Squeeze off tool

A joint effort between Timberline Tool and the US Department of Energy (DOE) has sped commercialization of the first “keyhole” squeeze-off tool for 4- to 6-inch polyethylene pipe.

Through a Small Business Innovation Research grant, DOE funded the research and development of Timberline’s TopReach 650, an innovative tool that gets natural gas pipeline operators out of the trenches and lessens the monetary and environmental impacts of pipeline repair.

The first step in repairing any polyethylene line is to squeeze off the flow of gas, similar to clamping a garden hose to stop the flow of water.

Until now, squeeze-off tools for 4- to 6-inch lines have operated exclusively from below the pipe, requiring extensive excavations for access.

Keyhole squeeze-off tools operate using a top-down approach and have been available for several years to clamp ½- to 2-inch piping. However, Timberline’s TopReach 650 is the first large-diameter top-down tool to be developed.