Nitrogen Services


Helium leak testing

Ensuring your process system is completely leak tight will guarantee performance and reliability and can potentially save lives. Investing in a high quality helium leak test is a simple and non-destructive process that will detect and quantify leaks in process installations, allowing swift remedial action to be taken ahead of start-up.

Essential to the operation of liquid and gas processing systems is the knowledge that the plant is in a safe, leak-free and reliable operating condition. With the ever increasing demands and complexity of ageing processing plants, the handling of highly flammable fluids and toxic gasses at high pressures requires the need for stringent safety standards. To comply with these standards, as well as ensure a problem-free start-up, leaks need to be located and remedial actions taken.

A.Hak Industrial Services offers high quality helium leak testing performed by experienced staff who are trained in accordance with industry standards. We guarantee your system is safe, leak-tight and in the best possible condition prior to the commencement of operations.

- Accurate, quantitative leak analysis ( < 1 scf/year)
- Detailed leak report
- Environmentally friendly
- Initiates and accelerates drying phase
- Instruments can be tested
- System is inerted
- Multifunctional crew combining torqueing and tensioning services

Helium leak testing is the most reliable and conclusive method of leak detection, in comparison with bubble testing which is suitable for identifying only large leaks and cannot quantify them. At A.Hak Industrial Services, we offer flexible solutions which can be adapted to our client’s needs. Our crews are multifunctional therefore you benefit from less personnel on site, maximizing safety.

In the initial engineering phase, a detailed procedure will be outlined including locations of valves, flanges and test limits. This is an integral part of the operation ensuring it is carefully planned and executed with an emphasis on safety and efficiency.

In preparation for the test, the flange connections are taped to encapsulate the space in between. This ensures that helium from leaking connections is collected under the tape. The system is then pressurized with a mixture of 1% helium and 99% nitrogen. After the leaks are detected and repaired, the plant is considered leak free and inert, which allows the client a problem-free start-up.

A.Hak Industrial Services was commissioned to perform multiple services for a reputable client who was building a large LNG offshore platform in Italy.

Following a detailed engineering phase, a plan was executed to transport the required amounts of helium and nitrogen per barge to the platform. Initially, the client decided to use their own supplier for the torqueing and tensioning of any flanged connections that failed the helium leak test. However, the benefits of a multi-skilled crew were quickly recognized due to space limitations on the platform.

A.Hak Industrial Services supplied a multifunctional crew for the entire project, consisting of leak testing and torqueing and tensioning specialists and amounting to the same number of personnel as the local bolt service crew.

As a result, there were no people standing by at any time during the project which was executed smoothly and quickly, with minimum safety risk.

The helium leak test and bolting services were completed within the required timeframe and without incident. The satisfied client was able to initiate a problem-free start-up.

A.Hak Industrial Services B.V.
Plesmanstraat 26
7903 BE Hoogeveen
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)528 225 300

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