Case Study Overview

Site Underground fuel oil line
Location Libya
Repair Type No pressure pipe repair
Defect Small crack in 200mm pipe

Repair Products

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape, SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage

Case Study PDF

Case Study Details

The town of Brega serves as a major export hub for Libyan oil, being home to one of the five oil terminals operating in the eastern half of Libya. It is also the starting point of the 670 km Brega-Khoms Intisar gas pipeline.

Heavy corrosion had caused a small crack to appear in a 200mm fuel oil line buried underground. Once the pipe had been excavated for inspection, it became clear that it was in terrible condition, badly pitted and covered in escaped oil.

To add to the complexity of the application, the line experienced pressure fluctuations up to 44 bar and at operated at temperatures of up to 70°C. Any repair had to be able to withstand these extremes.

Prior to the application, the pipe was cleaned as best as it could be. Oil and dirt was removed and the surface smoothed off to enable a good connection between the line and Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape, which made up the first stage of the repair.

Wrap & Seal is a self-amalgamating repair tape which stretches by 300 percent. As it is wrapped around a pipe, it fuses to form a solid rubber band over holes and cracks.

Multiple tapes can be applied over each other, where they will amalgamate together in the same way. The more Wrap & Seal used, the tougher the rubber mass becomes and the higher the pressure resistance of the repair.

A total of six 50mm x 4m Wrap & Seal tapes were used to build a repair with the required pressure resistance. The tape was then overwrapped with SylWrap HD Pipe Repair Bandage.

SylWrap HD is a composite repair wrap with a water activated resin which sets rock hard in minutes. It provides an impact resistant protective shell to pipes and structures, increasing life span and hoop strength.

Four SylWrap HD Bandages were used to cover the repair area, reinforcing the fuel oil line before it was reburied. Each bandage cured within five minutes of application.

Wrap & Seal has a maximum service temperature of 200°C and SylWrap HD withstands up to 250°C, leaving the repair capable of withstanding both the temperature and pressure extremes of the pipeline.

It took under two hours to complete the application, notwithstanding the time to excavate and inspect the pipe. The repair was a cost-effective and less time-consuming alternative to replacing the damaged section, which would have left the line out of operation for a prolonged period.

The maintenance team who carried out the job in Brega have since gone onto use Sylmasta products to make numerous repairs to other oil lines in the region, taking advantage of the ease and convenience offered by the SylWrap range.

Products Used

Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape
Multiple tapes created a solid rubber mass capable of withstanding extreme pressure

SylWrap HD Bandage
Composite wrap formed an impact resistant sleeve around the pipe, reinforcing the line

Pipe Repair Contractor Case
Case contains multiple Wrap & Seals and SylWrap HD for high pressure repairs

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