Patent ID: 7165579

Claim:
A pipeline repair system comprising: a sleeve adapted to permanently enclose an outer surface of a longitudinal section of a pipeline having a defect is said longitudinal section, said sleeve having: a first longitudinal segment of a cylinder having longitudinal edges and radially opposed ends, a second longitudinal segment of a cylinder having longitudinal edges and radially opposed ends, said segments being adapted to be joined at the longitudinal edges to form a sleeve with first and second radial ends and to circumferentially surround the outer surface of the section of said pipeline; a first end seal between the sleeve and the pipeline and at the first radial end of said sleeve and a second end seal between the sleeve and the pipeline at the second radial end of said sleeve, said seals adapted to form an enclosed annular space between the outer surface of said pipeline and an interior of the sleeve; a tap assembly disposed on the sleeve, said tap assembly having a first valve seat; and a tapping tool having a second valve seat, the tapping tool configured for piercing the section of pipeline encased in the sleeve and allowing pressurized material from inside the pipeline to fill the annular space, the tapping tool disposed within the tap assembly such that contact between the first valve seat and the second valve seat limits movement of the tapping tool away from the pipeline; and wherein, said sleeve is adapted to receive a majority of a tangential (hoop) stress load from said section of pipeline via the pressurized material in the annular space.