Richard Silk, Managing Director,
Mirage Machines, UK,
assesses how a
new generation of hot tapping assemblies
provides the assurance that operators need
to greenlight maintenance projects.
T
he process of hot tapping, sometimes called
pressure tapping, is one in which a connection
is made to an existing pipeline or other type of
pressure vessel while still in service and maintaining
working pressure. That means the operational capabilities of the pipeline
can continue without interruption while the modification or maintenance is
carried out.
In certain circumstances, the method is also used to drain off pressure that is
unwanted or unknown that could cause problems to any subsequent operations.
The ‘hot’ aspect does not necessarily refer to the temperature at which the process
is carried out – it is used more to describe the same way that a USB stick or other storage
medium can be plugged in, and removed, from a computer without turning it on or off.
DISRUPTION
Figure 1.
Mirage Machines’
hot tapping assemblies
are deployed onshore
and offshore by major service
companies and operators, worldwide.
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