STOPKiT®, Crude oil leak – Africa
Online leak sealing solution for emergency pipe repair
Overview
The objective of the repair, performed in January 2025 by 3X ENGINEERING distributor was to seal online a leak occuring on a 14" pipe transporting crude oil located on the upper deck of FPSO. To perform this repair, it was decided to use 3X emergency leak sealing system STOPKiT® Offshore, which was available at 3X distributor's warehouse.
Results
Our trained and certified distributor successfully managed the repair, stopping the leak very quickly using our patented emergency leak sealing system, STOPKiT®. This product is the most efficient solution for online pipe leak repair, capable of sealing leaks in just a few minutes without interrupting operations.
 Defect type |
Leak (internal corrosion) |
Details |
14", crude oil pipeline |
Location |
Africa |
3X Product type |
STOPKiT® Offshore |
SCOPE OF WORK
The leak was caused by internal corrosion in the heat-affected zone at the 6 o'clock position of the straight 14" pipeline. The online repair was conducted following 3X installation procedure outlined below, using STOPKiT® Offshore, specifically designed for this diameter and environment. STOPKiT® concept operates by concentrating all the needed stress in the pipe at the defect location. The hoop stress needed to stop the leak is brought by the technical strap and the screws.
- STOPKiT® Offshore was initially placed next to the leak using a specialized positioning device.
- STOPKiT Offshore was then slided to perfectly center the rubber patch over the leaking defect.
- Once positioned over the leak, STOPKiT® Offshore screws were tightened to a maximum of 40 Nm to seal the leak.
- STOPKiT® Offshore positioner device was finally removed.
The leak was fully contained and sealed without shutting down the line pressure.
