Leak repair of 10 inch oil pipeline in Colombia—3X Engineering

Overview The objective of this job, performed in May 2020 by 3X ENGINEERING (3X) distributor in Colombia – C.P.S, was to seal online an oil leak on 10” straight line. The line had a design pressure of 250 psi, an operating maximum pressure of 150 psi and a temperature of 49 degrees Celsius. To perform the repair, it was decided to use 3X emergency leak sealing system STOPKiT® and then secure it as long-term solution by overwrapping the STOPKiT® with the composite repair REINFORCEKiT® 4D.

STOPKiT®installed

Scope of work The repair procedure was performed following two main steps.

• STOPKiT® installation: emergency online leak sealing system, patented by 3X.

• REINFORCEKiT® 4D application according to ASME PCC-2 and 3X repair calculation: composite reinforcement system.

Below are the different stages of the procedure:

• STOPKiT® was installed in few minutes on the defect to stop the leak following 3X installation procedure.
• Surface preparation was then performed on both sides of the STOPKiT® using manual and mechanical tools to eliminate corrosion and coating residues and get a good surface roughness (superior to 60µm) to ensure a good bonding between the pipe and the composite. Hygrometric conditions were checked and the surface was cleaned and degreased with ethanol.
• F3X8 filler was used to level the surface and smooth irregular edges and geometries between the STOPKiT® and the pipe.
• REINFORCEKiT® 4D composite wrapping over the STOPKiT® was completed using Kevlar® tape impregnated with R3X5 resin ->14 layers for a total repair length of 1500mm.
• Final layer of R3X5 resin was applied on the whole repair to ensure good wetting and improve the visual aspect. Reference plate was finally installed for traceability purpose.

Samples of filler and resin were taken during the various stages of the repair for quality control.

F3X8 Filler application

Results The leak was quickly stopped thanks to the STOPKiT® and the composite reinforcement system application was performed successfully using REINFORCEKiT® 4D. The measurement of the resin hardness was made after 72 hours of curing, exceeding the minimum values required.

View of the repair completed