Lexington Oxygen Piping Decontamination
Overview
Frontline Global Services was contracted for services including Off-Line, Oxygen Piping Decontamination, High-Velocity Chemical Cleaning (HVCC), Degreasing, Chelation and Passivation as part of the upcoming new construction pre-commissioning project in Lexington, NC. The purpose of the project was to correct oxygen piping system contamination during ongoing operations, which, if left unaddressed, would likely result in reliability problems, such as oxygen quality inefficiency, caused by water scale, rust and corrosion, construction debris, micro-biological contamination, and non-biological contamination, which is likely distributed throughout the system's internals during the construction and installation phases of the project. Frontline executed the requirements for manpower, coordination, programming support, logistics and all requisite HS&E activities. Frontline complied with all requisite company & OEM standards and protocols.
Project Objectives
Safety and Efficiency
Efficiently minimize equipment downtime while ensuring all operations are conducted safely, protecting personnel and equipment.
High-Velocity Chemical Cleaning
Ensure all contaminants are flushed out of the main oxygen supply system.
Cleanliness Standards
Achieve a final dew-point of –10 °C or better, per CGA G-4.1 / ASTM G93 guidelines, and confirm with a borescope that all internal surfaces are visibly dry and free of residue.
Methodology
Frontline’s methodology included a structured, engineered approach beginning with preproject planning site visits and collaboration with company personnel. The project emphasized health, safety, and environmental protocols (HS&E), system inspections, and tagging. Execution involved flushing and dislodging contaminants, purifying fluids, and validating system cleanliness through ISO and API standards. A turnkey model ensured Frontline managed everything from mobilization to final validation.
Process
Degreasing Flush: High-velocity, Frontline 5150 mixed with water to sweep through all process lines—target Reynolds number (Re) > 20 000 —to dissolve fabrication oils, greases, and construction debris.
Chelation Clean: Circulate a blend of proprietary chelating solutions at controlled pH and temperature to lift mill scale, rust, and embedded metal ions, leaving bright, reactive metal surfaces.
Passivation Rinse: Introduce an oxidizing passivator to form a thin, stable oxide film that guards against flash-rust and readies the system for service
Dry-Gas Purge & Verification: Blow compressed air until the exhaust dew-point reaches –10 °C (or better) and remains stable for 30 min, then perform a borescope inspection to confirm all internal surfaces are visibly dry and residue-free.
Project Summary
Efficient & Safe
A disciplined sequence of high-velocity degreasing, chelation, passivation, and dry-gas purge was carried out under strict safety controls, ending with a logged dew-point of –12 °C to certify the system for oxygen service.
Dry & Visually Clear
Once coated in a hard brown scale, the piping now shows bright, residue-free metal on every borescope pass, and the screens stayed clear after the final flush—proof the system is spotless end-to-end.
Higher Reliability, Lower Risk
With corrosion products and trapped moisture eliminated, the piping now delivers design flow and pressure drop, slashing the chance of start-up fouling and unplanned maintenance.
Conclusion
Frontline Global Services successfully addressed system contamination challenges through meticulous project execution, achieving superior cleanliness standards. Timely execution of this proven methodology—despite on-site repair delays—produced a fully tested, certified-clean system that met and surpassed the client’s cleanliness and operational standards, ready for immediate duty.
