Nitrogen Services


Nitrogen is an abundant gas forming approximately 78 % of the earths atmosphere. As an inert chemical it is both non-reactive and non-corrosive. Due to its properties, nitrogen is widely used in many industries to purge and condition systems. TES can apply nitrogen at various temperatures and pressures to assist with your project specific requirements while ensuring system limitations are respected and protected. Nitrogen related services provided by TES include:

  • Purging and Inerting
  • Nitrogen-helium leak detection
  • Dewatering and drying
  • Accelerated cooldown
  • Foam inerting
  • Freeze plug isolation
  • Pneumatic testing
  • Well applications

Nitrogen is often shipped as a cryogenic liquid with a boiling point near -196 °C. Specialized vaporization and pumping equipment is utilized to vaporize and apply nitrogen at predetermined temperature, pressure, and flow conditions. Gaseous nitrogen can also be shipped in pressurized containment vessels and applied at predetermined conditions.

Due to its physical properties, nitrogen also poses hazards that must be diligently managed. These include, extreme temperatures, extreme pressures, and asphyxiation risk. TES has the knowledge and experience to enable safe and efficient field application of nitrogen services.

Nitrogen Purging and Inerting

Do you need to reduce lower explosive limits (LELs) to safe levels prior to commencing maintenance work? Do you need to purge process systems of oxygen prior to introducing explosive mixtures? Technical Energy Solutions (TES) conducts nitrogen purging and inerting to displace liquids and gases from process systems. Nitrogen is 99.9 % pure and has a dew point of – 90 °C dew point. TES can apply it at various temperatures and pressures to assist with your project requirements while ensuring system limitations are respected and protected.

TES will generate a project-specific engineered procedure combined with a risk assessment to enable safe and efficient field execution. By applying this methodical approach TES helps you attain LEL or oxygen concentration targets. As is customary for TES, parameters are monitored and verified utilizing calibrated instruments to drive safe and efficient operations.

Nitrogen-Helium Leak Detection

Do you need to prove systems are leak free prior to start-up? Do you need to find a leak? Technical Energy Solutions (TES) conducts nitrogen-helium leak detection to prove systems are leak free. Typically, a system is pressurized with a mixture of 99 % nitrogen and 1 % helium to 95 % of system PSV setting to closely simulate live conditions. Potential leak sources such as flanges are methodically checked and evaluated. Leak rates are quantified and compared against target thresholds to enable informed decision making. Leaks beyond a set threshold are rectified. Moreover, because nitrogen is inert, the system is left inert, oxygen-free, and ready for introduction of hydrocarbons.

TES will generate a project-specific engineered procedure combined with a risk assessment to enable safe and efficient field execution. By applying this methodical approach, TES helps you start up your process system safely and without delays due to unidentified leaks. As is customary for TES, parameters are monitored and verified utilizing calibrated instruments to drive safe and efficient operations.

Dewatering and Drying

Do you need to remove water from a moisture-sensitive system? Technical Energy Solutions (TES) conducts dewatering and drying of systems to meet your dew point target. Either of dry air or dry nitrogen can be applied. Typically, pressure cycle purges are applied to remove bulk water followed by continuous purging to dry the subject system. Hot nitrogen can be applied to accelerate the process.

TES will generate a project-specific engineered procedure combined with a risk assessment to enable safe and efficient field execution. By applying this methodical approach, TES helps you accelerate the drying process. As is customary for TES, parameters are monitored and verified utilizing calibrated instruments to drive safe and efficient operations.

Freeze Plug Isolation

Do you require a temporary isolation because a system isolation does not exist? Do you require a secondary isolation to enable safe maintenance work? Technical Energy Solutions (TES) conducts nitrogen freeze plug isolations to provide a safe temporary barrier within your process system. This service relies on the controlled application of liquid nitrogen which has a temperature of approximately -196 °C. Freeze plugs can be established on a wide range of system fluids and piping metallurgies. This solution is not intrusive to your system and requires minimal operational support.

TES will generate a project-specific engineered procedure combined with a risk assessment to enable safe and efficient field execution. By applying this methodical process TES helps you achieve a temporary isolation. As is customary for TES, parameters are monitored and verified utilizing calibrated instruments to drive safe and efficient operations.

Pneumatic Testing

Do you need to prove pressure integrity of a system without introducing water for a hydrotest? Do you need to prove pressure integrity of a system but cannot introduce water due to freezing risk? Technical Energy Solutions (TES) conducts pneumatic testing to confirm system integrity. Typically, a system is pressurized with either of nitrogen or air and a pressure test is recorded for a set duration as specified by client or relevant industry code.

TES will generate a project-specific engineered procedure combined with a risk assessment to enable safe and efficient field execution. By applying this methodical process TES helps you prove pressure integrity of your system while avoiding the introduction of liquids and / or risk of system damage due to freezing. As is customary for TES, parameters are monitored and verified utilizing calibrated instruments to drive safe and efficient operations.

Foam Inerting

Do you need to perform hot work on a hydrocarbon system that cannot be easily decontaminated? Do you need to create an inert barrier to enable safe maintenance work on a flare system? Technical Energy Solutions (TES) conducts nitrogen foam inerting. Nitrogen foam provides an inert blanket which covers hydrocarbon sludges and suppresses the liberation of gases.

TES will generate a project-specific engineered procedure combined with a risk assessment to enable safe and efficient field execution. By applying this methodical approach TES helps you conduct maintenance work without the investment of time and resources to decontaminate process systems. As is customary for TES, parameters are monitored and verified utilizing calibrated instruments to drive safe and efficient operations.

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