PLIDCO Develops Tap Enclosures to Help Oil Companies in War on Illegal Pipeline Tapping

WESTLAKE, OH--(Marketwired - Aug 8, 2016) - Illegal tapping of oil pipelines is costing oil companies billions of dollars in lost product each year and the problem is growing around the globe. Furthermore, the process of locating the illegal taps, repairing the pipeline, and cleaning up the environmental damage is putting a significant strain on operational resources and manpower. To help combat this problem, PLIDCO, a world leader in the manufacturing of pipeline repair fittings, has developed the Tap+Enclosure, a line of innovative enclosures that can be installed quickly and easily that permanently encloses the illegal tap. "Our customers in South America, Africa, Europe and other places around the world have lamented to us about the logistical challenge of having to repair illegal taps. In response, we developed a solution that simplifies the process and encompasses them permanently," states Pete Haburt, General Sales Manager at PLIDCO.

In Mexico, it's estimated that over $1 billion dollars' worth of oil is stolen each year from over 4000 illegal taps -- and that number does not include the cost to locate and restore the lines. "When we designed the Tap+Enclosure, we designed it for safety and for speed of installation because we knew the repair teams needed to perform the repair as quickly as possible," continued Haburt. "Tap+Enclosures can be installed in about 2 hours -- sometimes less, which is quick for any kind of pipeline repair."

Nigeria is another country experiencing this problem. Estimates vary between 100,000-400,000 barrels of oil being stolen each day from illegal taps -- totaling over $18 billion dollars annually. In Nigeria and other countries around the world there have been multiple accidents, explosions, and oil spills that have cost lives and rendered water sources unusable for significant periods of time. "Tapping into a live oil pipeline with homemade devices is very dangerous," concluded Haburt. "But as long as the money is there, people will continue to take the risk to get it. Our desire for the new Tap+Enclosure is to make the repair process easier for the oil company repair."

The Tap+Enclosure is a dome-like fitting that totally and permanently encapsulates the tap. It comes in three variations: a Weld-On version, a Split Bolt-On version, and a Split Weld-On Version. All versions meet ASME Section VIII standards. The Split Bolt-On version also meets API 6H/6X. PLIDCO designs each Tap+Enclosure to meet specific temperature, pressure, and size needs for customers.

PLIDCO is the world's leading designer and manufacturer of standard and custom engineered products for pipeline repair and maintenance. PLIDCO was founded in 1949 and holds the industry distinction of being the developers of the first high pressure pipeline repair fittings.