RETROFIT – MATERIALS USED

Q. What is the life span of the cartridges?

The “cartridges” we assume that you mean the raw materials for the foam: the “Isocyanate” and the “Polyol” which comes in IBC (international bulk carriers) containers of 1.000 l. We will setup a logistic system that will allow for the installation to have approximately 2 months of production covered at any time – then ordering new materials to site. The cartridges will have a lifespan of approximately 1-2 years stored under the right conditions.

Q. What is the temperature limit of the retrofit/safe pipe system?

The temperature limit of the system is between 0F / -17C up to 100F / 38C that is the working environments limits. The temperature limit of the installed system (the oil temperature can be higher – up to 200F / 93C is perfectly ok.

Q. Do the welding joints create weak points?

A plastic welding is actually stronger than the pipe itself, since there are more materials where the welding is. The welding will form a complete uniform and perfect new material with exactly the same characteristics as the jacket pipe.

Q. COST Optimising?

Preparation, preparation and preparation Having the RoW ready, having the materials on site – avoid waiting time, keep the tools ready and clean, having skilled workers on site and buying local at the best price is key to success .

Q. Local purchase? – is that possible?

Yes we will focus on getting local materials with the right quality for the job. Foam and jacket pipes will be obvious to use local materials for. The jacket pipes needs to be PE-100 and PN1.6 The foam we will need some country specific parameters to determine, but most countries have PUR production and will be able to deliver locally.

Q. Local labourers

We will only bring supervisors and managerial staff. After a short period of time we will educate and train local staff to undertake all operations. Basically we imagine setting up a local company would be the best solution for most projects. This is of course based on complexity and local rules and regulations.

Q. Fibre optic cables?

We use a standard fibre optic cable. Depending on the existing SCADA and the need for monitoring we will test and find a local solution that will have the desired characteristics.

RETROFIT/SAFE PIPE INSTALLED

Q. If a client wants to purchase his own steel pipes – can we retrofit them?

Yes. There are two possible scenarios here: we can retrofit the pipes in the steel producers yard or in a temporary setup near the RoW. Here we will “upgrade” the straight pipes in 6m sections. Or we can work directly on site after the steel pipes have been welded together and “upgrade” the pipes when they are laying on the RoW.

Q. Is cathodic protection really avoidable?

The cathodic protection is NOT needed on a new pipeline being constructed since the jacket will be watertight and airtight. The corrosion from inside is off course not protected by the jacket.

Q. A couple of clients have argued that if the pipe is buried then they need to include it anyhow to comply with regulations. And if the pipe is aerial they don´t need the cathodic protection.

Well if you don’t need the cathodic protection the steel pipe will deteriorate over the years. The jacket will give a sturdy, airtight barrier – so we recommend this solution.

Q. Should we worry about buoyancy concerns?

Short answer is: No because the steel pipe will eliminate the buoyancy. But of course a higher insulation thickness can be needed and this can in theory cause a problem – but saying that we have had no problems so far.

Q. Do the welding joints create weak points?

A plastic welding is actually stronger than the pipe itself, since there are more materials where the welding is. The welding will form a complete uniform and perfect new material with exactly the same characteristics as the jacket pipe.

Q. Pay back period

This is a very tricky question, because it will be based on the oil price and the future oil price as well as how much crude can be pushed through based on the pipelines capability and viscosity. However based on some assumptions we made with our Mexican partners we have calculated between 3-5 years in some specific projects – this will vary based on future oil prices and the price for moving the oil in the pipeline.

Q. Insulation?

The insulation is made by PUR foam, we can calculate the thickness to suit your need for keeping the oil warm and prevent waxing. PUR foam are installed on site and are according to EN253 the international standard for heat transfer.

Q. Does software comply with existing SCADA?

Yes software is in compliance with existing SCADA.

Q. Bends – TEE´s, side branches etc.?

We have developed special fittings to accommodate on site conditions.

Q. RoW? – buried pipe or exposed pipe?

We need to transport our equipment to the site and work within a range of approximately 10 meters from the host pipe with the PUR units crane. We need to access the host pipe before it is lifted into the trench.

Q. River crossings?

River crossings need to be elevated onto H-beams or similar we need to have our support under the jacket pipe as well.

Q. Pipes in swamps or jungle?

We can make retrofit any where on the globe – from the deserts to the jungle and even on the ice circle. – Swamps and jungles will be difficult to penetrate but as long as a RoW is established we will manage.

Q. Pipes under houses?

Pipes under houses are challenging for us. We need to install new pipes under the houses since we cannot access under the structures.

Q. How to repair the pipes if punctured

All holes in the oil transport pipe lines with RetroFit or SafePipe application will start with a pinhole from the inside. Once the pinhole allows oil to go into the foam the monitor will tell that a temperature fluctuation is forming and lets you act as an operator. We recommend that the jacket and a 6 m section is cleared of foam and a patch repair is then put on the pipe line. We can then install a new jacket, reattach the fibre and fill the void with foam again.

Q. Life expectancy?

We expect that the determining factor will be the host pipe – so retrofitting an old pipe line doesn’t give it a new life – The retrofit will give the 3rd party damage detection and the monitoring solution. However a SafePipe application will have an expected lifetime of 50 years. The surface will not have same integrity problems as a new pipeline with paint or wrappings since handling on site will scratch and damage the protective layer. Our PE-100 can handle scratches and will not be damaged by the site handling as a standard steel pipe would be.

SPOOLABLES, enhanced Plastics and HOSES

Q. How long are the spoolable flowlines and the liners per drum?

This will relate to the size of the drum and the diameter of the hose or flowline. As a rule of thumb we say that on a standard reel or drum we have 500! – 500! You ask – what does that mean? – well if the diameter is DN100 – we can have 500 meters on the reel or drum – if the diameter is DN250 we can have 200 meters of materials – meaning that the DN x m = 500.

Q. What happens when the hose is punctured?

A punctured hose will result in a drop of pressure and a clocked system. We need to find the location of the burst and excavate if its buried. After unearthing the hose two flanges must be attached in each end of the burst area and a standard pipe can be installed in between the two flanges.

Q. How long is the delivery time?

Delivery time is determined by complexity. Some standard pipes are available from factories to be delivered instantly – transportation will take time – normally 1 month from Europe to the most isolated location on earth – then customs clearance and getting out to the site and then the actual site work which have been prepared with pit excavation etc. beforehand. – so it is basically 4-6 weeks after ordering the pipes/hoses/flowlines.

Q. Do the liners protect against theft?

It would be nice – but “no” the liners itself will not protect against theft.

Q. Are the liners pig-able?

Yes the liners are pig-able. Foam pigs, ice pigs etc. can be inserted but there can not be a “pig station” as in a steel pipe.

Q. Cost?

Its tricky to determine without any knowledge of the location the size and the complexity of the project – but generally we have been less than 70% of a new installation project price. We don’t need permits to rehabilitate a pipe line compared to new construction and we are MUCH faster in the installation time – so based on these factors we are way cheaper than a new construction.

Q. Installation time.

1000m per day is possible.

Q. Do the products comply with the Mexican and/or American norms?

Yes – it complies with all norms.

Q. Flame protection? What happens if there is a fire around the area where the pipes are exposed?

Follow the normal fire procedure – the flowline is made of PE-100 and will not withstand exposure to fire and will melt around 446F / 230C.

Q. How to repair the pipes if punctured

Cut out the section that is damaged – weld flanges to the pipeline and re-attach a new piece of standard pipe.

Q. Protection against sunlight?

Only the outer layer is white – its only for protecting in a black box installation and will give an indicator if a pipe has been scratched too deep during a winching operation. The inner layer contains carbon black, which absorbs the UV lights from sun light. The PE-100 is designed to stay in the sunlight without any further protection.

Q. Life expectancy?

Under normal conditions we expect the spoolables to have a life expectancy of 20 years.

Q. What is the different between a pipe and a hose?

A pipe is generally defined by the fact that it can stand-alone. A pipe can be buried into the ground without any support. A hose is something that is installed inside a host pipe because it does not have the wall thickness to stand-alone. However a pipe – e.g. C-shape or factory folded pipe as they are also referred to can also be inserted into a host pipe – but it is still a pipe.

Q. Cleaning of pipes? – how much is needed?

Some pipes are almost instantly ready for installation of pipes or hoses. We will check with a CCTV system if the pipe is clean enough – all intruding welding spots must be removed before you can install a hose – its not that important with a pipe. If a CCTV inspection is not possible due to sackings e.g. with water or heavy oil inside the pipe – then we prefer to use cleaning discs, calibers. Normally we use high pressure jetting or pigging to empty the host pipe.