World Pipelines December 2021

®

Volume 21 Number 12 - December 2021

PIPELINE SOLUTIONS www.europipeline-equipment.com

VERSATILE. Always a leading innovator, we supply customers with cutting-edge diagnostic and system integrity solutions. This, bound with our focus on flexibility, reliability, cost and quality, leads to offerings beyond your expectations.

www.rosen-group.com

19

26

37

CONTENTS WORLD PIPELINES | VOLUME 21 | NUMBER 12 | DECEMBER 2021 03. Editor's comment

PIPELINE SURVEYS AND DATA 37. More remote, more control Gary Anderson, T.D. Williamson.

05. Pipeline news

With updates on asset acquisitions, pipeline management contracts, and a milestone for European gas supplies.

GLOBAL REPORT 08. 2021: a year of ups and downs

Jonathan Wylde, Global Head of Innovation, and Nihal Obeyesekere, Head of Global Innovation Integrity Management, Clariant Oil and Mining Services.

With the world showing signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the midstream industry is looking forward to new developments and projects.

However, a plethora of economic, environmental and political challenges remain, as Dr Hooman Peimani explores.

A

ar of ye

up

s

Phil Bogdanovich, CEO of Cipher Skin, USA.

Marek Lukaszczyk, European and Middle East Marketing Manager at WEG.

WELDING 53. Setting sight on the Middle East

Canada, Greece, Iran, Russia, Turkey and USA) prompted massive evacuations of people and shutdown of economic activities.

In another example of damaging extreme weather, the record-breaking rainfall in July extensively affected China’s central province of Henan, causing heavy flooding of its cities, killing hundreds of people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. To a lesser extent, it also impacted the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Hubei.

Equally, Hurricane Ida damaged Venezuela and Cuba only to move to the Eastern US, including Louisiana, Mississippi and New Orleans, taking many human lives and inflicting extensive damages on their infrastructure in August and

Cheryl Gondek, Aquasol Corporation, USA.

a

nd

PIPELINE MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING 45. Future-proofing our pipelines TURBOMACHINERY 49. Improving pump efficiency

With the world showing signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the midstream industry is looking forward to new developments and projects. However, a plethora of economic, environmental and political challenges remain, as Dr Hooman Peimani explores.

t has been a roller-coaster year for the global energy industry. A wide range of developments of various natures has damaged global economic activities, causing major fluctuations in global energy supply and demand and creating uncertainty about the energy markets’ requirements, despite a growing global confidence in the end of the COVID-19 pandemic era as early as next year. Some of these developments have reflected a global trend (climate change) while others have been country-specific.

Apart from the pandemic’s surges, with their well-known fluctuating effects on the global energy demand and supply, widespread forest wildfires in all the continents throughout the year affecting a large number of countries (e.g., Australia,

COATINGS 41. Green solutions for corrosion

do

wns

PAGE

8

9

08

KEYNOTE ARTICLE 15. Installation: on the up?

Ben Wilby and Arindam Das, Westwood Global Energy Group, UK.

DIGITALISATION 19. Synergising pipeline integrity

Tony Alfano, Pipeline Product Line Director, DNV.

23. Machine learning: a new partnership Steve Roberts and Rob Roberts, Opportune LLP.

HDD PROJECTS 26. Getting directly from point A to point B

Joachim Engelhardt, Product Manager Direct Pipe, Herrenknecht, Germany.

PIPELINE ISOLATION 33. Pipeline integrity: price at the cost of safety?

Robert Colton, Director of Product Management at GPT Industries, USA.

DECEMBER 2021

Reader enquiries [www.worldpipelines.com]

WORLD PIPELINES

ON THIS MONTH'S COVER

®

Volume 21 Number 12 - December 2021

ISSN 1472-7390

On the front cover you can see the Performer pipelayers working on the TANAP project in the central region of Anatolia. Contractors are appreciating the handling and features of the pipelayers on top of the innovative track dismantling system that allows for cost-effective transportation in standard CBP006075

open top containers. In the near future, the 70 t version and a basic version of the 98 t with fixed tracks will be available.

www.worldpipelines.com

Member of ABC Audit Bureau of Circulations Copyright© Palladian Publications Ltd 2021. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. All views expressed in this journal are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily the opinions of the publisher, neither do the publishers endorse any of the claims made in the articles or the advertisements. Printed in the UK.

PIPELINE SOLUTIONS www.europipeline-equipment.com OFC_WP_December_2021.indd 1

23/11/2021 12:59

SansOne PATENTED OPTIONAL: articulated boom to maintain the balance point of the machine when working on steep slopes

LAURINI: THE POWER OF INTELLIGENCE, THE STRENGTH OF INNOVATION, THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

IMPROVEMENTS in terms of VISIBILITY STABILITY and TRANSPORTABILITY

EDITOR’S COMMENT CONTACT INFORMATION MANAGING EDITOR James Little james.little@palladianpublications.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Aimee Knight aimee.knight@palladianpublications.com SALES DIRECTOR Rod Hardy rod.hardy@palladianpublications.com SALES MANAGER Chris Lethbridge chris.lethbridge@palladianpublications.com DEPUTY SALES MANAGER Will Pownall will.pownall@palladianpublications.co PRODUCTION Calli Fabian calli.fabian@palladianpublications.com DIGITAL EVENTS CO-ORDINATOR Louise Cameron louise.cameron@palladianpublications.com DIGITAL ADMINISTRATOR Lauren Fox lauren.fox@palladianpublications.com

I

n its advertising campaign being run across UK newspapers at the moment, Aramco asks in big bold letters: How can we deliver one of the fuels of the future?

The advert focuses on hydrogen’s role in the future energy mix and introduces Aramco’s efforts to deliver hydrogen around the world in a commercially viable way. Aramco has taken part in a pilot project that comprised a network demonstration covering the complete hydrocarbon value chain. Aramco, similar to other oil and gas majors, has worked for many years on producing hydrogen from hydrocarbons. Burning methane creates SENIOR EDITOR Elizabeth Corner hydrogen and CO2. ‘Blue’ hydrogen is elizabeth.corner@palladianpublications.com achieved when hydrogen is extracted and CO2 emissions are captured and either recycled, removed or reused.

Hydrogen is difficult, and therefore expensive, to transport. It is a light molecule that can be liquefied for transportation purposes, but this liquefaction requires a steady temperature of -245˚C. The advert briefly describes Aramco’s work (in partnership with SABIC) on tackling this problem by converting hydrogen to blue ammonia. The two companies, working with the Institute of Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ), successfully shipped 40 t of high-grade blue ammonia to Japan in August 2020, for use in cleanerpower generation activities. Once blue ammonia reaches its destination, it can be converted back into blue hydrogen, or used as a fuel for power generation.

Need a breakdown of some of the different types of hydrogen before we continue?

VIDEO CONTENT ASSISTANT Molly Bryant molly.bryant@palladianpublications.com

) Black/brown hydrogen is produced using coal and emissions are released to the air. ) Grey hydrogen is produced from natural gas and the associated emissions are

ADMIN MANAGER Laura White laura.white@palladianpublications.com

released to the air. ) Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas and emissions are captured using carbon capture and storage. ) Green hydrogen is produced from electrolysis powered by renewable electricity.

Aramco’s tagline for its advert is: ‘powered by how’ and my interpretation of that tagline is that it emphasises the importance of asking questions. So many of the solutions to our current global energy challenges begin with a ‘how can we…?’ question. The recent COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow was powered by questions beginning with ‘how..’: ‘how can we tackle climate change?’; ‘how can we work together to deliver on our promises?’; ‘how can we update our plans for reducing emissions?’.

The question is the starting place, and those who strive to answer it should be applauded. At World Pipelines, we publish articles in which companies from all over the world seek to answer questions asked by the oil and gas pipeline industry; with the aim of improving the safety and efficacy of the pipeline sector.

We have published a string of articles about hydrogen pipelines recently. In a twopart series (October and November 2021 issues), T.D. Williamson discussed ‘Making way for hydrogen’: outlining how to assess existing pipelines for their suitability for conversion to hydrogen; the pigging and inspection of repurposed pipelines prior to beginning hydrogen service; and how intervention and isolation techniques can help support the transformation of pipeline networks. Pipeline Research Limited has recently written about pig motion and behaviour in hydrogen and hydrocarbon/hydrogen mix pipelines. SGN also wrote a two-parter, about the performance of polyethylene pipeline systems for hydrogen gas distribution. One more that comes to mind is an article by ILF Consulting Engineers, which explored the impact of hydrogen blending on the transport capacity of natural gas pipelines.

There are more hydrogen pipeline-related articles to come in 2022, so look out for those and don’t forget to keep your free subscription to the magazine up-to-date (sign up or log in to update your account here: www.worldpipelines.com/magazine/worldpipelines/register/) or sign up for our sister publication, Global Hydrogen Review (www.globalhydrogenreview.com/magazine/global-hydrogen-review/register/)

Palladian Publications Ltd, 15 South Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7QU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1252 718 999 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 718 992 Website: www.worldpipelines.com Email: enquiries@worldpipelines.com Annual subscription £60 UK including postage/£75 overseas (postage airmail). Special two year discounted rate: £96 UK including postage/£120 overseas (postage airmail). Claims for non receipt of issues must be made within three months of publication of the issue or they will not be honoured without charge.

Applicable only to USA & Canada: World Pipelines (ISSN No: 1472-7390, USPS No: 020-988) is published monthly by Palladian Publications Ltd, GBR and distributed in the USA by Asendia USA, 17B S Middlesex Ave, Monroe NJ 08831.

Periodicals postage paid New Brunswick, NJ and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to World Pipelines, 701C Ashland Ave, Folcroft PA 19032

API’S PIPELINE SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM A COMMITMENT TO A CULTURE OF SAFETY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT A Pipeline SMS Assessment provides operators with insights on continuous improvement in their operations and programs. During an assessment, a team of third-party pipeline safety experts works on-site to evaluate the health and maturity of an organization’s pipeline SMS. The assessors identify opportunities for improvement based on API Recommended Practice (RP) 1173, Pipeline Safety Management Systems.

Strengthens pipeline safety management systems for individual operators

Provides shared learnings and benchmarking across the pipeline industry

Enhances pipeline safety and operations across pipeline operators

To learn more visit: www.API.org/PipelineSMS Contact us at pipelineSMSassessment@api.org

© 2021 – American Petroleum Institute, all rights reserved. API, PSMS Assessment, the API logo, and the PSMS Assessment mark are trademarks or registered trademarks of API in the United States and/or other countries. API Marketing & Communications: 2020-319 | PDF

WORLD NEWS Ironwood Midstream expands footprint in Eagle Ford shale region Ironwood Midstream Energy Partners II, LLC (Ironwood II) has announced it has significantly expanded its crude oil midstream footprint in the Eagle Ford Shale as a result of an asset combination with Nuevo Midstream Dos (Nuevo). Ironwood II and Nuevo are both financially backed by EnCap Flatrock Midstream.

The Ironwood II leadership team has assumed management of the Nuevo assets including approximately 100 miles of crude oil gathering pipeline in Lavaca, Gonzalez, and Fayette counties that feed the Lavaca Terminal, which consists of 300 000 bbls of crude oil storage and a six-bay truck station. The system also includes a 26 mile intermediate pipeline that moves volumes from the terminal to third-party transportation pipelines with access to refineries, petrochemical plants and export terminals on the Texas Gulf Coast.

“This strategic combination marks an important step for Ironwood as we continue to expand our midstream infrastructure for Eagle Ford producers, offering safe, consistent and competitive access to premium and growing export and industrial markets along the Texas Gulf Coast,” said Ironwood Chairman, President and CEO Mike Williams. “We are also extremely fortunate to have Randy Ziebarth join our board as part of this merger. The Nuevo team has built an excellent system and we look forward to continuing to operate it with integrity and reliability.”

“We are excited about the consolidation of these

complementary Eagle Ford assets as it further positions them for growth and value creation,” said EnCap Flatrock Managing Partner Bill Waldrip. “The Nuevo team has a strong track record and EFM has enjoyed a long and successful partnership together. The team has built highly valuable relationships in the Eagle Ford and has done an excellent job commercialising these assets. I’ve personally known Mike and Randy for a very long time, and their collective skill sets, and deep roots and relationships will serve this combined platform well.”

As a result of the combination, Ironwood II now operates approximately 400 000 bpd of crude oil throughput capacity and 410 million ft3/d of natural gas throughput capacity in the Eagle Ford region. The company operates 390 miles of crude oil and natural gas pipelines with 245 000 dedicated net acres.

Ironwood II’s strategic footprint in the Eagle Ford provides multiple connections to long-haul pipelines and premium access to key Gulf Coast markets. Crude oil interconnects include Plains All American Pipeline, Harvest Pipeline Company, NuStar Logistics L.P., EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline, Kinder Morgan, Gray Oak Pipeline, Flint Hills Resources, The San Antonio Refinery and Enterprise Products Pipeline.

Natural Gas interconnects include DCP Midstream, Energy Transfer and Enterprise. In the Permian Basin, Ironwood operates a crude oil gathering system in Midland County with 40 000 bpd of throughput capacity that delivers to Centurion Pipeline.

Prism Energy secures pipeline management contract in Norway

STATS Group invests £1 million in the Australian pipeline market

Prism Energy, an Aberdeen-based project and risk management consultancy which also offers software solutions, has announced that it has secured a two year contract in Norway with a major operator for its pipeline project management services.

The Norway contract comes following the successful management of a six figure contract with previous scopes of work to deploy four pipeline isolation tools on land sites and a further five tools on offshore platforms, required to support its major UK shutdowns. The service for the new contract will see Prism managing the overall project including key vendor management, assurance and execution support. In the previous campaigns the Prism team provided management support, assurance services and execution experienced personnel to manage the site scopes.

Andy Sutherland, Managing Director of Prism Energy, says, “Following previous successful scopes of work for this client, we are delighted to further secure this two year contract in Norway. The consequences of these types of projects going wrong is huge so we always focus a on ‘right first time’ strategy that is based on the specific risks and also lessons learned from previous projects.”

Andy continues: “As part of the management service we also deploy our Prism digital project management system to ensure that we can track and monitor the progress of all the key points, which helps to ensure a successful execution of the scope.”

STATS Group has established a new Australian entity and will invest up to AUS$2 million (£1 million) in workshop facilities and intervention equipment to support its drive in the country’s pipeline integrity market.

The pipeline technology specialist has been successful in the last five years in securing a range of strategic contracts in the oil and gas and LNG sectors and is now consolidating its presence in-country.

As part of the group’s broader localisation strategy, a workshop and storage facility close to Perth, Western Australia, has been secured and the Aberdeenshire-headquartered business is recruiting local field and workshop technicians and a lead project engineer to support an increase in demand for the group’s services.

Already in 2021, on behalf of major Operators, STATS has completed two 12 in. BISEP (double block and bleed isolation) intervention projects in Darwin, Northern Territory; four 14 in.

BISEP workscopes in Perth; and in Victoria’s Bass Strait provided an 18 in. Subsea Hot Tap Clamp with 12 in. branch and subsea hot tapping services, and a 20 in. Remote Tecno Plug isolation on an offshore platform.

The new Perth base will act as STATS’ intervention hub for Asia Pacific (APAC) clients, making it easier to ship equipment between key markets, minimising freight costs and importantly reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

DECEMBER 2021 / World Pipelines

5

WORLD NEWS EVENTS DIARY NEW DATES: 5 - 9 December 2021

23rd World Petroleum Congress Houston, USA https://www.wpc2020.com/

7 - 9 December 2021

15th annual GPCA Forum Dubai, UAE www.gpcaforum.net

31 January - 2 February 2022

European Gas Conference (EGC) 2022 Vienna, Austria www.energycouncil.com/event-events/ european-gas-conference/

31 January - 4 February 2022 PPIM 2022

Houston, USA https://www.ppimhouston.com/

2 - 4 February 2022

Subsea Pipeline Technology Congress (SPT 2022) London, UK https://sptcongress.com/

21 - 22 February 2022

Transportation Oil and Gas Congress 2022 (TOGC 2022) Zurich, Switzerland https://togc.events/

7 - 10 March 2022

17th Pipeline Technology Conference Berlin, Germany https://www.pipeline-conference.com/

10 - 12 May 2022

Canada Gas & LNG Exhibition & Conference Vancouver, Canada https://canadagaslng.com/

6

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

Brazos Midstream announces Delaware Basin acquisition and new venture in Northern Midland Basin Brazos Midstream (Brazos) has announced two significant transactions in the Permian Basin region of West Texas. Brazos Delaware, LLC acquired the Pecos Gas Gathering System (Pecos) from Diamondback Energy, Inc. (Diamondback) and its midstream affiliate Rattler Midstream (Rattler).

Additionally, newly-formed Brazos Midland, LLC has closed on the acquisition of Diamondback’s Mustang Springs Gas Gathering System, dba Permian Gathering, LLC (Mustang Springs).

Brazos has operated the Pecos Gas Gathering System, located in the Southern Delaware Basin, on behalf of Diamondback and Rattler since 2017. The system will add an additional 150 miles of natural gas gathering pipeline and four associated compressor stations, complementing the Company’s existing high pressure natural gas gathering system and cryogenic processing complex located in Reeves

Nord Stream AG celebrates a decade of gas supplies On 8 November, Nord Stream AG celebrated the tenth anniversary of the start of operations of the Nord Stream Pipeline. On 8 November 2011, Line 1 began transporting natural gas from Russia to European businesses and households. Line 2 followed one year later, completing the twin pipeline system with an annual design capacity of 55 billion m3.

Alexey Zaytsev, Nord Stream AG Managing Director said on the occasion: “We celebrate ten years of operation of the Nord Stream Pipeline today. An international team of industry experts works together tirelessly over the years for the success of the company. We are proud to deliver natural gas to Europe in a reliable, safe and efficient way.”

Ten years ago, European leaders officially launched Line 1 of the Nord Stream Pipeline to transport Russian gas. They noted that the international Nord Stream project is a shining example of successful cooperation between European companies and is intended to make a significant contribution to the long-term energy security of the European Union.

Nord Stream aims to continue to support European energy security for decades to come.

County, Texas. Brazos will expand the Pecos system to provide additional gas gathering and processing services for Diamondback’s ongoing development as well as connections to new third-party producers in the area. The Pecos system assets were acquired by Brazos Delaware, LLC, one of the largest privately-held gathering and processing companies in the Permian Basin.

The Mustang Springs Gas Gathering System, located in the Northern Midland Basin, currently serves Diamondback in central Martin County, Texas. The Mustang Springs system will be expanded to serve both Diamondback and other producers’ significant growth plans in the area.

Mustang Springs was acquired by Brazos Midland, LLC, a new entity formed to develop natural gas gathering and processing infrastructure in the Northern Midland Basin.

THE MIDSTREAM UPDATE •

Schneider Electric and Prisma Photonics announce partnership

•

Enbridge appoints new directors to its board

•

DOF retrieves steel pipe with MDL

•

GD Energy Products opens new Dubai facility

•

EIA forecasts crude oil price decline during 2022

Follow us on LinkedIn to read more about the articles linkedin.com/showcase/worldpipelines

PETROLATUM TAPE SYSTEMS

BITUMEN & BUTYL TAPES

SOIL-TO-AIR INTERFACE SYSTEMS

PROTAL 7200™ SPRAY/ROLLER/BRUSH APPLIED LIQUID EPOXY COATING

PROTECTIVE OUTERWRAPS

DENSO VISCOTAQ™

> A range of viscoelastic tapes used for corrosion prevention on pipelines, field joints, fittings & valves. > The unique, self-healing technology of Viscotaq offers asset owners outstanding, long-term protection against corrosion.

DENSO™ are leaders in corrosion prevention and sealing technology. With over 135 year’s service to industry, our mainline and field joint coating solutions offer reliable and cost effective protection for buried pipelines worldwide.

United Kingdom, UAE & India USA & Canada Australia & New Zealand Republic of South Africa

www.denso.net www.densona.com www.densoaustralia.com.au www.denso.co.za

FOR CORROSION PREVENTION

A MEMBER OF WINN & COALES INTERNATIONAL

A

r a o e f y

up s

8

With the world showing signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the midstream industry is looking forward to new developments and projects. However, a plethora of economic, environmental and political challenges remain, as Dr Hooman Peimani explores.

t has been a roller-coaster year for the global energy industry. A wide range of developments of various natures has damaged global economic activities, causing major fluctuations in global energy supply and demand and creating uncertainty about the energy markets’ requirements, despite a growing global confidence in the end of the COVID-19 pandemic era as early as next year. Some of these developments have reflected a global trend (climate change) while others have been country-specific.

Apart from the pandemic’s surges, with their well-known fluctuating effects on the global energy demand and supply, widespread forest wildfires in all the continents throughout the year affecting a large number of countries (e.g., Australia,

a

nd

Canada, Greece, Iran, Russia, Turkey and USA) prompted massive evacuations of people and shutdown of economic activities.

In another example of damaging extreme weather, the record-breaking rainfall in July extensively affected China’s central province of Henan, causing heavy flooding of its cities, killing hundreds of people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. To a lesser extent, it also impacted the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi and Hubei.

Equally, Hurricane Ida damaged Venezuela and Cuba only to move to the Eastern US, including Louisiana, Mississippi and New Orleans, taking many human lives and inflicting extensive damages on their infrastructure in August and

do

wns 9

September. It also caused power blackouts and shut down offshore oil and gas platforms and refineries in the Gulf of Mexico region. The latter removed around 1.7 million bpd of crude oil and some 2 million bpd of refined products from the US market, as OilPrice.com reported.

The kidnapping and killing of oil workers and vandalism of oil pipelines in Nigeria have restricted the country’s oil production and raised questions about its sustainable production capability. Consequently, Nigeria’s projected daily oil production of 2.2 to 2.3 million bpd has reportedly reduced to about 1.7 million bpd throughout the year.

Followed by just about all the countries, the continued US sanctions on Iran have sharply reduced its oil exports to under 500 000 bpd down from its pre-sanction volume of under 3 million bpd, and prevented its plans to increase its gas exports to its neighbours. As a by-product of the sanctions, Armenia, Iraq and Turkey’s inability to pay for their imported Iranian gas through the global banking system has made Iran’s gas exports an exercise in vain. This is likely true also for its lowering oil exports as its remaining importers (mainly China) are reportedly reducing their imports conducted though barter agreements at a much higher cost for Iran, given its use of middlemen and paying much higher prices for insurance and transportation.

As well, oil and gas exporting Libya has experienced major fluctuations in its export capabilities because of attacks on its sea export terminals and pipelines. This is notwithstanding the concluded ceasefire between the two contending forces who have largely ended their armed conflict over ruling Libya. The conflict has turned into a proxy war by the regional (e.g., Turkey and UAE) and global (e.g., France and Russia) powers while implicitly pitting even NATO members against each other (Turkey vs France).

A proxy war has also devasted oil and gas-exporting Yemen with no prospect for its end in the predictable future. It has pitted a Saudi-led Arab coalition, supporting a government in exile (Saudi Arabia) controlling Yemen’s southern part with a dubious future thanks to its armed infighting, against an Iranian-supported government controlling mainly the country’s northern part. Yemen’s sustained energy exports are unsurprisingly questionable.

The same uncertainty has befallen Venezuela, a major oil exporter under a strict Western sanction regime. It has also suffered from the Western-backed domestic opposition to make its energy industry incapable of meeting its basic demand, and force it to import refined oil products from Iran despite the US threat to stop it.

The 44 day war in Southern Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia in late 2020 helped Azerbaijan regain most parts of its land lost to Armenia following the Soviet Union’s collapse. However, it changed the regional geopolitics by bringing to Iran’s northwestern borders Turkey and Russia as well as Israel, though denied by Azerbaijan. This development has created security concerns for Iran and prevented it from unhindered access to its neighbouring Armenia and thus Europe via the Southern Caucasus while making Iran dependent on Turkey for such access. A series of military exercises on both sides of the Azerbaijani-Iranian borders in

10

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

September and October manifested the growing tensions between Iran, on one side, and Azerbaijan and Turkey, on the other.

The tense situation could potentially lead to a war between the two neighbours to affect the contentious oil and gas exports of Azerbaijan to the European Union via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline and the BakuTbilisi-Erzurum pipelines, respectively. It could also affect Azerbaijan’s gas exports to the EU via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), operational since November 2020, which is fed with the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) via Turkey.

Such scenario has created anxiety in Brussels, determined to decrease the EU’s growing reliance on Russia for gas and oil.

Israel’s normalising ties with Bahrain and the UAE in 2020 has created a new geopolitical reality in the Persian Gulf region, the world’s single largest oil and gas exporter. The expanding Israeli presence in the region, including in military forms, has alarmed Iran, which has been a target of a number of attacks on its nuclear energy (e.g., Natanz enrichment facility), oil (e.g., Tehran refinery) and industrial (e.g., Zarand Steel Mill) facilities, all attributed to Israel. In late October, the hacking of its gas stations’ card readers shut down some 4300 stations throughout Iran for which Israel is also suspected. Against the background of Iran’s hostile relations with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain over a range of issues particularly Yemen and Syria, these developments could well lead to direct and indirect military confrontations between the two sides to endanger the regional oil and gas exports.

Global demand and prices Yet, despite the mentioned developments, the prospect of a global recovery from the pandemic-induced poor economic performance as a result of the ongoing recovery in many countries has increased both energy demands and prices.

Oil prices, which have been fluctuating between US$70 and US$80/bbl since late 2020 to reflect the volatile demand, reached the record high price of US$83/bbl in early November 2021. Similarly, gas prices have been rising to reach the record price of more than US$800 per 1000 m3 in mid September as reported by Reuters only to jump to US$1000 per 1000 m3 on 28 September according to the Qatar-based Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), which also reported a jump to US$1031 per 1000 m3 for October future at the TTF Hub. As winter approaches, the growing global demand for not only gas, but also coal in Asia and Europe when the stored gas reserves are at low levels, ensures the high gas and coal prices, as stressed in the OPEC economists’ report of 13 October, which states that “energy commodities experienced a surge across the board, with natural gas and coal prices reaching record highs in Europe and Asia amid lower-thanaverage storage levels that fuelled concerns about potential shortages should winter temperatures be colder than usual”.

Such prices could further increase as more countries manage to contain the pandemic within their borders to prompt their energy-intensive economic recovery.

Likewise, the factors causing high oil prices will likely keep them high while price hikes are still quite possible

SAFE. RELIABLE. CERTAIN.

D2000 Quick-actuating closures with the ProSeries™ advantage: Opened or closed in a single motion while the operator stands safely to the side, the D2000 is the quick-actuating closure the industry depends on. Now, with the ProSeries™ advantage, the same features you trust are available for a broader range of applications, with shorter lead time, greater standard code compliance and, as always, the consistent quality you expect from T.D. Williamson.

THE MOST TRUSTED CLOSURE ON THE MARKET – MADE EVEN BETTER

Shop online for pigs, closures and accessories. Scan the code and register to get started:

For the life of your pipeline. tdwilliamson.com

©2021 T.D. Williamson

within a fluctuating range due to short-term influences.

Hence, oil prices fell on 1 November as China announced releasing its gasoline and diesel reserves to boost supply.

Yet the major, but of course not the only, factor in a lowering price trend is the coordinated action of OPEC+, consisting of a large number of oil heavyweights, including Iran, the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Venezuela and Russia. Their scheduled 22nd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting, held via videoconference on 4 November, reflected their determination to ensure high oil prices after a couple of years of falling prices damaging their economies severely.

Hence, they adhered to their plan to add 400 000 bpd of oil to their oil supply in December as approved at their 19th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting on 18 July 2021, as reported by OPEC, and, thus, resisted the temptation to settle for a short-term remedy for their cash-starved economies by releasing more oil.

Despite the environmental necessity of ending the global dependency on fossil energy, and many countries’ declared commitments to this objective, evidence suggests that such dependency will continue for a long time. The failure of the G20 group in its October meeting in Rome to set more ambitious and concrete targets for achieving the net-zero emission target demonstrated the interest of the world’s largest economies in their current large-scale consumption of oil and gas, in addition to coal whose consumption has been growing in Asia and Europe. As reported by CNBC in October, “surging natural gas prices have led to a jump in coal use, with plants in Europe and Asia firing back up as temperatures decline and the world grapples with worsening gas shortages.”

The G20 leaders’ final communique included their preference for limiting global warming to 1.5˚C, without any commitment towards that target. Canadian Press reported that the document, among other shortcomings, “watered down numerous parts of a previous draft version, including replacing specific deadlines to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and eliminate coal power by the end of the 2030s, with net zero by ‘mid century’ and eliminating coal power ‘as soon as possible’.” Hence, the November COP26 event in the UK could not result in a major reduction in fossil energy consumption by the G20 and other countries.

This is notwithstanding their efforts to expand the share of renewable energy of their energy mixes. The single major barrier to the rapid expansion of wind and solar energy in the global energy mix, especially the global power mix, has been their intermittent nature. The record high temperatures of this year, which have significantly reduced the hydro dams’ water reserves to substantially decrease their power generation, has led to serious questioning of the reliability of hydro power to address this intermittency challenge, although it is widely considered as the only type of renewable energy suitable for contentious largescale baseload power generation. Briefly, addressing the intermittency of wind and solar generators with hydropower as suggested or actually adopted in some countries (e.g., New Zealand) has proven to be not a reliable strategy, though, even in that case, fossil-fuelled generators account

12

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

for about 30% of the installed power capacity to ensure the continuous availability of electricity.

Combining nuclear energy and renewable energy is a realistic and workable alternative to address the intermittency challenge of renewable energy for power generation. A number of countries such as China, India, Russia and the UAE have opted for this option, and have ongoing plans for expanding their nuclear power sector to end their power generation sectors’ dependency on fossil energy.

Yet, the strength of anti-nuclear sentiments in many parts of the world (e.g., Germany, Italy and Japan) has removed this alternative as a real option for many countries. This reality and the availability of much cheaper coal and/or gas (e.g., India and the USA) have practically made fossil energy the main or the necessary component of all the countries’ power mixes.

Consequently, achieving the net-zero emission target for even power generation by 2050 seems unrealistic, let alone achieving such target for the broader global energy mix, given the unsuitability of renewable energy for many sectors (e.g., heavy industries) and the existing challenges of finding appropriate types of green energy for them. The potential ones such as hydrogen have their own challenges for largescale green production (e.g., requiring a phenomenal amount of fresh water and green electricity for electrolysis), which are yet to be addressed.

Pipeline projects Considering the mentioned developments, the global pipeline industry has done reasonably well in 2021. A significant number of large and small projects have been going on around the world. Asia, including Eurasia (mainly Russia), has been the single major scene for pipeline construction, although other regions have also embarked on or planned for major projects.

The revival of the pre-pandemic energy demand will ensure the continuity of pipeline activities in the coming years. Hence, the global economic recovery, particularly the reviving land, sea and air transportation industries, will secure a steady demand for oil, in the absence of large-scale availability of viable liquid fuel alternatives for the forseeable future.

Likewise, piped gas transportation will remain essential especially because of the rejection, shelving or cancelling of many North American LNG projects in 2021 such as Port of Saguenay’s Énergie Saguenay in Quebec, Woodside Petroleum Ltd’s Kitimat in British Columbia, Annova’s Brownsville in Texas and Pembina Pipeline Corp’s Jordan Cove in Oregon.

Against this background, the following is a brief summary of some of the major pipeline projects.

Asia Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI) The TAPI’s fate is uncertain in the aftermath of the Taliban’s take over of Afghanistan. While the Taliban has assured

the Turkmen government delegation visiting Kabul on 1 November of its ensuring the pipeline’s completion and security as reported by Reuters, the existence of armed opposition to the Taliban in the Panjshir Valley and the hesitance of the regional and non-regional countries to recognise the Taliban government have cast doubt on its completion.

Its Turkmen section (214 km) is the only completed section leaving the bulk of the pipeline (774 km in Afghanistan and 826 km in Pakistan) for construction to be connected to the Indian oil pipeline network. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the TAPI (33 billion m3; US$10 billion) is meant to fed Afghanistan (500 million ft2) and Pakistan and India (each 1.325 billion ft2) for 30 years.

Goureh-Jask oil pipeline The completion and operation of the Goureh-Jask oil pipeline in May marked a major achievement for Iran. The pipeline (1100 km; 42 in.; 1 million bpd; US$1.1 billion) enables Iran to bypass the Strait of Hormuz for exporting its oil by using Jask’s oil terminal on the Sea of Oman with the storage and export capacity of 1 million bpd of crude oil.

Iran has used its Persian Gulf Khark Island for “more than 90%” of its crude exports, leaving the rest for its smaller Persian Gulf terminals of Lavan, Sirri and Soroush islands as well as the Assaluyeh terminal for exporting condensates, as reported by Iran’s Press TV. Fed with Iran’s West Karun oil fields, the pipeline is the largest pipeline project of the Iranian oil industry, according to Chief Executive of the National Iranian Oil Company Mehdi Karbasian. He also stressed that the Iranian companies conducted the entire project.

Israel-Egypt gas pipeline Israel is considering the construction of a new pipeline to increase its gas exports to Egypt currently done via a subsea pipeline (5 billion m3) passing through the Sina Peninsula, according to the Israeli Energy Ministry in October.

Estimated at US$2 billion, the proposed onshore pipeline – to be owned by Israel Natural Gas Lines, and which could reportedly go online in two years – will provide for annual export of 3 - 5 billion m3 of gas from Israel’s Mediterranean Sea gas fields of Leviathan and Tamar. As reported by Reuters, the two sides are considering the pipeline as an option within the context of Egypt’s request from Israel for additional gas exports. Reportedly, the approval process of the pipeline’s route from local authorities is underway.

Southern section Consisting of Chinese and Russian systems, the East Route gas pipeline system (ERGS) went online on 2 December 2019 to begin Russian gas exports to China (38 billion m3/y) to last for 30 years, as part of the world’s single largest energy deal (US$400 billion) made between Gazprom and CNPC in 2014. Having northern, southern and middle sections, China started constructing its system’s remaining southern section (50 million m3/d) in January planned to go online in 2025, as reported by Xinhua. Respectively,

its northern and middle sections went online in 2019 and 2020.

The Chinese system combines building a 3170 km pipeline and using an existing 1800 km pipeline passing through six Chinese provinces (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong and Jiangsu), the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Tianjin and Shanghai.

The southern section (1509 km) will feed Shanghai with Russian gas by connecting Yongqing county in Hebei province to Shanghai passing through Shandong and Jiangsu provinces, according to the China Oil & Gas Piping Network Corporation (PipeChina).

Feeding the Chinese system, the Russian system known as the Power of Siberia (3000 km, 1420 mm, 38 billion m3/y), passes through the Irkutsk and Amur Regions and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) to supply gas from the Chayandinskoye field in the Yakutia gas production centre to the consumers in Russia’s Far East and to China. According to Gazprom, the three-line system is currently under extension to have another feeding line (803 km) scheduled for completion in late 2022 to link the Kovyktinskoye field in the Irkutsk gas production centre to the Chayandinskoye field.

Europe Nord Stream 2 (NS2) The NS2 was finally completed in September despite the sustained US opposition to the project and its associated threat of sanctions. As a prelude to its commercial operation, Russia filled its first string with 177 million m3 of technical gas on 18 October, according to its operating company.

Russia hopes that its commercial operation could start before the end of 2021 as the EU’s gas demand is growing.

However, the NS2’s required certification process, which began in October, may not be completed in this timeframe, although the German Federal Economy Ministry determined on 29 October that its certification would not threaten Germany’s or the EU’s gas security. Nevertheless, the two reaming hurdles are its certification by Germany’s Federal Network Agency to be completed by early January. Its recommendation then must be accepted by the European Commission, for which it has two months.

The Trump administration’s threat of imposing sanctions on any company completing the project halted the construction of its remaining short Danish and German parts in their Baltic sea’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in December 2019, when Swiss-based Allseas laying the pipeline ended its operation. The threat deterred all the potential pipelaying companies, forcing Russia to use its own pipelaying vessels (Fortuna) to resume the operation in January 2021.

The pipeline system connects the Russian gas network near Narva Bay in the Kingisepp district of Russia’s Leningrad region to Germany’s gas network in the northern German coast near Greifswald, to feed Germany and other EU countries.

DECEMBER 2021 / World Pipelines

13

Mirroring the operating Nord Stream, the joint venture of Russia’s Gazprom (51%), Austria’s OMV, Germany’s E.ON and BASF/Wintershall and Royal Dutch Shell (10% each) and France’s ENGIE (9%) consists of twin-offshore pipelines buried under the Baltic Sea’s seabed (each about 1200 km; 27.5 billion m3/y; 48 in.) passing through the EEZs of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

TurkStream Russia started exporting gas to Hungary and Croatia on 1 October through the TurkStream gas pipeline connected to Bulgaria and Serbia, through which the two EU members received Russian gas, according to Gazprom.

Inaugurated on 8 January 2020, the TurkStream consists of two parallel pipelines (each 930 km, 32 in.; 15.75 billion m3/y) of which one is for feeding Turkey and another for feeding the EU countries via Turkey with Russian gas. They run through the Black Sea from the Russkaya CS near Anapa, on the Russian coast, and come ashore on the Turkish coast some 100 km west of Istanbul, near the village of Kiyikoy. From there, one of them connects to the existing Turkish gas network at Luleburgaz while the other one continues to the Turkish-Bulgarian border.

The TurkStream was subsequently connected to Bulgaria and Serbia via the Balkan Stream (474 km; 20 billion m3/y; US$1.2 billion), which was completed and became operational in December 2020 despite the EU’s policy of reducing dependency on Russian energy. Bulgaria opened the 11 km pipeline connecting its gas network with Turkey in October 2019 as a necessity for importing Russian gas once the Balkan Stream is operational.

Feeding Hungary and Croatia became possible thanks to Hungary’s construction of a new gas trunkline and the expansion of the national gas transmission systems in Bulgaria and Serbia. On 27 September, Gazprom signed two 15-year contracts for exporting up to 4.5 billion m3/y of gas to Hungary.

Americas Line 3 Enbridge announced completing the upgrading of its oil sands crude pipeline (1765 km; US$8.2 billion) Line 3 on 29 September and its operation on 1 October. The upgrading increased the pipeline’s capacity from 390 000 bpd to 760 000 bpd.

Connecting Canada’s Alberta to Enbridge’s terminal in the United States’ Superior in Wisconsin, the Line 3, which went online in the 1960s, passes through North Dakota and Minnesota. An upgrade to its Canadian section was finished about two years ago, but severe opposition from environmental groups and Indigenous communities mainly in Minnesota prevented the upgrade of its American section.

Its North Dakota and Wisconsin legs were also completed earlier. The Indigenous communities would reportedly continue their efforts to shut it down through the American federal courts.

14

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

Dakota Access crude pipeline (DAPL) The DAPL’s faith is again in doubt as the US District Court for the District of Columbia cancelled its environmental permit last year and ordered an additional environmental study, as Native American tribes and environmental groups argued its potential contamination threat to the Missouri River and drinking water sources. In September, Energy Transfer (operating company) asked the US Supreme Court to determine whether the study was required.

Connecting the shale oil fields of the Bakken formation in northwest North Dakota to an oil terminal near Patoka, Illinois through South Dakota and Iowa, the DAPL (1886 km; 30 in.) had a controversial beginning as environmental opposition delayed its operation in 2016 only to go online in June 2017. Energy Transfer completed its capacity increase from 570 000 bpd to 750 000 bpd in August.

Guyana subsea gas pipeline As an emerging South American oil and gas producer, Guyana’s government announced in October the construction of an offshore gas pipeline (220 km) to be started as part of its plan to begin constructing a major gasfired power plant next year, as reported by Bloomberg. Its start date is being finalised according to Peter Ramsaroop, the CEO of GoInvest, a government agency encouraging foreign direct investment in Guyana. Reportedly, the pipeline would transport nearly 50 million ft3/d of gas from Exxon’s Liza Phase 1 and 2 oil projects.

Australasia Northern Goldfields Interconnect (NGI) The NGI’s construction is expected to be completed by mid-2022. Its undertaker, Australia’s APA Group, announced in November 2020 its plan to construct the pipeline to connect the emerging fields in the North Perth basin to the Goldfields region in Western Australia.

The NGI (580 km; 304 mm; AUS$460 million) is part of the Western Australian gas grid. Reportedly, it will connect to APA’s existing Goldfields Gas Pipeline (GGP) connected to the APA Group’s major Eastern Goldfields network to add capacity to APA’s gas grid. In June 2021, the first of four shipments of steel pipes arrived in Geraldton for its construction, according to APA.

Africa Dangote pipeline (DP) Being installed by China’s Offshore Oil Engineering Co. Ltd., the subsea pipeline (1177 km; 3 billion ft3; US$2.5 billion) consists of twin pipelines (each 588.5 km), which will transport gas from Bonny Island in Nigeria’s Niger Delta to Lekki Free Trade Zone in Nigeria’s Lagos via Olokola. Scheduled for completion by this year’s end, the pipeline is a component of Dangote Group’s US$17 billion integrated fertilizer, petrochemical and refinery complex project.

Ben Wilby and Arindam Das, Westwood Global Energy Group, UK, discuss the company’s forecast for the onshore pipeline installation market.

T

he global onshore pipeline installation market was deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with several projects delayed as restrictions impacted construction schedules. At the same time, the collapse in commodity (i.e. oil) pricing, rising uncertainties, negative sentiment and continued legal challenges in certain jurisdictions had an impact on several pipelines in the pre-FID stage. As a result, pipeline installations are estimated to have dropped by approximately 20% in 2020, with pipeline CAPEX estimated to have contracted from approximately US$56 billion in 2019 to US$41 billion in 2020.

Over the course of year-to-date 2021, there has been only a small improvement in overall pipeline installation activity levels, as operators remain cautious whilst continuing to face a range of uncertainties. Important factors such as public and political opinion, as well as material costs, continue to pressure projects. There exists the potential that many project financiers and lenders may not necessarily have the same latitude (as before) to finance fossil fuel projects going forward, driven by ESG considerations. The cancellation of permits for the Keystone XL pipeline project following years of political back and forth, highlights that oil and gas pipelines remain

15

a contentious issue, particularly in the Western hemisphere.

Looking forward, Westwood does not expect the same volume of installations over the forecast 2021 - 2025 period as was seen in the hindcast period (2016 - 2020). We estimate approximately 200 000 km of installations over the forecast, compared to approximately 220 000 km of installations over the hindcast (10% reduction). The associated CAPEX over the forecast is estimated at US$220 billion (compared to US$247 billion over the hindcast) and includes several long distance and large diameter lines, such as the Tianjin - Inner Mongolia Pipeline (China), Donlin Gold Natural Gas Pipeline (USA) and Murmansk - Volkhov gas pipelines (Russia).

Figure 1. Onshore Oil & Gas Pipeline Installations by region 2016 - 2025 (Source: The stability and rise in commodity (i.e.

Westwood Onshore Pipeline Market Forecast). oil) prices during 1Q21 to 3Q21, coupled with an improvement in sentiment, has seen some lines (such as the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline) progressing, having been stalled earlier due to economic concerns. In addition, the emphasis in certain regions, particularly Asia and the GCC, to increase domestic production levels will require substantial pipeline infrastructure to become a reality, supporting forecast installation activity. Thirdly, the development of gas pipelines as countries seek to diversify their energy supply, is also expected to be a key factor over the forecast, with gas pipelines accounting for approximately 65% of total installations.

At a regional level, Westwood expects Asia and North America to lead installation activity, accounting for a combined 60% of total Figure 2. Onshore Pipeline Installations by Phase Type 2016 - 2025 (Source: installations and 65% of CAPEX (US$145 billion), Westwood Onshore Pipeline Market Forecast). over the forecast period.

North America has historically been the largest region for pipeline installations with both Canada and the US requiring large kilometres of pipeline infrastructure to help transport the vast quantities of oil and gas produced, especially in the US Shale plays. 2016 - 2019 saw strong installation activity, with an average of 19 000 km installed each year. This was predominantly a result of operators attempting to ease bottlenecks in key shale plays which were beginning to impact the rate at which new wells could be brought onstream.

As the pandemic gained momentum during 2020 and global Figure 3. Onshore Oil & Gas Pipeline Installations by Region 2016 - 2020 vs 2021 - 2025 demand shrunk significantly, US (Source: Westwood Onshore Pipeline Market Forecast). benchmark crude (i.e. WTI) prices

16

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

OIL & GAS ONSHORE /OFFSHORE

STRUCTURAL

POWER

Despite all this, the region is still expected to remain a key driver of global activity levels over the forecast.

Many natural gas projects are expected to continue to move forward, as feedstock for a variety of LNG projects currently in the pre-FID stage. As a result, Westwood expects North America installations to total approximately 62 000 km over the 2021 - 2025 period, 30% of the global total. This estimate is also 30% lower than the hindcast period (approximately 90 000 km). Key regional projects include the Key Access Pipeline System (575 km) and the Pacific Northern Gas Looping Project (525 km).

Activity in Asia is expected to be dominated by China, with ambitious plans to increase domestic production and unlock the vast potential of its unconventional resource base – most of which needs significant investment into pipeline infrastructure, as they are in areas with limited current infrastructure. At the same time, the country continues to install major, cross-border pipelines to facilitate imports from a diverse range of countries. Key pipelines in the country with activity over the 2021 - 2025 period, include the Xin-ZheYue synthetic gas pipeline and 4th and 5th West-East gas pipelines.

Outside these two regions, the drive to increase energy security and clean agenda will also contribute to forecast activity levels. Examples include Saudi Arabia, where MGSE Phase 2 and North & South Haradh GCP gas pipeline projects are expected to see installation activity over the forecast period. Elsewhere, a series of gas interconnector projects throughout Western Europe, and pipelines supporting the Vaca Muerta development in Maintaining a pipeline is no easy task. With so many things to worry Argentina, are also expected to about, you need products you can depend on. Always. Our solid-state move forward. decouplers help improve your cathodic protection system’s performance Over the forecast period (2021 and stand up to AC faults and lightning strikes, in all sorts of conditions.

2025), Westwood expects onshore We make them rugged so that you can trust them to perform. Always. pipeline installation activity to increase from the low point of 2020, Applications Include: though a return to the high levels • AC Voltage Mitigation seen between 2017 - 2019 is unlikely.

• Insulated Joint Protection Improved oil prices, recovering • Decoupling Equipment Grounding Systems demand and a continued drive to • Gradient Control Mat Isolation develop natural gas reserves are expected to support an average Learn more about our annual onshore pipeline installation Always Rugged Promise: rate of 40 000 km over the forecast.

Dairyland.com/AlwaysRugged plummeted to an all-time low. Operators were left with no choice but to ration capital investments and focus on survival. Creating shareholder value is of utmost importance for the upstream sector, which now appears to be significantly less focused on pure production growth alone. This in turn reduces the need for sizeable yearly increases to the pipeline installed base. At the same time, operators have been struggling to get certain pipeline projects completed (e.g. Keystone XL, the Transmountain Pipeline expansion and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline), with protests and legal challenges causing delays and a significant increase in costs.

Put Down Your Work Gloves.

(We’ve got this.)

Tony Alfano, Pipeline Product Line Director, DNV, discusses the application of DNV’s Synergi Pipeline software for the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, and how digital tools can enhance safe and efficient operations.

T

he oil and gas sector of Trinidad and Tobago is dominated by the production of natural gas and exports of LNG. However, since 2014, gas production in the country has been declining and the country has faced a risk of undersupplying its downstream demand of feedstock natural gas.1 As a result, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago continues to make the availability of natural gas supply a key component in its energy policy and energy transition plans.

Citing US Department of Energy and International Gas Union data, the twin-island Caribbean nation’s Energy Minister, Stuart Young, said in June 2021 that a significant demand for fossil fuels will guarantee many more years of life for the domestic industry, even as the energy transition gathers pace.2 Safeguarding the country’s vast network of transmission and distribution pipelines, traversing an area of 5128 km2 (1981 square miles) and fuelling a population of nearly 1.4 million people, is therefore essential as it aims to bolster its gas-

based economy and status as a hydrocarbon exporter while strengthening its commitment to the energy transition.

Since 1975, The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) has played a pivotal role in the energy sector through the aggregation, processing, transportation, and distribution of natural gas. The company owns, maintains, and operates the country’s transmission and distribution gas gathering and distribution pipeline network of approximately 1000 km which comprises both offshore and onshore segments. The network’s installed capacity is currently 4.4 billion standard ft3/d and supplies natural gas to power generation plants, global scale petrochemical plants, a world scale LNG facility and a wide range of light manufacturing and commercial enterprises.

Next generation pipeline integrity management As natural gas is the primary fuel for the generation of electricity and feedstock supply to the petrochemical and

Figure 1. Trinidad and Tobago’s vast network of transmission and distribution pipelines traverses an area of 5128 km2 (1981 square miles) and fuels a population of nearly 1.4 million people (image courtesy of NGC).

19

LNG industries that drive the energy sector in the country, the NGC’s Asset Integrity Management Framework, implemented in 2019, is a key management system to preserve the value and safety of those assets.

The company first started working with DNV in 2012 when it utilised the pipeline integrity management support software tool, Silverpipe. Using a traffic light format, the web-based portal provided ready access to historical records, the condition of all assets held by the system, overall risk profiles, safety alerts, and the status of integrity management projects and tasks.

Building on the success of the portal, the lessons learned from its use across the oil and gas industry, and the advance of digital tools and software, DNV has since overhauled the system to create Synergi Pipeline software. Applicable to distribution networks, offshore and onshore pipelines as well as gas, liquid, and slurry pipelines, it provides a more comprehensive and customisable integrity and risk management platform. NGC has recently upgraded to the latest version of Synergi Pipeline to improve its risk management across its gas gathering and distribution pipeline network.

talking point across the islands. To ensure growing energy demands are met in a clean and sustainable manner, Synergi Pipeline software will be used to document risks such as pipeline corrosion, track regulatory compliance, and give a clear overview of the asset integrity management (AIM) of pipelines and gas distribution network components. Importantly, it will also provide a bird’s eye view of their network at a quick glance allowing NGC to better allocate resources, maintain the reliability of their pipelines and ensure security of supply.

It was initially used to drive integrity management plans, including inspections and reassessments, but has now been expanded to drive enterprise-wide processes and risk-informed decisions to ensure resources are in alignment and cost savings are reaped. It is a solution that can fit seamlessly into existing GIS and enterprise management systems.

Most notably, Synergi Pipeline gives NGC a holistic risk classification of the company’s transmission and distribution pipelines. Another benefit of the upgrade is that NGC will be able to share a complete risk picture across the organisation for use in many different types of projects.

A bird’s eye view of risk

Tailored and transparent

According to GlobalData, Trinidad and Tobago is expected to contribute around 25% or 820 million ft3/d of the Americas natural gas production in 2025 from planned and announced projects (new build projects, excluding the US L48). A total of seven natural gas projects are anticipated to start operations over the next four years. Of these, Colibri and Matapal are some of the key projects that are likely to collectively contribute around 58% of the natural gas production in the country in 2025.3 The outlook for natural gas as a fuel of choice for economic resurgence and sustainability targets is understandably a major

NGC has played a pivotal role in expanding Trinidad and Tobago’s gas-based energy sector and is an early adopter and advocate of digitalisation and innovative solutions to support its role in the local and international natural gas value chain. When assessing the capabilities of software systems on the market, it was the fact that DNV offered the most comprehensive solution that was particularly attractive to NGC in its assessment of a solution to augment its asset integrity management systems. The highly customisable nature of Synergi Pipeline helps NGC tailor the data to its unique needs, address mechanical integrity data silos, and establish context to asset data across departments, helping the company derive better business value.

While the system, which seamlessly integrates with the Company’s Esri ArcGIS environment, provides a set of pre-defined risk models for a full range of infrastructure threats that can be extended to accurately mine data and track specific audit trails of information, it also ensures information integrity for a clearer, instant understanding of asset properties and conditions. Overall, it offers: ) An open analytical

Figure 2. DNV’s Synergi Pipeline software is applicable to transmission and distribution networks, offshore and onshore pipelines as well as gas, liquid, and slurry pipelines (image courtesy of NGC).

20

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

environment providing NGC’s end users with the ability to maintain and adapt integrity analytics to accommodate regulatory requirements or to create new analytic and risk models.

when many companies fast-tracked the adoption of digital technologies due to the global effect of COVID-19.

The pandemic has not only increased attention on how digital solutions can make organisations more adaptable and cost-efficient; it has also forced companies to discard the normal rules and become more open to change. Results from the DNV research clearly demonstrate the results that the rapid uptake of digitalisation is having: )) Almost three-quarters (73%) of respondents reported that it is critical for their organisation’s survival. )) 37% of pipeline professionals say that their organisation Figure 3. DNV’s Synergi Pipeline software – demo data shown – provides a holistic risk classification of the company’s transmission and distribution pipelines so NGC will be able to share a complete risk picture across the organisation for use in many different types of projects.

)) Risk-based analysis at individual asset level or on a

outperformed rivals in 2020 due to the strength of digitalisation. )) Nearly twice as many (62%) say that it has had a

transformative impact on their organisation. )) 32% believed their organisation has struggled in the past

regional or spatial basis. )) A tool to identify and locate threats on the pipeline as

well as any main drivers of risk. )) Support to inline inspection and probabilistic analysis to

report the data and assist in the integrity and preventative maintenance planning. )) Scenario planning – allowing NGC to use data to predict

the future changes and determine actions on how the organisation should respond to those scenarios. )) One central data management system to store all pipeline

data including built-in risk libraries for detailing defects and integrity data analytics.

NGC’s mission statement is to be ‘best in class’ through the fulfilment of international standards and regulations and by pioneering innovative, digital solutions. The business is greatly committed to sustainability by protecting the ‘3Ps – People, Planet and Profits’ which makes maintaining the reliability and safety of their distribution and transmission pipelines of utmost importance.

Fast-tracked digitalisation The world is going to need more modernised pipelines to connect new sources of supply and demand for gas in the energy transition, according to forecasters.4 If they are to meet this demand sustainably and safely, pipeline operators need greater operational efficiency, smarter ways to ensure safety, and decarbonised gas systems and gases to maintain their social license to operate.

DNV’s Industry Outlook 2021, which provides a snapshot of the investment intentions and priorities of pipeline operators for the current year, states that 69% of those questioned in its annual survey, reported that digitalisation will be the key area of investment/focus for their organisations in the year ahead. This was clear in 2020

22

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

year because of underinvestment in digital tools and technologies.

Insight and expertise at your fingertips While digital tools and technologies are enablers to improve performance, it is the ingenuity, experience and knowledge behind the data that gives a digital platform like Synergi Pipeline its credibility.

DNV has been the technical advisor to the oil and gas industry for more than 100 years and extends this expertise to developing best-in-class software and services such as risk assessment, MAOP verification, failure investigation, and evaluation of integrity management procedures. The company’s motivation is to fully support customers in all stages of the integrity lifecycle, from assessing the pipeline’s risk to managing and analysing inspection data, to planning mitigation actions.

Close and long-standing relationships with customers such as NGC have led to continuous improvements and valueadding functionality. The latest version of Synergi Pipeline allows more efficient and comprehensive integration of pipeline knowledge from around the company and across various lifecycle stages. The holistic risk classification platform ensures timely and appropriate maintenance regimes can be planned and risk mitigated where it is needed the most.

As the focus on pipeline safety increases, stricter regulations demand better solutions for integrity management – digitalisation holds the key to improve performance, increase efficiency and protect lives and the environment. As the industry evolves, DNV is proud to have been working with clients such as NGC to usher in a cleaner, more collaborative, and more digital future.

References 1.

2.

3.

4.

https://www.offshore-technology.com/comment/t-t-natural-gas-risk/ https://www.upstreamonline.com/lng/trinidad-tobago-determined-tocarve-out-natural-gas-role-in-changing-world/2-1-1023318 https://energynorthern.com/2021/09/13/trinidad-and-tobagoto-dominate-natural-gas-production-from-upcoming-projects-inamericas-in-2025/ https://eto.dnv.com/2021

Steve Roberts and Rob Roberts, Opportune LLP, discuss why applying machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies can go a long way toward enhancing workflow efficiencies in the pipeline industry.

A

s the pipeline industry continues along its digital transformation journey, in some ways accelerated by the pandemic, it still lags other major industries. Some areas have taken off quickly, however, like machine learning and connected sensors, in part because it’s clear to see the value these technologies deliver. More data from operations that can improve efficiency or safety is an easy win.

Machine learning is gaining ground in the energy industry, but not as rapidly as the technology is advancing. In many cases it’s still stuck in the ‘proof of concept’ phase and has yet to emerge into full-fledged production use. While operations may be the source of valuable data, accounting can be an area that can clearly impact the bottom line.

With the constant flow through pipelines and meters and sensors gathering all that data, eventually the customer needs to be invoiced. Creative, and subsequently complex, commercial and tariff structures with a diverse set of customers leads to

23

complex billing. Most enterprise resource planning (ERP) or pipeline accounting systems have been configured or customised to take the inputs from operations and translate them to invoices. However, because those invoices can be complex, accounts receivable (AR) processes are just as complicated.

Machine learning: working smarter, not harder At the end of the day, the AR group wants to get invoices out the door and payments in as quickly and efficiently as possible. Adding extra resources to process easy remittances while helping to identify exceptions is usually a welcome addition, and now is the time to introduce machine learning to the team.

For some time, companies of all industries and sizes have turned to some form of automation to handle receivable (and payable) processes. Accounting departments have typically been reluctant to put their trust in machines (maybe because they’ve seen ‘Terminator’ one too many times). Whether it be machine learning, robotic process automation or artificial intelligence, these innovative technological tools have begun to take a foothold in various corners of the midstream sector, from financial controllers down to accounting clerks.

The tools and benefits of leveraging machine learning include: )) Machine learning engines that evaluate customer payment history to automatically estimate when individual invoice payments will be received. )) Artificial intelligence algorithms that utilise the same

machine learning engines to identify customer credit risks using both internal and publicly available data. )) Ability for machine learning form processors to ‘read’

incoming invoices and packing slips to automatically enter data into ERP systems (examples of robotic process automation). )) Machine learning decision engines that help determine

when to take discounts and when to take the full payment term window to pay vendor invoices.

While most groups will likely be hesitant to accept incorporating machine learning into their processes, modern machine learning helps to break down barriers by wrapping hardcore technology in easy-to-use user interfaces. But most important in any adoption of this kind of technology is to engage end users from the beginning.

It has been shown time and time again that introducing users to a ‘magic black box’ that learns by watching will face a tough audience. Users need to understand conceptually how it works, and most importantly, how it will change their daily workflow. Like any new process, they’ll need to be brought along the adoption curve.

Ultimately, they’ll need to buy in that machine learning is there to make their jobs easier – to automate routine and mundane tasks and in turn elevate exceptions.

Key steps to adoption of machine learning include:

1. Involve users early As with any new process or technology, early involvement has proven to increase engagement and, ultimately, acceptance. In the fast-moving realm of digital transformation, this can be lost in the mix as IT departments and decision-makers fawn over the latest technology.

2. Start small Technology companies have been doing this for years, but in a world where ‘projects’ typically mean capital endeavours costing millions of dollars, starting small seems quixotic. But in this instance, starting small has the advantage of moving quickly as requirements are refined and, potentially, the technology is evolving as well.

3. Explain the ‘black box’ in simple terms Most people don’t like a mystery unless it’s in paperback form. Users don’t need to dive into the coding of machine learning or artificial intelligence, but they need to understand the logic it’s based on to trust the result.

4. Get hands on quickly to iterate Iteration is key to implementing new technologies like machine learning. Business and development teams need to focus early on a ‘minimum viable product’ to get it into the hands of users. During requirements gathering sessions in an implementation like this, identifying the best path to value using the new technology may be challenging and preparing to iterate in advance will save frustration when the first delivery doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Workflow improvements via machine learning Figure 1. Machine learning training and continuous improvement process. Source: Microsoft.

24

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

As groups warm to the idea of putting advanced technology like machine learning to work

for them, introducing new areas of efficiency should get smoother. Take for example document management and the associated workflow. Early workflow management tools moved users through a list and could route requests.

But the modern ‘pizza tracker’ style workflow builds on that in a way that users are used to outside of the working environment.

New workflow tools also incorporate notifications like (or sometimes exactly like) what users get on their mobile devices for messages and social media. There are ‘chat’ panes to track conversations related to a specific workflow or document. In addition, users can ‘post’ supporting documents along the way, adding context or evidence needed for the next round of approvals.

Taking cues from digital interactions users are already doing outside of work and incorporating them into office workflows also greatly reduces training. This builds on the ‘you don’t need training to use Amazon’ philosophy for user interaction.

Once users get comfortable with the ‘training’ aspects of machine learning, they’ll often suggest other ways of utilising advanced techniques. As users cut their teeth on AR, AP, and document management there are a few processes specific to pipelines where machine learning, and ultimately artificial intelligence, can improve existing data points and trigger certain activities. These can be related to maintenance or even long-term design issues.

In one example, pigging operations used for inspections return vast amounts of data related to pipeline geometry

and integrity. An active machine learning model can determine patterns from the data and link that to geometric and geographic information to identify faults.

This data is already used to generate maintenance tickets, but the advanced machine learning training, along with artificial intelligence, can also generate a root cause analysis for certain wear-and-tear within the pipeline that might not otherwise be studied. Rather than trigger a ticket for repair related to pitting within the pipeline wall as a specific point, the model might identify a 10-mile stretch of a repeating pattern of pitting that corresponds to a change in the topology of the right-of-way.

Similarly, other digital technologies can be coupled with machine learning and artificial intelligence to generate impressive results. Referencing a 2019 article on using drones for pipeline inspections reveals opportunities to leverage the usage of machine learning for image recognition and processing. As the article points out, drone inspections can identify areas of soil erosion to prevent pipeline blowouts or other pipeline damage. Coupling the machine learning image processing could speed the process.

Further aligning with artificial intelligence, predictive observations of the pipeline and surrounding topology could identify where similar issues could arise five to ten years down the road. And yes, ‘Terminator’ fans, it may one day be possible for drones, machine learning and artificial intelligence to perform all the work autonomously without human intervention.

Making the world a cleaner place...

One pipeline at a time.™

Tel:281-351-2749 Fax:281-351-4658 Toll Free:800-578-7436 Email:Sales@pigsunlimited.com

distributors

wanted

O

ver the past 15 years, Direct Pipe® technology has established itself in the world of pipelines. Initially, it was used to safely cross rivers. Thanks to further technical development and growing popularity among clients and contractors, the range of applications for Direct Pipe has steadily been expanded in recent years. Today, with a track record of over 165 successful crossings and 90 km of pipeline installed, Direct Pipe is also increasingly used for shore approaches. The following article provides an overview of the Direct Pipe process, some of its general benefits, including lesser-known advantages, and more recent developments such as small diameter Direct Pipe and capabilities in hard rock.

Direct Pipe methodology The Direct Pipe method developed by Herrenknecht combines borehole excavation with the installation of the pipeline in one step. Jobsite and prefabrication of the pipe string are located on the same side.

In the launch pit, the prefabricated pipe string is connected to a specialised microtunnelling TBM (MTBM) excavating the borehole at the final diameter.

The required thrust force is provided by the Pipe Thruster, which pushes the MTBM forward together with the pipe string. The borehole itself is supported by a low-pressure bentonite suspension while the excavated muck is transported to the surface through dedicated slurry lines inside the pipe string. Navigation systems enable precise guidance of tangents and curves along the alignment. Entry and exit points are generally near or on the surface. In shore approaches, the MTBM is retrieved directly from the seabed at the end of the drive.

Alternative to HDD In difficult, highly permeable ground conditions, Direct Pipe presents a valuable alternative to popular HDD. Since

Joachim Engelhardt, Product Manager Direct Pipe®, Herrenknecht, Germany, outlines an alternative method for the safe installation of shore approaches and crossings.

26

Figure 1. Direct Pipe jobsite on the banks of the Danube River, setting the European distance record.

27

excavation and pipeline installation take place in one single step, the borehole is continuously supported, with almost no hydro-fracturing risk. This remains the major benefit of Direct Pipe, taking into account that safety and environmental protection are of growing concern in the industry. The sidebar names some further advantages.

Environment and sustainability In the context of climate change, aspects of sustainability are coming into focus of planners, operators, and contractors.

This not only concerns the pipeline industry but also electricity grid companies, which face the same challenges along their power grid routes.

A recent study for a potential pipeline project including an onshore crossing and a shore approach, each of over 1000 m in length, analysed the environmental impact of Direct Pipe. Nearly all environmental aspects compared in the study showed Direct Pipe ahead of HDD. The range of aspects included fuel consumption and emissions, water and bentonite consumption, disposal of drilling fluids and excavated muck, jobsite footprint, and fluid release upon exit to the marine environment.

CO2 footprint

Most noticeable were the CO2 carbon-dioxide emissions due to the relatively low power requirements and consequently, fuel consumption. Counting the installed power of the equipment, Direct Pipe showed that it typically required only around half of HDD’s power supplies. Based on a number of equally applied assumptions and simplifications, this was translated into an approximately 50% reduced fuel consumption for Direct Pipe. Since CO2 emissions are directly linked to fuel consumption (burning 1 l diesel fuel produces about 2.65 kg of CO2), the CO2 footprint for Direct Pipe was at least less than half of HDD (diesel-engine rigs).

Noise emissions Figure 1. Direct Pipe jobsite on the banks of the Danube River, setting the European distance record.

Furthermore, sound pressure level (SPL) noise emissions for Direct Pipe were 40 - 45% lower than diesel-driven HDD, whereas sound power level (SWL) was 70 - 80% less. In terms of ‘loudness’ as a human’s personal sensation, HDD therefore would be perceived around 1.3 to 1.5 times louder than Direct Pipe. Moreover, noise emissions on the exit side are essentially non-existing since there are almost no Direct Pipe operations necessary upon exit - except retrieving the MTBM.

Drilling fluids

Figure 2. Overview of Direct Pipe technology with jobsite installation on launch side.

Other aspects such as drilling fluid release into the ocean (upon exit or during reaming) may almost be considered negligible for Direct Pipe. For shore approaches, the release of drilling fluids upon exit was reduced by 90 - 97% compared to HDD.

Shore approaches

Figure 3. MTBM recovery off the Scottish coast.

28

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

Every offshore pipeline will make landfall eventually. In recent years, however, the number of shore approaches has increased due to the growing energy supply needs of people.

More and more desalination plants for water and offshore windfarms are appearing around the globe. At the same time, awareness for sustainability and the environment is increasing, too. Traditional installation techniques such as dredging, trenching, or directional drilling are less appealing for various well-known reasons. Public attention and the pressure on project owners is pushing stakeholders to consider lowerimpact alternatives. Direct Pipe adds an innovative variation to the range of trenchless technologies available for shore approaches.

GIRARD INDUSTRIES 6531 N. Eldridge Pkwy Houston, TX 77041-3507, USA sales@girardind.com

Toll Free: 800.231.2861 Phone: 713.466.3100 Fax: 713.466.8050 www.GirardIndustries.com

Unmatched Performance and Proven Results

Main advantages of Direct Pipe® )) Shallow alignments and less overburden possible:

higher flexibility to select suitable ground formation. )) Time and cost savings: one-step pipeline

installation leads to reduced drilling and set-up times. )) Lower volumes of drilling fluid and reduced

overcut (<10%) means reduced disposal. )) Significantly reduced risk of inadvertent fluid

returns from hydro-fracturing due to separating borehole support and muck removal. )) Efficient jobsite logistics and single-sided operation

(very little marine support on shore approaches, almost fully independent of weather).

Export cables for Beatrice Offshore Windfarm, Scotland The very first shore approach was in 2017 in Scotland, where the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm was connected to a mainland substation. With Direct Pipe, even under the weather conditions of the North Sea, two 440 m long 48 in. cable conduits were installed beneath the coastline. The primary reason for choosing Direct Pipe was to reduce the impact on flora and fauna of the environmentally protected coastal area, but also the windfarm operator’s requirement to install the cables with the smallest possible overburden to ensure efficient heat transfer to the seawater.

After completion of each drive, the MTBM was recovered from the seabed in one piece. With the help of a remotecontrolled recovery and disconnect module, it was separated from the pipe. The MTBM was securely sealed against incoming water, while the casing pipe was flooded under controlled conditions.

Sur de Texas-Tuxpan gas pipeline The Sur de Texas-Tuxpan gas pipeline connects the coasts of Texas and Mexico across the Gulf of Mexico. A total of three landfalls were realised for the installation of the pipeline: two with Direct Pipe and one with pipe jacking. The first Direct Pipe landfall ended late 2017 in Brownsville, Texas. At 1500 m in length, the 42 in. section set the temporary world distance record of the time. In Tamiahua, Mexico, after 700 m, another MTBM reached its final position in July 2018 – concluding the second landfall for the pipeline project.

Drive length records in New Zealand

Figure 4. Direct Pipe Platform and MTBM in launch trench – ready for the 2 km drive in New Zealand.

The above distance record was broken in 2018 with a length of 1930 m near Auckland in New Zealand. The Army Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant required installation of a 48 in. replacement pipe across the peninsula it is situated on.

However, the current distance record for Direct Pipe has been set in 2020 on a 48 in. outfall for the Snells Algies Ocean Outfall Pipeline. The majority of the 2021 m distance was on land, with only one quarter underneath the South Pacific Ocean. Most impressively, only one Pipe Thruster was used. The ground conditions ranged from clay, mudstone to sandstone, and required only one change of cutting tools.

River crossings Traditionally, Direct Pipe is used to safely cross rivers and other obstacles. Two notable 48 in. crossings took place in Texas, USA, in 2015. The shorter one was also the first one to break the 1000 m mark in the US and included a threedimensional alignment as well – only to be surpassed by the second installation spanning 1230 m a few weeks later.

Safely crossing below levees

Figure 5. Retrieval of MTBM following successful offshore subsea recovery.

30

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

More important, however, was that both crossings were passing underneath a set of levees monitored by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The low pressures in the borehole achieved by Direct Pipe had caught the attention of the authorities who requested full monitoring of the process. The successful completion of the crossings and

SMARTER PIPELINE CLEANING Custom pigs for operational maintenance or pre-inspection cleaning

propipe.co.uk LinkedIn

• Propipe provides a suite of services to ensure a successful project including full pipeline review, cleaning pigs and Trident SMART gauge.

• Propipe pigs all designed pipelinespecific for best performance.

• Trident pig tracking and APEX AGM plus SMART Gauge and Datalogging for full data assessment.

Propipe Limited Queens Meadow Business Park, Hartlepool, England TS25 5TE

Propipe North America 302 Bluewater Road, Unit 2 Bedford, Nova Scotia B4B 1J6

T: +44 (0)1429 872 927 E: groupsales@propipe.co.uk

T: (902) 417 5075 E: sales@propipenorthamerica.com

The print issue is distributed to a global audience of industry professionals (verified

by ABC). Register to receive a print copy here: worldpipelines.com.magazine/worldpipelines/register

Prefer to read the issue online?

The digital flipbook version is available here: worldpipelines.com/ magazine/world-pipelines

Wherever you are, World Pipelines is with you.

Download the World Pipelines app for Android (Google Play) or iOS (App Store) to access World Pipelines from your mobile device.

www.worldpipelines.com

the results from borehole monitoring pleased everyone’s expectations. A couple of years later, the National Energy Board (NEB) of Canada also recognised this great advantage of Direct Pipe on a difficult 48 in. highway crossing in Alberta.

In Serbia, the 48 in. gas pipeline interconnector to link Bulgaria and Hungary had to cross the Danube River over a length of 1409 m. As it seemed too risky using HDD in the highly permeable sand, silt, and gravel, the crossing was originally planned for pipe jacking. Due to the tight schedule, Direct Pipe was finally chosen as the preferred, efficient single-step installation method.

Figure 6. Borehole pressure comparison Direct Pipe versus HDD.

Small-diameter Direct Pipe In Poland, the first small diameter Direct Pipe system using jet pump technology has accomplished two river crossings recently. An AVNS600 completed two 28 in. sections for the Gas Interconnector Poland-Lithuania. The first crossing of 340 m was completed by installing one single prefabricated pipe string, while the second crossing of 884 m was split into two pipe strings. The anticipated ground conditions on both crossings were sand, silt, clay, some peat, and some pebbles.

However, the encountered ground conditions on the first crossing were significantly different and changed shortly after launch to heavy gravel and some boulders for almost the remainder of the drive.

Nevertheless, this prototype demonstrated what was considered impossible for decades: small diameter installations with AVN Slurry MTBM are feasible even for extended distances. Traditionally, small diameters were limited by centrifugal pumps being too large to fit inside the pipe. The new jet pump concept with its smaller size, creating the AVNS range, can be installed inside diameters as little as 20 in.

Distances of up to 1500 m (depending on ground conditions and depth) are achievable – with a single discharge pump. For Direct Pipe® this opens up the available range for installing 24 - 60 in. pipeline diameters.

Direct Pipe in hard rock Along with the small-diameter AVNS series, Herrenknecht also developed a small-diameter AVN Rock series for traditional microtunnelling and incorporated it into the AVNS concept for Direct Pipe, which covers conditions of up to 150-200 MPa strength. This new AVN Rock series defines a separate line of MTBM specially designed with features such as stronger main bearings for improved penetration, performance, and higher RPM. Cutting wheels are equipped with TCI Tricone Bits or milled-tooth disc cutters alternatively. A high degree of wear-resistance allows for longer drive distances unheard of for such small diameters in the past. They have already demonstrated their ability to cope with conditions where serious gravel and/or boulders are the predominant subterranean formation.

Outlook Figure 7. Site installation for 28 in. Direct Pipe river crossing in Poland.

Figure 8. Small diameter Direct Pipe MTBM (AVNS600).

32

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

The new AVNS concept featuring the jet pump and the AVN Rock series presents a milestone for microtunnelling and Direct Pipe, pushing the boundaries towards feasibility for longer drives in small diameters. Future developments in surveying technology by Herrenknecht’s partner VMT are expected to make these systems even more reliable, simpler, and more versatile.

While Direct Pipe has already established its place for land crossings and shore approaches by offering a number of arguments and benefits over other trenchless technologies, its strong benefits towards sustainability and environmental impact just now are becoming more and more important. Fuel consumption, CO2 footprint, and other aspects are expected to be key decision drivers in the future.

OUR POWER, YOUR STRENGTH. Security and comfort for operators.

PADDING MACHINES

S C A I P s p a . V i a R o m a , 18 - 4 3126 S a n P a n c r a z i o P a r m a I t a l y . p h . +3 9 0 5 21 67 12 8 8 . i n fo @ s c a i p s p a .c o m . w w w. s c a i p s p a .c o m

SPD® LINE padding machines TECHNICAL DATA:

HYDROSTATIC TRANSMISSION ADJUSTABLE FRONT / REAR SECTIONS VARIABLE AND REVERSABLE SPEED CONVEYOR BELT ±90° ROTATING CABIN AND LIFTABLE FOR TRANSPORT ROPS/FOPS ESCALATOR AND CONVEYER AUTOLEVELING SYSTEM SCAIPNET AVAILABLE (GPS AND DATA MONITORING SYSTEM)

SPD-150 EVO

WEIGHT: 14 t . POWER: 150 HP REMOTE CONTROLLED . SCREENING AREA 2.3 m2

SPD-160 EVO

WEIGHT: 26 T . POWER: 225 HP REMOTE CONTROLLED . SCREENING AREA 5.2 m2

SPD-250 EVO

WEIGHT: 28 T . POWER: 250 HP REMOTE CONTROLLED . SCREENING AREA 2.8 m2

SPD-350 EHD

WEIGHT: 39 T . POWER: 375 HP REMOTE CONTROLLED . SCREENING AREA 5.7 m2

SPD-450 EVO

WEIGHT: 55 T . POWER: 450 HP REMOTE CONTROLLED . SCREENING AREA 8 m2

SCAIP is the original manufacturer of our product line designed over the years and owner of the related know-how. Any other machine that may have a similar design but is not produced by us does not have the same technical features as our products.

SCAIP does not give any guarantee on machines produced by third parties.

S C A I P s p a . V i a R o m a , 18 - 4 3126 S a n P a n c r a z i o P a r m a I t a l y . p h . +3 9 0 5 21 67 12 8 8 . i n fo @ s c a i p s p a .c o m . w w w. s c a i p s p a .c o m

H

aving been in the pipeline business for most of my working life, I have seen many changes, particularly within the oil and gas sector; not just with new and advanced technology, new processes, and production methods, but also the extreme changing conditions within the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors, and the energy sectors generally.

Major advancements in technology have enabled large oil and gas companies to extract these materials from remote and deep locations and to harness energy from tight reserves which previously were not possible.

Robert Colton, Director of Product Management at GPT Industries, USA, offers his thoughts on how operators can maximise safety when dealing with extremely sour gas.

According to the Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management, “enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques that offer prospects for ultimately producing 30 - 60%, or more, of the reservoir’s original oil in place”.

However, extracting such media from these tight locations also has its disadvantages. Having been locked away under the ground and sea for millions of years, this media has matured into a toxic, aggressive, dangerous, and extremely corrosive sour substance which can contain some very high levels of hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, both silent killers. This poses huge challenges for

33

all concerned, not only for extracting such media, but also handling and processing it.

There are of course many factors that need to be considered whilst harvesting what I would not-so-fondly

Figure 1. Number of EOR projects in operation globally, 1971 - 2017.

Figure 2. Sour gas world map.

34

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

term as the ‘sour demon’. The financial costs for businesses to extract and refine sour gas are huge, particularly when it comes to the protection of fixed assets, keeping them free from corrosion and the environment free from emissions. Even more important is the protection of their human assets, keeping them safe from leaks and emissions which in such environments can prove fatal. So, the primary factor to be considered here is of course safety.

It is fair to say that piping systems have come on a bit since Roman times, but then again, the Romans only really had water and sewage to worry about. Today, it’s a very different story, with the safety of employees and the public at stake. However, we live in a very competitive world and there is huge emphasis on cost savings and supply chains are key to this process, ensuring the company is buying smart to help the bottom line. However, should price and cost savings come before the protection and safety of people? It would appear that in some cases, lower cost product will sometimes win the race against a value proposition that delivers a safer working environment. According to a recent survey conducted by Sphera, an oil and gas operational risk management company, “cost pressure caused by a downturn in the oil price was identified as a significant contributor to the focus on price over safety. Just over half of respondents (52%) said there was a resource tension between safetyrelated projects and other capital project allocation”.

Many major companies around the world will have ‘safety’ embedded within one of their core values. There is no doubt that many companies do take safety very seriously, but there is concern that there are some that simply say all the right things, whilst still keeping their eyes firmly fixed on the bottom line. This might seem controversial; however, citing the Sphera survey again “in 2017, 70% of respondents said they believed there were gaps between how process safety was planned and how plant and assets were actually

Global Publication

A new magazine focused on the global hydrogen sector

Subscribe for free: www.globalhydrogenreview.com

Figure 3. The world’s first fully encapsulated isolation gasket.

Figure 4. ‘Eye of Fire’ blaze near a Gulf of Mexico oil platform.

maintained. In 2018, this figure had risen to 86%”. The report notes that the anecdotal evidence gathered from conversations with process safety professionals is an indicator that “despite best intentions, safety culture remains ineffective in practice”. I will come back to this topic later.

Let us return to sour gas and GPT, a company that manufactures critical service flange isolation products that electrically isolate flanges of dissimilar metals to prevent galvanic corrosion and also provide electrical isolation for cathodic production (CP) systems, among other uses.

Flange isolation kits are regularly installed in piping systems which convey extremely sour liquids and gases. We have been in working in the field of electrical isolation for many years and it is a very specialist business to be in. Sealing, isolating and preventing galvanic corrosion within flanges by utilising flange isolation kits requires a steadfast design and critical material selection, as we are exposing these products to extreme sour conditions.

Over the last 30 - 40 years, the main material used to create the dielectric barrier used on the gaskets in flange isolation kits has been glass reinforced epoxy (GRE).

However, this is now becoming attacked in very sour environments and by certain chemicals used and found in the processing of oil and gas. These can leave the gasket weak and vulnerable to permeation and leakage. To counter this, we have developed the world’s first dielectrically encapsulated gasket which also has inside diameter (ID) seal technology which offers the tightest sealing isolation gasket on the market today and resistance to the most toxic

36

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

media. Everything about this new and advanced technology addresses many concerns when trying to seal and electrically isolate flanges and piping systems which convey the most aggressive sour materials. This new development also has ‘fire safe’ as standard, something which most flange isolation kits on the market today cannot claim. Having passed Shell TAT requirements, this is certainly a game changer.

Back to the topic of cost versus value proposition. Many specifications for flange isolation kits are old, going back 20 - 30 years and more. They also call out phenolic as a gasket material – this has been excluded from our portfolio and many major end users for years and yet they still pop up. As mentioned earlier, glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) gasket material is now being attacked in many applications today, so this is why we have invested heavily in this new technology to offer resistance against sour gas, tighter seal ability for near zero emissions and with fire safety as standard. This combination of features and benefits provides end users with the assurances that high pressure, sour media, high temperature and fire safe flanged joints maintain integrity in the most testing applications. We don’t just talk about safety, we do safety.

Now back to my slightly controversial comment earlier on regarding companies putting cost before safety. We have had a major end user who shall remain nameless actually say to us “we do not need fire safe flange isolation kits because we have an impeccable safety record”. Well firstly, I am pleased to hear that and I hope this continues. However, please bear in mind that if this end user has a standard ‘non fire safe’ flange isolation kit installed in a flanged joint in a flow line or a tank farm and there is a fire that makes its way to that flanged joint – it will fail within minutes allowing media within the piping system to escape feeding the fire. So, no matter how exemplary a company’s safety record is, there is always room to improve.

We only have to look back a matter of months to the ‘Eye of Fire’ incident in the Gulf of Mexico to illustrate that fires in pipelines are still an everyday threat, or to two separate pipeline blasts in northern British Columbia and Arizona in which corrosion was cited as the root cause.

We have had many major end users who have installed our safest product in their systems because they want a product that stands up to today’s changing conditions, to prevent corrosion, have near zero emissions and have fire safety as standard. They are changing their specifications and embracing this advanced technology in order to protect their fixed and human assets, while at the same time addressing environmental requirements. They are looking at the value proposition and not costs, where safety is put before the bottom line. Bravo!

Bibliography

https://www.energy.gov/fe/science-innovation/oil-gas-research/enhanced-oilrecovery https://www.ioshmagazine.com/2018/09/11/oil-and-gas-operators-miss-one-foursafety-critical-maintenance-tasks https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/special-reports/20122019/the-state-of-processsafety-and-operational-risk-management-transforming-the-status-quo/ https://sphera.com/research/psm-orm-report-2019-part-2/

Gary Anderson, T.D. Williamson, discusses how remote technologies helped overcome pandemic-related challenges during an inline isolation offshore Nigeria.

A

s if the normal challenges of offshore oil and gas weren’t enough, when the COVID-19 pandemic restricted travel and created logjams worldwide, it introduced new and unexpected difficulties for operators and service companies alike. It also created opportunities to take a fresh look at the customary ways of doing things.

In the case of an inline isolation project offshore Nigeria in September 2020, the pandemic accelerated the implementation of remote communication technologies – and proved that even requirements long thought of as ‘must haves’ aren’t always mandatory.

The operator, a major global energy company, was facing a deadline that could have been considered extreme under the best of circumstances. They were preparing to change out multiple topside valves on their 32 in. natural gas pipeline, and with

37

just four weeks to go before the scheduled equipment mobilisation, they needed a safe isolation solution that could be delivered almost immediately.

Speed and safety weren’t the only concerns, however.

Among other things, the isolation would have to avoid the expense and disruption associated with depressurising the pipeline or displacing pipeline inventory. The preferred technology would be tetherless, remotely piggable and have in situ post-repair testing capability.

With no time to delay, T.D. Williamson (TDW) employed creative planning, virtual technology and its non-intrusive SmartPlug® inline isolation tool to meet every requirement and overcome pandemic-related hurdles.

TDW has successfully performed more than 330 SmartPlug isolations all over the world, but this was the first in offshore Nigeria.

Inline isolation: minimal downtime, no depressurisation The SmartPlug technology, which has Type Approval from DNV, is designed to minimise pipeline production downtime during critical maintenance work. It can safely isolate any section of 8 - 48 in. pipelines, regardless of product. For natural gas pipelines, the SmartPlug system eliminates the need to depressurise product; pipeline inventory can be maintained at operating pressure during the isolation. SmartPlug technology is completely nonintrusive, with the tool designed for loading and retrieval via standard pipeline pig traps.

Because its design is entirely modular, the SmartPlug tool is easily customised to the required project configuration. According to Nick Matthews, Director of SmartPlug Solutions, the tool is typically deployed in its two-module configuration, where it meets the criteria for a true double block isolation. That is, each isolation barrier is independent and can retain full pressure by itself, offering 100% isolation redundancy. In this case, though, a third plug module was incorporated into the tool to allow for in situ post-repair leak testing.

“What that means is there is no need to recover and relaunch the tool prior to testing of the repaired section,” Matthews said. “No hydrocarbons will migrate across the sealing elements during this process.”

New ways of doing things Figure 1. 3-module SmartPlug® isolation tool during isolation.

3-module SmartPlug® Isolation Tool During Hydrotesting Test Pressure

Ambient Pressure

Annulus Pressure

High Line Pressure

Figure 2. 3-module SmartPlug isolation tool during hydrotesting.

Figure 3. Tool on board the platform (left) and ready for launching (right).

38

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

It typically takes about three to four months to engineer, assemble, test and ship SmartPlug equipment from the TDW facility in Stavanger, Norway, to its destination anywhere in the world. Not only did TDW have to figure out how to shave nearly 75% off their usual schedule, but they also had to overcome pandemic-related transportation obstacles affecting both people and cargo.

It took quick thinking, cooperation and a willingness to do business differently to get the SmartPlug equipment to the job site on time.

For example, under the prevailing global travel restrictions, a site visit by a TDW engineer, which is a prerequisite for SmartPlug engineering, was out of the question. After working closely with TDW to understand the key technical data required for the engineering phase, the operator’s engineer stood in and, under TDW guidance, captured the pertinent information.

The pandemic also affected how the operator and stakeholders would participate and interact in the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), a critical element in the quality process and the ultimate assurance of tool functionality.

Throughout the isolation, the SmartTrack system The FAT is performed in the TDW Stavanger workshop provided round the clock monitoring. Using extremely low prior to tool dispatch. Performed in a test pipe similar frequency (ELF) signals, the SmartTrack system provides to the pipeline that will be isolated, FAT simulates through-wall communication with the SmartPlug tool, the isolation parameters that the SmartPlug tool will irrespective of whether the tool is located topside, subsea encounter during the operation. During the FAT, each of or onshore. Not only does that help ensure isolation the tool’s key components is evaluated and verified: the quality and safety, but it also guarantees an immediate plug modules, the control system that sets and unsets the response if isolation parameters are exceeded. tool, the SmartTrackTM communications system, and the In a standard communications setup, there is a annulus alarm function that alerts isolation technicians hardwired connection between the SmartTrack remote if there’s a pressure build-up between the two isolation transceiver, which is placed near the SmartPlug tool on plugging modules.

Before COVID-19, it was standard practice for the customer and a third party to witness the test on-site, in person. However, the limitations associated with the pandemic required TDW to fully utilise their innovative technical capabilities, instead.

A video conference allowed HDPE PIPING SYSTEM the operator’s stakeholders in FOR HIGH VOLUME FLOW Nigeria, the Netherlands and the UK to remotely view the test Outstanding life span and interact in real time. TDW personnel wore a hands-free, Fast and easy installation voice-operated video headset For high-volume flows that displayed inputs/outputs including live readings from the High-quality materials pressure gauges. Combined with Expertise in plastics processing screenshared pressure plots, this allowed all of the attendees to view the FAT and review the data instantaneously.

AG R U L I N E XXL PIPES

Remote monitoring of the isolation

H ea

to up

in

g

m

ac

m

eld tool butt w

O D 35 0 0 m m

ted

Once the SmartPlug tool and TDW personnel arrived at the job site, TDW crews launched and pigged the tool approximately 50 m (165 ft) from the launcher and set it vertically in the riser splash zone. The tool was set and, after a pre-determined hold period, TDW issued the Isolation Certificate. The two isolation plug modules provided a double barrier to isolate the pipeline contents at 80 bar (1160 psi) line pressure. The topsides were then depressurised, and the repair work was carried out. With the new valves installed, the third (test) plug module was set to allow for in situ pressure testing at 132 bar (1915 psi) to prove a leak-tight installation.

hin

e s f rom OD

20

m

agru Kunststofftechnik Gesellschaft m.b.H. | Ing.-Pesendorfer-Strasse 31 | A-4540 Bad Hall T +43 7 2 5 8 7 9 0 0 | sa l e s@ a g ru . a t | w w w. a g ru . a t | @ a g ru w o rl d |

Figure 4. Standard hardwired monitoring set-up.

Figure 5. Remote monitoring via satellite.

The choice of 4G versus satellite is governed by the network availability at the job site. Either way, the standard set up junction box and USB cable are replaced with a wireless junction box (WJB). This enables the operations computer to be moved from the site to a remote location anywhere in the world, a capability put to good use during the Nigeria isolation.

With COVID-19 protocols limiting the number of people permitted on site at any one time, and with platform access restricted during certain hours, a TDW technician could monitor the isolation in person only during the day shift. The rest of the time, TDW used an Iridium satellite link to allow a global team, including technicians in Norway and Australia, to monitor the isolation remotely.

When using remote monitoring via satellite, as in this project, the ELF commands are embedded into Iridium short burst data (SBD) messages. In a SmartPlug operation this means all commands and functions can be achieved from a remote location as they would be on site.

Isolation of the 267 km (165 mile) pipeline section remained in place for 32 days, enabling the operator and its local partner to complete the replacement of three main valves within the shutdown period.

“Using our unique technology and in partnership with the operator and its local partner, TDW delivered a safe and successful inline isolation within schedule,” Matthews said.

Managing the ‘must haves’

Figure 6. Remote monitoring via 4G/GSM.

the pipeline, and the operations PC located in the control centre. The remote transceiver sends and receives ELF messages through the pipe wall and proprietary software interprets those messages. Because of cable length limitations, the TDW technician must be present at the control centre on site during monitoring of the isolation.

To enable more flexibility, two systems have been developed to extend the range and allow for unmanned monitoring of the isolation from a distant location: satellite and 4G/GSM.

40

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

None of the technologies that facilitated the isolation are new. Video conferencing has been available for some time and TDW has used remote FAT witnessing and satellite/4G monitoring before, but the demands of 2020 accelerated their broader acceptance and deployment.

Where it was long thought that a site visit had to be done in person by a TDW engineer, that a FAT had to be to be witnessed physically, and that personnel had to be on site to monitor the isolation tool, the fact is, as long as there are good alternatives, it is possible to perform a job safely and successfully even in fairly uncharted waters.

“This pandemic has forced us all to rethink the traditional ways we go about our business, from communication with our clients as well as within our own organisation, and also in the way we utilise remote technologies at our disposal,” TDW Project Manager Morgan Swanlund said.

While few situations have been as disruptive as the pandemic, it’s not the first time TDW has had to adapt to business NOT as usual. Given how rapidly the world is changing, it’s unlikely to be the last. TDW expects more remote activities will follow, especially as the energy industry increasingly embraces digitisation. Through teamwork, innovation and agility, it’s possible to rise to emerging challenges and establish a ‘new normal’ while maintaining a safe and fully controlled process.

Jonathan Wylde, Global Head of Innovation, and Nihal Obeyesekere, Head of Global Innovation Integrity Management, both at Clariant Oil and Mining Services, have been developing a range of new corrosion inhibitors for deepwater applications, with a particular focus on sustainability. In this interview, they tell World Pipelines about the challenges of sustainably preventing oilfield corrosion, their recent work, and the solutions they have discovered so far.

W

hat are the challenges that you are addressing with your work?

To meet rising worldwide energy demand, the petroleum industry has increasingly turned to oil reserves in difficult-toaccess locations, such as subsea and deepwater environments.

The harsh conditions in these environments present several challenges for oil and gas producers – most notably high

salinity, high shear, high temperature, and high pressure. As a result, it is imperative to develop umbilical deliverable corrosion inhibitors that are designed specifically to withstand these conditions and to maximise the lifetime and safety of the components. We have also seen an increased demand for environmentally acceptable corrosion inhibitors, which is in line with our own, and Clariant’s, prioritisation of

Jonathan Wylde

Nihal Obeyesekere

41

sustainability. In addition, we are in the process of aligning Clariant’s activities with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

geologically extracted. We’re considering all of the feedstocks we use, how they’re harvested, and even how they are transported.

What does sustainability mean for Clariant and the industry?

Getting back to corrosion inhibitors more specifically, why is preventing corrosion so important?

Since we work in the oil industry, a lot of people may be surprised to hear us talking about sustainability. We believe that it’s even more essential that we are helping the oil industry be as sustainable and environmentally conscious as possible. In the decades to come, there’s still going to be a need for the oil and gas industry and how we operate is going to be very important for meeting global sustainability and carbon emission targets. With our commitments to innovation and sustainability, we believe that companies like Clariant will help lead the way in this transformation.

Every metal component is subject to corrosion and the oil and gas industry spends approximately US$1.5 billion each year trying to prevent corrosion. Extending the longevity of these components not only cuts down on costs, it also reduces the frequency with which these components need replacement – thus cutting waste as well. Preventing corrosion is also hugely important for maintaining the safety of pipelines and avoiding environmental incidents due to pipeline failures.

Can you give a few examples of your activities in this area?

Could you say more about the unique challenges of deepwater applications?

We’ve spent many years pioneering ways to assess and minimise the eco-toxicity of our products. This is to ensure that they aren’t toxic to marine organisms and that they don’t bioaccumulate (i.e. that they aren’t fat soluble). We have also looked at making our products biodegradable to make sure that they don’t persist in the environment. These goals have given us a number of key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive towards as we develop more responsible and environmentally acceptable chemistry. More recently, we’re also working towards making sure that all of the products we use are responsibly sourced and sustainable. We’ve been moving away from petroleum-sourced products to use alternatives such as responsibly sourced palm oil or rapeseed oil – products that are grown rather than needing to be

The combination of high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) in deepwater applications is a very significant challenge because most water-soluble organic chemicals aren’t stable under these conditions. Our recent work has focused on developing chemicals that are stable and effective in HPHT environments.

Another huge challenge is delivering these chemicals where they need to go, i.e. from a floating production facility to the wellhead on the bottom of the ocean. This usually entails roughly 6000 ft of distance to reach the ocean floor and another 20 miles of pipelines along the ocean floor. That means a 20 mile long, ⅜ in. diameter stainless steel tube, which is at 4˚C and 10 000 psi. It’s a very tortuous path for the chemicals and we go to painstaking detail to make sure that chemicals are going to survive that.

There are so many things that can go wrong, and it’s a multi-million dollar mistake if a tube becomes blocked. So, we put just as much focus, attention, and care on ensuring delivery. We even have a dedicated process called DEPFLUXTM that certifies products that have undergone specific testing to guarantee the deliverability of a product under these conditions.

Could you say more about your work on developing sustainable and environmentally acceptable corrosion inhibitors?

Figure 1. Multiple rotating cylinder electrode (RCE) devices are used to measure corrosion using the linear polarisation resistivity (LPR) electrochemical technique.

42

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

There are three main areas we’re focusing on: developing brand new molecules, optimising formulations, and developing the best solutions according to the specific requirements of each individual application. For example, for one recent project, we designed and tested more than one hundred corrosion inhibitor formulations. From these, we developed several water- and oil-soluble products that are thermally stable above 200˚C (390˚F) while also

maintaining high efficacy. In particular, we developed one product that we found was stable at 200˚C for two months under inert HPHT conditions. After extensive performance testing, this product showed excellent performance under varied flow and shear stress regimes. We are also proud to say that this product is biodegradable and made from environmentally friendly starting materials.

Is there anything that you would like to share about your approach to solving these challenges?

What do you see as some of the biggest hurdles to the industry adopting more sustainable products and practices?

For many years, Clariant has researched more environmentally friendly alternatives, even when there was not much demand for these solutions yet. In the past, these products were frequently more expensive than more conventional options, and this was a limitation for the oil industry. But the price for these products has significantly dropped since then, and these products perform just as well as their competitors. Environmentally friendly products now really offer win-win options for the industry – they are

We do everything possible to guarantee what we deliver through a whole host of tests, continual training and education for our researchers, and ensuring that we’re more than meeting all regulations. We have unique tests that are designed to mimic specific conditions and corrosion types. We‘re also designing new tests and equipment to adapt our tests to better mimic the field in Visit vermeer.com/thetrenchereffect to learn more. a customisable way and to push the limits of available technologies.

At the end of the day, one of the biggest components to our approach is our people. We recruit very carefully to have the best in the industry and we operate differently than many companies because our teams really treat each other and collaborate as equals.

What shifts have you seen in the industry during your careers?

There’s been a huge shift towards sustainability in the past 10 years.

The petroleum industry – in general led by major international oil companies – are increasingly looking for greener solutions.

They’re looking to be more environmentally responsible and to reduce their carbon footprints.

Clariant has also made sustainability their number one priority and we’re all committed to doing more to contribute to a greener, healthier, and safer future. Across the industry, we’ve also seen that companies have to promote sustainability to attract and recruit top talent. Young graduates want to know about the green policies of potential employers and they are highly motivated to pursue projects that will benefit the environment.

Trench walls so straight you can hang a picture The trencher effect

What’s the trencher effect? One machine that can outwork multiple excavators while digging pristine trenches and creating its own backfill. Want optimal performance and trenches? Get a trencher.

Vermeer Corporation reserves the right to make changes in engineering, design and specifications; add improvements; or discontinue manufacturing at any time without notice or obligation. Equipment shown is for illustrative purposes only and may display optional accessories or components specific to their global region. Please contact your local Vermeer dealer for more information on machine specifications. Vermeer and the Vermeer logo are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. © 2021 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

financially feasible, they perform just as well, and they don’t harm the environment. That is our goal – to make these elusive triple bottom line scenarios possible by balancing the social, environmental, and financial factors.

What are you working on next?

We’re looking at using more natural and environmentallyfriendly raw materials. These include plant-based products, sugars, fatty acids, and even things like coconut oil. We’re also been investigating amino acids, which are the basic building blocks of the proteins that are found in all living organisms. These are all environmentally-friendly, nontoxic, and biodegradable. Some of these raw materials may be a little more expensive than conventional products, but we think the industry is ready to accept these costs and make a commitment to the environment. In terms of making our operations more sustainable, Clariant is also decreasing its carbon footprint through small changes like making all of our chemicals highly concentrated so that we can use fewer solvents. We’re also cutting our electricity use by developing chemicals that don’t need as much heat to produce. Little changes like these can add up to have a high impact.

What do you consider your most significant contributions to the field so far?

Nihal: I’ve spent the past 30 years dedicating my work to developing environmentally friendly and sustainable

products. I’m very committed to doing my part to make the planet a little greener and safer for the next generation, which has fit perfectly with Clariant’s sustainability goals.

Jon: I have tried hard over the course of my career to document my experiences and learnings in the scientific literature and Clariant has been very kind to allow me (and many others) to achieve this by sponsoring collaboration and publication in both conferences and journal as well as the patent literature. I feel that some of our greatest achievements are soon to come and we are focused on many highly critical areas, not just corrosion and general integrity management, but also in the area of flow assurance and in particular organic deposition prevention – much like corrosion these products will focus on harsh environments and additionally bring a sustainability benefit.

What are your goals moving forward?

Sustainability is at the core of what we do and we’re working towards making everything in Clariant’s Oil and Mining Services corrosion product line environmentally benign. The oil industry is going to continue being important and it’s incumbent on us to operate in a sustainable way. It’s so important to know how much CO2 the industry is producing and it’s in our hands to change that. As citizens of the world, we have a responsibility to do the right thing, and the right thing is to make sure that we work towards a better future for the planet and for generations to come.

Acc u r at e • To u g h • r e l i a b l e THE LEADING BRAND OF HOLIDAY DETECTION EQUIPMENT SINCE 1953

SPYINSPECT.COM

•

(713) 681-5837

•

Phil Bogdanovich, CEO of Cipher Skin, USA, discusses the importance of incorporating new technologies to optimise pipeline maintenance.

I

t has always been a matter of when, not if, a pipeline will fail. According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), since 2001, there have been 12 507 pipeline incidents that have cost the United States nearly US$10 billion in damages.

The implications are immense. In addition to product loss, fines, and legal fees, there are significant ecological and environmental impacts to consider. Oil and gas industry leaders must rethink their approach and pivot to strategies that can be climate-conscious and demonstrate environmental stewardship while maximising revenue opportunities.

The biggest industry players are facing immense pressure from the public and shareholders alike to put environmental matters at the forefront of their business plans. Even ExxonMobil, at the request of its shareholders, added three climate activists to their board of directors in 2021, unseating three current members while forcing Exxon’s leadership to reassess its business strategy to align with global climate change endeavours.

Environmental hazards of pipeline mismanagement Crude oil spills create lasting environmental and economic hardship, even after the cleanup.

The 2010 Kalamazoo River Oil Spill resulted in an estimated 1 million gallons of diluted bitumen leaked. Enbridge was fined US$3.7 million and paid US$177 million in penalties and improved safety measures. The cleanup totaled over US$1.21 billion. In 2019, the Keystone Pipeline caused approximately 383 000 gal. of crude oil to spill into a North Dakota wetland, becoming the second large leak in two years on top of a handful of smaller leaks since the pipeline first opened in 2010.

With the move to include activists on Exxon’s board and Chevron’s recent push for a carbon-cutting plan earlier this year, it is clear companies are finally understanding that consumer preferences have shifted in a major way. They want to work with companies that are doing all they can to be environmentally friendly and are mindful of the impact they are having on future generations.

BP has also gone on the offensive and evolved into a more environmentally conscious company, running various climate-focused campaigns and publicly sharing sustainability

45

reports and environmental policies. BP knows the incentive is two-fold: it’s good for the environment, and it’s good for the business.

Current pipeline monitoring techniques Pipelines are irreplaceable networks nationally and globally.

They are undoubtedly the safest way to move products like gas, oil and water. Therefore, pipeline integrity is key to maintaining both economic and environmental pursuits in this market.

There are three critical phases of pipeline integrity that must be addressed: prevention, detection and mitigation.

Prevention is paramount. This includes monitoring operating pressures, conducting internal and external inspections and regularly recording temperatures, flowrates, strain and vibration. Moreover, having objective data that can map decline trends over time is key to scaling preventative efforts.

Oil and gas companies should also monitor the operational and structural conditions of a pipeline to detect commodity releases. Acoustic sensors, computational pipeline monitoring (CPM), and imaging are all sound techniques. If prevention and detection are done well, mitigation can be avoided. However, if a release does occur, the leak must be detected immediately and recovery decisions made swiftly with cleanup beginning directly thereafter.

The most common causes of a pipeline failure include corrosion, incorrect digging near a pipeline, mechanical failure and human error. Pipeline companies provide employee training and ongoing education, work with professional excavators, and practice emergency response protocols.

This is good, but it’s not enough. The main ways structural properties of a pipe are currently monitored is through either an engineer digging to the pipe and looking at it (which is time-intensive) or through drones and infrared cameras (which is cost-intensive and hard to scale). Pipeline businesses need new, innovative methods to monitor the structure of a pipe and the liquid or gas that runs through it. It needs to be effective, affordable and scalable in order to cut losses, respond quicker to crises and accelerate sustainability.

Prevention: the next generation of pipe monitoring Pipe leaks can be avoided if we have continuous visibility into them and understand how they degrade over time. That’s where new technologies like sensors can come into play.

Sensor technologies that surround pipes can monitor the forces applied on a pipe and the flow inside the pipe without the use of cameras, drones or excavation. Wrapped around the entire surface of the pipe, these sensors can capture multiple measurements concurrently – allowing pinpoint, around-the-clock monitoring. Operators can then monitor for stress, strain, distortion, vibration, flow, temperature, moisture, light, and density.

Putting pipe monitoring to use Remote monitoring systems enable companies to increase productivity and avoid unplanned interruptions. According

46

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

to a study by the Aberdeen Group, unplanned maintenance downtime issues result in upwards of US$260 000 per hour and more than US$20 billion per year in repair costs and loss of product. Another report from GE found that fewer than 24% of operators describe their maintenance approach as a predictive one based on data and analytics. In other words, over three-quarters of operators make reactive or time-based decisions.

By implementing proactive measures, leak prevention can yield an increase in asset lifespan while lowering maintenance costs and improving company production. For example, fuel retailers recognise that loss of fuel is a loss of money, whether through a release or decreased flowrate.

A slower flow in gas at the pump can cause consumers to leave the station before their gas tank is full, or force them to use other stations altogether. Being able to monitor the characterisation of the fluid running through the pipes, in addition to potential pipe damage, is critical to revenue gains.

Continual visibility into pipelines enables operators to identify possible hazardous conditions before they occur, which is key to limiting exposure to petroleum products and improving the overall safety and compliance protocols in the workplace. By tracking objective data overtime, companies can forecast when maintenance should be completed to avoid issues, save on costs, and keep employees safe.

The short and long-term impact of pipe monitoring There are many risks at play in pipeline management. Pipe infrastructure in the US is old – some were installed as long as 150 years ago. They are disintegrating at various rates throughout the nation, which makes failure hard to predict.

Without continuous monitoring through new technologies, the deterioration of pipe systems won’t be detected until it’s too late and we are faced with a major crisis.

Sensors can be fused into legacy supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and fill in critical holes that may have gone unmonitored. In the short term, this means if and when a leak happens, it can be detected within seconds versus days and weeks, mitigating the environmental and economic ramifications. In the long term, and as pipeline companies gather more information they passively monitor, vital information on the evolution of a pipe failure will be available.

Nevertheless, pipeline management and remote monitoring systems will only succeed if new technologies are seamlessly embedded into the management and control of procedures and are present throughout the process of building, operating and maintaining pipelines. We need to use technology to better understand how pipeline maintenance can be optimised, how we can extend the lifespan of pipes, and how we can build better businesses focused on revenue growth and sustainability best practices. Improving pipe integrity must be made a priority for the oil and gas industry. By upgrading pipe infrastructure and monitoring methods, we can not only avoid critical product loss and optimise business growth, but also prevent environmental devastation.

Keep Updated

Keep up to date with us to hear the latest LNG news

For more news visit: www.lngindustry.com

Pipeline Coating 8-10 February 2022 Austria Trend Hotel Savoyen Vienna, Austria The forum for the steel pipeline community, exploring pipeline coatings, hydrogen transportation, new technology and markets

JOIN THE INDUSTRY EXPERTS Speakers include: Dr. Nikolaos Liapis Supply and Operations Director ELINOIL SA Dr. Denis Melot Coating, Polymer and Composite Specialist TOTAL

Fabio Braga Azevedo Consultant PETROBRAS

Martin H. van Agteren Principal Advisor Asset Management GASUNIE

Laurent Pomie R&D Manager TECHNIPFMC

Sponsored by:

Nicolas Singling Polymer Painting & Coating Specialist SAIPEM

Book your place here www.ami.ltd/event-pipeline-WP Organised by:

Media supporter:

Marek Lukaszczyk, European and Middle East Marketing Manager at WEG, explains how oil and gas plant managers can increase the efficiency of their pumping processes.

A

ccording to the Global Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry Outlook to 2023, North America and Asia are likely to have new-build pipeline lengths of 42 580.4 km and 42 579.2 km, respectively, by 2023. For Europe and the Middle East, the corresponding figures are 223 645.2 km and 105 962.4 km, respectively, by 2023.

However, the transportation of crude oil and refined products by pipeline is a demanding undertaking due to the loss of pressure over time and distance, so to keep the oil flowing under high pressure, pump stations are installed. Pumping stations are often found in remote locations and in extreme conditions, demanding reliable and energy efficient pumping equipment that meets the increasingly stringent requirements of the industry. So, as the demand increases, how can the oil and gas industry ensure that their pumping processes are not only reliable, but also energy efficient?

Energy efficient motors According to the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), electric motors consume over 80% of electricity use at refineries since they are used to drive almost all of the minor processes. Of the motors used, 60% are used to drive pumps, 15% air compressors, 9% fans, and 16% other applications. For this reason, it’s important to opt for energy efficient motors.

Unfortunately, many electric motors in use are either low efficiency or not properly sized for the application. Both of these issues result in motors working harder than they need to, using more energy in the process. Similarly, older motors may have been rewound a few times during maintenance, lessening their efficiency. In fact, it is estimated a motor can lose 1 - 2% efficiency if not rewound according to industry standards. Because energy consumption accounts for 96% of the total life cycle cost of a motor, paying extra for

49

a premium efficiency motor will result in a significant return on investment (ROI) over its lifespan.

Beyond the obvious financial incentives, the regulations stipulating the efficiency of low voltage electric motors has also recently changed. Special purpose motors, such as explosionproof or flame-proof motors used in oil and gas applications, were exempt from the previous Ecodesign requirements regulation, out of precaution for the higher-risk environments they were used in. However, this changed in July 2021, meaning that new ATEX motors entering the supply chain must be rated IE3 or higher with increased safety motors Ex eb being the exception. These motors will need to be at least IE2 efficiency level by 2023.

Moreover, applications in the oil and gas industry involve some of the harshest environments for electric motors, so selecting equipment that can withstand the demands of the application is essential. This is where expert engineering comes in.

For example, at the Ras Markaz Crude Oil Park in Oman, WEG’s high voltage solutions team in the Middle East were asked to supply four W22XdT 900K/J 3400kW 4 poles 11000V B3R tube-cooled flameproof motors, four MVW3000 medium voltage variable speed drives (VSDs), as well as start-up and commissioning. The solution will drive the large crude oil booster pumps that will be serving the Ras Markaz storage terminal operations and feeding Duqm with crude oil through an 80 km pipeline connecting both plants. The crude oil park will cover an area of 1253 hectares with a total capacity of 200 million bbls of crude oil upon its completion.

Avoid oversizing the pump When choosing a new pump, engineers will always be cautious and include a safety factor plus a little extra just in case.

However, selecting a pump that can perform consistently at its optimum efficiency level can significantly reduce energy usage and maintenance costs. For example, a higher performance of flow and pressure needs greater power from the motor, so an oversized pump can result in unnecessary energy consumption.

In addition to its size, speed, power requirements, drive type, the mechanical seal and ancillary equipment all need to be considered and selected to suit the application.

But, what are the options if an intervention at the design stage isn’t possible, or if you wish to improve the efficiency of legacy equipment? If a pump is oversized for its application, trimming the impeller is a cost-effective way of reducing the pressure and flow. However, it’s important to note that the impeller should not be trimmed below the minimum diameter shown on the manufacturer’s pump curve. To achieve the required function, this is more energy efficient than using a throttling valve. But, due to the trimming, the clearances between the impeller and the casing widen, making it less efficient than the original. As a result, variable speed drives (VSDs) are often favoured to achieve energy efficiency savings.

Use a VSD dedicated for pumping systems For pumping applications, the growing demand for energy efficient equipment is influencing the uptake in intelligent pumps. For example, fluid handling can be turbulent; between

50

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

leakages and low fluid levels, there’s a lot that can go wrong.

Pumps, pipelines and fittings can get seriously damaged if pressure or flow are out of control and such occurrences are not tracked early. With an intelligent pump, this can be regulated and controlled before problems arise.

Built-in control, such as the Pump Genius software, available in WEG VSDs, enables more effective use of motors based on production demands and fluid availability. Designed for pumping systems, intelligent pump control ensures accurate pressure and flow throughout the processing cycle.

While high efficiency pump seals should be used to consume energy from the mechanical friction and prevent leaks, automatic broken pipe detection in VSDs can identify leakage and adjust the motor performance accordingly.

Additionally, dry pump detection means if the system runs dry, the motor is automatically deactivated, and a dry pump alert is issued. With both cases the system allows the motor or motors to reduce consumption of energy.

When multiple pumps operate as part of a parallel pumping system, there are real opportunities for significant energy savings. In such instances, jockey pump control can also optimise the use of different sized motors. It may be that demand requires just a small motor to be in use, or a combination of a small and large motor. Intelligent pump control gives increased flexibility to use the optimal sized motor for a given flow rate, by switching or adjusting as required.

Some equipment also has a programme for clearing of the pump impeller, allowing for continuous use. This keeps the motor in optimal condition, which has positive effects on energy efficiency and helps to minimise downtime.

Monitoring and maintenance Offshore pipelines carry more risk for leaks and environmental impact than onshore pipelines, but technological advancements in pipeline material, processes and monitoring systems have improved pipeline safety and efficiency.

Regular maintenance should be carried out on the entire pump system. Pump performance will naturally decrease after prolonged heavy-duty use or exposure to harsh conditions.

This can be as a result of erosion, corrosion, chemical attack, wear or cavitation. Engineers should firstly opt for products that can provide energy efficient operation in the harsh environments that may be encountered, such as high temperatures, humidity and elevated levels of dirt.

Deteriorations in the pump’s efficiency and capacity can occur long before obvious warning signs appear and the pump fails, so it’s worth using condition monitoring to identify any significant changes within the machinery. For example, not detecting rotor erosion early can be costly and can reduce efficiency too.

In the coming years, the number of pipelines in operation is expected to grow considerably. Pumping processes will play a key role in meeting the increased demand for oil and gas products. It’s therefore vital that plant managers responsible for new and existing pump processes consider energy efficiency as a priority, to get the most out of their systems.

Co-Hosted by:

31ST JANUARY – 2ND FEBRUARY 2022 PROMOTING DIALOGUE BETWEEN EUROPE AND ITS MAIN SUPPLIERS Perfectly timed at the beginning of the year, we will assess the impact of the 2021/22 winter for Eastern and Western European gas markets and promote gas’ role on the journey to net-zero.

Speakers include: Viktor Zubkov Chairman of the Gazprom Board of Directors PJSC Gazprom

Elena Burmistrova Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee, Gazprom PJSC, Director General Gazprom Export

Catharina Sikow Magny Director, DG Energy European Commission

Peder Bjorland VP, Gas Trading & Marketing Equinor

Christian Synetos Director, Global Energy & Power Team Blackrock

Patrick Dugas VP LNG Trading TotalEnergies

Andrew Walker VP Strategy Cheniere Marketing

Jonathan Stern Distinguished Research Fellow OIES

David Ledesma Chairman of Natural Gas OIES

Eric Rasmussen Head of Natural Resources EBRD

Dietrich Hoffmann Head of Origination RWE Trading

Didier Holleaux President Eurogas

To find out more and get the latest agenda, visit:

energycouncil.com/egc-2022

Cheryl Gondek, Aquasol Corporation, USA, details how the company’s solutions are designed to optimise the purging and welding processes.

A

quasol Corporation recently opened its Middle East distribution warehouse and service centre located in Manama, Bahrain to serve its Middle Eastern and North African clientele. Headquartered in the USA, located in a suburb of Buffalo, New York, the Aquasol Corporation is a leading manufacturer and converter of water-soluble paper. This significant investment greatly enhances the company’s ability to cater to the growing demand for Aquasol products in the region.

53

“We take pride in being able to meet the ever-changing needs of our clients across the world,” says Mike Hacikyan, President of Aquasol Corporation. “The current climate affecting global distribution and customers’ requests have inspired the decision to drive down costs and ensure the timely availability of our complete product line.”

Aquasol’s clients throughout the entire Middle East and North Africa region can now take advantage of short lead

Figure 1. PRO OX-100 and PRO OX-100B.

times, next day availability/delivery, reduced shipping costs, simplified customs clearance within GCC, option to pick-up product, and faster RFQ conversion.

Along with opening a warehouse in Bahrain, Aquasol has also appointed Mr. Paul Barrios as Middle East Territory Manager.

Mr. Barrios joins the company with over 20 years of experience in the region and within the welding industry, having held the position most recently of Product Manager. Mr. Barrios is educated as an Electrical Engineer and will be responsible for improving brand visibility as well as enhancing wholesaler and distributor relationships through in-person visitation and training within the Middle East Region. Aquasol is pleased to enhance its customer care team with an expert offering real time response, communication and collaboration within Middle East time zone, in-person training for staff at a client’s location, on call technical assistance on products, onsite visits to project site for consultation and offsite training.

Additionally, with his strong credentials in electronics, he will oversee the Oxygen Monitor Calibration and Servicing Centre.

Pro OX-100/100B® Calibration and Servicing Centre Aquasol offers the capability of servicing, troubleshooting, repair, and calibration of its oxygen monitors: the Pro OX-100/100B. Calibrations are performed following NIST industry standards at the company’s Bahrain sales office. Clients can now have their Pro OX-100/100B Oxygen Monitors repaired and/or regularly calibrated on a six-month interval without the hassle of overseas shipping and added cost of transportation, to/from the USA. The benefits are proactive 6-month factory recalibration of Pro OX-100/100B Oxygen Monitors, timely services for trouble shooting and repair of oxygen monitor product line, and on call advice from factory trained technicians.

The Pro OX-100®

Figure 2. PRO OX-100/PRO OX-100B dust filter, with filter highlighted.

Figure 3. The PRO OX-100 offloads data to a PC via a convenient USB interface at a high-speed, ensuring data integrity.

54

World Pipelines / DECEMBER 2021

The CE approved PRO OX-100 is designed to expedite the purging process during high purity welding applications, measuring down to 100 PPM (0.01%) oxygen resolution. Several advanced features help operators efficiently identify the ideal purge environment to create oxygen free welds, preventing discoloration and coking.

The PRO OX-100 is equipped with an internal pump that draws a sample from the purge chamber and relays its oxygen resolution value to the monitor. This method serves as an alternative to hand aspirated pumps, which demand more physical exertion and time from the operator and yield less accurate results.

All units come with conversion software, which enables rapid capture and export of 50 data points to Microsoft Excel and plain text format. Therefore, data can be easily transferred to the user’s PC using a USB interface. Data collected from the oxygen monitor can then be stored and to meet the strictest quality control requirements of nuclear and other highly regulated industries.

The PRO OX-100’s built in audiovisual alarm will sound and flash, when the targeted PPM is reached, allowing the operator to focus on other aspects of production until notified. Since oxygen contamination is one of the most common causes of substandard welds, having absolute confidence in knowing when the desired oxygen level has been reached is critical. The PRO OX-100 allows the user to programme the alarm to a specific O2 PPM value.

With Aquasol’s presence in over 90 countries, the PRO OX-100 has built-in multi-language capabilities in four languages: English, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.

PRO OX-100B – Bluetooth-enabled handheld digital oxygen monitor New technology like Bluetooth can be used to wirelessly transfer data to make it easier for the operator to document the welding process. Bluetooth technology operates by connecting two devices together using shortterm wireless communication technology. This universal Bluetooth technology is becoming more useful in the workplace. The PRO OX-100B provides a wireless work environment enhancing efficiency. With Bluetooth transmitting capabilities, cords and clutter are eliminated from the workspace.

To enhance data collection, the patented PRO OX-100B was introduced to enable operators to remotely log unlimited amounts of data. Users simply pair the device with the App and use on-screen menu options to control Maximum and Target PPM with Windows 10 Operating System. The data collected from the oxygen monitor can then be stored for an indefinite period.

The PRO OX-100B aids welders’ productivity with the ability to place a device at a range of 100 ft (30 m) from the actual site of oxygen level reading. Before welding, the operator creates a purge chamber with purge dams or inflatable bladders.

Inert gases like argon are filled into the purge chamber to fill

the surrounding atmosphere, forcing oxygen to evacuate from the root gap, eliminating the possible problem of oxidation. The Pro OX-100B is set up on the support stand with the stainlesssteel probe inserted into the root gap to obtain an oxygen level reading.

CE approved PRO OX-100B not only measures oxygen content down to 100 PPM (0.01%) during the purging process, it is also equipped with a Bluetooth transmitting device that allows the oxygen monitor to send the oxygen readings wirelessly to a Bluetooth receivable device. This allows the operator to view the readings from a remote location.

ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY Advertiser

Page

3X Engineering

17

ABC

52

AGRU

39

AMI Pipeline Coating 2022

48

API BAUMA

4 OBC

Dairyland Electrical Industries

18

Electrochemical Devices, Inc.

55

European Gas Conference 2022

51

Like the PRO OX-100, the PRO OX-100B also offers built-in, programmable multi-language features with on-screen instructions that are available in English, Spanish, German and Portuguese, and an Intelligent Colour Notification Signal System.

This smart system displays red, amber and green for a quick visual on operator set parameters. The traffic light’s universal appearance is easy and quick for operators and inspectors to understand, reducing the chance of error.

The Pro OX-100/Pro OX-100B dust filter Always looking to enhance the operation and performance of the Pro OX-100/100B, Aquasol recently announced the availability of an accessory to capture dust and debris. Welding environments are often not pristine even if equipped with top notch roof ventilation and exhaust systems. Outdoor welding environments present other extreme conditions including the strong movement of air with debris such as sand, dust and dirt.

The PRO OX-100/PRO OX-100B dust filter is designed to capture debris and other particulate matter that can obstruct the flow of atmosphere being measured by the oxygen monitor.

In addition, the filter prevents the intake hose from becoming blocked. Aquasol is pleased to offer this accessory in this region where sand is a significant issue. It is fully stocked in the Bahrain warehouse, as well as several others.

About the Aquasol Corporation Europipeline Equipment

OFC, 21

Girard Industries

29

Global Hydrogen Review

35

Laurini Officine Meccaniche Srl

2

LNG Industry

47

Pigs Unlimited International LLC

25

Pipecare

IBC

Pipeline Inspection Company

44

Propipe

31

ROSEN

IFC

SCAIP S.p.A.

Bound insert

Stark Solutions

29

T.D. Williamson

11

Vermeer

43

Winn & Coales International Ltd World Pipelines

7 31

Aquasol revolutionised the welding industry by inventing the first pre-formed water-soluble and self-adhesive purge dam to contain argon and helium gases during tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding of steel and aluminum pipes. The patented EZ Purge® saves precious labour hours and gas and can be used in pharmaceutical, food, and chemical plants, breweries, shipyards, fabrication shops, utility, and nuclear plants, pipelines, and more.

Aquasol’s distribution of its USA-made products has expanded to over 90 countries. With patents in the USA and internationally, Aquasol is committed to advancing purging technology.

The company’s strong wholesale and distribution network continues to expand globally so that it may serve the needs of even the most remote location from its 45 000 ft2 manufacturing facility.

Some of the common and well-known industries we serve include construction and maintenance of pipelines, nuclear and power plants; refineries, petrochemical plants; food, beverage, and pharmaceutical plants; marine, subsea, offshore facilities, pipe fabrication, and more.

The Aquasol Corporation prides itself on being driven by three fundamental principles: technology, invention, and innovation.

These principles are at the heart of the business and have resulted in the continuous development of new patented technology for the purging and welding industry. Aquasol’s design engineers strive to develop technology that simplifies the process at hand.

“Respecting culture is important to the Aquasol Corporation.

As an international company with our website now available in several languages and warehouses on three continents, we are able to service our diverse global customer base. Furthermore, our customers can access technical details on our website, which can enable them to work more efficiently,” said Aquasol President, Mike Hacikyan.

ULTRASONIC CRACK INSPECTION Modular design with advanced axial and circumferential crack inspection technology

Oil & Gas pipelines are susceptible to various types of cracking due to different causes, such as operational condition, pipe material and manufacturing process, soil condition etc. Crack inspection of pipelines with PIPECARE’s high resolution In-Line Inspection Ultrasonic tools is a key for SAFE OPERATION and assists pipeline operators to be proactive and mitigate crack and crack-like features.

PIPECARE assist it’s customers achieve pipeline integrity and zero incident by focusing on achieving the highest levels of industry standards through PIPECARE’s dedicated teams and state-of-the-art In-Line Inspection tools.

www.pipecaregroup.com

Only one call away...

You’re looking for a partner that provides the best service in sales & rental in pipeline equipment. One that deals in all the big brands and offers worldwide delivery. A company you can rely on, one that keeps its promises, thinks ahead and always delivers...

You can build on BAUMA!

BAUMA-PIPELINE.COM Vermiet- und Handels GmbH