Project Overview
- Code of Construction: ASME Section VIII, Division I
- Vessel: V-3511 Coke Drum
- Base Material: SA387 Grade 12 Class 2
- Thickness: 2.05” Nominal Thickness of Cone
- Dimensions: 30’ ID x 89’ H
- Repair Requirements:
- Filler Material – ERNiCrMo-3 / Alloy 625
- Two repairs/cracks of approximately 30” linear inches each:
- One on north side of seam CWAA4
- One on south side of seam CWAA4
Challenges
- Emergent Through-Wall Cracking: Low-cycle fatigue from rapid heating and cooling cycles caused thermal expansion, contraction, and subsequent bulging of the coke drum walls. This could have led to a premature, unplanned, and costly plant shutdown.
- Unplanned Loss of Production: The client was faced with a cost totaling a minimum of $1 million per day. When a site faces an unplanned shutdown, the financial losses can break down as follows:
- Gross Margin – Difference between crude oil cost and refined products’ market price
- Fixed Labor/Utilities – Full staffing, standby energy, and contractor premiums
- Emergency Logistics – Expedited parts and overtime labor
- Market Penalties – Demurrage charges and shortfall fines
- Technical Proficiency and Expertise: The client sought a partner that could demonstrate specific technical knowledge and a track record of handling similar industrial complexities. WSI is proven to be the largest and most experienced specialty welding contractor, supporting planned projects and emergency response since 1978 while developing much of its own technology.
- Limited Timeframe: The client required depth and responsiveness simultaneously, and WSI’s readiness culture enabled speed that would not compromise safety, performing tasks in parallel and identifying paths that dictated the earliest possible restart.
- High Risk of Unforeseen Work Scope: The initial repair plan was based on external symptoms, but the true extent of damage was suspected to be hidden corrosion that was physically impossible to determine until the drum was opened. WSI builds the “unforeseen” into its plans, bringing specialized kits onsite in case of likely discovery scenarios.
The WSI Difference – Engineering and Equipment
- Expedited Mobilization of Site Leadership: WSI rapidly deployed manpower and equipment to establish an immediate onsite presence and coordinate infrastructure and logistics from temporary facilities.
- Workscope Readiness: WSI mobilized quickly to the project site to complete weld testing and setup. Utilizing two machines operating 24 hours a day and working both courses in parallel, the project was completed on time and under budget with no safety incidents.
- Critical Path Analysis: WSI successfully identified and scheduled the most time-sensitive activities necessary to complete the project on time. Utilizing decades of experience, WSI’s Engineering Group created the most realistic project schedule, focused resources correctly, prevented bottlenecks and delays, and provided a clear prediction of project duration.
- Extensive Catalog of Weld Procedures: WSI has over 2000 ASME qualified procedures and over 1000 active welder certifications.
- Total Engineering Support: WSI’s internal team of engineers and technicians, including tooling design, metallurgical consultation, and welding process design, provided expert solutions and 24-hour technical support, eliminating the need rely of external vendors or contractors.
- Weld Process Qualification: WSI used systematic testing and documentation to prove that its welding procedures would produce consistency, along with destructive testing to the temper bead process to verify that the heat-affected zone (HAZ) was properly tempered. This resulted in stronger, defect-free welds with consistent penetration, superior mechanical properties, and minimal spatter. Greatly enhanced arc times improved productivity by maximizing throughput and allowing more work to be completed per shift.
- Emergent Response Timeline
- Management support: 24 hours
- Setup crew: 24 hours
- First arc: 48 hours
- WSI Owned/Built/Maintained All Equipment Deployed:
- DragonX AutoGouge to remove cladding
- BPV HotPulse Orbital GTAW™ used on all seam repairs
- Waveform technology
- NG4 GMAW Automated Weld Machines for SWOL
- Equipment mobilized to work both drums simultaneously
Results
WSI’s capacity to engineer a rapid-response solution within a tight window showcased why we are the leaders in coke drum repair and maintenance.
- Two 30” Through-Wall Cracks
- One boilermaker/welder on each repair
- Worked both cracks simultaneously
- Crack excavation/bevel prep
- GTAW root/GMAW temper bead process fill/cap
- Organizational Readiness for Emergent Response: WSI’s collective capability to mobilize the appropriate team and be onsite within 24 hours of initial contact provided the customer with confidence that they would efficiently return to active operations.
- Leveraged Highly Experienced Coke Drum Team: WSI’s specialized expertise and advanced operational knowledge goes far beyond simple repairs to focus on lifecycle management, minimizing risks such as fatigue-driven cracks, bulging, and premature shutdown.
- Proprietary Waveform Semi-Automatic GMAW System: WSI used its own unique, patented setup with a power source that modifies its electric current thousands of times per second to optimize its welding modes for certain materials, gases, and wire types. This enables faster travel speeds, lower heat input, superior arc stability, and spatter-free welds that eliminated the need to for post-weld cleanup.
- Optimized Schedule to Reduce Onsite Critical Path: WSI’s extensive experience and use of industry leading automated equipment strategically shortened the project’s overall timeline by decreasing the duration of the critical tasks that directly impacted the project end date.
- Right First Time: First time quality with no repairs, rework, or corrections necessary.
- Goal Zero: WSI’s safe work practices resulted in ZERO injuries, lost time, and downtime.
“A very well-organized, high-speed team that I would be happy to work with again. High scores all around in my book. Quality of work was top shelf.” – Turnaround Coordinator