DBB Pipeline Isolation Paper

Double block and bleed isolation
by Angus Bowie
STATS, Aberdeen, UK
Pipeline Pigging and Integrity

Management Conference
Marriott Westchase Hotel, Houston, USA
8-9 February, 2012
Organized by
Clarion Technical Conferences
and Tiratsoo Technical
and supported by
The Professional Institute of Pipeline Engineers
Pip
pelinepiggingandintegritymaanagementcon
nference,Houstton,February22012
DoubleBlockandBlleedIsolatio
on
Theterm
mDoubleBlockandBleedismostl yusedtode
efinealevelofisolationpprovidedbyvalvesin
a pipeline or proceess system. The term iss used to describe a sa
afe method of isolation
n from a
pressurised or hazardous mediu
um to facilittate breaching of the prressure systeem for main
ntenance
and m
modifications. This termin
nology is alsso utilised to
o identify the
e relative inttegrity of te
emporary
isolation
nsystems.
Howeveer,althoughDoubleBlocckandBleeddisauniverrsallyusedte
ermtospeciffyalevelofiisolation,
thedefin
nitionofthetermisbyn
nomeansun iversal.Forexample:
TheUK HealthandSSafetyExecu
utiveguidanccedocumentt,TheSafeIssolationofPPlantandEquipment,
methodconssistingofan arrangemen
ntoftwo
defines doubleblockandbleed (DBB)asa nisolationm
blockvaalveswithab
bleedvalvelo
ocatedinbeetween.
Figure1:DoubleBloc kandBleedDiagramTwoValves
Proceedingsofthe2012P
PipelinePigginga
andIntegrityMa nagementconfe
erence.Copyrightt2012byClarioonTechnicalCon
nferences,
TiratsooTecchnical(adivisioonofGreatSouth
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
Allrightsreserveed.Thisdocumentmaynotbereprroducedinanyfo
ormwithoutperm
missionfromtheccopyrightownerss.
Pip
Testing and monito

oring the efffectiveness oof the Isolattion is specified in this guidance document
whichsttates(ref.artticle165):
Prove tthe integrityy of all isolattion points oof an isolatio
on scheme before
b
proceeeding with intrusive
work(un
nlessyourrisskassessmenthasindicaatedthatthe
euseofnonprovedisolaationisaccep
ptable):
each part of the isolatio

on should bbe proved se
eparately, e.g. prove eacch valve in a
a double
blockandbleedscheme;
s
be proved to th e highest pressure which can be eexpected within the
each part should
systemdurin
ngtheworkactivity
wherepossiible,eachpa
artoftheisoolationshouldbeprovedinthedirecctionofthee
expected
pressurediffferential
Blockand
BPGuidanceonPracticeforSSafeIsolationnandReinstatementofPlantspecifiiesDoubleB
Bleedass:
Double Blo
ock and Bleed consists of the clossure of two block valvees in series with an
intermediate bleed valvve. The integgrity of both valves sha
all be testedd separately and the
onbetweenp
periodicinteggritychecks..
bleedvalvewillthenbeleftinthecl osedpositio
Mostotheroperatorshavesimilarspecificattions,howevverthereisanacceptannceonmanythatthe
pen to accom
mmodate accceptable up
pstream valvve leak ratess. Some even specify
bleed caan be left op
the size of the ventt to ensure that
t
the acceeptable leakk rate will no
ot generate pressure in the void
nthevalves.
between
The BP Guidance th
hen goes on
n to explain which type
es of single body valves can be assessed to
providethesamelevvelofisolatio
on.
Figure2:SingleDoubbleBlockand
dBleedValve
eDiagram
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pip
The accepted requirement for such valvess is that botth upstream and downsstream barriiers hold
n.Examplessofsuchvalvvesaresuitablyspecifiedddoublewed
dgegate,
pressureeinthecorreectdirection
parallel expanding gate,
g
double
e seating baall valves etcc. Double piston seal baall valves where the
wnstreampoositiveseal, shouldnotnormallybe usedandif theyare
cavitypressureprovvidesthedow
ecificTechniccalAuthorityyapproval.
tobeusedthentheyyrequirespe
Figure3:SplitGateeDoubleBlo
ockandBleed
dValve
useofthetermdouble blockandbleediswherreitisusedfforambientisolation
Themosstalarmingu
tooling. This is commonly used in the USA and Canadaa with refere
ence to tooliing which is inserted
oprovideanambientprressurevapo
ourbarrierfo
orwelding.TThesetoolsa
areoften
insideopenpipesto
thenrelocatedtolo
ocallypressuretestthew
welds.These
etoolshave twosealsaagainstthep
pipewall,
uretestcapa
abilitytoconnfirmleaktigghtsealing.T
Thispressureetestdoesn
notprove
whichhaveapressu
theisolaationagainsttanyupstreampressureeforeithersseal.Althoug
ghthisisapperfectlysafe
elevelof
isolation
nfortheambientisolatio
onandaccepptablewhere
etheupstreamventisc apableofprreventing
anypresssurebuildu
upandsafelyyremovinghhydrocarbon
nswhichflashoffthepippewall/con
ndensate,
itisadiffferenttype ofisolationanddescribiingitasDo
oubleblockandbleedcaanofferconfusionto
theunin
nitiated.Theebleedrefferredtoistthecapabilitytobleedtheupstream
mthroughth
hetoolin
muchofftheliterature.
Before w
we can lookk at how temporary isoolation toolss can be asssessed to prrovide an eq
quivalent
DoubleeBlockandB
BleedIsolatio
onweneeddtodefineaaconsistentdefinitionw
whichcovers thehigh
end intent while accommodat
a
ting the praacticalities of
o pipeline systems in which valvves have
acceptab
bleleakratees.
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pipelinepiggingandintegritymanagementconference,Houston,February2012
DoubleBlockandBleedDefinition
Thebaselinedefinitionforincumbentvalvesistwovalves,testedandproventofulllinepressurein
adirectionconsistentwiththerequiredisolationwiththevoidbetweenthemventedandmonitored
forpressurerise.Althoughthisis idealisticotherthanonbrand newplant,itdoesformastarting
pointforassessment.
Theintentofthislevelofisolationisthatnosinglefailurecaninvalidatetheisolation.
Failure (or inadvertent operation) of the primary valve would only allow pressure to enter
the bled zone between the valves. The second valve would prevent any hydrocarbons (or other
pipelinepressure)fromaffectingtheworksite.
Failure(orinadvertentoperation)ofthesecondaryvalvewouldonlyopentheambientvoid
totheworksiteofferingnodirectrisk.Theprimaryvalvewouldpreventanyhydrocarbons(orother
pipelinepressure)fromaffectingtheworksite.
The requirement for the secondary valve to be tested to verify the isolation capacity is key to
ensuringthatanybypassoftheprimaryvalveisretained.
The requirement for the void between the valves to be vented to ambient is necessary to ensure
thatanypressurebuildupfromapassingprimaryvalvewillbedetectedandthatitcanbeventedto
asafearea,whistbeingretainedbythesecondaryvalve.Preventinganyhydrocarbonsorpressure
fromaffectingtheworksite.
Thisisasimpleconceptwhichiscomplicatedbytherealityofplantdesignandvalvewear.Theresult
isthatmostofthetimetwoleaktightvalvesarenotavailable.
Asaresultsomepracticalcompromiseisusuallyrequiredwhenincumbentpipelinevalvesareused
toprovidedoubleblockandbleedisolation.Thefirstpartofthisisthedefinitionofacceptableleak
rates on valves. Most operators have an acceptable leak rate criteria based on pipe diameter,
pressure, and hazardous nature of the fluid being isolated. Other factors such as available vent
capacityandevenfirefightingcapacitycanalsobeusedwhenassessingwhatleakratecanbesafely
accommodated. With this compromise, the secondary valve (downstream) is tested using pipeline
pressuretovalidateitissealingwithinthedocumentedacceptableleakrate.Thevoidbetweenthe
valves is vented and locked in to measure the primary valve (upstream) leak rate. Once the leak
ratesareacceptedaswithinallowablelevels,thebleedisopenedtoflaretoensurenodifferential
pressurebuildsacrossthedownstreamvalve.
Whereasinglevalveistobeusedto offerequivalentisolation,thesamerulesshouldbeapplied.
Where the valve design energises both the upstream and downstream seals with the upstream
pressure, the valve can be considered for double block and bleed. However the single modes of
failurerequiretobeassessedtoensurethatsufficientsafeguardsareputinplacetomitigateagainst
thesefailuremodes.
Oneofthemainsinglefailurepointsisthatasingleactuatorfunctioncanremoveboththeprimary
and secondary seals at once, it is critical that inadvertent or accidental operation of the valve
Proceedingsofthe2012PipelinePiggingandIntegrityManagementconference.Copyright2012byClarionTechnicalConferences,
TiratsooTechnical(adivisionofGreatSouthernPress)andtheauthor(s).
Allrightsreserved.Thisdocumentmaynotbereproducedinanyformwithoutpermissionfromthecopyrightowners.
Pip
actuatorrmustbeprreventedfromoccurringg,preferable
ebyremovin
ngorlockinggtheactuator,while
theisolaationisinplaace.
Anotherrpotentialsiinglepointfa
ailureisthe ballorgate..Withasing
gledoublebllockandbleedvalve,
thereis normallyassingleclosurre,withaseaaloneither side.Howevverthepipe isasingleskkinanda
whichisbolttedinplace, sothiscanbemitigateddagainstbyensuring
blindflaangeissimilaartoagatew
thevalvedesignisto
othesamefactorofsafeetyasablind
d.
Asmosttpipelinevallveseatsare
epressureasssisted,itisimportantth
hatthevalveeintegrityistestedin
thecorrrectdirection
n,although westillsee toooftenth
hevalvecavitybeingde pressurised tocheck
boththeeseatsofaD
DBBvalveatthesametim
me.
TemporaryIsolation
nTechniquess
There are many occcasions whe
ere the incuumbent valves in a piping system aare not suffficient to
provide the required isolation and
a the praccticality of venting the pipeline
p
presssure does not
n make
that opttion desirablle or in som
me cases eveen viable. An
n example off this is ESD
DV maintenance on a
subseaggaspipelinew
wheretheve
entingofsevveralhundre
edkilometressof40pipeeisnotviable
e.
Evenwh
herethepipeelinecanbeventedtoaambient,flashofffromcondensateoorpipeboredeposits
needtobekeptawaayfromthew
worksite.
Temporaary pipeline isolation ha
as been perrformed by a variety of methods too various de
egrees of
integrityy for decadees. The earliest isolatioon techniques were cru
ude with lim
mited capab
bility and
integrityy.Examples includeamu
udpack,wh ichneededtthepipeven
ntedinorderrtoinstall,ccouldnot
beeffecctivelytested
dandwouldnotresistannysubstantiaalpressureth
hatcouldbu ildfromflash.
Figure44:MudPackIsolation
The abiility to retaain pressure
e behind teemporary iso
olation devices was firrst attained
d by the
development of hott tap installe
ed line stop tools which use lip seal technology deployed th
hrough a
penetration,utilisingthe
ebranchtopprovideareaactionforthe
emechanicaalrestraint.T
Theseare
branchp
tradition
nallydeployeedinconjunctionwitha gasbag.The
egasbagisusedasaseecondarybarrrierwith
ableed betweentheelinestopto
oolandthebbagtopreve
entanypresssurebuildupp.Thishowe
everdoes
egasbagcan
ntresisttheepipelinepre
essureso
notequaatetodoubleblockandbleedisolatiionsincethe
couldno
otbecountedasasecondarybarrier .
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pip
Figure5:LinneStopToolwithGasBag
g
Twolineestoptools inserieswitthaventbeetweenwouldberequiredforadouubleblockandbleed
leveliso
olation
Inthem
mid1970s,piiggablemechanicalplug sfirstcame onthemarkketwhichofffereddoublebarrier
isolation
ninasingle isolationtoo
ol.Thisisolattiontooldessignutilisesa
acompressioonpackeran
ndwedge
shaped locks to pro
ovide the higgh pressure seal and axxial restraint. These pluggs were hydraulically
erandstuffi ngboxassemblyallowin
ngthetoolttobepiggedintothe
operated,withahydraulictethe
pressurisedpipeprio
ortosetting.
Thecom
mpressionseealsinrelaxe
edconditioncomprisea ringwhose outsidedia meteroffersspassing
clearancce on the pipe
p
bore an
nd an insidee diameter which matcches the ouutside diame
eter of a
cylindriccal support ring
r
on the plug body. W
When axiallyy compresse
ed by the hyydraulic cylin
nder, the
staticseealvolumecaausesthese
ealtoexpanddintheonlyfreedirectio
oni.e.radialllyouttocon
ntactthe
pipewall.Oncethesealisrestra
ainedbythepipebore,itisfullyresttrainedsofuurtheractivattionload
can no llonger causee seal deform
mation. Thiss additional actuation
a
load generatees rubber pre
essure in
thepackkerwhichim
mprovesthessealontheppipebore.Th
hispackerdesignsealsonnthepipebo
ore,front
andbackcompressio
onfacesand
dthecylindri calsupportrring.
Securep
pluglocatinggisprovidedbyanarrayyoflocksegm
mentswhich
hgripthepippeborewith
hatooth
profilem
machinedinttothelockse
egmentOD. Thelockseggmentshave
eaconicalinnterfacebetw
weenthe
lock ID a conical lock bowl. In the unset loocation, the locks lock bowl interrface is exte
ended so
pulling tthe lock seggments down
n to the locck bowl ramp with the associated
a
rreduction in the lock
segmenttOD.Thisen
nsuresthelo
ocksegmenttsareheldraadiallyclearofthepipebboreforpiggging.The
axial compression of
o the plug by the hydrraulic cylinde
er causes th
he lock segm
ments to run
n up the
conicalrrampofthe lockbowlandengagew
withthepipe
ebore.Once
ethepipebborepreventsfurther
lockmo
ovement,furrtheractuationloadgen eratesacon
ntactpressurewiththe pipeboreto
oengage
theteeth.
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pip
Themajoradvanceiinthistechnologywasfaailsafefeatures:
SelfEneergisation
Fiigure6:IsolaationPlugSelfEnergisatio
on
The geo
ometric conffiguration of this tool deesign takes advantage
a
of
o the isolateed pressure to assist
withtheeplugactivattion.Theisolatedpressuureactsonth
heplugpresssureheadpuushingittow
wardsthe
locks(fixxedpointrestraint).Thissloadactsinnthesameo
orientationasthehydrauulicactuationsystem
andissu
upportedbyythecompre
essionseal.TThecompresssionsealisinitselfsuppportedbyth
helock&
lock bow
wl assembly and being fully
f
restrainned generate
es rubber prressure with the additional load.
Theejecctionloadthenpassesth
hroughtheshhallowconiccaltaperofthelockbow ltogenerate
earadial
loadtoffurtherenerggisethelockkteethintotthepipewall.
Anaxialloadbalanceeoverthese
ealshowsappressureinte
ensificationo
onthesealr ubberpressu
ure:
FpEjecctionLoad=PipelinePre
essurexCrosssSectionalA
AreaofPipe
FsSealLoad=SeallRubberPressurexCros sSectionalA
AreaofSetSe
eal
BalanceofforcesFp
p=Fs
Note:Thhisislookingaatsealpressurreintensificattionanddoesnottakeacco
ountofHydrauulicactuation
npressure
SealRubberrPressure=
=PipelinePPressurex
CrossSecctionalAreaoofPipe
CrossSectionalAreaoffSetSeal
owsthatastheisolatedp
pipelinepresssureincreasses,therubb
berpressureinthesealincreases
Thissho
byafacttor>1.Thisffactorisdefinedbythessealboreinthesealdesig
gnandisnorrmallyinthe
eorderof
1.5.
The taper angle of the lock bo
owl also cann be geometrically desig
gned to gennerate a rad
dial force
intensificationinasimilarpropo
ortion.
The resu
ult of this design featurre is that thee isolation will
w be maintained by thhe isolated pressure,
p
even wiith a total failure
f
of th
he hydraulic system, providing a minimum
m
diff
fferential pre
essure is
maintain
nedacrossth
heplug.Thissmakesthis isolationsystemfailsafe
e.
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pip
PassiveUnset
Inthecaaseonlosso
ofhydraulicss,intheearlyydaysthisccouldbecausedbyahyddraulictethe
erfailure,
the pluggs were dessigned to pa
assively unsset when th
he pressure differential is removed
d. As the
pipelinepressurecannormallyn
notberemovved,thispassiveunsetisachievedbyyraisingthepressure
onlybeachie vedwhenth
hepipelinein
ntegrityisresstored.
inboardoftheplug,whichcano
The earliest configu
urations of th
his plug desiign provided
d a single co
ompression sseal and use
ed a high
sealing pigging disc as the seco
ondary seal.. The void between
b
the
e compressioon seal end and the
pigging disc was veented and monitored
m
ffor pressure buildup. However
H
thi s would no
ot pass a
modern interpretatiionofdoubleblockand bleedisolattionasthessecondaryseealwasnot pressure
ratedto
othefullpipeelinepressurre.
FFigure7:DiagramandPhhotoofEarlyySingleSealIsolationPlu g
The seco
ond generattion of this plug
p
design added a seccond compre
ession seal bbetween the
e primary
sealand
dthelockbo
owl.Thetwocompressioonsealsaresseparatedbyyanannulussringwhichisported
through the hydrau
ulic tether to
o offer a bl eed and mo
onitor capab
bility. Both tthese seals are fully
pelinepressu
ureaswellassthehydraulicactivation
n.
energiseedbythepip
Figure8: DualSealTecnoPlug
Theseto
oolshavebeeenfurtherd
developedovvertheyearssincludingb
beingsplitin toseparatemodules
to assist with bend
d compliancce during piigging. In th
he late 90ss remote coontrol system
ms were
ove the limittations of thhe hydraulicc tethers. Th
hese increaseed the rangge of the
introducced to remo
isolation
n plugs whicch had prevviously beenn limited to pipe end activities.
a
Thhey also rem
moved a
pressureelimitationw
whichwasba
asedonthesstuffingboxrestriction.
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
There are two plug designs currently on the market, one with two lock and seal modules, each
similartotheoriginaldesign,andtheotherbasedonthedualsealandsinglelockarray.Wewilllook
at how the two designs compare to the Double Block and Bleed Isolation definition later in this
document.
STATS has also taken the isolation plug self energised, fail safe, seal design to develop a hot tap
installed isolation tool which can be installed through a single hot tap penetration and offer the
advantagesofboththemechanicalisolationplugandlinestoptooling.
Theothermechanismwhichisusedfortemporaryisolationistheuseoffreezeplugs,wherealiquid
optimally water inside the pipe is frozen, normally by the application of liquid Nitrogen. The
solidifying process would generate an ice plug which both seals and grips the pipe. This isolation
technique is attractive as it does not require full bore access to the pipe bore for installation and
recovery, but does have some challenges, particularly the loading on the pipe from both the ice
expansion and the cryogenic effect on pipe. There is also the asphyxiation potential with the
Nitrogenevaporationandthepotentialtotallossofisolationifthecoolingsystemiscompromised.
DoubleBlockandBleedIsolationTooling
Double Block and Bleed is a valve definition, so all temporary isolation techniques and devices
require to be risk assessed to validate that they offer an equivalent isolation level in the required
application. In order to assess the comparison of isolation provided, we need first to identify the
requirements.
Temporaryisolationtechniquesofferdifferentchallengestovalvessocantbeassessedinadirectly
equivalentmanner.
Valves are designed to be installed in pipes for many years and a high number of operations
betweenmaintenance.Asaresulttheyarenormallyprovidedwithacceptableleakrateshigherthan
thoseofanewvalve.This,resultsinminimumbleedcapacitiesbeingspecifiedwhereanopenbleed
is used. The wear, erosion and corrosion associated with old valves can cause many concerns,
although valves in good condition should always at a minimum provide a secure mechanical
restraint.
Temporaryisolationdevicesontheotherhandarenotpermanentlyconnectedtothepipeworkand
can be inspected and tested immediately before use and tend to be maintained after very few
operations. The seals can be replaced for every deployment so offering a consistent level of seal
integrity. The only limitation on this is pipe bore condition where the temporary isolation device
sealsagainst.Allthehighpressureisolationdevicesidentifiedheredoapplysomelocalstressesto
thepipeatthesetlocationwhichneedtobeassessed.
Theabilityoftheisolationintegritytobemonitorediscriticalinthetemporaryisolationassessment.
With valves, where an open bleed is used, the monitoring of the isolation is minimal, as a rise of
pressurewouldindicatealossofcontrolovertheisolationratherthananindicationofdeterioration
ofeithertheprimarybarrierorventcapability.ThehighspecificationoftheBPrequirementabove,
withthebleedlockedinwillofferthefullmonitorbutmaynotbeviablewithvalveleakrates.
Theindependenceofcontrolsystemstoensurenosingleoperationcouldinvalidatebothbarriers,
whichisacauseforconcerninthesingledoubleblockandbleedvalve,mustbeaddressedinthe
assessmentoftemporaryisolationdevices.
Accidentaloperation,whichcausesrestrictionsintheuseofESDVvalvesindoubleblockandbleed,
iseasiertocontrolintemporaryisolationsystemssincetheytendtobeindependentofautomated
plantsystems,howeverneedstobecoveredinariskassessment.
Whereassessingtheintegrityofanisolation,wethereforeneedtoassessthefollowing:
Twoindependentbarriers
Abilitytotestbothbarriersinthecorrectdirectiontoverifytheisolationintegrity
Any single failure modes are understood and addressed. E.g. single bulkheads such as in
doubleblockandbleedvalves
Bleedlimitations
Monitoringcapability
Sealintegrity
Restraintintegrity
Exposuretosingleseal
Stabilityofisolationunderunstableloadingfrompressurefluctuations
Effectonthepipingsystem
TheseareallassessedinitiallyinaFMECAforthetoolingthenaHAZIDonthedeploymentforSTATS
suppliedequipment.
ThispaperwilllookattheSTATSTecnoPlugandBISEPindetailthencomparewithalternative
technology.
TecnoPlug
The current Tecno Plug is derived from the dual seal tethered isolation plug deployed by
TecnomarineSystemssincethemid1980s.Thebasicconceptisfortwocompressionsealsmounted
in series outboard of a taper lock array. There are several configurations from single to triple
module with the multi module configurations being connected by structural ball joints. The basic
loadingandoperationisthesameforallvarieties.
Pip
F
Figure9:Rem
moteControllTecnoPlug
inPiggingConfiguratioon
Themosstcompactp
plugisthesin
nglemoduleedualsealTe
ecnoPlug.Thisplugisddesignedtobesetin
tight spaces, e.g. between two
o valves or bbetween a pig trap valvve and prodduction tee to allow
hilethevalv emaintenan
nceisprogre
essed.Thispplugcanhow
wever,be
productiontobemaaintainedwh
ndssocanalsobeusedfforlongdistaancepigging jobs.
piggedrround3Dben
ThesingglemoduleTTecnoPlughastwocom
mpressionse
ealsinseries,supported byanarrayor6or8
lock seggments arrayyed around a single locck bowl. The
e advantage of arraying the continggent lock
segmenttsinasingleearrayistha
atbothseals arefullyenergisedbyth
hedifferentiialacrossthe
eplug.In
this con
nfiguration, the
t loading across the pplug from th
he differentia
al pressure w
which energgised the
sealsandlocksdoessnotchangewithachanggeinannuluspressure,u
unlikethealtternativedesignwith
ngs.
twoseparatelockrin
The Teccno Plug iss normally deployed
d
witth a remote
e control sysstem which comprises a
a control
module pigged in with
w the plugg that sets a nd monitorss the plug under instrucctions communicated
throughthepipewaallwithELF communicattions.Theasssessmentoftheisolatioonintegrity needsto
oththeisolattionplugand
dcontrolsysstem.
coverbo
Whendeployed,theeisolationplugishydrauulicallyactivvatedbythe controlmoddule.Thisca
ausesthe
internallymountedhydrauliccyllinderinthe TecnoPlug
tocontracttsosettingtthelocksand
dsealsto
createth
heplugiscoonfirmedassset,thepresssureinboardd(portionof thepipe
heinitialbarrrier.Onceth
tobeiso
olated)isventedgenera
atingapresssuredifferentialacrossth
heplugmoddule.Asthe pressure
differentialisapplieed,thetrapp
pedfluidinttheannulus betweenthe
esealsiscom
mpresseddu
uetothe
mpression.Theothereffectisthatthhehydraulic pressureintheactuatioonsystemdrrops.The
sealcom
remainin
ng hydraulicc set pressurre once the pipe is fully vented is lo
ocked in by ppilot operate
ed check
valvesto
oensureitissmaintained,evenwithllossofpowe
erintheconttrolmodule.
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pip
Figurre10:TecnooPlugSealVerificationCycle
barrieristesstedinsituttoabove
OnceinboardpressureisfullyvventedtheTTecnoPlugsecondaryb
thepipeelinepressurreinthecorrectorientattion.Thispro
ovestheinte
egrityoftheesecondary seal.The
annulusisthenventtedtothetailpressureaandlockedin
n.Thisallowsstheprimaryysealtobettestedto
thefull differential pressure.Altthoughthe annuluswillsettleataffewbaraboovethesmallvolume
(~3 litrees for a 30) plug combined with the low pressure (~5 bar/ ~70 pssi) does nott offer a
substanttialrisk.
The isolation is then
n monitored
d for an exteended period prior to breaching
b
thee pipe integgrity. The
standard
dperiodis12hoursfora
ahighpressuureisolation..
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
This offers the closest monitoring to the valve scenario. Both barriers are proven insitu to full
pipelinepressureandthevoidbetweenthesealsisbledtoambientandlockedinformonitoring.As
the isolation plugs offer high integrity sealing, this annulus pressure is not anticipated to require
ventingduringtheisolation.However,iftheannuluspressuredidrise,thentheloadingontheseal
wouldbeunchangedandthesystemhasalreadybeentestedtothesecondarysealloadingsodoes
notgooutsidethetestedcondition.
Once the isolation certificate is issued, the control system is put in watchdog mode which
automatically monitors the Tecno Plug sensors and transmits changes to alert the operator. The
plugwillnotacceptanycommandwhichwillchangethestatuswhileinwatchdogwhichlocksthe
systemfrominadvertentoperation.Thehydraulicunsetisalsolimitedandhighpressureisolations
cantbeunsethydraulicallywithoutequalisingthepressurefirst.
Singlefailureassessmentofthisplugistotheextentthattheoutboardmonitorisprotectedbya
shuttlevalvetoprotectfromaleakingfitting.
ComparingthistotheDoubleBlockandBleedCriteria:
Both primary and secondary seal are capable and tested to the pipeline pressure in the
correctdirectionduringthedeployment
Annulus between the seals is vented and locked in minimising exposure from loss of
secondarysealintegrity
Effectoftheloadingonthepipeiswellunderstoodandengineeredfortheapplication.All
plugsaretestedinequivalentpipetoHydrotestpressures
Both seals and the locks are fully activated by the differential pressure and by hydraulic
activationpressure.Twototallyindependentactuationsystems
Controlsystemlockedfrominadvertentoperation
Automaticmonitorofoutboardpressure,inboardpressure,annuluspressure,hydraulicset
pressure,hydraulicunsetpressure.Thesesensorswouldgiveadvancenoticeofanychange
ofstatusinthesystem.Thereistheabilitytointerveneinacontrolledmannerifrequired
LookingattheFailureModes:
Thepressureheadisasteeldiscsimilarindesigntoablindflangewiththedesignto1.5timesthe
isolationplugdesignpressure.AsthestandardTecnoPlugworkingpressureisinexcessof3000psi
andmostdeploymentsarelessthan2000psi,thenthisoffersadditionalcontingency.Everyisolation
toolistestedinsimilarpipetothecodehydrotestpressurespriortodeployment.Thiscomparesto
valvegateswhichonlyrequirea1.1timesMAOPtestpressure.
Thefrontcompressionsealistheprimarybarrier.Thissealisheldactivatedbyboththedifferential
pressure and hydraulic set pressure, both of which would require to be lost to invalidate the
activation.Failuremodesassessedarealeakdevelopingandacatastrophiclossofseal.Theseare
highlyunlikelyevents,howevertheconsequencesneedtobeassessed.Aleakpasttheprimaryseal
would only restore the annulus pressure to the prevented plug status which had already been
tested. The secondary seal is proven as a full barrier. The Tecno Plug control system allows
controlledventingofthispressureifrequired.Acatastrophicfailureoftheprimarysealcouldallow
movementofthepressureheadtowardsthetaperlocks.TheTecnoPlugisthereforedesignedto
accommodate this movement to the extent of the full loss on the primary seal rubber volume.
However,additionalto thisdefence,thesealwouldnot extrudeontothe pipelinepressureasthe
pipelinepressureisactingagainstit.Extrusiontowardsthesecondarysealwouldbelimitedbythe
freevolumearoundtheannulusringsoafullseallossisnotpossible.Theplugdesignhashowever
beendesignedtoaccommodatetotallossofthisseal.
Theannulusringisasolidsteelplateundercompressionwhichissupportedacrossthesurfacewith
thecompressionsealsandisdesignedofsufficientthicknesstoretainrigidity.
The rear compression seal is the secondary seal. This seal activation is maintained by both the
differentialacrosstheplugandthehydraulicsetpressure,whetherthereispressurebetweenthe
sealsornot.ThesealistestedaspartoftheTecnoPlugdeploymentandheldduringtheisolation
withminimalpressurelockedintheannulus.Thissealisassessedfortwofailurescenarios.Firstlya
leak developing. A leak in this seal would be identified by the loss of the small pressure in the
annulus.Thesmallvolumeandpressureminimisesthepotentialhazard.Thesecondhazardassessed
is the catastrophic loss of the secondary seal. Like the primary seal the Tecno Plug stroke is
designed to accommodate this movement. However like the primary seal, the seal movement is
limited. For the seal to move forward into the annulus, the limited free annulus volume would
preventsealloss.Ifthesealmovedbackwards,themovementwouldbelimitedbythelocks.Hence
thecatastrophicsealfailurealsoprotectedagainstbythenatureofthedesign.
Thelockbowlisasolidsteelringdesignedtotakethefulltestpressureinasimilarmannertothe
annulusringandpressurehead.
The taper lock segments have more than 100% contingency arrayed around the lock bowl. This
ensuresthateccentricpipesurfacedegradation(e.g6oclockcorrosion)canbeaccommodated.The
locks are fully engaged by both the hydraulic set pressure and the differential pressure across the
pluginasimilarmannertotheseals.Theselocksaretestedtothefullpressureduringtheisolation
plugdeploymentandtheloadingfromthedifferentialpressureisconstantwithpipelinepressure.
The alternative of axially separating the contingency locks, placing a set between the seals, would
resultintheloadingonthelockgripchangingiftheannulusbetweenthesealschangesofferingthe
potential on an untested condition being generated during an isolation. STATS have assessed this
riskasbeingmorehazardousthanasinglefullytestedandstablegrip.
TecnoPlugshavebeenacceptedbymostmajoroperatorsoverthelast20years.
Pip
TecnoPlugExamp
ples
In2001Tecnomarinedeployeda
a40remoteeplugforStaatoil,isolatin
nga110bar gaspipeline
e,800km
dedinESDVvvalvetobesstrippedandmaintained.Thiswasthhefirstremo
oteTecno
longtoaallowaweld
Plugdeploymentaandwaspre
ecededbya 3dayHAZO
OPtoassess therisks.Assaresultof thisfirst
mentStatoiliisolated2further40expportlinesthefollowingyyear.
deploym
Figure11:Remote PlugBeingLLoadedintoP
PigTrap
Oneoftthechallengeesintheoila
andgaspipeelineindustryyistheprese
enceofHydrrogenSulphideinthe
pipeline medium. The
T
presencce of H2S iin the pipeline fluid greatly increeases the risks. The
uencesofeveenasmallle
eakcanprovvefatal.STATTSstandardT
TecnoPlugs
aredesign
nedtobe
consequ
NACEco
omplaint,pro
ovidingthe correctsealiingpackerm
materialisussed.STATSaareworking inQatar,
wherethesourcontentcanbe measuredinnseveralpe
ercentinstea
adofppm.H
Hereweuse
eaHNBR
our service aand have iso
olated 38 and 36 pipeelines for tw
wo of the
seal speecifically dessigned for so
major o
operators. We
W had to qualify the s eals for 9% hydrogen sulphate.
s
In this applica
ation the
minimisingoftheprroductretain
nedbyasingglesealisanimportantfa
actormakinggtheTecnoPlugan
obviouschoice.
Figure12
2:38Tecno PlugafterSourGasDe
eployment
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pip
BISEPBranchInsstalledSelfE
EnergisedPluug
TheBISEEPistheDoubleBlockandBleedli nestoptoolwhichhasb
beendeveloppedbySTATS.Ituses
TecnoPlugsealsm
mountedona
asphericalh eadtoprovidethedualbarrierisolattion.
Figgure13:BISEEP
ealadvantageesofaTecno
oPlugbutwithsomeaadditionalfea
atures.
TheBISEEPoffersalllthedualse
Thepressureehead,prim
marysealannnulusringandsecondarysealoperateeinasimilarrmanner
totheTecno
oPlug.
TheBISEP ishoweverinstalledthrooughahotttappenetrationsoinsteaadofthetap
perlocks,
ed by two soolid clevis arms,
a
each of
o which cann resist the full test
the BISEP is restraine
pressure.
The BISEP
also has a secondary leak tight pressure
p
hea
ad mountedd to the rea
ar of the
secondaryseeal.
The BISEP had permanent hydrauulic connection through the launcheer. This wou
uld allow
continuousssafeventingofanyprimaarysealbypaass.
TheBISEPcanaccomm
modateback pressuretotestthecom
mpletedpipeework.
TheBISEP canbeutilissedinconjunnctionwithaaTecnoPlug
gtoallowhhottapfittin
ngstobe
hehazardof weldingontolivelinesa
andthelong termsecurittyofsplit
removedsoremovingth
weldedfittin
ngs.
STATS h
have develop
ped a system
m, first usedd to remove an 18 dead leg for BPP in the UK, where a
mechanical hot tap clamp is used to providde a cold wo
ork branch. The clamp iis a dual sea
al variety
t pipe to be pressure
e tested. A hot
h tap macchine and va
alve then
which allows the asssembly on the
generateesapenetrationinthep
pipefortheddeploymentoftheBISEP.
TheBISEEPisthen deployedto providedouubleblockandbleedisolationsofaccilitatingthe removal
ofthedeadleg.Onccethedeadlegisremovved,atempo
orarylaunchercompleteewithTecno Plugis
attached
dandpressu
uretestedaggainstthebaackoftheBISEP.Thisn
newverified boundaryalllowsthe
BISEP toberemovvedleavinga
accesstodepploytheTecnoPlug.Th
heTecnoPluugisthend
deployed
ovideDouble
eblockandbbleedisolatio
on.
outboarrdofthemecchanicalhottapclampanndsettopro
Theclam
mpandpipewithhottap
ppenetratio ncanthenb
beremovedundertheTeecnoPlugiisolation.
Inthe18applicatio
ontherewassaflangebrreakimmediatelyonthe
e36by18 teeallowinggaquick
manentsolu
ution.ThisTe
ecnoPlugw
wasdesigned
dwithamecchanicallock
kandretentio
onwhich
andperm
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pip
allowed theplugto beabandon

nedintheb ranchandblindedbehin
ndit.Thelenngthofthe plugwas
dtofilltheb
branchsoefffectivelyrem
movingthede
eadleg.
designed
Figurre14:BISEP
Deployme
entDuringTe
esting
Figu
ure15:BISEP
PIsolatingPPipelineOnSitewithDeadLegCutA
Away
The whole operatio
on was cond
ducted undeer cold worrk conditions with doubble block an
nd bleed
nthroughoutt.
isolation
BISEPaandTecnoPlugsealsareratedfor leaktightop
peration.The
epicturebeloowshowsaBISEP
headwh
heretheseallswereseto
onhottapsw
warfandattaainedaleakttightseal.Thheswarfcanclearly
beseenontheBISEP
Pseals.
HotTapSwarrf
Figure16:BISEPHeadaafterSuccessfulSetonH
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Pip
The com
mpetitive design with tw
wo lock and seal module
es required half the pippeline pressu
ure to be
trapped between the seals. Op
perationally this makes testing botth seals in ssitu to full pressure
impractiical. The loaading on eacch module w
will also chaange as the pressure beetween the modules
changess,potentiallyytoanuntesttedconditio n.
Figure17:CompetitionDeesignwithTw
woLockandSealModulees
The volu
ume betweeen the modu
ules at half the pipeline
e pressure (O
Orange in skketch) is sign
nificantly
largerth
hantheTecn
noPlugand
disonlyisolaatedfromthe
eworksitebyasingleseaal.
ug&BISEP
areTradeM
MarksofSTATSS(UK)Ltd
TecnoPlu
PipelinePigginga
nferences,
hernPress)andth
heauthor(s).
ormwithoutperm
Isolationsystem
Primarybarrier
capability
Primaryseal
test
Secondary
Secondaryseal
barriercapability test
Dualvalveand
bleed
Blockvalve
potentialforminor
leakrate
dependanton
valveservice
history
Bleedbetween
valvescanbeused
forafullservice
testattimeof
isolation
Blockvalve
potentialforminor
leakrate
dependanton
valveservice
history
Pressurisingthe
voidbetweenthe
valvestopipeline
pressurecan
provesecondary
valve
Singlesplitgate
valve
Sealonoutboard
slab.Actuationon
thetaperofthe
splitactivatesthe
sealsonotreliant
onpressure
energisation
Bleedonvalve
cavitycanbeused
forafullservice
testattimeof
isolation
Pressurisingthe
valvecavityto
pipelinepressure
canprove
secondaryseal
Floatingslabvalve
withpistonsealon
theoutboard
Pistoneffectseal
ontheoutboard
sideoftheslab
providespressure
energisedseal
whilevalvecavityis
vented.Spring
activationofthe
sealonlywherethe
valvecavityisat
pipelinepressure
Bleedonvalve
cavitycanbeused
forafullservice
testattimeof
isolation
Sealoninboard
slab.Actuationon
thetaperofthe
splitactivatesthe
sealsonotreliant
onpressure
energisation,
howeverpressure
actingonslab
offersadditional
energisation
Sealoninboard
slab.Pressure
actingonslab
offersmainseal
energisation.Seal
remainsenergised
independentof
thevalvecavity
pressure
Pressurisingthe
valvecavityto
pipelinepressure
canprove
secondaryseal
Bleed/monitor
description
Controlsystem
isolation
Comments
Bleedvalveand
monitorbetween
thevalvesoffers
theopportunityto
bleedthevoidto
flareandlockin
formonitoring.
Alsooptionto
openthebleedto
flaretoprevent
pressurebuildup.
Bleedvalveand
monitorofvalve
cavityoffersthe
opportunityto
bleedthevoidto
flareandlockin
formonitoring.
Alsooptionto
openthebleedto
flaretoprevent
pressurebuildup.
Bleedvalveand
monitorofvalve
cavityoffersthe
opportunityto
bleedthevoidto
flareandlockin
formonitoring.
Alsooptionto
openthebleedto
flaretoprevent
pressurebuildup.
Controlvalvesto
isolated.Block
valvestobelocked
ortagged
High levelof
isolationbut
requires
incumbentvalves
inthesystemto
beavailableand
operatingwithin
required
acceptance
criteria.
Singlevalve
actuationmustbe
mechanically
lockedorisolated
fromtheactuator
toprevent
inadvertent
operation
Highlevelof
isolationbut
requires
incumbentvalvein
thesystemtobe
availableand
operatingwithin
required
acceptance
criteria.
Singlevalve
actuationmustbe
mechanically
lockedorisolated
fromtheactuator
toprevent
inadvertent
operation
Highlevelof
isolationbut
requires
incumbentvalvein
thesystemtobe
availableand
operatingwithin
required
acceptance
criteria.
Proceedingsofthe2012PipelinePiggingandIntegrityManagementconference.Copyright2012byClarionTechnicalConferences,TiratsooTechnical(adivisionofGreatSouthernPress)andtheauthor(s).
Ballvalvewithdual Pistoneffectseal
pistoneffecton
ontheoutboard
inboardseal
sideoftheball
providespressure
energisedseal
whilevalvecavityis
vented.Spring
activationofthe
sealonlywherethe
valvecavityisat
pipelinepressure
Standardtrunion
Pistoneffectseal
ballvalve
ontheoutboard
sideoftheball
providespressure
energisedseal
whilevalvecavityis
vented.Spring
activationofthe
sealonlywherethe
valvecavityisat
pipelinepressure
STATSslabgate
Sealoninboard
valvewithdual
slab(outerof2
inboardseals
concentricseals).
Pressureactingon
slaboffersmain
sealenergisation.
Sealremains
energised
independentofthe
valvecavity
pressure
Bleedonvalve
cavitycanbeused
forafullservice
testattimeof
isolation
Bleedonvalve
cavitycanbeused
forafullservice
testattimeof
isolation
Bleedbetween
thesealscanbe
usedforafull
servicetestat
timeofisolation
Doublepiston
usedonthe
inboardsealto
energisetheseal
withthevalve
cavitypressure.
Pistonwillalso
workinreverse
withinboard
pressureactivating
theseal.
Inboardseatis
onlyenergisedby
inboardpressure
socanbeusedfor
verificationif
primaryseal,but
notsecondary
barrier
Pressurisingthe
valvecavityto
pipelinepressure
canprove
secondaryseal
Sealoninboard
slab(innerof2
concentricseals).
Pressureactingon
slaboffersmain
sealenergisation.
Sealremains
energised
independentof
thevalvecavity
pressure
Pressurisingthe
annulusvoid
betweentheseals
toorabovethe
pipelinepressure
offersfullseal
verification
Ventvalvecavity
withpipeline
pressureonboth
sidesofthevalve.
Bleedvalveand
monitorofvalve
cavityoffersthe
opportunityto
bleedthevoidto
flareandlockin
formonitoring.
Alsooptionto
openthebleedto
flaretoprevent
pressurebuildup.
Bleedvalveand
monitorofvalve
cavityoffersthe
opportunityto
bleedthevoidto
flareandlockin
formonitoring.
Alsooptionto
openthebleedto
flaretoprevent
pressurebuildup.
Singlevalve
actuationmustbe
mechanically
lockedorisolated
fromtheactuator
toprevent
inadvertent
operation
Highlevelof
isolationbut
requires
incumbentvalvein
thesystemtobe
availableand
operatingwithin
required
acceptance
criteria.
Singlevalve
actuationmustbe
mechanically
lockedorisolated
fromtheactuator
toprevent
inadvertent
operation
Providessingle
provenblock
isolation
Smallvolumebetween
thesealsoffersavery
sensitivemonitor.This
isatemporaryvalve
usedforhottappingso
sealsarechanged
regularlyofferingleak
tightsealing.Annulus
canbepressurised
eitherexternallyor
withpipelinepressure.
Abilitytobleedpassing
sealislimiteddueto
smallvolume.
Differential
pressureacross
thevalve
generatesfriction
sufficientto
preventvalve
operation.
Howeverisolation
ofactuation
systemis
mandatory.
Notsuitablefor
permanent
installationdueto
sensitivitytoseal
damagewhich
couldprevent
isolationbeing
achieved.
TecnoPlug
configuration
Compressionseal
maintainedbothby
selfenergisation
fromfullDPacross
theplugand
hydraulics
Bleedbetween
thesealscanbe
usedforafull
servicetestat
timeofisolation
Compressionseal
maintainedboth
byself
energisationfrom
fullDPacrossthe
plugand
hydraulics
Pipelinepressure
trappedbysetting
sequenceallows
fullservicetestat
timeofisolation
Smallvolumeheld
justabove
ambientand
continuously
monitored
Controlsystem
actuationsystemis
electronically
lockedbythe
watchdogfunction.
Unsetsystemis
loadlimitedto
ensureDifferential
pressurerequires
tobelowtoallow
unsetting.
Alternativeremote
isolationplug
configuration
Compressionseal
withindependent
lockring
maintainedbothby
selfenergisation
fromhalfDPacross
theplugand
hydraulics
Bleedbetween
thesealslimited
tomaintainDP
acrossthe
secondarymodule
canbeusedfora
partialservicetest
attimeof
isolation.Fullseal
testperformed
priorto
mobilisation
Compressionseal
maintainedboth
byself
energisationfrom
halfDPacrossthe
plugand
hydraulics
Sequentialsetting
oftheplug
modulescould
allowfullservice
testattimeof
isolation
Significantvolume
heldathalfthe
pipelinepressure.
Pressurelockedin
andmonitoredfor
fluctuation
Notknownto
STATS
Singlearrayof
locksisfullytested
totheisolated
pressureand
loadingisnot
effectedbythe
pressurevariation
betweentheseals.
Zeroenergyzone
outboardof
secondarysealin
normaloperation
Fluctuationsin
pipelinepressure
orbetweenseal
annuluspressures
canchangethe
plugstatusduring
isolation(post
test)e.g.lowering
ofpipeline
pressurecould
backpressure
primaryseal.A
lossofintegrityin
secondaryseal
wouldboth
contaminatethe
worksitewiththe
trappedannulus
contentsand
applyanuntested
loadtothe
primarymodule.
BISEP
Compressionseal
maintainedbothby
selfenergisation
fromfullDPacross
theBISEPand
hydraulics
Bleedbetween
thesealscanbe
usedforafull
servicetestat
timeofisolation
Compressionseal
maintainedboth
byself
energisationfrom
fullDPacrossthe
BISEPand
hydraulics
Pressurecanbe
appliedtothe
annulusbetween
thesealshigher
thanthepipeline
pressureto
performfulltest
onthesecondary
seal
Smallvolumeheld
justabove
ambientand
continuously
monitored.Also
optiontoopenthe
bleedtoflareto
preventpressure
buildup.
LineStoptoolwith
gasbag
Pressure
competentLipseal
leaktight~90%.
Energisedby
pipelinepressure
Bleedbetween
thelipsealand
thegasbag
Gasbag not
pressure
competent.
Bleedbetween
thelipsealand
thegasbag
Separatehottap
providesbleedfor
monitoring.Bleed
canbeopenedto
safelocationto
preventpressure
buildupbetween
linestopandbag
Weldtesttool
Mechanicallyor
hydraulically
actuated
compressionseal
notenergisedby
pipelinepressure
Mechanicallyor
hydraulically
actuated
compressionseal
notenergisedby
pipelinepressure
Inflatedgasbag
Pressuretest
betweenseals
provesseal
integrity.Tool
axialrestraintis
howeverlimited
tocontactfriction
andsolimited
capability
Pressuretest
betweengasbags
provesseal
Bleedinthis
normallyrefersto
anopenbleed
throughthetool
whichisusedto
preventpressure
buildupoutboard
ofthetool
Dualgasbag
Pressuretest
betweenseals
provesseal
integrity.Tool
axialrestraintis
howeverlimited
tocontactfriction
andsolimited
capability
Pressuretest
betweengasbags
provesseal
Inflatedgasbag
Pressuremaintained
betweenthegas
bagswithinertfluid
ensured
hydrocarbon
vapoursdonotpass.
Controlsystem
actuationsystem
Hydraulically
locked.Unset
systemisload
limitedtoensure
Differential
pressurerequires
tobelowtoallow
unsetting.
Isolatedpressure
lockstoolinplace.
Retractionsystem
isnormallynot
capableof
recoverywithout
pressure
equalisation.Gas
baginflation
lockedin
Mechanical/
hydrauliclockfor
activation.
Openventfor
bleed
Dualclevisarms
offerfull
redundancyinthe
axialrestraint.
Zeroenergyzone
outboardof
secondarysealin
normaloperation.
Lockinofgasbag
pressure
Requiredambient
isolationwith
separateopen
vent.
Singleproven
isolation
Singleproven
isolationfor
ambient
operation.
Singlegasbag
Inflatedgasbag
None
None
None
none
Lockinofgasbag
pressure
Freezeplug
Liquidplugfrozen
insidethepipe.
Requires
continuouscooling
tomaintain
isolation
Pressuretest
acrosstheplug
None
None
Candepressurise
theinboardvoid
forservice
pressuretest.
Mudpack
Pipeendfilledwith
mudtoprevent
hydrocarbons
reachingworksite
None
None
None
none
Gelplug
Piggablegelslug
providesambient
barrier
None
Piggablegelslug
providesambient
barrier
None
None
Noisolationof
controlsystem
feasible.Failureof
activecontrol
systemwillresult
infailureof
isolationpossible
catastrophic
failure.
Mudpackrequires
tobemanually
removeror
displacedwith
pipelinepressure.
Nocontrolsystem
tolock
Gelplugsdesigned
tomeltin
production
thereforeno
controlsystem
lockingrequired.
Offerssingle
unprovenambient
isolation.
Normallyusedin
conjunctionwitha
secondarysystem
e.g.singlevalveto
provideamore
robustisolation.
Singleuntested
ambientseal.
Notsuitablefor
warmclimates.

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Double block and bleed isolation

Pipeline Pigging and Integrity

Testing and monito

each part of the isolatio

allowed theplugto beabandon

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