Decommissioning
At the end-of-life stage, pipelines and systems must be appropriately prepared for a new function or for abandonment. These days, with strict environmental regulations, it is important that all hydrocarbons are removed.
The Intero Integrity Pipeline Services group are specialists in this area. With cleaning programs and our own hydrocarbon in water analyzers, partly developed in-house primarily for this purpose, we can clean your pipeline to your required specification.
Our decommissioning solutions are cost-effective, environmentally sound and where possible, enable the material of the pipeline to be reused.
Pipeline and system decommissioning includes those activities which are necessary to take the pipeline out of use when its function is about to change.
These activities can include:
- Making the pipeline product-free
- Chemical cleaning
- Mechanical cleaning
- Inertization by filling with safe product so the pipeline can remain in place.
First the pipeline needs to be purged and emptied. Usually this is done using pigs driven by a suitable fluid or gas. When the line is empty and free of product, we can continue to remove all residue until the required cleanliness is achieved.
When the line is finally free of hydrocarbons, it can be conserved for future use, or commissioned straight away for its new life.
If the pipeline is to be taken out of service then it will usually be left in place and filled with water, concrete, foamed concrete or similar products. If the pipeline is to be removed, the cleaning will stop at a level whereby the pipeline can be cut and removed in a safe manner, with minimal environmental impact.