After weeks of planning and preparation, Turner Industries performed a major pipeline repositioning job for Marathon Petroleum. Historically, repositioning pipelines can be a costly and tedious endeavor. Traditional methods call for a complete shutdown of the line. However, through brainstorming and group discussions, the idea to lift the entire pipeline in one vertical lift and reposition it with one horizontal shift was born. The lift required a 24-inch, 1,400-foot-long diesel line to be repositioned 12 inches back to its original coordinates. Marathon and Turner put together a team capable of shifting the pipeline in one piece with strategically placed cranes ranging from 50-80 tons capacity. The pipeline had several risers and bends, making the lift quite complicated.
Turner planners and supervision developed a lifting and shifting plan. Marathon operations and supervision; Turner's crane and rigging group, tank crew, and zone 6 maintenance team and quality control; along with safety representatives from both parties executed the task to perfection. The cost avoidance on a project like this has been estimated to be in the millions of dollars. Instead of two to three weeks of downtime, the shift was completed in only four hours. No hot work permits had to be issued, possible environmental exposures were avoided and, most importantly, potential safety hazards were eliminated.
For more information, visit www.turner-industries.com or call (225) 922-5050.
