THE FINAL TIE-IN

The whole line is welded, tested, coated and backfilled. Most of the "gardening" is done, restoring countryside and farmland to slightly better than it was before. But one final special tie-in remains, to join this new line into the existing line to High Halden at the Hadlow AGI.

Below, the final fabrication is cut to length.

The booms carry the fab into its place.....

The pipe is aligned and clamped ready for welding

The cap is carried away.

The final pup is cut to size. This extra section was needed to prevent alignment of the longitudinal seams, which can weaken the pipe.

The final pup is brought up....

The root weld on the first joint

And lower it into the ground

This dome is the capped end of the High Halden line, until hours ago under full gas pressure, but now vented and ready for cold cutting.

Because of Cathodic Protection voltage, and the movement of gas, the live line is highly magnetised, and here coils of cable carrying a heavy current from a welding set generate a counter magnetic field before the joint can be welded. If you look carefully you can just see a welding rod dangling, held to the pipe by the still strong magnetism.

Whilst the next joints are being prepared, the last joint is "bombed" (radiographed)

...dropped snugly into place and clamped

The welders meet at the bottom of the root on the second joint

The automatic welding "bugs" do the cap and filler runs