Atlas Copco Rental to support Cobra Group during construction of gas network throughout Chile

June 8, 2017

Antwerp, Belgium, June 8, 2017: Cobra Group turns to Atlas Copco Rental to provide oil-injected diesel air compressors for pipelines cleaning during construction of gas network; and increases customer productivity by 80% thanks to wheel-mounted equipment.

Metrogas is a Chilean gas distributor which serves more than 527,000 customers in residential, commercial and industrial markets in the country's Santiago Metropolitan region and O'Higgins region (VI). The company owns and operates over 5,200km of natural gas pipelines.

When Metrogas started building a gas network along the country they contracted Cobra Group, a leading company of industrial infrastructures specialized in services related to distribution and commercialization of gas. Cobra has a 4-year contract nationwide including projects in the main regions as well as a future extension in the wide northern areas.

Following numerous failure and unstable pressure with the equipment they had on rent, Cobra could not reach their deadlines any longer. That is when they decided to call us for urgent help.

Based on their needs it was decided to select a mobile diesel driven model: the XAS 87-88. However, our equipment did not fully comply with some of the requirements such as:

  • Light bulb installation and plate number for transportation
  • Technical documents – adjusted to transit regulations in force
  • Support installation for hitch ball
  • Installation of ports for towing carts with chains & safety shackles

Not only we 100% fulfilled all the requirements but the mobility of our XAS compressor meant an 80% increase in Cobra’s productivity:

Because they are wheel mounted our XAS compressors can easily move from one place to another, whereas previous equipment needed a truck-mounted crane since it did not have the suitable couplings for towing, which caused delays in in the work as well as additional transport costs.

The compressors are connected to the pipelines via hoses, also provided by Atlas Copco Rental Chile. Before installing the pipelines underground they are pressure cleaned with a pipeline-diameter sponge. In a second step, the air is used to dry out and remove all remaining impurities, enabling the proper circulation of the natural gas.

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Atlas Copco is a world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions. The Group serves customers with innovative compressors, vacuum solutions and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools and assembly systems. Atlas Copco develops products and services focused on productivity, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics. The company was founded in 1873, is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries. In 2016, Atlas Copco had revenues of BSEK 101 (BEUR 11) and about 45 000 employees. Learn more at www.atlascopcogroup.com. Specialty Rental is a division within Atlas Copco’s Construction Technique business area. It serves customers in the industry segments around the world with temporary air and power rental solutions. The specialty rental services are offered under several brands. The divisional headquarters is located in Houston, USA.