Total Cost Comparision – SF6 Leak Detection vs

Don't Be Fooled By A Price Sheet - How To Determine What You Will Really Pay To Find Your Non-Surfacing Leaks
Scenario: 25 mile Pipeline; 10” Pipe; Valves every 5 miles
General Contractor (GC) – includes Excavation Crew with Equipment and Welder with Equipment	Hydro-Test Contractor with Equipment (HT)			Freeze Plug Contractor with Nitrogen (FP)	SF₆ LD Crew with Equipment (SF₆)
$6,500 per day	$1,500 per day			$10,000 per day	$1,250 per day
Option 1: Isolation and Excavation				Option 2: SF₆ Leak Detection
Step		Contractors Involved	Projected Cost	Step		Contractors Involved	Projected Cost
Day 1 (Fill)
¨ Fill Pipeline		HT GC	$1,500 $6,500	¨ Fill Pipeline ¨ Inject SF₆ (cost of Tracer Gas added to SF₆ crew cost)		HT GC SF₆	$1,500 $6,500 $4,250
Day 1 Sub-Total			$8,000	Day 1 Sub-Total			$12,250
Day 2 (Pressure Up and Isolate)
¨ Pressure up ¨ Isolate suspicious section(s) by closing valves (objective is to narrow down to smallest segments possible)		HT GC	$1,500 $6,500	¨ Pressure up ¨ Isolate suspicious section(s) by closing valves (objective is to narrow down to smallest segments possible)		HT GC SF₆	$1,500 $6,500 $1,250
Day 2 Sub-Total			$8,000	Day 2 Sub-Total			$9,250
Day 3 (Continue Isolation)				Day 3 (Leak Detection)
¨ Excavate, cut and insert Freeze Plug to divide five mile section into two 2 1/2 mile sections ¨ Pressure up sections to see if suspicious section isolated		HT GC FP	$1,500 $6,500 $10,000	¨ Probe (GC) and perform SF₆Leak Detection (SF₆) on suspected 5 mile section		HT GC SF₆	$1,500 $6,500 $1,250
Day 3 Sub-Total			$18,000	Day 3 Sub-Total			$9,250
Day 4 (Continue Isolation)				Day 4 (Find/Repair Leak)
¨ Excavate, cut and insert Freeze Plug to divide each 2 1/2 mile section into two 1 1/4 mile sections ¨ Pressure up sections to see if suspicious section isolated		HT GC FP	$1,500 $6,500 $10,000	¨ Strip pipeline at specified leak location ¨ Repair leak and pressure up to verify that it passes Hydro-Test		HT GC SF₆	$1,500 $6,500 $1,250
Day 4 Sub-Total			$18,000	Day 4 Sub-Total			$9,250
Day 5 (Continue Isolation)				Projected Total Cost			$40,000 ^²
¨ Excavate, cut and insert Freeze Plug to divide each 1 1/4 mile section into two 5/8 mile sections ¨ Pressure up sections to see if suspicious section isolated		HT GC FP	$1,500 $6,500 $10,000	² For 87% of SF₆ projects performed on a pipeline matching the one in this scenario, ALL leaks would be found in first two days of leak detection. Therefore, the total projected days and cost would not increase.
Day 5 Sub-Total			$18,000	Who Else Can Say That They Can Pinpoint Leaks In Pipelines Buried Up to 20’ Deep With 99+% Accuracy – For 65+% Less Than You Are Currently Spending And 50+% Quicker? (281) 334-5865 Office (281) 334-7069 Facsimile www.alphaleak.com
Day 6 (Continue Isolation)
¨ Excavate, cut and insert Freeze Plug to divide each 5/8 mile section into two 5/16 mile sections ¨ Pressure up sections to see if suspicious section isolated		HT GC FP	$1,500 $6,500 $10,000
Day 6 Sub-Total			$18,000
Day 7 (Continue Isolation)
¨ Excavate, cut and insert Freeze Plug to divide each 5/16 mile section into two 5/32 mile sections ¨ Pressure up sections to see if suspicious section isolated		HT GC FP	$1,500 $6,500 $10,000
Day 7 Sub-Total			$18,000
Day 8 (Find/Repair Leak)
¨ Strip suspicious section to look for non-surfacing leak(s) ¨ If leak found, repair leak and pressure up to verify that it passes Hydro-Test		HT GC	$1,500 $6,500
Day 8 Sub-Total			$8,000
Projected Total Cost			$114,000 ^*
* Assumes that the leak is found in first stripped section and it was the only leak present in the five mile section. If additional leaks were present, the total projected days and cost would increase.