of an abandoned segment and line fill of the replacement Mackenzie River crossing were required.  We presented and implemented a cleaning plan which incorporated both cleaning agents and the mechanical action of pigs in a single pass application motivated by nitrogen gas. The line was subsequently filled with cement.  With the list of requirements and the result in mind, our team was confident our service application would not only meet but exceed expectations.

 Solution

We developed a custom combination chemical/cleaning tool program to clean the segment of pipeline effectively and efficiently.

For this application we used TSW Blend and a combination of cleaning tools to clean the pipelines.  TSW is an industry leading degreaser combined with the scraping action of brushes, discs and cups provided by the multi pig train, allows for both the hydrocarbon and sediment issues to be addressed in the pipeline. Our team motivated the cleaning train using nitrogen gas with our Nitrogen Pumping Unit, train speed was provided through pressure control upstream and downstream of the train with pump pressure and venting respectively. 

Upon completion of the cleaning of the old river crossing, the pipeline was then filled with a cement blend. This pipeline grouting service is an innovative method to decommission an abandoned pipeline to ensure that the surrounding environment is not disturbed in the future by water migration or pipeline collapse.

Advantage

We were able to utilize our resources to benefit the client on this project by having the ability to convert the pump on location for both applications – cleaning and filling the line with the cement blend. This reduced the wait time and overall costs.