Process Piping

Magnatech orbital pipe welding systems allow contractors to consistently meet ASME B31.3 code standards

Mechanized Welding Systems for Gas and Water Pipelines

Process piping covers the complete spectrum in terms of pipe size, wall thickness and alloy. Magnatech's automated orbital welding systems are used in a number of diverse industries. These include companies manufacturing consumer products such as cosmetics and detergents; companies erecting oil process plants where water and impurities are removed before oil is pumped down a pipeline; and fabricators and installers of industrial air conditioning and heating systems.

Water treatment facilities, whether for the treatment of potable water or wastewater, require extensive pipe welding for new construction and maintenance. This work is often carried out within the constraining confines of service tunnels.

  • Precise machine control of the welding process necessary for welding alloys used for corrosion and temperature resistance.
  • Allows lower skilled welders to make welds meeting industrial piping code standards.
  • The high productivity and elimination of repairs shortens maintenance shutdowns.
  • Magnatech's orbital welding systems provide Autoprogram Generation for multipass process piping welding.

Magnatech offers welder training anywhere in the world and assistance in developing weld procedures. Let us demonstrate the productivity and ease of use of automated orbital welding of your process piping.

Applications

Large-Diameter Welds


Equipment Used

PIPELINER II WELD HEAD

MPS-4000 POWER SUPPLY

Challenge

A contractor, KBR, needed to weld large diameter piping transporting carbon monoxide emissions from a new coker tower to a CO boiler to make steam for power generation. This work was part of the UE-1 expansion at Syncrude, which processes the tar sands oil found in Alberta, Canada. There was a very limited access space around the weld circumference, making manual welding difficult.

Solution

Martin Collier, KBR Area Superintendent, reported on the use of the Pipeliner with Flx-Track attached to these very large diameter pipes with magnets:
"We have now completed the welding of the circumferential welds on the Burner Overhead Line. To date we have completed 10 -128" diameter and 2 - 96" diameter welds with a 25mm (1") wall thickness. This totals 360 linear feet of 100 % RT, code ASME Section 8, excellent productivity. This was completed with only one repair of about 4" or a repair rate of 0.086%.

[Magnatech's] orbital welding equipment was an excellent choice in doing this process, due to the minimum repair rate, high productivity and no down time with this equipment.

This is the type of performance that make us all look like professionals, thanks to John Page Welding Consulting Ltd."

Oil Processing Facility


Equipment Used

PIPELINER II WELD HEAD

MPS-4000 POWER SUPPLY

Challenge

The $3.7 billion Doba Oil Project required a 670-mile pipeline from oil fields in Chad to loading terminals on the coast. At the head of the pipeline, a central oil processing facility had to be constructed on site in remote and primitive conditions. Over 72,750 pipe welds had to be made.

Solution

The contractor purchased 12 Pipeliner systems. Spool pieces were both rotated and welded in fixed position. Pipe sizes ranged from 6" to 36". All welds had to be radiographed to ASME B341.1.

J. David Smith, Esso Chad Site Manager comments, “The pipe fabrication shop was set up as a temporary facility to provide for the on-site fabrication of the pipe spools required for a larger scale oil and gas production facility. The net result has been a world-class facility that has exceeded its design production targets, and which directly contributed to the achievement of the early production milestones. The new technology has resulted in an extremely flexible facility that can easily be transformed to meet whatever type of metal work is required in a matter of hours. This has proved invaluable in meeting the needs of an extremely remote project environment, which required most of its materials and supplies to be shipped from Europe and North America.

Enhanced Oil Recovery Project


Equipment Used

PIPELINER II WELD HEAD

MPS-4000 POWER SUPPLY

 

Challenge

A large U.S. contractor was awarded a contract to fabricate and construct a facility deep in the Algerian desert, 450 miles south of Algiers, by the national oil company, Sonatrach. This serves a field containing 3 billion barrels of oil. Pipe 8 - 40" and wall thickness up to 60mm had to be welded to ASME IX standards, with a lack of skilled manual welders and temperatures reaching 135˚F (57˚C).

Solution

John Latinovich states: "M. W. Kellogg purchased (seven) Pipeliner II welding systems for an enhanced oil recovery project in Rhourde el Baguel, Algeria. As project manager, it was my responsibility to ensure training and implementation were successful.

Welders were trained for a period of 1 to 2 weeks depending on skill level. Small groups of 6 men began training and were put into production when proficiency was displayed.

First proving weld quality and production in the shop accomplished implementation of the program. Approximately 3850 welds were completed with only 4 requiring repair. After this the Pipeliner was taken to the field performing welds in the pipe rack both on the ground and in the air. A wide range of diameters and thickness were welded including pipe to pipe, pipe to fitting both with the same success achieved in the shop. M.W. Kellogg was dedicated to orbital welding and resulted in Kellogg achieving the production goals and deadlines on the project.

I would not hesitate to recommend the Pipeliner II welding system for any situation provided there is proper project management. The equipment performed in one of the harshest environments on this earth, the Sahara desert, with little problem. The welds deposited were high quality and completed efficiently resulting in a success story for all concerned."

Approximately 21,000 welds were completed using the Pipeliner.