A large independent provider of fuel supply management in North America recently conducted a hydrostatic test on one of its dock lines in Texas. The test determined that they were losing approximately one pound of pressure per hour on the line. After draining the water and investigating the pipe, they were unable to locate the failure. They then contacted Tracer Research (a Praxair Services company) and requested a rapid turnaround leak location service. Within 24 hours, Tracer Research mobilized an inoculation technician, who injected a tracer chemicalitrogen mixture into the 3,500-foot-long, 12-inch diameter dock line. The tracer chemical can be injected directly into product or into water, but since the pipe was empty in this case, nitrogen was necessary to disperse the tracer throughout the pipe. The following day, tracer was detected in the soil surrounding the pipe.
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