Pipeline Insertion: New Line Inside the Old One
Renew a failing line without digging up the whole route. We pull new pipe through the existing line and put it back in service.
When a steel line is corroded or leaking but the route is still good, insertion is often the faster, cheaper fix. We expose the line at pull points, clean and prove it, then pull new poly or composite pipe through the old pipe as a casing. That means less ROW disturbance, fewer landowner headaches, and a line back in service sooner.
We handle the full scope: excavating pull pits, cutting and prepping the host pipe, the pull itself, end connections and tie-backs, and testing before turn-over.
What this scope includes
Applications
- Corroded steel gathering lines
- Produced water lines
- Lines under roads, pads and congested ROW
Insert pipe
- HDPE poly
- Composite and spoolable
Process
- Pull-pit excavation
- Hydrovac daylighting at tie-in points
- Host-pipe prep
- Pull and end connections
- Hydrostatic testing
Delivery
- Tie-back to existing systems with minimal downtime
Why operators choose us for this work
Less digging. Pits at the pull points instead of a full ditch.
Steel, poly and composite under one roof. We know both the host pipe and the insert.
Hydrovac in-house. We expose existing lines before we cut.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 200+
- miles of pipe laid in the last 12 months
- 25+
- field crews: steel, poly & composite
- 80+
- companies under MSA, upstream & midstream
- 95%+
- of the heavy iron on our jobs is our own
Figures from Encore's 2026 company sheet.
WHERE WE WORK
We mobilize from our yard at 6101 E I-20 in Midland, Texas, and work exclusively in the Permian Basin: the Midland Basin and both the Texas and New Mexico sides of the Delaware Basin. This basin is all we do, so our crews already know its caliche, its rock, its lease roads and its operators' standards.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is pipeline insertion?
Insertion, often called slip-lining, pulls new pipe through an existing line, using the old pipe as a casing. The old route stays in place; only the pull points are excavated.
When is insertion better than replacing the line?
When a steel line is corroded or leaking but the route is still good, especially under roads, pads or a congested right-of-way. It means less ground disturbance, fewer landowner issues and a line back in service sooner.
What pipe goes inside the old line?
HDPE poly, or composite and spoolable pipe, depending on the service and pressure.
Will the new line carry the same volume?
The insert has a smaller bore than the host pipe, so capacity is worth checking before you commit. We'll size the insert against your volumes and tell you if replacement is the better answer.
How do you make sure it is safe to cut into the old line?
We daylight the line with hydrovac at the tie-in and pull points before anything is cut, then prep the host pipe, make the pull, build the end connections and hydrostatically test before turnover.
Other work we self-perform
Got a line that's failing?
Send us the size, length and condition. We'll tell you whether insertion beats replacement on your route.