18” Water Pipeline isolated by Pipe freezing

Summary of the Project

Wellube performed 18” Double position pipe-freezing as a Line Stopping solution for a leading supplier of chilled water in UAE.

Client Requirement

The client consulted us to isolate the chilled water line to perform remedial work of cutting a pipe section and install new valves in the line to connect to a new building plot. If isolation was not feasible, the client would have had to drain the entire length of pipe to perform the remedial works which would have been an expensive option and wastage of resources.

There was also a limitation on space at the nearby road crossing and so chamber demolition was not feasible, the requirement to design a purpose-built freezing jacket as per site conditions was called for.

Unique Solution we delivered

Wellube designed, manufactured, and installed freezing jackets according to applicable codes and specifications, we then used pipe-freezing method using Liquid Nitrogen to achieve an ice plug to isolate the pipeline to install new valves in it.

The mobilisation took less than one week to complete and was cost-effective and had the quickest turnaround time to fix the problem.

After the freeze, the pipe segment is cut, the ice plug is shown here.

Benefits delivered

• Economical as compared to other line isolation methods
• Mobilized to the site within a week
• No unwanted branches/fixtures left at line stop point as compared to Line Stopping.
• Site work was minimized to a maximum of two days when compared to other line isolation methods which can exceed six days
• Clamshell cold cutting machine was used for cutting and prepping the pipe