A length of pipe cut from a line, either as the repair itself or to send for lab analysis of internal pitting, deposits, MIC, cracking or coating condition. Cut-outs are split lengthwise, photographed, measured and their deposits cultured or analyzed. They give the only direct look at internal corrosion that ILI and coupons can only infer.
Send the cut-out to the lab with the deposits still in it, don't let anybody wash it at the shop.
Also heard as
- cutout
- pipe sample
- spool sample
Related terms
Bell hole
Excavation dug around a short section of buried pipe so crews can inspect, repair or connect to it.
MIC
Microbiologically influenced corrosion: corrosion started or sped up by bacteria and other microbes.
ILI
In-line inspection: sending instrumented tools through a pipeline to measure wall loss, dents and cracks.
Pitting
Localized corrosion that drills small, deep cavities into metal while the surface around them stays nearly intact.