CUI remediation prevents gas plant shutdown

Challenge

An inspection at a Client gas plant identified substantial corrosion under insulation (CUI) on four towers (de-ethaniser, de-propaniser, de-butaniser, naphtha splitter).

The towers were critical plant and any downtime would have a significant impact on production and revenue for the Client. This meant that any refurbishment work would have to be carried out while the plant was online.

Stork was tasked with identifying and implementing the most effective solution to prevent further corrosion from occurring.

Solution

All painting and blasting work was successfully executed on the live towers, which had a temperature range between 10degreesC to 200degreesC.

Abrasive blasting presented a spark risk as the work was being carried out in live conditions. Turbo equipment, which covered the abrasive with high-pressure water, was used to limit any potential sparks and reduce risk.

The towers were located very close to the sea and the area was prone to high winds. This posed a challenge as each tower had to be scaffolded and encapsulated. Stork’s solution was to use a Keder encapsulation system, which ran on aluminium tracks and was very easy to remove in case of high winds.

Benefits

Stork's approach saved the Client significant costs and time as the work avoided a costly shutdown. The complete scope was successfully delivered while the plant was online and with no disruption to ongoing production.

The project was delivered on-time and within budget.

The project was delivered with no safety incidents or harm to the environment.