Nitrogen Pumping

Nitrogen pumping converts liquid nitrogen (LN₂) into high-pressure gaseous nitrogen (N₂) for injection into wells, pipelines, and process facilities. Nitrogen is inert, dry, and non-reactive, making it safe for use in environments where flammable gases are present. It is used for well lift and unloading, pipeline pressure testing, vessel purging, facility commissioning, and hydrostatic testing.

Flameless nitrogen pumping units use a hot water or electric heating system with no open flame, as required in enclosed facilities, compressor stations, and locations with flammable atmospheres. Direct-fired units use a burner to heat liquid nitrogen and are used for high-volume applications such as large-diameter pipeline flooding and sustained well treatments where flame restrictions do not apply.

Nitrogen lift, also called nitrogen unloading, involves injecting nitrogen gas into a wellbore to reduce the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid column, allowing the well to flow naturally to surface. It is commonly used to restore production after a well kill, following a stimulation treatment, or when a well has loaded up with fluid and stopped producing.

In pipeline commissioning, nitrogen is used to purge oxygen and moisture from the line prior to introducing hydrocarbons, preventing corrosion and eliminating explosion risk. Nitrogen is also used for leak testing, pressure testing, and line drying during pre-commissioning and commissioning of new pipelines and processing facilities.

Nitrogen purging displaces hydrocarbons, oxygen or moisture from a pipeline, vessel or process system with inert nitrogen, so the system can be opened for maintenance, filled with product, or left safely out of service. Copper Tip purges for product displacement ahead of line maintenance, purge and pack for line fill, purge and blanket for decommissioning, and vessel inerting and blanketing during plant turnarounds.

Yes. A pneumatic test uses nitrogen in place of water where water is impractical, such as lines that must stay dry, freezing conditions, or systems that cannot carry the weight of water. Compressed gas stores far more energy than water at the same pressure, so pneumatic tests run under tighter controls than hydrostatic tests, following the applicable pipeline or pressure equipment code. Copper Tip pumps both: nitrogen for pneumatic and leak testing, and water through the fluid pumping fleet for hydrostatic testing.

It depends on the pipe's internal volume, the target pressure and the temperature. A pressure test packs the line up to test pressure, while a purge moves nitrogen through the line until gas readings at the far end reach the target oxygen or hydrocarbon level. Copper Tip's free Pipeline N₂ calculator, under Field Calculators on this site, works out line pack, pig travel and pump time for standard pipe sizes.

Yes. Copper Tip provides nitrogen pumping from each of its Alberta shops, in Nisku (near Edmonton), Bonnyville, Grande Prairie, and Drayton Valley. The same service runs from Estevan in Saskatchewan and Fort St. John in British Columbia, and from the US offices in Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota. Canadian dispatch is 24 hours a day at 1-855-463-1414.