Emergency Tube Support Installation during Operation

Maintaining Uptime

An unusual maintenance application was performed on a crude oil unit, while it was still in operation, at a refinery in Sweden. This refinery is not only among the most modern and energy efficient ones in Sweden, but is also Scandinavia’s largest plant with the capacity to refine 11.4 million tonnes of crude oil per year.
It is no wonder that if a problem arises, it needs to be solved quickly and efficiently, without disrupting daily operations.

Pressing Problem

One tube part in the crude unit west cell had slid off the existing support. Most of the support needed for the tubes to stay in place was now missing. In order to secure the pair of tubes, the Mechanical Engineer contacted Cetek, a company they have recently become acquainted with.

Timely Solution

With their Hot-Tek offering, Cetek has a lot of experience in different types of maintenance work on assets while they are still in operation.

A solution to this problem was developed in collaboration – the new support was designed and purchased prior to insertion.

Operations, maintenance, scaffolding, constructor and technology departments worked together to complete the job in just 2 days. As a result, the tubes are now safely and permanently secured in their current position, preventing any hot spots.