Falcon Midstream Services offer leak detection services using SF6 to locate leaks or ruptures in new and existing pipelines. 

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The Product

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Sulphur hexaflouride (SF6) is an ideal gas for leak detection due to three main factors. 

 

The first factor is the weight of the gas which makes it settle in low spots and remain in place after release from the pipeline. 

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The second factor is the ease of detection due to the lack of dissipation of the SF6 into the atmosphere.  SF6 is heavier than air and will accumulate close to the ground in concentrated form, making it much easier to detect.

 

The third factor that makes SF6 an ideal gas for leak detection is the minimal impact it has on each aspect of your operation.  SF6 has no color or odor, which makes it inoffensive to work around.  It is non-toxic and non-flammable, which makes is safe to work around, provided large quantities are not inhaled.  It is biologically inert, which means it will not harm humans or animals and will not react adversely with chemicals or metal.

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The Process

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Using SF6 for leak detection is as simple as adding SF6 to the water being injected into the pipeline, allowing the line to stabilize and walking the line with SF6 detectors to "sniff" for pockets of SF6 that have escaped from the pipeline.  We will also walk the line probing the ground at regular intervals to release any pockets of gas that might be trapped to allow the gas to trigger the detectors.  SF6 is lighter than water and will rise from the line through a leak but is heavier than air and will stay on the ground once released.