48-Inch Magnetic Pig Recovers Foreign Material from a Challenging Natural Gas Pipeline
After several cleaning pigs were damaged while traveling through a challenging natural gas pipeline, the operator needed a custom pig that could navigate the entire pipeline section and recover components left behind by a previous cleaning pig.
Enduro designed, built, and shipped the 48-inch magnetic cleaning pig within five business days.
Project Overview
48-Inch
Natural Gas Pipeline
44 Miles
Pipeline Section Completed
5 Business Days
Designed, Built, and Shipped
All Reported Components
Recovered Across Two Runs
The Challenge
Several cleaning pigs had been damaged while traveling through a challenging 48-inch natural gas pipeline. One of those pigs lost components inside the line, including nine ½"-13 x 12" bolts with associated nuts and washers, as well as a 48-inch urethane cleaning pig cup.
The operator needed a pig capable of accomplishing two demanding objectives: successfully navigating the 44-mile pipeline section without sustaining damage and recovering as much of the remaining foreign material as possible.
Previous cleaning pigs that ran through this section arrived severely damaged, making durability and traversability essential design requirements. The customer was also working under an urgent project schedule and needed the recovery pig quickly.
The Enduro Solution
A Custom Pig Designed Around the Pipeline
Enduro designed, built and shipped a custom 48-inch ADV-3D-2CC-MG magnetic cleaning pig within five business days.
The pig was configured around the known pipeline conditions, previous pigging results, foreign material requiring recovery and the project objective—not nominal pipeline diameter alone.
Application-Specific Design Features
- Discs sized specifically to accommodate the pipeline’s 1.00-inch and 1.44-inch extra-heavy wall sections
- Fluted cups providing additional flexibility
- 85-durometer urethane cups and discs
- Magnetic assemblies attached to specialized mounts that positioned the magnets closer to the pipe wall to help capture the bolts, washers and other ferrous debris
- A configuration developed to maintain sealing performance while navigating the challenging line
Every component was selected to balance flexibility, sealing performance, durability and magnetic recovery capacity throughout the 44-mile run.
The Run
The customer launched the Enduro pig through the 44-mile natural gas pipeline section. During the first run, the pig briefly stopped at each location where previous cleaning pigs had encountered difficulty.
The key difference was that the custom Enduro pig continued through each area, completed the full pipeline section, and arrived at the receiver undamaged.
After the first run recovered seven of the nine reported bolts, the cleaning pig cup, several washers, and additional foreign metal debris, the customer launched the Enduro pig again. During the second run, the pig successfully recovered the two remaining bolts.
The Results
All Reported Components Successfully Recovered
Pig received in excellent condition after completing the 44-mile pipeline section.
The Enduro pig was received in excellent condition. Its cups and discs were in good shape, with no uneven wear, gouging or other reported damage.
During the first run, the magnetic assemblies recovered:
• Seven of the nine reported ½"-13 × 12" bolts
• Several washers
• Additional foreign metal debris
• The 48-inch cleaning pig cup
The customer launched the Enduro pig a second time to recover the two remaining bolts. The second run successfully retrieved both bolts.
Across the two runs, the Enduro tool recovered all nine reported bolts, the associated components, and the 48-inch cleaning pig cup left inside the pipeline.
Recovered 48-inch cleaning pig cup
Bolts, washers and foreign metal debris recovered from the pipeline
Why the Result Matters
This application demonstrates why custom pig design must account for more than nominal pipeline diameter. The pig needed sufficient flexibility to accommodate heavy-wall sections and difficult locations while maintaining the durability, sealing performance, and magnetic capacity required to recover large foreign objects.
It also demonstrates Enduro’s ability to move rapidly from application review through design, manufacturing, and shipment. Within five business days, Enduro delivered a custom-engineered recovery pig that successfully navigated a section where previous cleaning pigs had sustained severe damage.
Across two runs, the Enduro pig recovered all nine reported bolts, the associated components, and the 48-inch cleaning pig cup left inside the pipeline.
Designed, built and shipped in five business days
SUCCESSFULLY Completed the full 44-mile pipeline section
ALL REPORTED COMPONENTS RECOVERED
Large-Diameter Pipeline Cleaning
Large-diameter pipelines can present unique cleaning challenges related to pipeline geometry, debris volume, operating conditions, and pig configuration. Enduro designs and manufactures large-diameter cleaning pigs for applications that require tools to match specific pipeline conditions and cleaning objectives.
Learn more about Enduro’s large-diameter pipeline cleaning pigs →
Have a Difficult Pipeline Application?
Some of Enduro’s most successful custom cleaning pigs begin with a pipeline problem that a standard configuration cannot solve.
Tell us about your pipeline conditions, previous pigging results and what you need to accomplish. Our team can review the application and help determine the appropriate next step.
