A vertical barrel of an internal diameter to receive a pig having a selected uncompressible diameter, a reducer to compress the pig to a compressed diameter and a fluid system to introduce fluid pressure into the upper end of the barrel to drive the pig through the reducer.

A pig handling device has a housing, a cavity found in the housing in which a pig can be received, a connection by means of which the cavity is connectable to a processing system, the connection suitable for allowing the pig to pass through, and a handling element that is arranged in the cavity, influences the mobility of the pig in the cavity, and has a base element and a functional element. The base element has a first surface, and the functional element is connected to the base element in the cavity and has a second surface. The arrangement improves cleanability in that the handling element has a concavely curved transition surface arranged between the first surface and the second surface and having a core curvature region, and in that the base element and the functional element are bonded to one another outside of the core curvature region.

A pig handling device has a housing, a cavity found in the housing in which a pig can be received, a connection by means of which the cavity is connectable to a processing system, the connection suitable for allowing the pig to pass through, and a handling element that is arranged in the cavity, influences the mobility of the pig in the cavity, and has a base element and a functional element. The base element has a first surface, and the functional element is connected to the base element in the cavity and has a second surface. The arrangement improves cleanability in that the handling element has a concavely curved transition surface arranged between the first surface and the second surface and having a core curvature region, and in that the base element and the functional element are bonded to one another outside of the core curvature region.

A multi-sectional portable pigging pole to retrieve a pig from a pipe. The pole having a first shaft member and a second shaft member configured to interlock so as to form a shaft that extends reach into the pipe to retrieve the pig from therein. The system comprised of a plurality of attachments for the shaft member to facilitate cleanout and pig removal.

A multi-sectional portable pigging pole to retrieve a pig from a pipe. The pole having a first shaft member and a second shaft member configured to interlock so as to form a shaft that extends reach into the pipe to retrieve the pig from therein. The system comprised of a plurality of attachments for the shaft member to facilitate cleanout and pig removal.

In a method of joining a structure to a water-filled pipeline aboard a reel-lay vessel, a trailing end portion of the pipeline is suspended upright on a reel-lay tower. Water is drained from the trailing end portion while being retained in an inclined portion of the pipeline extending from the tower to a reel of the vessel and in a spooled portion of the pipeline coiled on the reel. The structure is joined to a trailing end of the pipeline after inserting a pig into the trailing end portion through the trailing end. Pumping additional water into a leading end of the pipeline on the reel propels the pig from the trailing end portion into a conduit of the structure while flooding the trailing end portion. This expels air through a port of the structure that was trapped in the trailing end portion between the pig and the structure.

In a method of joining a structure to a water-filled pipeline aboard a reel-lay vessel, a trailing end portion of the pipeline is suspended upright on a reel-lay tower. Water is drained from the trailing end portion while being retained in an inclined portion of the pipeline extending from the tower to a reel of the vessel and in a spooled portion of the pipeline coiled on the reel. The structure is joined to a trailing end of the pipeline after inserting a pig into the trailing end portion through the trailing end. Pumping additional water into a leading end of the pipeline on the reel propels the pig from the trailing end portion into a conduit of the structure while flooding the trailing end portion. This expels air through a port of the structure that was trapped in the trailing end portion between the pig and the structure.

Disclosed is a mechanism for extracting smaller than pipe diameter (STPD) devices which are freely moving through a pipeline. While other functions are possible, current state of the art uses STPD balls to inspect difficult to inspect pipelines. Disclosed is a novel means for extracting these STPD devices once their mission within the pipe is complete. Since the mechanism collapses during the insertion and retrieval phases, it is able to extract a STPD device from an opening in the mainline pipe which is only slightly larger than maximum diameter of the STPD device being retrieved. The disclosed mechanism is optimized to make it especially useful for retrieving STPD devices from pipes which are operating under difficult flow conditions such as low or high velocities, or high-pressure, or with high viscosity.

Disclosed is a mechanism for extracting smaller than pipe diameter (STPD) devices which are freely moving through a pipeline. While other functions are possible, current state of the art uses STPD balls to inspect difficult to inspect pipelines. Disclosed is a novel means for extracting these STPD devices once their mission within the pipe is complete. Since the mechanism collapses during the insertion and retrieval phases, it is able to extract a STPD device from an opening in the mainline pipe which is only slightly larger than maximum diameter of the STPD device being retrieved. The disclosed mechanism is optimized to make it especially useful for retrieving STPD devices from pipes which are operating under difficult flow conditions such as low or high velocities, or high-pressure, or with high viscosity.

Camera heads and associated systems, methods, and devices for inspecting and/or mapping pipes or cavities are disclosed. A camera head may be coupled to a push-cable and may include one or more image sensors to capture images and/or videos from interior of the pipe or cavity. One or more multi-axis sensors may be disposed in the camera head to sense data corresponding to movement of the camera head within the pipe or cavity. The images and/or videos captured by the image sensors may be used in conjunction with the data sensed by the multi-axis sensors to generate information pertaining to the pipe or cavity may be generated.