Engineering excellence: How STATS enabled OQGN's critical pipeline tie-in

The operation enabled the completion of a 48-inch tie-in between the Saih Rawl Central Processing Plant and the Saih Nihayda Gas Processing at Gas Network Hub, ensuring uninterrupted gas availability

- 

THE Sultanate of Oman boasts an extensive oil and gas pipeline infrastructure. This network forms the backbone of the nation's energy sector, driving economic growth and prosperity to the country.

Nestled on the Arabian Peninsula with strategic access to the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz, the country's strategic location ensures energy flows smoothly from producers to global markets.

OQ Gas Networks (OQGN) owns and operates over 4,000 km of pipelines ensuring uninterrupted gas supply to consumers across the Sultanate.

Recently, OQGN had a requirement to permanently connect a live 48-inch gas transmission pipeline to newly constructed gas blending stations, the Saih Rawl Central Processing Plant and Saih Nihayda Gas Processing, to enable rich and lean gases to be strategically segregated.

STATS Group was contracted to provide inline isolation services, utilising two Remote Tecno Plugs deployed and pigged 25 km to the isolation location in tandem, to provide a leak-tight and fail-safe midline isolation of the 48-inch pipeline.

Conventional repairs of this type would typically require the entire pipeline to be completely hydrocarbon free and nitrogen purged to enable a safe intervention, interrupting flow of gas to customers and adding extensive operational and procedural requirements. This could result in significant time, environmental and cost implications.

ENGINEERING ASSESSMENT

To fully assess the pipeline isolation project, STATS conducted an engineering study and detailed site-survey to determine the safest method of carrying out the isolation and gather critical pipeline data and dimensions.