The Canadian request came in as an emergency early in February, and the focus was on speed, availability, and ease of installation. SpeedVee® anchors were already stored at the site. The project order reflected the decision, relying on a system that the refinery already knew and trusted, one that had proven it could perform under pressure.
With limited time and no planned turnaround window, the priority was clear: get reliable support to the site fast, without adding complexity for the installation team.
Fort McMurray, Canada, is not unfamiliar territory for us. Year after year, our teams travel there to support both planned turnarounds and emergency work. That experience means we understand the environment, the expectations, and what it takes to respond effectively when things don’t go according to plan.
The emergency scope was executed over the course of 27 days, from 13 February to 11 March 2026, following the identification of unexpected refractory damage at the refinery site.
During a post‑clean drone inspection, damage to the castable refractory lining was identified and mapped. Several areas showed exposed steel, while others revealed refractory thickness reduced to less than half of the original design. Based on these findings, the reactor main barrel was divided into two sections to allow targeted intervention and controlled execution.
The scope focused on stabilising and supporting the affected areas with SpeedVee® refractory anchoring systems. Activities were planned to fit the emergency window, keeping on‑site work efficient and predictable.
The most challenging condition encountered during execution was the extremely low shell temperature, with ambient temperatures dropping to – 42c. To mitigate this, the anchors were stored overnight in a heated tent to maintain suitable welding conditions. At the client’s request, the shell temperature was also locally increased, so individual weld locations were preheated using a torch prior to installation.
A team, consisting of 7 people, was mobilized to support the scope, bringing experience from similar refinery projects and emergency interventions in the region. The team was familiar with site conditions, safety expectations, and the practical realities of working in northern Canadian refinery environments. That familiarity made coordination smooth.
We trained and qualified local personnel on Rapid Arc Welding (RAW) equipment to enable proper installation of V‑anchors. The upper section of the Reactor around MW3 was only accessible via ropes. Using rope access to get to a hanging scaffold, the team installed some anchors at the height.
For this emergency scope, the anchoring approach centered on the SpeedVee® system, selected for its proven reliability and efficiency under time‑critical conditions. The required SpeedVee® anchors were already available on site, allowing the team to proceed immediately without delays related to procurement or redesign.
The system is well known on refinery sites and performs reliably in challenging environments where time and access are limited. Installation benefited from controlled spacing and repeatable weld quality using Rapid Arc Welding (RAW), enabling steady progress and consistent refractory support throughout the emergency window.
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