Engineering and construction of the process train for diagnostics and repair of tubing TMC-HIGHTECH

Purpose

Automated process train for tubing diagnostics and repair TMC-Hightech (hereinafter referred to as the train) is designed for inspection and repair of onworn tubing strings (hereinafter referred to as tubing) as per GOST 633-80, GOST R 53366-2009, API Spec 5CT-2011, and GOST R 31446-2017 in order to determine their suitability for further use in the wells.

The train is used for washing and dressing of pipes from oil deposits, gauging with a cylindrical mandrel along the entire length of the pipes, visualinstrumentation control and sorting, output control, and other operations. The site allows to carry out inspection and repair of the main schedule-sizes of onworn tubing strings with diameters of 2.4, 2.9, 3.5 in. (4.0, 4.5 in. - upon the customer's additional request); strength groups D, K, E, L, M, including process pipes wear-resistant clamps as well as pipes with the inner polymer corrosion-resistant  coating.

Additionally, the train allows for manufacturing of new tubing from tube stock (green), owing to the availability of the necessary and sufficient pipethreading machines and measuring instrumentation (hydrotesting, nondestructive testing units, etc.).

Field of application

1. For oil and service companies that own a stock of onworn tubings that require diagnostics and repair in shop conditions.
2. For short-term assessment of tubing reusability in a simplified process train: tubing delivery from the well-washing-visual inspection-gauging-rejection and replacement-transferring to the well.
3. For nondestructive testing and hydraulic testing of tubing with pressure of 4,351/10,008 psi depending on customer's requirements.
4. For manufacturing new tubing from tubular stock (green).

Advantages

• High capacity of the process train - more than 850 tubing per day.
• High quality of tubing repair and production due to the use of state-of-the-art equipment, methods and technologies of diagnostics and repair field-tested by TMC Group Managing Company LLC.
• Compliance of repaired tubing quality characteristics with the requirements of GOST, Engineering Documentation and the customer's regulatory technical documentation.
• Reduced interstage relocations - minimum time losses for transportation of pipes between sites owing to proper layout concept on equipment arrangement as per the value stream mapping (VSM), Pareto chart and workplace layout as per the 5S System, as well as productivity enhancement and labor efficiency due to the application of lean production tools.
• A layout concept allowing to arrange the production within the required space of 20x60 m with the possibility of longitudinal transfer of pipes depending on the production site and customer requirements.
• Reduction of process waste when repairing threaded parts of tubing due to the possibility of adjusting the length of the defective pipe sections to be cut off and to reuse the tubing couplings.
• The use of an automated pipe body diagnostics line allowing to carry out the sorting of pipes by grades depending on the requirements (the range of controlled parameters is software-defined).
• Quick changeover when changing the schedule-size of pipes to be machined that takes no more than 30 minutes.
• Possibility of manufacturing related products on the train, such as subs and pup-joints.
• Additional equipment with the necessary equipment (as agreed with the customer).
• The own expertise of the Managing Company TMC Group LLC in design, upgrading, and construction of more than 20 process trains for tubing diagnostics and repair for maintenance facilities providing services for the largest Russian oil companies (PJSC Rosneft Oil Company, PJSC Lukoil, PJSC Tatneft, etc.) and their business units, as well as the experience in supplying Trains to PJSC Surgutneftegaz, PJSC Udmurtneft, RN-Remont NPO, TMC Group Managing Company LLC and others.

Technical features

The train has a standard set of process equipment allowing to carry out the full-scale diagnostics and repair, as well as tubing manufacturing. List of process operations performed on the train:

1. Prewashing of the tubing pack from thick and liquid oil buildups (optional, not included in the delivery set).
2. Final washing of tubing from oil buildups in an automated hot-water tubing washing unit with a water recycling system.
3. Tubing drying (optional, not included in the delivery set).
4. Dressing of inner and outer surfaces of tubing-mechanized dressing.
5. Sorting, visual and instrumental inspection, and identification of defective and repairable tubing.
6. Gauging the inner cavity of pipes with a cylindrical mandrel to detect pipe curvature and local deformations of the body.
7. Screwing-off of coupling.
8. Non-destructive inspection of tubing (magnetoinduction and magneto-acoustic methods of inspection for detecting defects and wall thickness of pipes).
9. Cutting off defective tubing sections on bandsaw machines (optional, not included in the delivery set).
10. Thread cutting as per GOST 633-80, GOST R 53366-2009, API Spec 5CT-2011, and GOST R 31446-2017 on CNC-controlled pipe-threading machines.
11. Thread inspection with gauges (optional, not included in the delivery set).
12. Screwing the coupling onto the pin with automatic torque control.
13. Hydraulic testing of pipes with internal fluid pressure as per GOST 633-80, GOST R 53366-2009, API Spec 5CT-2011, and GOST R 31446-2017 (up to 9.956 psi) and 10 sec. dwell time.
14. Drying of tubing after hydraulic testing (optional, not included in the delivery set).
15. Output inspection: length measurement, lubrication of threaded parts with preservativegrease, installation of protective caps (protectors), impact marking, forming of bundles with finished products and documentation.
16. Automated bundling of finished products (optional, not included in the delivery set).
17. Follow-on operations and features. The pipethreading machines are equipped with a steadyrestloading line (included in the delivery set). Defective tubing ends are cut off by means of automatic bandsawing machines (optional, not included in the delivery set).
18. Moving tubings between operations, finished product warehouse and reject pockets by means of an automated conveyor system. The layout concept of the tubing repair area is designed in such a way as to minimize the path of pipe movement from the loading area to the, finished product warehouse. This allows for eliminating counterflows and congestions at sites and streamlining the movement of pipe up to the finished goods warehouse.
19. Other follow-on operations and related equipment are installed according to the specifications if necessary.