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Malaysian First For STATS Techno Plugs In Petronas Isolation Project

Pipeline technology specialist, STATS Group, has completed a trunk line isolation project at the Petronas LNG complex in Bintulu, Malaysia.

The Petronas complex is one of the world’s largest LNG production facilities on a single location, with an annual production of 23 million tonnes. The workscope was performed at the MNGL-Dua plant and was part of the Kumang Cluster onshore tie-in project which will supply the onshore facility with gas from the Kanowit CPP, located approximately 250km offshore Bintulu.

STATS were required to isolate 36” Trunk Lines 3 and 4 while the lines remained at an operating pressure on 69 barg. Two STATS remotely operated Tecno Plugs™ were utilised, one in each trunk line, during the project to isolate the pipeline upstream of the tie-in locations.

The Tecno Plugs™ were configured in a three module train to allow the tools to negotiate multiple bends as they were pigged approximately 80 metres to their set location.

The remote Tecno Plugs™ were tracked and accurately positioned using through-wall communication via an extremely low frequency (ELF) radio control system. The remote control system provided a high degree of flexibility and eliminated the need for tethers or specially modified pig-trap doors.

The remote Tecno Plugs™ were constantly monitored and remained stable and in location for approximately seven days while tie-in operations, which included close proximity hot work activities (welding), were completed. Finally, the plugs were unset and reverse pigged back to the receivers for demobilisation.

STATS Group managing director, Pete Duguid, said: “This project marks a significant milestone for STATS as these are the first Tecno Plugs™ isolations carried out in Malaysia. There is great demand for STATS isolation technologies throughout South East Asia, which is a key market for our isolation technologies, and our future plans include establishing a permanent base in the region.”

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