Thanks to an established relationship and a track record of accomplishment, the Pipetech team was called into action for urgent mobilisation on behalf of a Norwegian oil and gas operator.
The pre-existing history made Pipetech the number one choice for the offshore job, located in the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Here is how we utilised our Aqua Milling® technology to clean and reinstate the intended flow for the client’s seawater system.
Challenge
Following the arrival and spread of naturally forming marine growth, the client was experiencing severe issues that were impacting the platforms operational functionality. With the growth spreading throughout the seawater lift caisson, firewater system, and cooling water, time was critical.
The client requested urgent mobilisation to combat the existing growth and avoid continued escalation. Within three days of the initial enquiry, we mobilised our specialist team to provide support.
Solution
Established as the go-to solution for removing waxes, hard scales, corrosion, and other foulants, our Aqua Milling® technology has the ability to clean to back to bare metal. Given the severity of the issues the client was experiencing, Aqua Milling® served as the basis for the solution provides, alongside camera inspection both pre and post Aqua Milling® intervention to detail the turnaround, and a comprehensive end of project report. This report detailed the internal build-up of scale pre–Aqua Milling and verification of post Aqua Milling performance, reinstating the flow.
The Aqua Milling’s® track record, ability to clean to a higher standard, negotiate bends, and clean further from a single-entry point compared to traditional methods, as well as our previous experience and understanding of the client, made it a simple choice to be the technology that would help target the marine growth.
Wasting no time, we mobilised a team of three personnel who carried out the initial camera inspection inside all systems and then cleaned using Aqua Milling® within the systems that were experiencing the build-up of marine growth.
Results
Our ability to mobilise quickly and efficiently was crucial to minimising downtime on the platform. By carrying out the camera inspections first, we were able to target only the specific areas where cleaning was required and not waste any time or resource. The systems at risk were all cleaned and reinstated to the intended flow.
Since this project, in January 2025 we have successfully completed another two caisson clean and inspections with an additional Aqua Milling® cleaning campaign scheduled during a planned shutdown in Q2 of 2025 across four assets.