Veracruz, Mexico – 2013 Recoating an Operational Gas Line Without Shutdown

In 2013, we headed to Veracruz, Mexico to tackle a challenging rehabilitation project involving 20” and 30” operational gas lines.

The issue? A failing external coal tar epoxy (CTE) coating on an active pipeline.

The constraint?
The customer could not shut the line down.

Anyone who has worked around gas transmission lines understands the physics at play.

A cool gas line operating in a warm, humid coastal environment like Veracruz is practically guaranteed to sweat. Once the deteriorated coal tar epoxy was removed, significant condensation formed on the pipe surface.

That immediately eliminated several conventional recoating options:

• Traditional two-part epoxies

• Standard liquid paints

• Systems requiring abrasive blasting and a defined anchor profile

These products demand dry surfaces and controlled conditions. This project had neither.

The solution would need to be:

• Water tolerant

• Able to displace moisture

• Applied without complex equipment

• Installed safely on an active line

The Approved Solution: Stopaq Wrappingband WSH

The system submitted—and ultimately approved—was Stopaq Wrappingband WSH.

WSH is a fascinating viscoelastic coating technology designed specifically for difficult surface conditions.

Why It Worked

1. Water Displacement Technology
WSH actively displaces surface moisture during application. Instead of fighting condensation, it works with it—pushing water away from the steel and bonding directly to the substrate.

2. Minimal Surface Preparation
The pipe surface only needed to be free of loose materials.
No abrasive blasting.
No anchor profile requirement.

3. Simple Application
The system is applied by hand.
No plural-component pumps.
No spray rigs.
No specialized curing equipment.

Hand tension is all that’s required when installing the outerwrap.

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The Result

• No shutdown

• No production loss

• No sandblasting

• No complex logistics

Just a practical, field-applied solution that restored corrosion protection while the line remained fully operational.

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Projects like this highlight an important lesson: sometimes the right solution isn’t the most complicated one. It’s the one designed for the real-world conditions you’re actually facing.

In Veracruz, that meant choosing a coating system that could handle moisture, humidity, and live operation—without compromise.

 

Seal for Life Casing Seals & Flange Seals: Proven Protection for Challenging Applications

    

When it comes to protecting critical pipeline components, some applications simply refuse to cooperate. Off-center carriers. Large sizing disparities.

That’s where Seal for Life (formerly Raychem) Casing Seals and Flange Seals truly shine.

These aren’t just “wraps.” They’re engineered sealing systems designed to solve real-world field challenges.

Key Advantages:

• Fiber-reinforced, multi-layer heat shrink backing

• Integrated fiber mesh layer for enhanced penetration resistance

• Coated with a very aggressive mastic sealant

• Works even when the carrier pipe is not centered inside the casing

• Approximate 66% shrink ratio

That high shrink ratio is critical. It allows the material to conform across a wide range of casing-to-carrier pipe diameter ratios — without sacrificing seal integrity.

The aggressive mastic flows into irregularities, filling voids and creating a durable moisture barrier. The fiber reinforcement provides mechanical strength to resist damage and environmental stress.

The result? A reliable seal in one of the most challenging spots on a pipeline.

From the Jungle to the Jobsite: Raychem LTPS in Iquitos, Peru (1975)

 Get your passports ready — we’re heading to Iquitos, Peru, July 1975.

The project? A 24” crude oil pipeline.
The setting? Deep in the Amazon.
The timing? Right at the beginning of a coating revolution.

When this line was being built, Raychem’s pipeline division was barely two or three years old. The division really began gaining traction around 1972–1973, meaning this Peru project happened while the market was still very much in its infancy.

At the time, traditional field joint protection methods like:

• Cold-applied tape

• “Granny ragging”

• Other hand-applied systems

were the norm.

And then came heat-shrink technology.

Raychem’s LTPS (Large Tubular Pipe Sleeves) were quickly becoming a serious disruptor. For many contractors, this was their first exposure to a system that combined:

• Factory-engineered consistency

• Strong technical performance

• Faster, more predictable application

• Improved long-term corrosion resistance

Compared to traditional methods, tubular shrink sleeves offered something different: engineered performance rather than improvised craftsmanship in the ditch.

(And yes — if you’re still a believer in granny ragging as the pinnacle of technical achievement, we can respectfully agree to disagree.)

It’s important to remember where we are in the timeline.

In 1975, Raychem had not yet introduced the wraparound shrink sleeve. That innovation was still about a year away. At this stage, LTPS products were slipped over the pipe before welding — a method that required planning but delivered strong, uniform protection once installed and shrunk.

The wraparound sleeve would eventually change field joint coating logistics forever. But in Iquitos, tubular sleeves were already proving that heat-shrink technology could compete — and win — against legacy systems.

Projects like this 24” crude oil line in Peru weren’t just installations — they were proving grounds.

They demonstrated that:

• Heat-shrink sleeves could perform in challenging environments.

• Application speed could improve without sacrificing technical performance.

• Innovation in field joint coatings was not only possible — it was necessary.

In 1975, the pipeline coating market was just beginning to evolve. What seemed disruptive then is now standard practice.

And it all happened one joint at a time — even in the middle of the Amazon.