68” Enclosure Clamp ensures continuous plant operability
| Client | A leading LNG production company |
| Country | UAE |
| Year | February 2019 |
| Service details |
Wellube’s On-line leak sealing process is a proven service applied to a diverse range of pipelines, valves and pressure vessels across Oil & Gas, Power and nuclear industries at pressures from vacuum to 8500 psi and temperatures from minus 320 Deg F to 1800 deg F.Our service features a custom-designed leak clamp that contains the leak section before a suitable sealant is injected into the clamp to stop the leak. It’s a turnkey solution, which means high plant uptime and reliable results for you. Get in touch with us at enquiries@wellube.com |
Summary of the Project
Wellube team successfully helped a client maintain continuous plant operability by performing Online Leak Sealing on a 68” pipe flange.
Client Requirement
A weld crack had developed on a 68” pipe flange on a seawater pipeline resulting in a leak. Since the 68” line provided cooling water to different trains in the plant, one of the options to rectify the leak was to shut down the trains and isolate the pipeline. This was not a feasible solution due to production schedules and other commitments.
Challenges faced
The high ovality in the pipe was hindering in achieving 100% Sealing. So, we designed the clamp with 3 independent sets of size packing grooves aimed at overcoming the pipe ovality.
Unique Solution delivered
Wellube team visited the site and took precise field measurements and analyzed that further deterioration of the flange could result in separation of the pipe, which could lead to severe production loss and shut down of the plant.
Based on the measurements obtained by the team we designed and manufactured an Enclosure clamp that would seal the weld leak and was placed on the 68” pipe on one side and flange outer diameter on the other. We opted for the enclosure clamp over standard repair clamps due to space restrictions and the location of the leak point. The Enclosure Box Clamp was designed in accordance with ASME Sec VIII Div 1 specifications and manufactured in 4 pieces for ease of installation at site.
Furthermore, to meet the requirements of Wellube policies, a strongback system was also designed and installed to restrict the system from moving in the event of complete failure of the weld joint in the future.
Benefits delivered
- Maintained plant operability through intervention work with minimum loss of production.
- Fail-proof solution even in case of weld joint failure
- Client can operate at full pressure capacity until the next planned shutdown where permanent repairs can be done.
- Compliant to design and safety specifications.
