Bashneft (an enterprise of Rosneft Oil Company) has completed the first-ever repair of an operating pipeline at the Arlanskaya group of fields without stopping oil pumping.
The technology involves the installation of equipment on a pressurised pipeline. Stoppers are installed on either side of the pipeline section that needs to be repaired or replaced, with a bypass (standby line) installed between them. After blocking off this pipeline section, the oil flow is diverted through the bypass.
Field trials of the new technology were conducted at one of Bashneft-Dobycha’s oil treatment units. It took 18 hours to repair and replace 75 metres of pipeline. Thanks to the new technology, oil pumping, and the production well stock operations are not interrupted when the pipeline stock is being repaired. Throughout the repair, the volume of products transported via the pipeline section exceeded 14,000 tonnes. The economic gain amounted to 18.7 million roubles.
The successful experience of repair on the pipeline while still pumping crude has opened up new technological opportunities for the Bashkir oil industry and will become relevant in pipeline sections with substantial pumping volumes. Maintaining pumping volumes during repair has a significant impact on the financial and economic performance of the plant.
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