7 Step Pipeline Removal Process

7 Step Pipeline Removal Process

1. Contacting Landowners:

CPI Pipe contacts each landowner by mail, as well as by phone to make them aware that CPI has purchased the easement and pipeline for removal. We provide landowners with important detailed information so they are well informed about the pipeline removal process. Each landowner is assured of excellence in our work and secure knowing they will receive a fair and quick settlement of all surface damages when the removal has been completed on their property.

2. Right-of-Way Preparation:

We meet with the landowners to address any environmental concerns they might have. We then send a fence crew down the right-of-way to install temporary gaps for ingress and egress, locating and flagging our pipeline for the ONE calls to be initiated, thereby allowing utilities and other companies a 48-hour window to locate and flag their crossing lines.

3. Exposing the Pipe:

We use excavators with a digging shoe welded to the bucket so the pipe is protected during the excavation process. While trenching directly over the pipe, usually just a bucket’s width, we remove one foot of top soil and place it on the working side if needed, and place sub-soil on the back-fill side.

4. Cutting & Removing the Pipe:

Working directly behind the digging crew, we immediately raise and cut the pipe for removal from the ditch. This enables us to have no more than 1,000’ of open ditch at any one time. Keeping the open ditch to a minimum protects against water fill and undue erosion. Landowners are kept happy with the efficiency and quick restoration.

5. Backfilling and Compaction:

Once the pipe is removed, a bulldozer pushes in the sub-soil, packing it down and then placing the top soil back atop the ditch so it is ready for final compaction with a rubber tire wheel loader. After compaction, the final leveling and grading takes place leaving a 4” to 6” crown over the ditch line thus assuring no settlement. If needed, water conversion berms are put into place to minimize erosion.

6. Right-of-Way Restoration:

Once leveled and graded, we then seed, fertilize, and mulch, if needed. We install curlex to steep banks to ensure quick recovery of the disturbed ground. We also check with the landowners to see if they have any special requests or concerns. Now completed, the fences are restored back to as close to their original condition and to the landowner’s satisfaction.

7. Settling Surface Damages:

Once the pipe removal is complete and the right-of-way is restored, our land representative contacts the landowners to discuss the amount of damage and to make sure the landowners are satisfied with CPI’s restoration process. We then pay the landowners their settlement, and, if we purchased the easement with the pipeline, we then assign the easement back to the landowners at the courthouse. CPI has worked with landowners on hundreds of miles of pipeline removal projects. We prefer to deal with the landowners directly because we find it keeps our workflow as efficient as possible and it is easier for us to meet the needs and special concerns they may have.