You can prevent ferrous metal from derailing an oil or gas pipeline construction project than using a magnetic sweeper. Pipeline construction projects are happening all across North America as both Canada and the United States aim to create a more energy independent future.

Pipelines are not constructed overnight. From the time a pipeline spread is chosen to the time the line undergoes final testing, construction companies take painstaking measures to make sure that the job is done right the first time, with the least impact to the environment.

Now consider the scale: According to US FERC construction-permit applications from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, nearly 2,500 miles of pipeline were proposed for land construction. That is the highest level since 2,700 miles were proposed in 1998. According to Oil & Gas Journal, nine of the spreads in 2016 measured 100 miles or more; four proposed projects included more than 200 miles of pipe each!

As you can imagine, projects of that magnitude demand a lot of equipment. Dozers and trench diggers, pipe-carrying booms, not to mention the welding equipment; it takes an arsenal of machinery to complete the construction of a single pipeline spread.

How Magnetic Sweepers Help American Pipeline Workers

All that equipment needs to stay running. Rogue pieces of metal can cause flat tires or get into other equipment and cause malfunctions. Flat tires and equipment failures are expensive. While there is no specific data on the cost impact of equipment failure for pipeline construction projects, the costs are obvious. Any delay in work results in lost man hours and projects fall behind schedule.

There’s no better insurance policy to prevent ferrous metal from derailing an oil or gas pipeline construction project than a magnetic sweeper. Mounted on vehicles, magnetic sweepers pick up errant metal that causes flat tires and cause other construction equipment to break down.

Once construction is complete, a pipeline must be integrity tested. Any debris, including metal, in or around the pipeline can negatively affect a test. Handheld magnetic sweepers pick up the smallest pieces of ferrous metal from around pipeline welding sites and trenches before it can ruin a test.

Shields Magnetics is the Go-To Magnetic Sweeper for Several  Pipeline Companies

Shields Magnetics has been serving the oil and gas industry for more than a decade. Companies in the United States and Canada trust our products because they have a lifetime guarantee on magnetic strength and they are made from the highest quality materials. Put simply: they work and they are reliable.

Here’s a short list of pipeline companies who have purchased our products:

• PPS Companies: PipelineSupply.com (Houston, TX)
• Precision Pipeline, LLC (Eau Claire, WI)
• OJ Pipelines (Alberta, Canada)
• Pipeliners Warehouse (Houston, TX)
• Piping & Equipment/Fairmont Supply (Houston, TX)