FLEXPIPE SYSTEMS: ADVANTAGES OF TWIN 4” LINES OVER 6” STEEL LINES

Fexpipe Systems products are widely used in the oil and gas industry for applications such as oil gathering, gas gathering, water transfer and gas distribution. These products offer a host of advantages compared to traditional steel pipe, including immunity to corrosion, speed of installation and cost effectiveness.

As the industry requires pipelines with larger internal diameters, multiple 4” Flexpipe Systems products installed in parallel present a very attractive solution for higher flow rate applications.

Flexpipe Systems linepipe allows for the installation of multiple lines in the same trench. These flexible composite products can be installed using either open trench or plowing techniques. The pictures below are from successful installations of multiple lines in one trench for large independent operators.

Flexipipe linepipe has been used reliably for a number of multiline projects where it was plowed into the same trench with lines only a few inches apart. There is no technical cap to the number of pipelines that can be installed in the same trench, however the width of the trench may be a limiting factor. While the minimum spacing between pipelines is up to the customer, Flexpipe Systems recommends maintaining a minimum of 4” between Flexpipe linepipe pipelines in the same trench.

Advantages of Tandem 4” Flexpipe Lines:

Flow characteristics for two 4” Flexpipe lines are comparable to a single 6” steel line.

  • The graphs below compare twin 4” Flexpipe lines with a single 6” steel line for both gas and water applications. For the same pressure drop, the twin 4” lines have a slightly lower flow rate compared to a single 6” steel line.
  • Over time, and as early as 12 months after the start of operations, the flow rate for a single 6” steel line drops due to higher friction losses caused by increased surface roughness whereas the flow rate for Flexpipe linepipe remains constant throughout.

Tandem pipeline systems can provide more flexibility for operations.

  • They provide the ability to isolate one line for tie-ins, pigging or other maintenance without interrupting production.
  • They also allow the customer to adapt to changing operational requirements by converting one line to a different use, as required.

Two Flexpipe lines can be plowed simultaneously for reduced installation costs.

  • Twin 4” lines can be plowed in one pass so there is no added time or cost for two lines.
  • They can be trenched up to 50% faster than a 6” steel pipeline.
  • Two miles of 6” steel pipe will   have 264 joints whereas twin 4” Flexpipe lines will have only eight joints resulting in significantly less time spent on connections and no welding is needed.

Ease of handling.

  • One segment of 6” Schedule 40 pipe weighs approximately 760 lbs (345 kg). Installers will require heavy equipment, such as side booms, and additional labor on site to fit the pipe. Whereas the spooled 4” Flexpipe can be installed with less heavy equipment on site and a smaller right of way lessening the environmental impact.
  • In addition, as heavy machine and equipment use increases on the job site, so do the number of work zone hazards and risk for injury. Using Flexpipe will minimize those risks on site. 

Reduced freight costs.

  • The cost to ship Flexpipe linepipe is approximately one quarter of the cost to ship the same length of steel pipe.

In conclusion, Flexpipe Systems’ products offer advantages over traditional steel pipe, providing an attractive solution for many oil and gas operators. The twin 4” line solution provides reduced installation costs, comparable flow rates and flexibility in operation with respect to a 6” steel line. Flexpipe Systems understands customer needs and continues to develop comprehensive solutions to meet those needs.

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