Case Study: HYTORC Reaction Washers Used For Major Pipeline Repair Under Gulf of Mexico

When one of the world’s largest multinational oil and gas companies needed a delicate repair on a pipeline more than a mile beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, they relied on HYTORC Reaction Washers for a deep sea bolting solution that made the job go smoothly.

The ¾” diameter washers allowed ROV (remotely operated vehicle) pilots to complete the job faster and without the complication of positioning specialized reaction arms. Using our washers resulted in the precision that customers have come to rely on from HYTORC products.

This saved the customer a substantial amount of time while providing a safe environment for sensitive offshore operations. Typically, it would take days to do this, and they did it in several hours. --Jay Knudsen, an engineer and Business Growth Manager, Oil and Gas, with HYTORC

The HYTORC washer’s knurled side faces the base, holding it in place while the contoured lobes on the outside edge allowed a custom dual socket driver to grab and turn it, keeping all force within the outer driver. “It grabbed the washer without any external moving parts that could hit something, potentially jeopardizing the entire operation,” said Derek Forrest, special projects manager at HYTORC of Texas. “There’s no reaction arm or any other part to brace against a solid object and create a pinch point on the hydraulic lines run from the ROV,” he added. Meaning that there were no longer points that could cause serious damage or injury if an object – like a hand – became trapped between a solid object and a reaction arm torqued with hundreds of foot-pounds of pressure.

In the Gulf project, this HYTORC innovation made a tricky operation easier. Located 6,500 feet deep below the water’s surface, the pipeline required repairs that involved removing and reattaching two expansion caps while the 24-inch pipeline continued to supply oil. Each cap was attached to the pipeline with 12 bolts. The unique design of the washers enabled ROV operators to easily tighten bolts within the driver apparatus after it had been maneuvered over the bolt and washer, using 189 foot-pounds of pressure. No torque was exerted outside the housing to apply force to the ROVs suspended in the water. Avoiding crush points was important, as the operation required multiple lines, for hydraulics, communications, and more, that could have been damaged if caught.

“Even that relatively small amount of torque will sever a hydraulic line or a communications line,” Forrest said. Reducing excess motion also was important to minimize stirring up clouds of fine sand on the Gulf floor, which ruins visibility. With a traditional washer, the job would not only have taken longer and been riskier, it also would have required custom reaction arms for the wrenches as the bolts were too far apart for standard equipment.

Contact us to learn how HYTORC Reaction Washers can improve safety on your next offshore project.