Natural gas gathering pipeline - This is our foundation business operated as Bitter Creek Pipelines. We can provide a vital link between your natural gas production and the marketplace. Since our early start in this business, we have designed, constructed, operated and maintained a number of gathering pipeline systems for numerous energy companies. Our client list includes Augustus Energy Partners, Noble Energy, Fidelity Exploration & Production Company, Rosewood Resources and Seminole Energy Services. Give us a call and let’s discuss your needs. For system maps and other details, see the separate insert “Bitter Creek Pipelines.”
Cathodic protection - Bitter Creek’s cathodic protection division, formerly known as Total Corrosion Solutions, has been providing corrosion control equipment, materials and services for over 20 years. Let our experienced staff of corrosion professionals can provide a variety of services including:
Cathodic protection system installations - We have installed thousands of cathodic protection systems since 1982. Structures protected include at and below grade storage tanks, well casings, buried and submerged pipelines, water tanks, heat exchangers, piles, and an extensive variety of other submerged and buried facilities.
Solar power installations - Cathodic protection systems depend on a reliable source of electric power. For those remote locations without ready access to an electric power supply, we can design, manufacture and install solar-power systems. The solar units range from 1 to 30 amperes.
Close interval survey for pipelines - Studying pipe-to-soil profiles can identify areas of inadequate cathodic protection and coating damage. This testing methodology forms an integral component of an effective corrosion control program. The survey technique detects localized, active corrosion due to a variety of causes.
Indirect Assessment Surveys - We can perform the entire spectrum External Corrosion Direct Assessment survey techniques including:
- PCM
- DCVG
- ACVG
- Depth of Cover
- Soil Resistivity
- All surveys are geo-referenced utilizing DGPS coordinate acquisition
Water hauling - Bitter Creek owns a fleet of water trucks to transport and dispose of production water for producers throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
Leak detection services - Monitoring pipeline systems for leaks is a critical cost-control activity. Utilizing Apogee Scientific’s optical technology, our personnel can simultaneously measure methane, hydrocarbon and CO2 levels in ambient air and provide real-time GPS location and leak discovery.
Our experienced technicians have surveyed over 1,900 miles of pipeline since 2006 and found well over 150 leaks.
- System estimates volumetric size of leak
- Integrated GPS tracks progress and leak locations
- No data post processing required; customer can receive daily progress and leak reports
- Monitoring rate – 50 air samples/second; sub-ppm sensitivity from all three test inputs
- System provides real-time GPS location and leak discovery
- LDS establishes a wireless connection
- Apogee Scientific system mounted on ATV
- Survey conducted as fast as terrain allows; typically 20 miles/day
Measurement services - We can provide measurement services including meter calibrations, monthly downloading, RTU data integration, chart integration, monthly volume statement generation, and the posting of real-time volumes to our secured customer website. We can also provide meter calibration and well operation services on a contract basis. We have extensive well operation and meter calibration experience and can customize the service to fit your specific needs.
Measurement audit - Currently, Bitter Creek audits and services over 3,300 company-owned meters. We employ 17 employees who are responsible to find and correct errant and damaged metering equipment. These meter and technical specialists can audit and recommend metering solutions that meet your flow reconciliation needs. Our technicians have broad experience with all types of flow meters including orifice, ultrasonic and electronic measurement.
Glycol recycling - Bitter Creek’s glycol recycling service cleans spent glycol and dehydration systems and is mounted on a trailer and easily pulled with a pick-up truck. A typical 500-gallon dehydration unit takes about three days to clean. The system is hooked up to computerized monitoring equipment and is monitored remotely. Under normal operating conditions, a natural gas processing plant or dehydration facility should replace glycol twice a year. Costs to recycle glycol are about 15 percent less than the cost to replace and dispose of it. In addition, the facility can keep producing natural gas so there is no downtime and no lost production during the recycling process, which can represent the single largest cost of the process.