The pull back operation is when we come in contact with our customer's pipe section. It is important not only that the pipe is pulled into place but also that we handle the pipe in such a way as to protect the coating. We provide pipeline rollers for the pull back section. They are coated with polyurethane to protect our customer's pipe.
Difficult pull backs are something we all deal with from time to time. We go to a lot of effort to make the pull back easy. Difficult pull backs do happen though. We have developed a tool for difficult pull back installations. We call it a pipe snubber. The customer's pipe is gripped with eight polyurethane coated slips. We are able to push relatively straight and continuous on the pipe side. There is no hammering or jarring of the pipe. When we are able to pull from the rig side and also push from the pipe side both at the same time, we find the pipe moves without as much drag or friction. Hammering on the end of the drag section is something that makes most construction inspectors uneasy. If we can avoid it everyone will feel better and be better satisfied with the finished product.
