Onshore pipeline isolation smartly achieved/OMV Gas use TDW Offshore's Services to complete a double-block onshore pipeline isolation

摘要

The work was carried out by TDW isolating the pipelines by using remote-controlled 38-inch SmartPlug~R trains to create double-block isolations against the gas pressure. Both SmartPlug trains were launched and pigged with production gas into excavated sections of the pipelines, travelling approximately 100 metres from launcher to the work position. Using a wireless, through-the-wall communication system, TDW manoeuvred each plug train into place, and set them horizontally in the excavated area of the pipeline. While the plug trains were in place in isolated pipeline sections, OMV Gas GmbH carried out the necessary modifications and re-routed the two pipelines to the new compressor station in Eggendorf. Once this was completed, TDW released the SmartPlug trains and pigged them back to the launcher and receiver using gas pressure from the pipelines. The pipeline pressures for both pipelines were 50 bar during the isolation operations. While each SmartPlug train isolated the pipeline sections for three days, the entire isolation operation took just ten days from TDW's arrival onsite in Austria through to demobilization.