Every oil spill brings to mind some of the worst environmental catastrophes caused by humankind.
In 2010 it was the Macondo Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of mankind. As of this writing, “along the central part of the Brazilian coastline, a mysterious oil spill of more than 4,000 tons is contaminating beaches, reefs, and mangroves in a 2,500 kilometer stretch of shoreline.”
While natural oil spills account for a lot of the oil wasted every day, stopping man-made oil leaks should be a top priority for companies around the world.
And one of the ways that oil companies can prevent these catastrophic and costly accidents is by using the right tools to prevent pipeline fatigue.
Pipeline fatigue failures can be prevented
Fatigue failure cracks, while not so common, are particularly interesting due to their nature.
Fatigue failure is defined as the formation and propagation of cracks due to a repetitive cyclic load.
Most fatigue failures are caused by cyclic loads significantly below the loads that would result in yielding of the material.
It is not uncommon for cracks to go unnoticed as many of the places they happen are hard in remote areas where access is difficult. For example, the Keystone Pipeline in North Dakota was shut down due to an oil spill of more than 380,000 gallons of oil.
Using The Right Tools for the Job
Above ground or underground, pipes need specific Certified Cold Work Tools for material removal and inspection.
For example, FUJI TOOL’s FG-2VX-50 Die Grinder, paired with the Rotating File A-0004 can be used to remove corrosion and paint around what may appear to be a crack.
By eliminating the excess material on top and cleaning out the surface we can follow the crack with the corner of the file to identify the depth.
By using a Certified cold work tool we do not need to worry about a possible ignition or explosion if we were to expose a crack and it happened to burst.
By cleaning the underlining material, following the crack, and noting it affects the structural integrity of the pipeline we can bring notice to the Personnel in charge for immediate and decisive action.
Such action may include pipe wrapping, clamping, reinforcements, and so on. Multiple companies are specialized in the repair of such fractures, however, the first step is identifying them.
While there are many methods to identify cracks, at TFT-PNEUMATIC we offer a purely mechanical method with the added safety of being Certified as a Cold Work Tool.
At TFT-PNEUMATIC we specialize in cold work tools for use in hydrocarbon and oil-rich environments. Our tools can work without the risk of ignition in all of these areas while being directly in contact with such materials. There is no need for a Hot Work Permit or fireguards.
As the only Certified Tool of its Class Certified in the World we offer capabilities otherwise unknown to the project managers and other people at the worksite. Our primary focus is to work in offshore rigs, terminals, chemical plants, and refineries.
Performing work in and around refineries and pipelines can be quite challenging, particularly when the areas are classified as Dangerous or Explosive. Even during turnaround times, there is the presence of hydrocarbons and explosive material that can be ignited quite easily. It is for Class 1 Div 1 & 2 Areas that TFT-PNEUMATIC brings to market Certified Cold Work Tools that can cut, grind or do surface preparation without the need of a Hot Work Permit, Habitats, shutdowns, Fireguards, and so on. While training is important it is even more important to do a full risk assessment of the work area and conditions. Lack of competency evaluating risks can lead to fires and explosions.
TFT-PNEUMATIC supplies Certified Cold Work Equipment for Class 1 Div 1 & 2 Areas for surface preparation, grinding and cutting.Our tools are Certified as well for Dust Explosion Environments. Whether it is a tank with unknown content that needs to me removed, a corroded bolt that can’t be unbolted or something that needs to be cut, we have the right tool for your application.
Following a Cold Work approach may be desirable for four reasons; shorter turnaround times, the inability to get a Hot Work Permit, the need to do the job right away and more importantly Safety.
TFT-PNEUMATIC’s Certified Cold Work Tools are hands down the best option in the market for surface preparation, grinding, cutting& weld seam removal applications. Being Certified Work tools implies that they can be used without a Hot Work Permit, Habitats, Shutdowns,Fireguards and so on.
See below for some applications of our tools being used in Refineries and Chemical Plants
