May 2008 Edition

oil, gas

Alaskan oil keeps flowing

Adding two Wheelabrator Upblast machines increases pipe production

A single downblast pipe machine just wasn’t cutting it for Flowline Alaska, a Fairbanks, AK, company that serves oil companies that develop and operate the Alaskan oil fields. The old machine that processed pipe from 12" to 18" in diameter couldn’t meet the demands for increased production.

Flowline looked to the Wheelabrator Group for a solution.

Over the past 15 years, Flowline has prepared more than 25 million pounds of polyurethane insulations for more than 2,000 miles of pipe for Alaskan oil production. The insulation performs an important function — keeping the oil warm enough to flow in Arctic temperatures.

Wheelabrator, of Burlington, ON, Canada, recently installed two, 2-Wheel Upblast pipe machines at Flowline to meet the demand for pipe.

The new Wheelabrator Upblast machines allow Flowline to process more pipe at higher line speeds, giving an even blast pattern over the outside of the pipe.

Initially, Flowline pre-insulated steel pipe for installation in the North Slope, the northernmost part of Alaska. Now Flowline has three insulation, fabrication and coating facilities encompassing more than 45,000 square feet of enclosed production area.

Each upblast machine has two 100hp wheels that can blast 40-foot long pipe up to 60" in diameter. The first machine removes rust and scale from the pipe while the second upblast machine profiles the surface prior to coating for different applications in the pipeline industry.

‘The Wheelabrator upblast pipe machines tremendously sped up the pipe preparation, allowing us to meet production demands that are consistently growing.’ — Rick Schok

"The Wheelabrator upblast pipe machines tremendously sped up the pipe preparation at Flowline Alaska, allowing us to meet production demands that are consistently growing in this industry," says Rick Schok, president of Flowline Alaska. "The machines allow Flowline to meet the varying coatings for our customers’ vast needs."

The Upblast EZEFIT Wheel is for high-production pipe cleaning machines that must meet the stringent surface preparation requirements of the pipe-coating industry.

The wheels mount in the blast cabinet and are positioned under the pipe to maintain a close and consistent distance to the underside portion of the pipe regardless of the pipe diameter. This location results in removal of rust, scale, and other contaminants while achieving the mandatory surface profile for effective bonding of the protective coating.

The EZEFIT design offers the advantage of bi-directional rotation and lower replacement parts inventory through the ability to serve clockwise or counterclockwise wheel applications with a single style wheel. Wheelabrator has capitalized on this advantage with a direct-drive or belt-driven design that offers standard or custom base mounting for increased versatility.

 Wheelabrator Group

What do you think?
Will the information in this article increase efficiency or save time, money, or effort? Let us know by e-mail from our website at www.ToolingandProduction.com or e-mail the editor at dseeds@nelsonpub.com.