After the sudden appearance of a long crack on the Phase 16 South Pars 32” gas line, analysis and inspections were ordered. The crack was determined to be affecting a large surface area on the pipe and was a result of both the girth weld and the seam weld of that section of the pipeline failing. Although weld failures are some of the more common categories of pipeline integrity failure, the length of the affected are in this case meant a special treatment was required. With the crack being detected in the winter time, it meant gas supply was being affected across the country and that the dropping of pressure had led to lost competitive advantage due to the resource pools being shared with neighboring countries. The environmental and economical ramifications of the crack and the potential for a line shut down were of utmost importance.
When called into action, Fixpipeline first conducted an independent study of the crack which resulted in the design and fabrication of an long variety of our Super-Fit product, especially designed to cover the whole 60” of affected surface without compromising on the clamp’s sealing and gripping effectiveness. The Super-Fit provides structural integrity by means of axial and lateral reinforcement of the pipeline, making it a good starting point for this customized solution. Our elegantly simple custom installation skid - designed specifically for this project - coupled with our rapid fabrication methodologies allowed us to design, model, fabricate, educate, and aid in the installation of the clamp underwater within 4 weeks of receiving the order. Our solution was then completed with subsea sealant injection and a complete FAT/SIT test planning regiment.
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