R1120 - Pipeline construction, gas line including maintenance, repair, testing and stringing, pipeline testing

Operational Details
Oil and gas pipeline contractors excavate a continuous trench for the purpose of laying pipe for the purpose of transporting oil and gas. Trenching and excavation machines are the major pieces of equipment used to construct the trench. Sideboom caterpillar tractors are used to hoist the pipe into the trench. Portable welding machines and operators or welders are used to weld the joints to produce pipe strings on a continuous basis. Because fluids will pass through the pipe, the joints must be inspected and/or X-rayed.

Earthmoving equipment such as caterpillar tractors with dozer blades, and tractors with packers, or seeders are used to cover over the pipe, and fill the trench and pack it so that it can be re-seeded to fit in with the surrounding environment.

Pipe of various sizes as small as 3" is used in producing oil and gas fields. Gathering lines terminate in the field and a centralized pump station uses larger diameter pipe to pump it through pipelines to local refineries. Larger diameter pipe, up to 42" in diameter, is used to transport oil over long distances, or when the amount of volume is to great for smaller lines.

Maintaining and repairing the lines include inspecting the pipeline for leaks or weeping. It may also include welding broken seams or damaged pipe, pumping out accumulated water in muskeg or wet areas where the pipe is laid, environmental clean up, etc.

SIC Codes
000000656 - Pipeline construction
000000946 - Pipeline testing
000000945 - Gas line incl. mtce, repair, testin