MOUNT AIRY, NC—As the largest consumers of world energy, the U.S. is counting on natural gas to play a greater role in our energy mix. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts U.S. demand to increase 14 percent from 2008 to 2035 with heavy growth in the industrial and utility sectors, which means infrastructure for extracting, transporting, and storing gas is increasingly vital.
Companies like Canada’s Talisman Energy and it’s U.S. partners, are racing to build that infrastructure by putting down and protecting essential pipeline in rough, rural areas like the Marcellus Shale region of northeastern PA where severe climates can be challenging and requires new technologies like TerraThane polyurethane foam systems.
“The old ways worked, but the new ways work so much better,” says Robert Tarapchak, president of TerraTek Field Services, Drums, PA, a company specializing in polyurethane foam trench breakers, pads and rock shields for pipeline and construction jobs in remote northeastern PA, and the Eastern U.S. “We’ve been doing this for some time now and new technology like TerraThanepolyurethane foam systems by NCFI is far superior to the old make-do methods like sandbags and flowable concrete admixtures in challenging conditions.”
Tarapchak points to a recent job for Precision Pipeline in Bradford Co., PA, in which a new Talisman Energy 12-inch pipeline was threatened by wet weather making the use of traditional flowable concrete fill unreliable. “It would have drawn out set times and compromised the completion schedule, so our crew did a horizontal bore fill 12-15 feet from the sides of the ditch-line and used TerraThane to void fill the pipe crossing. TerraThane shields the pipeline, adheres to the pipe and ground material around it to protect from water erosion, and cures in no time at all. We couldn’t have done that with other materials.” Tarapchak says his company uses TerraThane polyurethane systems exclusively because, “There is minimal waste. It’s ideal for shielding the pipeline, reducing water erosion, and it lasts the life of the pipeline—unlike sandbags—so maintenance costs are greatly reduced. Plus, as was the case in this Talisman pipeline job, applying the polyurethane foam requires less time in the trench, so it speeds up the job allowing the midstream guys to greatly reduce labor costs.”
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For more information, or to arrange an interview on this subject contact:
Dale McGlothlin (202) 341-8615
About NCFI
NCFI, headquartered in Mt. Airy, NC since 1964, manufactures polyurethane foam chemical systems for spray foam-in-place insulation (SPF), roofing, geotechnical application, marine floatation, packaging, specialty molding, and many other uses. The company also offers a complete line of flexible foams for furniture seating, transportation seating, bedding, carpet underlay, and packaging. NCFI also has manufacturing plants in Hickory, N.C., Dalton, GA., and Salt Lake City, UT. To learn more about NCFI please visit www.NCFI.com
About TerraTek Field Services
TerraTek Field Services Division, located in Drums, PA, specializes in polyurethane foam trench ditch breakers, pads and rock shields to meet the changing needs and production requirements of today’s pipeline services, repair, and construction companies. To learn more about TerraTek call 1-888-326-7299 or visit www.terratek.us
