Hottap and Line-Stop
Solutions and Services

Thirran Energy provides solutions for pipeline & process interventions, offering consultancy, project management & supervision, on pipeline live intervention (hot tapping) including supply of fittings. Hot Tapping- is a mechanical process of safely tapping a hole, making a safe entry into a flowing pressurized pipeline or vessel while the system is in operation and then attach a branch connection to the pipe while the system in service; without shutting down. This method employs a Tapping Machine and full bore valve and either a nozzle tee or full encirclement split fitting welded to the existing pressurized system.

Such tapping method is used for a variety of applications for:

Tie in from new system to existing system
Bypass application for maintenance, repairs or pipeline modification works
Debottlenecking
Facilitate tank connections
For Line-Stop application.
For corrosion monitoring
For specialty angle hot tapping.

Hot tapping is inherently a dangerous operation. It requires thorough engineering analysis, inspection, design and testing prior to any attempt of performing such activity safely. Therefore, hot tapping should generally be done only when it is impractical or inefficient to take the system out of service. Thirran Energy handles each hot tapping work in reliable manner by properly design and customizing the activity according the condition and environment.

While hot tapping are commonly done in piping system, however they are also done on pressure vessels or storage tanks to add nozzles. Thirran Energy also able to perform hot tapping on piping system at onshore, offshore or sub-sea environment.

Thirran Energy tapping capability from below 2” up to 96” size.

Tapping Machines can be air driven or hydraulic driven and is rated for 1480 psi a 100 deg F and at 700 psi at 700 deg F for hi – temp application.

Thirran Energy proudly join collaboration with reputable Hot Tap Principal, offering specialized solutions providing safe pipeline isolation without interrupting the production; helping customers around the world to perform alteration works on the existing pipeline section without shutting down the system. Thus, this method of solutions, helping customers (pipeline owners or operators) to safely perform pipeline works/modifications/maintenance activities effectively with minimal disruption on the productivity of their systems, enabling them to rectify their issues efficiency and safely, maximizing financial performance.

We work for customers to make sure they are getting the solutions that they need, ensuring the program extends customers’ asset service life, mitigate costly downtime and comply with utmost safety / regulatory requirements.

Considerations prior to performing Hot Tapping Procedure

Some measures to be seriously considered prior to performing hot tapping on a pipeline system;

1. Check actual hot tapping location for roundness, cracks, defect or any lamination. Record them and if necessary further inspection required before deciding the area to tap the line. This is to ensure that all considerations on the pipeline integrity taken prior to tapping the pipeline.
2. Site survey is essential to determine the pipeline parameters, space, design and other requirements for hot tapping to determine the type of hot tap (horizontal/vertical/angle). Ensure the area/environment is free of combustible or flammable elements as hot work (welding operations) for the fitting installation will take place. If necessary a welding habitat to be recommended to secure the welding location with positive pressure preventing any unforeseen event. In all event a standby crew should be designated as active fire watcher and standby with fire extinguisher.
3. Confirm the actual operation pressure, flow rate, class ratings and temperature to confirm the suitability of hot tapping equipment and fittings. Ensure piping and/or other components are not made of combustible material (i.e. high grade PVC).
4. Hot tapping operations, to branch out a piping system is normally for a long term solutions. So, the pipeline material and the fittings should be the same material/class to eliminate the risk of galvanized corrosion on long run.
5. Ensure the pipeline product is free from corrosive, caustic, acidic, peroxides, chlorides elements or other corrosive chemicals that could induce corrosion or create hazardous gases (i.e. sulfuric acid or acetylene) from the welding heat.
6. Generally oil and gas pipelines contains hydrocarbon, pure oxygen, hydrogen or chloride, hence the whole hot tapping process needs to undergo thorough risk hazard analysis and quality assessments before concluding the type of hot tapping on the pipeline system.
“7. Hot tapping has some wall thickness range requirements to be considered therefore need to check the actual pipe wall thickness using UT (Ultrasonic) instrument and determine the suitable hot tapping procedure.
8. Check the actual fluid velocity or flow pressure prior to hot tap, to ensure safe recovery of coupon after tapping operation.
9. Ensure to have a proper bypass points; vent or drain pipe installed with pressure fittings and valves to vent-out or drain-out the gas/fluid present between the two consecutive hot tap locations.
10. Check and review the hot tapping machine required space, in case you are in a limited area or space/height constraints.
11. Mock up is highly recommended to help customers understand and confirming several things:
A. Welding WPS
B. Depth of weld penetration to ensure pipeline integrity contained during the hot tapping operation
C. Determine welding highest temperature and welding technique to ensure the main pipeline able to withstand the whole hot tapping process.
D. Test / certify all the integrity of valves and other components during the mock-up stage. Must ensure all the sandwich/ball valves able to withstand the test pressure (same as pipeline pressure) with zero bypass for recommended time interval.
12. The design of the tapping operations must be analyzed and calculated by considering all the weight and ground foundation. Temporary support for the tapping equipment or extra reinforcement for the base foundation is essential to ensure all the weight distributed evenly on the supporting frames and not on the pipeline itself.”

Line-Stop Solutions

Line Stop- is a mechanical means of stopping the flow, isolating a pipe section, rerouting over long distance, and providing an optional bypass (for continuous flow requirement) while repairs, modification, or alteration works are in progress. The process makes use of Line-stop plugging machine with pivot plugging head to insert through the tap hole into the pipe ID.

Line Stops are of necessity, somewhat more complicated than normal hot taps, but they start out in much the same way. A fitting is attached to the pipe, a hot tap is performed as previously detailed. Once the hot tap has been completed, the valve is closed, then another machine, known as a line stop actuator is installed on the pipe.

Line-stop can be performed on various piping materials and for a variety of medium such as gas, oil, refined products, water, steam, process piping, chemicals, etc.

Hottap and Line-StopSolutions and Services

Considerations prior to performing Hot Tapping Procedure

Line-Stop Solutions

Hottaps and LineStop services applied for offshore platforms and subsea:

Hottap and Line-Stop
Solutions and Services