CASE STUDY Water Plants | Pipelines

North-Central Smith Gathering System
Alberta

The Mandate. The client required the removal of a number of wells, the resumption of four inactive pipelines, site reclamation of an old section of pipeline, failure analysis of a section of old line and upgrading of the overall gathering system in order to bring it up to current specifications.

The Solution.GRB completed the project within the client’s timeline and budget, and as part of its role facilitated the liaison between the client, agencies and landowners. Where required GRB replaced or modified existing equipment ensuring that current compliance standards were being met. Some aspects of the upgrade included:

• The removal of fifteen wellsite risers and associated equipment including; piping and pigging facilities, underground tie-ins at the associated headers, satellites and batteries.
• Discontinuance of fifteen pipelines including purging, capping and re-licensing.
• Disclosures, permits and application requirements to the EUB, Canadian National Railways limited, forestry and other related agencies and companies for access and permits.
• Installation of two of each pig and receivers and launchers in three, four, and six inch sizes.
• Testing and sampling of existing pipelines internally and externally in place for corrosion and possible degradation, including hydrotesting and x-raying.
• Site restoration and reclamation.
• Installation of five new risers.
• Addition of a 40hp compressor.
• Installation of a new separator.
• Replacement of a metering skid from the client’s existing stock.
• Due to the H2S content appropriate safety and training measures had to be ensured.
• Cleaning and pigging of two pipelines, sand content analysis, and installation of an upstream sand filter.
• Pressure testing of four lines and integrity verification.
• Failure analysis of an old section of line including pit morphology, spot testing, scale analysis, and metallographic sectioning.