I N N O V AT I O N S • A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 1 4
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T E C H N O L O G Y F O C U S
Locked In:
Offshore Isolations
Companies that create technology are always working on
the next big idea.
Often, innovation originates from breakthrough, whiz-bang,
lightning-strikes thinking.
But sometimes, instead of a revolution, an evolution will do just fine.
And sometimes, that evolution begins with a little prompting from
the marketplace.
Such is the case with the hydraulic locking capabilities of the
tetherless, remote-controlled SmartPlug® isolation system. Evolving
versions of this non-invasive plugging technology have been isolating
offshore pipelines for more than 20 years. SmartPlug tools, designed
by pipeline service provider T.D. Williamson (TDW), remotely
isolate and stop product flow to a designated area of the pipeline
so that maintenance, repair or tie-ins can be performed in a safe,
inert environment.
A key component of the system is its ability to hydraulically lock into
place during isolation in a lower pressure line. This locking mechanism
supplements, or can even replace, pipeline pressure differential to more
securely hold the isolation tool in place.
Without hydraulic lock capabilities, and in the case of a substantial
drop in pipeline pressure, the differential pressure across the plug could
diminish to a point that the tool could naturally begin unsetting. This
would cause both the pipeline operator and service provider to take
immediate corrective action, resulting in delays and wasted time and
money, potentially jeopardizing the whole operation. But hydraulic
locking capabilities provide an additional level of safety and security,
allowing the tool to maintain the isolation regardless of pressure changes
within the pipeline.
“Hydraulic lock capability greatly increases safety during pipeline
isolation,” Gary Anderson, Director of SmartPlug Technology, explains.
“By continuing to expand the locking function across all sizes of the
tool, operators will ultimately benefit from the same safeguards and risk
mitigation, regardless of the diameter of their line.”
Hydraulic Locking a Necessity
SmartPlug tools come in a variety of sizes – for every pipeline diameter
from 8 inches to 48 inches, there’s a unique, specific isolation tool with a
proprietary intelligent control system to match. Offshore operators who
had experience using the SmartPlug tool in larger diameter pipelines
