We provide comprehensive hot tapping and line stopping services for industrial clients.

Our Hot Tapping and Line Stopping solutions prevent unwanted shutdowns and keep critical piping and pipeline systems online during tie-ins, relocations, repairs, retrofits, and routine maintenance.

We provide a completely bespoke package, from designing, manufacturing and installing the fittings on the system to performing the interventions.

These services are performed on lines of any material – stainless steel, carbon steel, ductile iron, etc. carrying any medium – fuel, diesel, steam, water, oil or gas. 

While technology improvements have been made over the years, line-stopping and hot tapping services is an almost 100-year old technology.

Hot Tapping Process

Hot Tapping uses an under-pressure drilling machine to cut a hole in an operating pipeline for a new branch connection without loss, leakage, or flow interruption. 

Typical Applications

  • Addition of a new branch connection
  • Product sampling point
  • Draining of pipelines

The Hot Tapping Steps

Weld the fitting onto the pipeline and then bolt the valve to this pipe fitting.

Bolt the hot tap machine to the valve that was just installed

Check for leaks in these bolted connections by pressure testing through the hot tap adaptor. Ensure the valve is fully open throughout the testing.

Forward the cutter until the cut is complete. The little section of the pipe that is then removed is known as the “coupon.” This is retained using u-wires attached to the pilot drill.

Once the cutter has cut through the pipe, the hot tapping machine can be stopped. Then withdraw the cutter back into the hot tap adapter and close the valve.

The pressure inside the hot tap adapter is bled off before removing the hot tap equipment. The machine is removed from the valve, and a new pipe outlet connection is established.

Line Stopping Process

Line Stopping, in conjunction with hot tapping, stops the flow in a live operating pipeline and redirects it into a bypass loop. This isolates the problematic section, allowing for repairs while the normal operating flow continues.

This technology avoids unneeded shutdowns during tie-ins, relocations, repairs, retrofits, and routine maintenance and maintains the operational status of crucial pipes and pipeline systems.

Line Stopping Steps

A bypass line is installed between two housings made by the hot tapping operation.

Then a stopple head is inserted through the housing into the pipeline to stop and redirect the flow into the bypass line.

This bypass line can be installed temporarily and removed after the repairs on the isolated section, or it can remain in place as a permanent bypass.