Hot-Tap Without Welding or Flow Interruption
The HydroTap™ fitting is used to make on-bottom subsea lateral tie-ins without welding and without interrupting product flow through the line being tapped. Heavy and expensive welding habitats and specialized ancillary equipment are not required. Ball valves and tapping tools are selected from proven manufacturers, and the tapping tool and actual hot-tap procedure are supplied and supervised by specialists in that field.

Tension bowls and slips grip the trunk line to provide full structural reinforcement where the hole is cut and to prevent rotation of the HydroTap™ fitting.

The HydroTap™ sealing mechanism consists of molded elastomer face seals between the mating HydroTap™ halves and molded circumferential packers around the pipe. The face seals are compressed when the clamp halves are closed and the studs are loaded; metal-to-metal contact of the faces prevents extrusion of the face seals.

The circumferential packers are compressed by an axial load imparted when the diver tightens the packing flange studs at either end, after the HydroTap™ body halves are joined and the main studs and nuts have been tightened. Metal packing guards encapsulate the packers to prevent seal extrusion.

Seal integrity of the HydroTap™ fitting is verified prior to hot-tapping, using the test port located in the neck of the branch inlet to pressure test the containment area of the HydroTap™.

HydroTap™ Clamp Diver-Assisted

HydroTap™ Hot-Tap Clamp


HydroTap™ Hot-Tap Assembly Installation

The HydroTap™ incorporates several features to assist installation:
   • Hydraulic opening and closing arms hold the clamp open and provide controlled closing during
     installation.
   • Piloted body studs assist the diver with nut threading.
   • Stud retainers hold the retracted body studs and nuts securely while the HydroTap™ clamp is open
     during installation.
   • Hinge arms are provided with lifting eyes for suspending the HydroTap™ during installation.
   • Body studs and nuts are tensionable (4-inch nominal trunk lines and larger) Packing flange studs
     and nuts are tensionable (16-inch trunk lines and larger)

Design Specifications
HydroTap™ fittings meet the requirements of API 6H and are designed in accordance with ASME Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division 2, unless otherwise specified. The weld-neck RTJ flange is in accordance with either ASME B16.5 or MSS SP-44. Anodes for cathodic protection are designed for 20-year service life in accordance with DNV Rules for Submarine Pipeline Systems.

HydroTap™ fittings are available in both structural and full structural versions. Structural versions restore the structural integrity lost due to the tapped hole when the ratio of nominal tapped inlet diameter to trunk line diameter is 3:4 or less; full structural versions provide 100 percent of pipe tensile strength when the ratio is greater than 3:4.

Ordering Information
Please provide the following information on any purchase order or request for quotation:
   • Data for both the trunk line and lateral pipeline:
        - nominal size, wall thickness, and grade
        - design rating or maximum operating pressure
        - operating temperature range
        - pipeline product: oil or gas, sweet or sour
        - external loads, if known
   • Flange face and specification
   • Ball valve supplier