STATS Group has invested more than £3 million in developing a range of hot tapping machines, expanding their fleet of pipeline intervention service equipment, and opening a new 15,000 sq ft workshop and office facility.
The SureTap® range of hot tapping machines have been designed and built at the company’s new intervention facility to the south of Kendal, Cumbria, and are being deployed on international pipeline intervention projects via STATS global service centre network in Edmonton Canada, Houston USA and Abu Dhabi and Qatar in the Middle East.
STATS has a long track-record in designing patented technologies which save production downtime and improve safety when conducting critical isolation or intervention repair workscopes. This latest investment underlines the group’s commitment to developing industry leading solutions and expanding its global reach.
The SureTap propriety range comprises four models with cutting capacities ranging in size from 3” to 48”, to provide safe and reliable hot tapping operations on a range of pipeline materials and mediums up to 2220 psi/153 bar (ANSI Class 900).
Each hot tap machine is suitable for use in sour (H2S) products and is capable of deploying and recovering completion plugs. An innovative positive retention pilot drill system ensures robust securing and recovery of the cut pipe coupon, while a process fluid seal housing features a double block and bleed configuration. High pressure configuration machines also feature a pressure compensated feed system.
The SureTap range also includes supporting equipment, such as valve adaptors and cutters, and has been designed to be compatible with industry standard tapping equipment.
Martin Wilson, STATS Director of Intervention Services, said: “We have made a significant investment in designing and building a range of hot tapping machines utilising the extensive industry knowledge and experience of our intervention team. This has enabled us to deliver a best-in-class, optimised design that complements and extends our portfolio of intervention equipment.
“The additional investment in our BISEP® isolation tool inventory and new workshop facility is further evidence of STATS commitment to be a leading provider of the highest integrity intervention-based solutions to the market. The SureTap range can be used to tie-in or re-route pipelines where performance and reliability are critical. We are confident our SureTap machines will deliver on both counts and surpass client expectations.
“By extending our BISEP asset range we are moving away from working on bespoke project solutions to having readily available standardised equipment on the shelf, allowing us to be highly responsive in dealing with emergency or time critical situations.”
STATS patented BISEP provides a fail-safe double block and bleed isolation which is deployed through a single full bore hot tap penetration, without the need for additional bleed or vent ports. The BISEP offers significant safety advantages over traditional line stop technology and the hydraulically activated dual seals provide leak-tight isolation of live, pressurised pipelines.