Ward was awarded the contract to perform a partial re-tube on two large vertical heat exchangers during the same mobilization, working around the clock during the client’s spring 2026 Turnaround.

The client has long struggled with product buildup inside the tubes of these units, requiring a hydroblast vendor several times a year to clear the solidified material. The high-pressure cleaning process frequently damages tubes, which have traditionally been plugged to prevent cross-contamination between the shell and tube sides. Our scope was to remove the plugged tubes that were identified as most critical and replace the affected tubes with new.

While sourcing replacement tubes, Ward was unable to get all of them from the mill with a polished ID in the timeframe allotted. Rather than abandon the concept, we brought in a third party to polish a single tube and installed it in a set location to test whether a polished interior would reduce buildup over time. Applying that process to every tube on this project would have been cost-prohibitive, but the single test tube gives the client a low-cost way to monitor results — and we’re hopeful the data will make the case for specifying polished ID tubes from the mill on a future full re-tube.

Our Field Service Team was able to utilize some of the skilled heat exchanger techs from one of our shops, which staffed this project up with the best of the best. The client was so delighted with our performance that they added some additional scope in the form of ASME pressure vessel repairs while we were mobilized. We knocked everything out and received an unsolicited “thank you – great job!” email from the client’s Leadership Team, which felt fantastic.

This is a perfect example of FSG’s ability to execute a large, multi-crew, around-the-clock project — and of what’s possible when our Divisions work together.

Contact us today – we are ready to take on your biggest repair and maintenance challenges!