LiquiGel® - Gel Pig Technology
Our advanced gel technology options include environmentally safe, mechanical pig replacements and fully-compatible varieties that are used in a wide array of both maintenance and pre-commissioning activities described below. We have ready-to-pump solutions as well as concentrate blended on-site with suitable diluents.
Our pipeline, process, and production optimization services provide flow and integrity assurance from the reservoir to the refinery. BlueFin is focused on the highest standards of employee safety and training in all environments, on and off the job. Contact us to learn more about our LiquiGel® pigs.
Solutions
Pipeline Maintenance
Pipeline mapping
Locating pipeline restrictions
Oil-based, water-based, methanol-based, Propylene-based gel systems
Gelled thermal fluid systems
Surveillance and scouring pigs
Pre-cleaning for ILI tool inspections
Process or pipeline work onshore or offshore
Pre-commissioning, decommissioning
Remediations
De-watering, de-oiling, Pipeline cleaning
Advantages
Pig launching/receiving devices unnecessary
Clean fluid separation through batching
Large debris cleanout, improved solids carrying capacity
Prevent seawater ingress
Can be made in Liquid and/or Solid form, tailored formulations for application
Wide range of chemical compatibility
Used as spacer, isolation mechanism, prevents dilution of treatment pills
Can be driven with natural gas, nitrogen, or air
Unstickable, shape adaptation
Can be made with food grade products
Applications
Onshore and offshore
Industrial food, chemical, or pharmaceutical
Typical Uses for LiquiGel® Pigs
Used as Spacer
Used as an Isolation mechanism
Prevents Dilution of Treatment Pills
Self-Healing for reformation into Slug
Shape-Memory
Prevents "Bulldozer" Effect
Permits Product Thinning
Penetrate Restricted Areas Better
Increased Solids Removal Compared to Foaming Agents or Mechanical Pigs
Reduces Normal Seawater Displacement
Some models can withstand Pressures >3,000 psi
Replacement for Mechanical Pigs
Optimizing drying and hydrate inhibition
For deepwater hydrate challenges
Driven with Natural Gas, nitrogen, or air
Can be weighted in various densities in brine
Ready-To-Pump Blend
Concentrate Blend
Pig Launching/Receiving Devices Unnecessary
Consult a Specialist
Business Development
Over Mr. Broussard’s lengthy tenure with BlueFin, he has uniquely positioned himself as a solution’s provider in our multiple market spaces.
Phone: 337.551.6975
Resources
A mid-size upstream operator experienced progressively lower flow rates as the result of solids restrictions. Routine pigging procedures were not applicable on the produced water system, as the HDPE product pipe configuration was considered to be unpiggable with conventional methods. This liability reduced the engineering startup flow rates drastically, which initially calculated a rate to move produced water equal to or faster than the production rate. Slower flow rates impeded production and ultimately had a negative reflection for the production asset.
A GoM upstream operator engineered a pre-existing 22” gas pipeline and a pre-existing 8” oil pipeline for common use. This re-engineered scope eliminated CAPEX costs on installing a new pipeline and decommissioning costs on removing the in-service assets by utilizing in-place assets to achieve the new production requirements.
A Gulf of Mexico operator required a safe method to dewater a subsea pipeline upon a recent integrity test. Previous attempts to dewater the pipeline of the hydrotest medium with a foam pig proved unsuccessful. Importantly, the said pipeline was documented to contain heavy paraffin accumulation. Furthermore, the pipeline asset required an application that could mitigate the multi-diameter profile while assuring the client of a complete dewatering task. BlueFin’s casted SoliGel pig was designed to travel throughout the different pipeline diameters while mitigating flow assurance challenges and using production gas as the propelling medium.
Startup engineering requirements specified that produced water flow rates should be equal to or faster than the production flowrate. Lesser flowrates would impede production and ultimately create problems in the production schedule and budget. After a considerable production timeline, the operator began to experience severe flow assurance issues on the produced water pipeline as the result of solids buildup.
A Gulf of Mexico upstream operator required pipeline abandonment solutions for one 6 inch pipeline. The operator’s permitted Department of Interior (DOI) decommissioning obligation required a seawater flush volume equal to 110% of the internal pipeline capacity.
A GoM operator witnessed a leaking 6” pipeline. Upon repairing the visual leak and attempting to perform a successful hydrostatic pressure test a second non-visual leak occurred, ultimately resulting in extended production loss.
In order to perform a second assessment and bring production back online, the pipeline assessment required a 100% fluidpacked volume of seawater to ensure an oxygen-free environment.
LiquiGell® pigs and de-oiling chemistry provide economic solution for multi-phase Gulf of Mexico pipeline decommissioning campaign.
LiquiGel® pig maps internal pipeline geography and provides target area for remediation pill with no shut-in required.
BlueFin’s pipeline cleaning solutions deliver crucial benefits to current systems—upstream, midstream, and downstream.
The EelReel tool is an extended reach solution to clean plugged flowlines and pipelines.
ElastiPig is a highly malleable, elastomer-solid pig that exerts minimal outwards pressure when transitioning flowlines. It creates 100% surface area contact with the pipe wall, providing excellent sealing capabilities. ElastiPigs are useful when used alone or in combination with mechanical pigs, pipeline gels and/or chemicals.
LiquiGel® pigs are reliable and superior alternatives for pipeline and process operators. Our “unstickable” pig gel technology demonstrates safe performance when measured against pipeline integrity concerns, or where multi-diameter, barriers to entry and exit, and multi-stage pigging challenges exists.
The BlueDog, utilizes a controlled jetting technique, allowing blasting action to penetrate the entire circumference of the internal pipe wall. This eliminates the bulldozing effect that often results in sticking of mechanical pigs.
Extended Reach Lancing (E.R.L.S.) is BlueFin’s trademarked mechanical approach to solving prolific deposit and blockage challenges in pipeline and process systems. This mechanical approach combines high-pressure, heat, and chemical injection into one feasible procedure for operators experiencing obstructed flowline riser systems, production equipment, overboard water piping, and JTube systems, to name a few.
Decommissioning operations have become highly regulated needs for oil and gas operators. While the rate of execution is fast-paced and schedule dependent, the return on investment lacks value for the operators incurring the economic risks.