Hot Tapping & Plugging: Leak-tight Double Block and Bleed Isolation of High Pressure Gas Pipelines

World’s first leak-tight double block and bleed isolation of a high pressure CO2 pipeline system.

STATS Group were contracted by Kinder Morgan to provide a pipeline hot tapping and plugging operation on a high pressure 30” Carbon Dioxide pipeline operating at 2,140 psi.

The purpose of this project, which took place as part of a larger initiative to convert a non-piggable pipeline into a piggable pipeline, was to install full bore inline valves and retrofit pigging launchers and receivers into the pipeline system. The installation of a 24” bypass pipeline around the isolated section allowed continuous production and avoided system downtime during maintenance activities.

This intervention operation took place on a 500 mile 30” CO2 pipeline that operates from source fields in southwestern Colorado to Denver City, delivering product primarily used for enhanced oil recovery. The pipeline is currently undergoing significant upgrades to facilitate a transition to a piggable pipeline for ease of ongoing inspection and maintenance.

Pipeline isolation was provided with the installation of STATS patented BISEP™. The BISEP™ provides fail-safe double block and bleed isolation deployed through a single full bore hot tap penetration. The leak-tight isolation provided, dramatically increases safety over traditional line-stop technology and doesn’t require any additional hot tap vents or bleed ports. The BISEP™ contains dual energised seals and the annulus zero-energy zone proves and monitors the seal integrity before and during intervention work.

STATS have carried out isolations at five sites along the CO2 pipeline operating at around 2,000 psi and have completed in excess of 190 days of individual BISEP™ isolation, whilst avoiding system downtime during critical maintenance activities.

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