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Water Jet Blasting Services

A Full Range of High Pressure Water Blasting Services
for Faster, Safer Industrial Cleaning

Water jet blasting is a high-pressure method for cleaning and clearing heat exchangers and other equipment of fouling caused by hydrocarbons, scale or unknown sources. Our skilled, experienced teams and cutting-edge technology make Sierra Chemicals a premier provider of industrial water blasting services, committed to optimizing your operations and reducing downtime in maintenance, turnaround and emergency
applications.

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BENEFITS

Benefits of Our Water Jet Blasting

Our skilled hydroblasting team and cutting-edge technology bring all the benefits of this innovative method to your cleaning project, including: 

Effective

Eliminates buildup and debris that chemical cleaning cannot

Efficient

Faster cleaning with minimal downtime

Professional

Performed by a highly trained team to the highest safety and quality standards

Clean

No toxic chemicals are used—only high-pressure water

Custom

Planned and performed to meet your specific cleaning needs and goals

How Does Water Jet Blasting Work?

Several methods of high pressure (20,000–40,000 psi) water jetting can be done with various types of equipment designed to tackle specific cleaning needs within your facility. The basic premise is the same across methods: filtered water under high pressure cleans, cuts and polishes to remove fouling and thoroughly clean the vessel or heat exchanger, including those with challenging U-tube configurations.

Performed either manually or with an automated control box that allows our operators to stay at a safe distance, these services include hydrolancing, 2D line moling, shotgunning (blasting) and 3D cleaning.

Water Jet Blasting Applications

The types of midstream oil and gas equipment that are suited for cleaning with high pressure water blasting include:

  • Straight-tube heat exchangers
  • U-tube heat exchangers
  • Fin fan heat exchangers
  • Open vessels
  • Filter pods
  • Storage tanks
  • Bullet tanks
  • Slug catchers
  • Piping

Let’s discuss your cleaning needs

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Automated Lancing/Hydrolancing

Our automated lancing system, the StoneAge AutoBox ABX-2L, in conjunction with a control box (CB-ABX), is a two-lance and surface blasting system for hands-free heat exchanger cleaning applications. The AutoBox allows one operator to perform continuous forward and back cleaning with two lances at a time, each attached to a flexible, high-pressure hose fitted with nozzles chosen for the specific application. We also have hand-lancing capabilities for smaller heat exchangers and other special applications.

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2D Blasting/Line Moling

Line moling is an operation using a self-propelled nozzle and a high-pressure hose to clean the inside of 1⁄2 inch piping up to 84-inch bullet tanks. Depending on the application, 2D nozzles can work independently or with a centralizer. Pipe diameter is not an issue—we have the equipment and knowledge to get your system flowing properly. Nozzles include:

  • BJV (2D Tool): A slow-rotating tool, which runs on a tracked centralizer that expands to fit the inside diameter of the piping.
  • 2-inch Badger (2D Tool): A self-rotating high-speed swivel, designed for cleaning pipes/tubes with bends and long radius elbows, such as U-Tubes and process lines.
  • Beetle: A nozzle designed for pipes with a narrow inner diameter (ID).
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Shotgunning (Blasting)

The shotgun cleaning tool has the shape of the shotgun and is operated by squeezing a trigger. With two different shotgun heads, we have the flexibility and versatility to clean on the surface and at tube bundle depth. The rotating two-head shotgun tip effectively removes seating surface scale and fouling. Our shotgunners are protected by a 40,000 psi shroud and TurtleSkin personal protective equipment.

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3D Cleaning

In automated 3D “pineapple” blasting, a special water jet cleaning head has an effective cleaning radius of 11-15 feet inside the vessel. With our 3D-head tank cleaner we eliminate the need to enter the tank or vessel, saving the cost of certain permits and rescue services.

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TESTIMONIALS

Hear From A Customer

“Sierra Chemicals was our first call when we needed help with a plate and fin exchanger that was plugged up. Our exchanger was completely clogged with a mixture of mol sieve dust and heavy hydrocarbons. For us to replace this exchanger, it would involve waiting for 7 months just for the parts to be manufactured at a cost of $500,000, plus an estimated loss of revenue of over $4 million with the plant shutdown it would entail.

Sierra worked with us to come up with a cost-effective solution that was tailored to our needs. Sierra had the system cleaned & flushed with methanol and turned back over to us in just 12 hours. Thanks to Sierra’s chemical cleaning, we were able to extend the lifespan of the exchanger and avoid a costly unplanned shutdown.”

– Senior Engineer
Major Midstream Facility, Williston, ND