The Australian Pipeliner October 21

ISSUE 188 | OCTOBER 2021

Tried and tested

VEGA TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES SANTOS CSG OPERATIONS – page 24

APGA Convention goes virtual 18

UEA completes vital 56 HDD in WA

Women breaking down industry barriers

28

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CONTENTS

24 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT More reach for Vermeer Australia customers

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Pollard's leaves competition in the dust

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PER teams with trusted name

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Supporting projects from the ground up

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Tracer wire system ensures safe utility location

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kwik-ZIP’s simple spacer solutions

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SOFTWARE COVER STORY

Enhanced solutions for your ESG Program

52

VEGA equipment keeps Santos gas on track

Sentanil CMS supports pipeline construction

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VEGA Australia has developed a strong and trustworthy relationship with Santos thanks to the implementation of its technology across some of the company’s key gas projects.

Cover image: Image courtesy of VEGA.

PIPELINES IN QUEENSLAND

EXECUTIVE REPORTS

HDD installations on the Parmelia Gas Pipeline

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Queensland hits peak production

54

PROJECTS

President's Message

6

Spiecapag makes mark on pipeline history

58

CEO's report

8

Fast game’s a good game on the Sunshine Coast

60

Remote operation on pipeline isolation

62

POLICY Gas and energy policy

12

TRAINING Registration for pipeline engineers

14

FUTURE FUELS CRC Survey finds widespread support for hydrogen

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APGA VIRTUAL CONVENTION & EXHIBITION

PIPELINE INSPECTION Intelligent pigging and emissions reduction technologies

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Super Emitters no match for Picarro solution

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Futureproofing gas detection in a hydrogen future

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CORROSION & CATHODIC PROTECTION CCE expands its corrosion management offering

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Convention goes virtual in 2021

18

Corrosion inhibiting grease for equipment

72

Virtual Convention program

20

Anode offers GreenAmp for cathodic protection

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Virtual Convention exhibitors

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COMPANY NEWS

COVER STORY VEGA equipment keeps Santos gas on track

24

WOMEN IN PIPELINES & GAS

Iplex's comprehensive service from start to finish

76

Composite pipes prove both safe and efficient

78

Contactless flow measurement for oil and gas

80

APGA establishes women’s forum

26

APGA NEWS & EVENTS

Breaking down barriers in the pipeline industry

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YPF takes to the water in sunny Darwin

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Unconscious bias in recruitment

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Pipeliners out and about

84

REGULARS

CONTRACTORS Supporting projects from concept to completion

34

Members & memos

10

Nacap’s approach keeps Arrow on target

36

APGA members

86

HDD construction methodology insights

38

Advertisers' index

90

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

EXECUTIVE REPORTS

President’s message

W

elcome to our 53rd Convention, and our second Virtual Convention in a row. While I know everyone would much rather be having a face-to-face Convention in Brisbane, I can assure you every effort has been made to ensure the association delivers the best Virtual Convention again this year.

Well, what a difference there has been in the two years since I had the honour of being elected APGA President in Adelaide in October 2019. How the world has changed, and the speed of change has been challenging. Aside from the obvious impact of COVID-19 on the world, the climate influence on where our future energy comes from has altered significantly and fast. For us there are clear positions: •G as will be part of the energy mix long into the future. This will be no surprise to any of our members, who listen to the logical reasoned arguments. This is not a biased view, but the reality that change takes time for research, development, and society to adapt to. Members will have heard our CEO on several occasions remind us that there is an obligation on us to ensure this message gets through to those whose research is limited to Google.

•O ur association has an important role in the journey to net zero and seen to be a key contributor and voice in the journey. The collective research and development of new technology of both members and associated organisations (Future Fuels CRC) are at the forefront of the transition to net zero. Very recently we saw the opening of Hydrogen Park South Australia, suppling 5 per cent blended hydrogen to 700 properties. While small in scale, it shows what can be achieved and is scalable.

• We must paint the end state. Our aim is to be

the builder and transporter of renewable green energy. Driving the change and lobbying for our industry in that change is an imperative.

There are way too many critics and commentators. We have to be the voice of reason and sense in this transition.

I would like to thank the APGA Board members for their support over the past two years. The commitment of the Board members, and that of their respective companies to afford them the time and resources, is core to the tremendous association we have. We exist for our members, and the continued support is invaluable.

On a personal level, I would like to thank MPC Kinetic for affording me the time and resources to dedicate to the association. Like all Board members, committee members and active volunteers right across the association, we could not do this without their support.

Finally, the secretariat. While we have seen changes in personnel over the past two years, the core commitment and dedication has been unwavering. In the seven years I have been on the Board, at our Board meetings we have always asked, is the association in position to weather a ‘rainy day’?

Well, I think it is fair to say, it does not get more challenging than the past two years. The secretariat has had to respond rapidly to changing situations, financial challenges and a 50 per cent change in personnel. Their willingness and absolute dedication to ensure members get value for their fees is commendable. Thank you to Steve and the team.

TONY O’SULLIVAN PRESIDENT

APGA Board President Tony O’Sullivan MPC Kinetic Vice President Donna McDowall Quanta Services Australia Treasurer Wendy Oldham SEA Gas Immediate Past President Dave Maloney CNC Project Management Board members Lou Guevara Vacuworx Australia Ray Keable LandPartners Kevin Lester APA Group Leon Richards McConnell Dowell John Stuart-Robertson HDI Lucas Sean Ward Jemena

A complete APGA membership list is printed on pages 84 and 85

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EXECUTIVE REPORTS

Chief Executive Officer’s report

W

hat a challenging year 2021 has turned out to be. I can distinctly remember looking forward to it as I reflected on 2020 in the last days of the working year before Christmas! Fast forward eight months and I am writing this from lockdown and busy organising APGA’s Virtual Convention for the second year running.

Making the decision to go virtual this year was not a great experience, but unfortunately it is increasing clear it was the right one. The support and understanding from exhibitors, sponsors, delegates and members has been fantastic and the Board and secretariat genuinely appreciate everyone’s response.

I’d especially like to thank the sponsors that are staying with us for the Virtual Convention.

Their support will make a real difference to the bottom line of the association this year and that is something that will benefit all members as we are able to continue providing services throughout the year. You’ll find them all listed on page 19.

In addition to the great support the association has received in moving to the Virtual Convention, a further silver-lining is the uncertainty it has removed from our processes.

Pretty much everyone at the secretariat is involved in events in one way or another and this year the team has had all the work of every event combined with the need to cancel, reschedule and renegotiate contracts for many that we’ve had to change. The team has done well in difficult circumstances and now everyone is freed up to focus on delivering the best virtual event we can.

This edition also marks the final message from Tony O’Sullivan, APGA President. Every President experiences a different presidency, and I would be willing to bet there would be very few takers looking to swap their experience with Tony’s!

Tony’s term coincided with having to postpone both annual conventions, having the Audit and Risk Committee meet monthly during 2020 to maintain oversight of the budget and with having to replace our long-standing

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Business Manager. To top it all off, he hasn’t had the opportunity to deliver the President’s address at the opening session of the Convention.

The world has changed a lot in the past two years, and we have reviewed the risk register a couple of times in this period. Tony has brought his significant experience to that process, leaving this important governance tool of the association in very good shape. Tony has also been a great Chair of Board meetings.

You all know the characters in this group and Tony has kept us on time and on track every meeting while ensuring everyone has the opportunity to speak. Tony, thank you for everything you have done for the association in the past two years. Much work of the Board and President is not always highly visible but I am very grateful for the time and energy you have put in.

In 2021, we have seen a big step up in the climate and energy discussion. There is plenty of debate still, but I would say it is now far more focused on the best way to reach net-zero, rather than the timing or necessity of the goal itself.

In the past few months, APGA has devoted time and effort into responding to the Victorian Gas Substitution Roadmap process. I found it interesting how much work the gas industry needed to put into the submissions made.

Despite the wealth of great information available on the transition to renewable gas and the benefits of gaseous energy, until this government process focused our attention, it had not really been pulled together in a comprehensive way.

Now the work is done and we are working with other parts of the gas sector to turn the information in our submissions into a new, comprehensive report setting out the detailed case for natural gas today and renewable gas tomorrow. The National Policy Manager’s article covers some key points made in this process.

Finally, I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2021 Inputs. Assumptions and Scenarios Report.

This innocuously titled report is an influential step on the way to AEMO’s 2022 Integrated Systems Plan, a key planning document for The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

ABN: 29 098 754 324 APGA Secretariat Registered Office: 7 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600 (PO Box 5416, Kingston ACT 2604) T: +61 2 6273 0577 F: +61 2 6273 0588 E: apga@apga.org.au W: www.apga.org.au Chief Executive Officer Steve Davies Corporate Services Manager Peter Heffernan National Policy Manager Jordan McCollum Communications Manager Karen Polglaze Engagement Manager Dean Bennett Membership Officer Katy Spence Acting Administration and Events Officer Belinda Haddon

the energy industry.

AEMO considered four future scenarios as inputs this year and the ‘Hydrogen Superpower’ scenario, whereby Australia develops a major hydrogen industry by 2040, is the scenario that gets us to net-zero most quickly and with the highest level of economic growth. It is a timely, independent analysis of the potential of hydrogen and other renewable gases and a good sign the gas industry has a promising future in the decades ahead.

We’ll be talking more about this at the Virtual Convention, I hope we see you there!

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MEMBERS & MEMOS

Momentum Energy Managing Director resigns Amy Childs leaves Momentum Energy after more than five years with the company and a replacement yet to be appointed. Ms Childs was appointed Momentum Energy’s Managing Director in November 2018, making her appointment more than two years before her resignation on 1 August 2021. Momentum is Hydro Tasmania’s mainland retailer. Hydro Tasmania CEO Evangelista Albertini says he was disappointed to lose a leader of Ms Childs’

calibre, stating the company had seen a 37 per cent increase in customer growth since her appointment. The company’s current General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Naomi Morton, will lead the business while Hydro Tasmania begins the process of recruiting a replacement.

Santos and Oil Search agree to merger Santos and Oil Search will sign a $21 billion merger agreement in a move that will combine two of Australia’s largest oil and gas companies. On 2 August 2021, the companies reached an agreement for the proposed merger, with the latest offer representing a modified agreement following Santos’ initial rebuffed offer in July. Oil Search says the earlier offer undervalued the company and its assets in Papua New Guinea. Under the revised merger proposal, Oil Search shareholders will own 38.5 per cent of the merged group and Santos

shareholders will own 61.5 per cent. The board of Oil Search intends to unanimously recommend the revised merger proposal. Santos Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Gallagher says the potential merger would create an “unrivalled regional champion of size and scale” with a unique diversified portfolio of oil and gas assets.

Senex and Adbri sign gas agreement Senex Energy and Adbri Limited have signed a new seven-year gas sales agreement to support manufacturing operations. On 22 July 2021, Senex announced the long-term agreement with Adbri to supply up to 11 PJ of natural gas to support Adbri’s South Australian manufacturing operations until 2030. Under the terms of the deal, Senex will supply Adbri with natural gas from January 2023 at the Moomba Gas Hub at fixed price, in line with current

market levels. Senex Managing Director and CEO Ian Davies says the company was proud to supply the leading cement manufacturer in Australia, stating the partnership would broaden its reach throughout the east coast of Australia. Adbri CEO Nick Miller says the company was pleased with the gas supply agreement and it aligned with its low-cost and low-carbon fuel portfolio.

Metgasco appoints new Managing Director Metgasco has appointed Chief Executive Officer Ken Aitken as the company’s new Managing Director. Mr Aitken accepted the board’s invitation to take up a role as director of the company, although there will be no changes to his remuneration or employment arrangements in relation to this appointment. Mr Aitken has been CEO of Metgasco since November 2018. The company says his well operations management expertise has proven indispensable in

the company’s Cooper Basin portfolio and in securing the highimpact Cervantes L14 prospect in the Perth Basin. Metgasco says the move showed its commitment to the growth of its exploration and development portfolio in a dynamic period in the energy sector.

The company expects to transition into a material gas producer in 2022.

Peter Coleman joins Schlumberger Former Woodside Managing Director and CEO Peter Coleman has been appointed to the Schlumberger Board of Directors. Mr Coleman retired from his position at Woodside in June this year after 10 years in the top job. Prior to joining the company, he spent 27 years with ExxonMobil in a variety of roles including Vice President Development Asia Pacific and Vice President Production

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Americas. At Schlumberger, Mr Coleman will also serve on the board’s Nominating and Governance Committee and Finance Committee. Schlumberger provides energy products, sales and services in more than 120 countries across the entire value chain, from exploration through to production and sustainability.

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

ST

MEMBERS & MEMOS

Altrad to acquire Valmec Global services and equipment provider Altrad has entered into a binding Scheme Implementation Deed for the acquisition of Valmec. Altrad intends to acquire approximately 98 per cent of the issued shares in Valmec by way of a Scheme of Arrangement, which if implemented would see Valmec receive a total cash consideration of $0.413 per share. This offer implies an equity value for Valmec of approximately $52 million. The scheme is expected to be voted on at a Valmec shareholders meeting in October 2021, with the

Valmec board having unanimously recommended in favour of the acquisition. If successful, Valmec Managing Director Steve Dropulich would retain a shareholding in Valmec of approximately 2 per cent and will continue as Managing Director. Mr Dropulich controls another 5.3 million shares, or approximately 4 per cent, in Valmec which would be subject to the scheme. .

Dorado FEED contract awarded Santos has awarded the FPSO FEED contract to Altera Infrastructure. Dorado is an integrated oil and gas project in the Bedout sub-basin, offshore Western Australia, and will be developed in two phases. Santos has an 80 per cent operated interest in Dorado, with the remaining interest held by Carnarvon Petroleum. Back in June, the Dorado project entered the front-end engineering design (FEED) phase, which included the awarding of contracts for the floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) and wellhead platform. Santos has since announced that Altera Infrastructure has been awarded the FEED contract for the FPSO facility for the Dorado project. The FPSO contract is the project’s largest, entailing engineering, procurement, construction, installation, commissioning and testing of the facility. Santos Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Gallagher says he was looking forward to working with Altera on the developments. “This contract is an important milestone for the project and Altera brings extensive FPSO design and operations

expertise to the development. The FPSO design will provide for the integrated development of both the liquids and the gas resource and retains sufficient flexibility to support future nearby exploration success,” he says.

A contract for the design, supply and installation of the wellhead platform has yet to be awarded, but is expected to be announced soon. Altera Infrastructure President of Production Chris Brett thanked Santos for its confidence in the company and said he was eager to apply the company’s 30-plus-years of experience to the Dorado development.

Mr Brett added he was also enthusiastic about bringing forward the latest emission reducing solutions in line with the company’s vision to lead the industry to a sustainable future.

Dorado is a low CO2 reservoir with approximately 1.5 per cent CO2 and reinjection of gas in the initial phase, making it one of the lowest emission intensity oil projects in the region.

Woodside, MAN LNG form partnership MAN Energy Solutions and Woodside have signed a cooperation agreement to commercialise a solution for a small-to-mid-scale LNG production. The solution, ‘Factory LNG’, combines Woodside’s intellectual property and LNG experience with MAN’s global manufacturing expertise. The partners believe the newly developed infrastructure has the potential to unlock liquefaction capabilities

around the globe. The system is designed and manufactured to be scalable so customers can increase the number of Factory LNG units used as the market grows. The concept involves MAN’s high-speed, oil-free, integrated motor-compressor technology as used in subsea compression-station applications.

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POLICY

Gas and energy policy

By Jordan McCollum, National Policy Manager, APGA

One Victorian department demonstrates a robust approach to gas industry decarbonisation through its roadmap consultation paper while another agency is making the road to decarbonisation a rocky one.

F

ollowing months of strong engagement with gas industry stakeholders, the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) released its consultation paper seeking input into its Victorian Gas Substitution Roadmap (VGSR).

Demonstrating a nation leading progressive approach to the future of the domestic gas industry, the VGSR seeks to develop a roadmap to guide the state towards gas use decarbonisation by 2050, actively considering renewable gases as a gas decarbonisation option for Victoria.

DELWP representatives have demonstrated a robust and objective approach to the VGSR, with a clear understanding of the importance of gaseous energy and the interplay between gas, electricity, and Victorian prosperity. But the release of the VGSR consultation paper highlighted DELWP’s challenge – the bulk of available information regarding gas decarbonisation was developed prior to recent developments in renewable gas viability, when the only viable gas decarbonisation solution was electrification.

APGA was keen to ensure DELWP was able to consider all relevant information in developing the VGSR, and our submission aimed to provide it. APGA’s first priority was to reinforce the importance of the impacts of gas use

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decarbonisation on people and their livelihoods, proposing that the best possible outcome for Victorian households and businesses was the lowest cost, most reliable energy system that delivers net zero emissions by 2050.

The welfare and livelihoods of millions of Victorians is at stake. Next, APGA elaborated on what makes renewable gases, and gaseous energy in general, such a valuable form of energy.

APGA highlighted that gaseous energy is highquality, affordable energy. Gas has innate qualities that make it a highly usable, transportable, storable and ultimately affordable form of energy for a wide range of customers. These qualities are innate to all gases, renewable or otherwise.

Renewable gases themselves are viable carbon neutral energy technologies being developed around the world. Growing at a faster rate than solar PV, renewable gases are predicted to contribute 13 per cent of total global energy consumption in the International Energy Agency’s net-zero emissions 2050 scenario.

A decarbonised energy system represents a huge opportunity for Victoria. Victoria’s gas infrastructure delivers more energy today at lower cost, lower emissions intensity and greater reliability than Victoria’s electricity infrastructure.

Existing gas infrastructure represents a greater opportunity than existing electricity infrastructure

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

to deliver lower cost renewable energy to Victorian households and businesses.

This opportunity is due to the cost effectiveness of gas infrastructure. Existing and new gas infrastructure both cost significantly less than equivalent electricity infrastructure on a throughput, maximum capacity, and energy storage basis.

Frontier Economics reflects this in The Benefit of Gas Infrastructure to Decarbonise Australia, which predicts that decarbonising domestic gas demand with 100 per cent renewable hydrogen will cost Australians $12.5 billion less than electrification in 2050.

Renewable gas pathways also offer a more reliable energy future for Victorians, enabling the State access to complementary renewable gas and renewable electricity systems. The gas system also offers superior emissions outcomes in the short term, with Future Fuels CRC research identifying that electrification of gas use in Victoria will result in higher emissions until 2035.

Gas is key to net-zero emission electricity as well. The Gratton Institute and Frontier Economics identify that a net-zero National Electricity Market comprised of 90 per cent variable renewable generation and supported by around 10 per cent gas power generation delivers more affordable decarbonised electricity.

Despite all the above and the robust, objective approach taken by DELWP, it is not all smooth sailing towards the lowest cost most reliable decarbonised gas future for Victoria. Victorian independent government advisory body Infrastructure Victoria has also released its less rigorous and consultative analysis of gas use decarbonisation in Victoria.

In its interim report, Infrastructure Victoria proposes the demolition of 80 to 100 per cent of existing gas infrastructure in Victoria, recommending electrification-based decarbonisation. APGA hopes that Infrastructure Victoria will note the contents of its submission and pivot towards a recommendation which values the safety, economic and social impacts on Victorian households and businesses as highly as it values environmental impacts in its scenarios.

You can find APGA submissions to the VGSR and the Infrastructure Victoria Interim Report in the submissions section of the APGA website.

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Registration for pipeline engineers

By Karen Polglaze, Communications Manager, APGA

APGA pioneered the introduction of registration for oil and gas pipeline engineers in 2014 and the latest development in continuous improvement of the process should make it easier for more pipeline engineers to become registered.

T

he first engineers to become registered as Oil and Gas Pipeline Engineers stood on stage at the 2014 APGA Annual Convention in Melbourne to receive their certificates. That moment was the culmination of years of work that took place alongside the development of the APGA Pipeline Engineering Competency System (PECS) which, for the first time, provided a complete system for assessing competency and became the tool that enabled registration.

Hidden behind the scenes and necessary to enable registration to occur in our industry are two bodies of volunteers: the Competency Panel and the Assessment Panel. While the two panels are part of the National Engineering Registration process owned by Engineers Australia, the volunteers are all drawn from the APGA membership and the panels are supported by the APGA secretariat.

The five pipeline industry leaders who stood on stage in Melbourne became the first Assessment Panel for Oil and Gas Pipeline Engineer (O&GPE) registration. The role of the Competency Panel is to determine the criteria required to be registered, and the panel members have been constantly reviewing and revising the process and the criteria since before registration was introduced.

The first major upgrade to registration was the extension of its availability to the offshore sector which followed the development of the offshore PECS. This required an expansion of both the

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"No doubt further changes will be introduced in the future as the NER strives to create a system that both reflects the breadth, professionalism and integrity of engineering while minimising the complications that can arise from the different systems used in our many jurisdictions."

Competence and Assessment panels to include offshore members. The resulting two classifications for registration, onshore and offshore, have different requirements but both are based on the PECS. The replacement of the original registering body by the National Engineering Register by Engineering Australia led to several changes in the system. Originally these were minor, but more recently they have led to increased opportunities for pipeline and other engineers to become registered.

As states and territories move to introduce registration schemes for engineering, it will increasingly become necessary for engineers to be registered to practise in some, if not all, jurisdictions. This is especially important for pipeline engineers who often work across jurisdictions even on a single project.

When registration as an O&GPE was first introduced, it was available only to engineers who were already Chartered in another discipline, such as mechanical engineering. This meant it was a process in two parts requiring duplication of application and effort.

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

That has now changed and, for engineers who wish to become Chartered and registered in the discipline, that is now a one-step process through becoming Chartered as an Oil and Gas Pipeline Engineer.

For engineers who do not wish to, or who are not yet ready to, become Chartered, there is a second pathway to registration and that is via NER registration in O&GPE. This level is what is required for registration in all jurisdictions that currently require registration of engineers.

For senior and very experienced engineers (15 years or more), a new pathway has been developed to make the application process much easier. This is the Chartered by interview process where a candidate supplies their CV and, in the case of Chartered in O&GPE, a competency summary, as their total documentation and this is followed by an interview as the basis of assessment.

There are two interviewers for Chartered in O&GPE: one for the technical assessment of the oil and gas pipeline engineering section and one for the other requirements. Both assessors attend the same interview.

The Chartered by interview process is very straightforward, and it is hoped than our more experienced engineers will take advantage of this easy application process so that many more engineers in the pipeline industry become Chartered.

In another step aimed at encouraging more engineers in our industry to become registered, the Competency Panel has revised the criteria for registration and simplified the application requirements.

No doubt further changes will be introduced in the future as the NER strives to create a system that both reflects the breadth, professionalism and integrity of engineering while minimising the complications that can arise from the different systems used in our many jurisdictions.

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FUTURE FUELS CRC

National public survey on hydrogen finds widespread support

By David Norman, CEO, Future Fuels CRC

As future fuels develop, it is fundamental that the whole industry brings the Australian public on the journey.

T

o better understand public opinion on using hydrogen, Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre engaged the University of Queensland to conduct a national survey and it showed widespread support for producing and using hydrogen both in Australia and for export.

The national survey of more than 3,000 Australians found that 65 per cent of Australians already support using hydrogen as a fuel and that rose to 90 per cent once respondents were provided with more facts about hydrogen and its uses.

The survey shows that Australians are already very positive about the economic opportunities that hydrogen energy could bring, including jobs and benefits for regional communities.

"The survey shows that Australians are already very positive about the economic opportunities that hydrogen energy could bring, including jobs and benefits for regional communities."

For Australians, safety remains their number one priority and these results support the development of hydrogen with a world-class safety culture that is now being created by Australian industry, governments and regulators. These results support the activities happening now in every state to develop Australia’s hydrogen industry.

The survey found: • 65 per cent already support using hydrogen as a fuel, with 32 per cent undecided. After finding out more about hydrogen this rose to 90 per cent support with 7 per cent undecided and only 3 per cent opposed.

• Support for hydrogen was broad-based with similar results across all states and main political party affiliations, with no significant differences, showing broad bi-partisan support.

• Respondents who currently use natural gas at home were slightly more supportive of hydrogen than respondents who did not, but

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Future Fuels CRC CEO David Norman.

the effect size was small which suggests that support for hydrogen is not related to current use of natural gas.

• Awareness about hydrogen is growing, with 40 per cent of respondents having already heard about hydrogen in the media, 27 per cent had heard about hydrogen production projects in Australia, and 21 per cent about blending natural gas and hydrogen for domestic use.

• 75 per cent of respondents believe climate change is already happening, which is an increase from an earlier 2018 ARENA survey (70.8 per cent).

The survey also shows that although only a small proportion of Australians reported being The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

confident about their knowledge of hydrogen, there is clearly a growing awareness of hydrogen as an alternative energy source. It also showed that providing members of the public with factual information about hydrogen helped to strengthen support for those who had previously been undecided.

This survey is just one example of our research to understand and build public acceptance and social license that will be vital to enabling this new industry.

You can find the latest on all Future Fuels CRC research at www.futurefuelscrc.com

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APGA Convention goes virtual in 2021 After significant deliberation, the APGA Board has decided to take the Annual Convention and Exhibition online to mitigate further COVID-19 disruptions. The virtual event will be held from Monday 11 October to Friday 15 October.

T

he APGA Board has decided to convert the 2021 APGA Annual Convention and Exhibition to a fully virtual event for the second year in a row. The board made the announcement in August in light of the developing COVID-19 situation on Australia’s east coast and unanticipated lockdowns affecting significant parts of the country.

“It goes without saying that this was a decision that was not made lightly,” says APGA CEO Steve Davies.

“Over decades, our Annual Convention and Exhibition has built up a well-deserved reputation across the global pipeline and gas industries as a high-quality event that provides excellent content and a wealth of opportunities to enjoy the company of the great people in our industries.

“We do not think that we can hold an event that would live up to its reputation this year. We are immensely grateful for all the support we have seen from presenters, sponsors and

exhibitors.

“We are especially thankful to all of the sponsors who are sticking with us as we move to present the 2021 APGA Virtual Convention.

This is a sign of true commitment to our industry on their part and I hope that everyone in the industry will give our sponsors the support they deserve.”

A full list of sponsors can be viewed on page 19.

A full schedule The event will kick off on Monday 11 October with a welcome from Mr Davies and APGA President Tony O’Sullivan, before an opening address from Federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor. As always, this year’s Leaders Panel on the first day is sure to draw lots of virtual spectators, with the panel consisting of Greatness Consulting President and CEO Gretchen Gagel, CNC Project Management Managing Director Dave Maloney, McConnell Dowel Group Technical Director Leon Richards, APA Group CEO Rob Wheals and AGIG CEO Ben Wilson.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Australian wheelchair racing legend Kurt Fearnley, AO. A hugely respected member of the community, Mr Fearnley won gold medals at the Paralympic Games and ‘crawled’ the Kokoda Track to raise awareness of men’s health.

The conference will include presentations on topics including innovation, the environment, engineering and safety throughout the week, offering a wide snapshot of the most pressing issues present in the pipeline and gas industry today. As usual, the Pipeline Operators Group will have a timeslot on Wednesday 13 October, while the APGA Annual Awards will be presented on the afternoon of Thursday 14 October.

The Virtual Exhibition will be open each day except Thursday, while in place of 2020’s virtual drinks, pipeliners will have designated in-person networking drinks scheduled in each city where COVID restrictions permit.

You can find a full copy of the Convention program on page 20.

For more information visit www.apga.org.au

18

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

APGA thanks all our sponsors for their support of the 2021 Virtual Convention in these challenging times

D I S C OV E R C O N N E CT

Host Sponsors:

Sponsors:

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2021 APGA Virtual Convention The 2021 APGA Virtual Convention and Exhibition will be held from Monday 11 October to Friday 15 October and will host a full program of speakers. Please study the program carefully to ensure you don't miss out on any of the great sessions on offer.

Please note: all times are AEDT MONDAY 11 OCTOBER 2021 VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

12:30 - 13:00 13:00

Opening Plenary Session Chair: Steve Davies Chief Executive Officer APGA

13:00

A message from one of our host sponsors Welcome Session Tony O’Sullivan, President, APGA and Chief Operating Officer – Construction, MPC Kinetic Steve Davies, Chief Executive Officer, APGA

13:30

Opening address The Hon. Angus Taylor, Federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Leaders Panel Industry leaders provide their insights into the current and future state of the pipeline and gas industries Gretchen Gagel, President and Chief Executive Officer, Greatness Consulting Dave Maloney, Managing Director, CNC Project Management Leon Richards, Group Technical Director, Pipelines, McConnell Dowell Rob Wheals, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, APA Group Ben Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Infrastructure Group

14:00

Business Sessions Close VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

15:15 - 15:45

TUESDAY 12 OCTOBER 2021 VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

12:30 - 13:00 13:00

Innovation Chair: Donna McDowall, Vice President APGA and Vice President Corporate Development and Strategy, Quanta Services Australia

13:00

A message from one of our host sponsors The Future is BRIGHT-R Sarah Browne, Director Public Affairs APPEA

13:30

20

APGA Innovation Award Pitches Shortlisted exhibitors each present the merits of their entry in the Innovation Award in a five-minute pitch. Delegates vote for the winner via the Virtual Convention Platform.

Thee five shortlisted companies are: AJ Stack MPC Kinetic Powered PSSS Tremco Pipeline Equipment

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

APGA VIRTUAL CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CONVENTION PROGRAM

14:00

Short break

14:10

A message from one of our host sponsors Australia’s First Hydrogen Pipeline Conversion Project Craig Clarke, APA Group Dr Guillaume Michal, University of Wollongong

14:35

Moomba to Cross-Border Carbon Capture and Storage Pipeline Harry Evans, Santos Blake Minge, Santos

15:00

Gorillas in the mist, an introspective look Stephen Dykes, Gemseekers International

15:30

Business Sessions Close VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

15:30 - 16:00

WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER 2021 VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

12:30 - 13:00 13:00

Environment, Social, Governance Chair: Tony O’Sullivan, President, APGA and Chief Operating Officer – Construction, MPC Kinetic

13:00

A message from one of our host sponsors CEO Perspectives: Gas industry shifts post COVID Jen Thompson, Executive Officer, Australian Gas Industry Trust

13:25

Start small and scale up – a pragmatic and no-frills approach to integrating ESG into your business strategy Melanie Brown, ERIAS

13:50

Short break

14:00

Pipeline Operators Group

14:00

A message from one of our host sponsors An operator with big picture thinking on process safety Somnang Sovann, APA Group Timothy Regan, APA Group

14:25

Machine learning for health monitoring of uninspected pipelines Michael Smith, ROSEN

14:50

Smart sign technology for continuous easement monitoring Demi Vlass, SEA Gas Matt Lama, Fleet Space Technologies Dr Johan Barthélemy, University of Wollongong

15:15

Pipeline Integrity Data – An Essential Asset Gabriel Pizani, OSD Pipelines

15:40

Business Sessions Close

15:40 - 16:10

VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

21

THURSDAY 14 OCTOBER 2021 12:30

Keynote Address Kurt Fearnley, AO, Australian wheelchair racing legend, who won gold medals at the Paralympic Games and ‘crawled’ the Kokoda Track to raise awareness of men’s health.

13:00

Engineering and Safety Chair: Kevin Lester, APGA Director and Group Executive Infrastructure Development, APA Group

13:00

A message from one of our host sponsors International collaboration through the Pipeline Engineering Competency System Reena Sahney, Jiva Consulting Chris Harvey, Chris Harvey Consultants

13:25

Introducing the Engineering Practice Guide: maintaining pipeline safety into the future Josh Wickham, GPA Engineering James Czornohalan, Epic Energy SA

13:50

Engineering the risk out of HDD Thomas Seeber, Atteris Eric Jas, Atteris

14:15

Pipelines and public safety, how reliable are we?

Ted Metcalfe, Metcalfe Engineering Consultants

14:40

A message from one of our host sponsors Presentation of APGA Annual Awards

15:50

Business Sessions Close APGA MULTICITY NETWORKING DRINKS

17:30 - 20:30**

In-person events to be held in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney (COVID permitting) Attendance included in delegate ticket price. **Times are local.

FRIDAY 15 OCTOBER 2021 VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

12:30 - 13:00 13:00

Future Infrastructure and Construction Chair: Steve Davies Chief Executive Officer APGA

13:00

A message from one of our host sponsors The hydrogen opportunity for Australia’s gas and pipeline Industry David Norman, Future Fuels CRC

13:25

A new assessment framework for lean hydrogen/natural gas blends in transmission pipelines Tim Aujard, AGIG Margaret Gayen. GPA Engineering

13:50

Managing the complexities of hydrogen production and injection into an operating network Jarrod Irving, Jemena

14:15

Short break

14:25

A message from one of our host sponsors Enhanced productivity outcomes using AI-guided automated construction machinery Richard Butler, MPC Kinetic Paul Kelly, Built Robotics

22

14:50

Lihir Island Tailing Pipeline Replacement John Rutherford, Spiecapag

15:15

President’s closing remarks

15:25

Convention Close

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

APGA VIRTUAL CONVENTION & EXHIBITION EXHIBITORS

2021 APGA virtual exhibitors The following companies will be exhibiting at the APGA Convention and Exhibition: COMPANY Aegis

OSD

AJ Stack Solutions

PAC

Anode Engineering & GPT Industries

Pipe Tek

APGA

Powered

AtlasGas Pty Ltd

Prime Creative Media

Baker Hughes

Primus Line

Bao Australia Pty Ltd

Pro Pipe Services P/L

Civil Geospatial Services Pty Ltd

Qenos Pty Ltd

Corrosion Control Engineering

ROSEN Australia Pty Ltd

Delnorth Group Pty Ltd

Shipman King Pty Ltd

Denso (Australia) Pty Ltd

Solar Turbines Australia

Future Fuels CRC

STATS Group - Scotland

Hills Rockslinger

Tremco Pipeline Equipment

HDI Lucas

Vacuworx Pty Ltd

Iplex Pipelines Aust Pty Ltd

Vermeer Equipment Holdings

LocusView (Nortec)

Vinidex

McConnell Dowell

WRAP Resources Australia

MPC Kinetic

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

23

COVER STORY

VEGA equipment keeps Santos gas on track VEGA is a key provider of level and switching equipment for Australia’s coal seam gas industry. Over the last few years, VEGA Australia has developed a strong and trustworthy relationship with Santos thanks to the implementation of its technology across some of the company’s key gas projects.

V

EGA, as a global supplier with a global network of subsidiaries and suppliers, has developed innovative measurement technology that is characterised by its ease of installation and operation, as well as its safety, reliability and performance.

Santos is one of Australia’s largest gas producers, with its coal seam gas (CSG) interests in Queensland’s Surat and Bowen basins among its most important assets. The CSG wells in the east of the state help supply the company’s GLNG project, where the resource has been converted into LNG and shipped overseas since 2015.

In 2018, Santos was looking to improve the reliability of its CSG assets as well as increase the remote capabilities of its systems. After a six-month tender process followed by a six-month trial, Santos

selected a range of VEGA hardware, included in the project’s wellhead skids, and VEGA Australia offered guided wave radar and level switches to fulfill Santos needs.

This equipment includes the company’s VEGASWING product, which is used as a simplistic level switch. The tuning fork of the VEGASWING is made to vibrate by piezo drive, and if the medium comes into contact with the tuning fork, the vibration frequency is reduced, while the electronics responds by triggering a switching signal output.

The product has a strong reputation for working reliably in all liquids, regardless of the installation process pressure, temperature, foam and viscosity, as these do not influence the switching accuracy or repeatability. The point level sensors are also easy to

VEGA Australia head office in Caringbah, New South Wales.

24

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

install and can be set up and commissioned easily.

Santos also employs VEGA’s VEGAFLEX guided wave radar which uses universally applicable measuring principles. The VEGAFLEX uses microwave pulses which are guided along a rod probe and reflected by the product service.

The instrument is unaffected by build-up or steam which is perfect for the harsh Australian environment. It also uses an intelligent adjustment system for easy and quick setup, commissioning and diagnostic capabilities.

Reliable and efficient According to Santos Lead Project Engineer Chun Kang, the company now has a large quantity of units installed across Queensland, all of which can be monitored remotely from Brisbane.

COVER STORY

Chun says that whenever remote access is required, Santos can immediately connect and begin accessing the data from the instrument.

“This is a very strong benefit – the remote access has massively improved our operation and efficiency,” he says.

Over the years Santos has realised that dealing with experienced and trained personnel that know their equipment has made the relationship stronger.

An example of this is the correct selection of equipment and installation to suit the specific needs of the applications giving reliable and excellent performance, in this case resulting in no failures from the supplied VEGA instruments.

Santos has put significant emphasis on improving efficiency, the cost of construction and commissioning, as well as its operation and maintenance expenditure. Since 2018, VEGA’s instrumentation has continued to play a key role in keeping these requirements under control while delivering accurate and reliable outcomes for the project.

“I’ve been working in oil and gas for more than 20 years and previously I was always very confident in VEGA’s quality and service level,” says Chun.

“However, since I’ve been at GLNG, the technical service has been extremely reliable.

We can always contact the VEGA Australia Head Office for their full and dedicated professional support.

“Their full support is unquestionable. Adding to the quality and reliability of the product itself is extremely pleasing to be involved with the numerous units that are installed on site with zero failure rate.”

Already a strong relationship, Santos is continuing to work with VEGA Australia into the future.

The VEGAFLEX 81.

The VEGASWING 61.

VIB 63 (Solids Detection in Liquid Vessel).

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

For more information visit www.vega.com.au

25

WOMEN IN PIPELINES AND GAS

APGA establishes women’s forum The hallmark characteristics of the pipeline industry, collaboration and cooperation, have been given even wider scope with the announcement of a new APGA committee.

T

he APGA Women in Pipelines Forum was formally launched in October, the timing chosen to coincide with the association’s main annual event, the APGA Convention.

Given impetus by the graduates of the highly successful APGA Women’s Leadership Development Program, the Women in Pipelines Forum (WPF) has been established to foster the participation of women in the pipeline and gas industries and to encourage opportunity and active involvement in all sectors of the industry.

The committee’s stated purpose is to promote collaboration, contribution, celebration and empowerment of women by developing an environment of opportunity and success for the growth of women in our industry.

Led by a Chair elected by the committee members, the WPF will have a wide brief encompassing on education and informationsharing with a focus on supporting diversity in the workforce of member companies. The committee’s education and information-sharing objective aims to cover the whole APGA membership and will include materials and programs that assist in: • The value of diversity in the workforce.

• How to support women specifically.

• Tools to help recruit, retain and promote a diverse workforce.

The APGA Women’s Leadership Development Program will be part of the committee’s responsibilities and it is expected that it will organise a number of other activities that assist in networking and building connections and provide a safe space for women to speak freely.

Events and activities held by the WPF will be open to all APGA members as appropriate, recognising some events, such as the Women’s Leadership Development Program, are specifically for women.

Membership of the APGA WPF is open to women who are APGA members or work for APGA members.

The inaugural Chair will be elected at the first official meeting of the WPF. The Chair’s term will be two years. A Deputy Chair will also be appointed.

In-person events will be organised as soon as some predictability returns to event planning.

For more information on this and other APGA committees visit www.apga.org.au

26

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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WOMEN IN PIPELINES & GAS

Justine Hyams working out in the field.

Breaking down barriers in the pipeline industry Historically, low female participation has been an ongoing issue in energy industries, with companies struggling to attract, retain and promote women. The APGA is attempting to shift this imbalance by offering more women’s networking opportunities and leadership development programs. The Australian Pipliner sat down with two women who are challenging the conventional stereotypes and paving the way for future female industry figures.

Cara Robb Cara Robb works in Project and Change Support with energy provider Jemena. Her responsibilities include coordinating projects and working with asset management across gas and electricity initiatives.

“I never saw myself working in a utilities company; I literally had no idea about utilities when I came into the business,” she says.

Ms Robb has a diverse career background.

After migrating across from the education sector, which is so often female dominated, starting a career in utilities was something of a culture shock.

“You are acutely aware of being the only female onsite,” she explains.

Since making the move to Jemena, Ms Robb quickly became involved in women’s groups, making up part of the APGA’s pilot of the Women’s Leadership Development Program.

“Being in a female-only environment offers a different atmosphere,” she says.

“In the training, there’s no judgment; everyone shares stories about what isn’t working in the industry.”

Networking, Ms Robb says, is vital for retaining women in the industry.

28

"We want women to come into the industry – to feel supported, safe, and build up on that so they can continue in the industry, because predominantly it has been historically a male environment."

“These spaces emulate the networking that men in the industry do quite naturally. Women don’t necessarily celebrate their own achievements. But when we get together, we become each other’s support and cheerleaders.”

Since then, Ms Robb has been very active in associated activities of the APGA women’s program.

“From that I have delved into working with the industry to try and keep building up a Women in Pipelines network. It was something we raised in 2019, but there was such high interest that last year the APGA had many more cohorts come through.

“We want women to come into the industry – to feel supported, safe, and build up on that so they can continue in the industry, because predominantly it has been historically a male environment.”

Before joining Jemena, Ms Robb studied The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

teaching, specialising in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). One of her greatest projects has been to promote STEM for girls in primary and high schools.

This strong pedagogical arrow to her bow has informed Ms Robb’s experience in the utilities industry. As an educator and a graduate from the Women’s Development Program, growing individuals particularly important to her.

Ms Robb is currently Chair of the Victorian branch of the Young Pipeliners Forum.

“I definitely want to be a mentor for those who aren’t quite sure - a sounding board or an advocate for people to learn from,” she says.

That there is a future for women in the pipeline industry is an inextricable part of the message Ms Robb wants to impart on emerging field figures and instil into the next generation of industry leaders.

“Girls can see that they can be engineers, they

WOMEN IN PIPELINES & GAS

can work out in the field and be a liney. They can do whatever they want to do – they just need strong, visible role models to show them that there is not just the stereotypical model of career types.

“The prevailing assumption is that engineers are men. You don’t see the jobs that are out there if you don’t see people like you represented in that industry.”

In order to know what opportunities are available to young women, Ms Robb says they must be actively included in the industry in one way or another.

“Jemena is doing a community program in Victoria, getting some of the female employees from the business – engineers, control room workers, people who work in the field – to actually go out to primary schools, trying to get that representation from an early age, to try and get more girls interested in maths and science.”

Ms Robb believes that awareness, education and strong networking opportunities are our best chance for attracting, retaining and promoting women in pipelines.

Justine Hyams Justine Hyams is a Senior Consultant at MBS Environmental with 25 years’ experience in a

Cara Robb works in Project and Change Support with Jemena.

wide range of industries, including aviation, road engineering, pipeline construction and project management.

Ms Hyams has worked in linear construction with roads and pipelines since 2005. Her first

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pipeline was a $750 million looping project in Western Australia.

There is significant risk associated with the work Ms Hyams oversees, from scheduling to reputational to monetary risk.

“Every day is something different and it’s always a challenge. There is not one day in this job that I have not learnt something,” she says.

“Some of the relationships I have made over the years have been so enduring. Pressure is always the litmus test for a person’s character.”

Ms Hyams is also Deputy Chair of the WA Chapter of APGA, where her responsibilities include lobbying for pipeline owners and constructing. She has a few theories on why women are so grossly underrepresented in the industry, but her main suggestion is to do with the transient nature of the work.

“It’s not something with a lot of continuity in it: you tend to bump around from project to project to project. Before you get into a senior role, you don’t have the security that you need.

Juggling children, it’s a bit more difficult for women. It shouldn’t be, but it is.”

“Until construction companies value grads and commit to them in the long term - not just during the period when construction is under way - it will continue to be a male dominated

WOMEN IN PIPELINES & GAS

From left: Jim Cairns, Christine Meilak, Gayle Burns, Cara Robb and Tess Gardner at the APGA Networking Drinks in Melbourne this year.

environment,” she says.

Education is another barrier to women joining the industry.

“We are putting more women and girls into STEM, which is really important. But there is no degree in Australia for pipeline engineering.”

A conventional pathway into pipelines usually begins with a mechanical engineering degree, from which engineers can then specialise.

“If it’s not offered in the curriculum, then

30

how can you be aware that that’s a career pathway? When you are a young student and going into something like that, there aren’t many women doing that line of work with a pipelining focus, so it’s difficult for girls to see it as an option.”

Ms Hyams acknowledges that there has been significant development in the industry, but more work still needs to be done.

“When I first started doing this kind of work,

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

I’d be the only woman on an airplane travelling out to site,” she says.

“And that would be a real challenge.”

Ms Hyams says the most dramatic change has occurred over the past 10 to 15 years.

“The only women you would see would be site nurses and administrative staff. That has now expanded out completely differently: you’ve got people in design engineering roles, procurement and contracting roles, scheduling, operating; women are doing much more of the heavy lifting work.”

But even facilities can pose a barrier for women feeling welcome in oil and gas sectors.

“For instance, when I came back to pipelining, I was breastfeeding, and there was nowhere to do that except the toilets,” she says.

“And that’s unacceptable. Things like that have changed, but that was really a challenge for me.”

Ms Hyams is a passionate advocate for women’s maternal rights, and for five years was Chair of the Board for The Bump WA – a notfor-profit maternity service for new mothers.

Creating an equitable environment means taking measures to ensure women feel comfortable and supported.

“Culture is set at the top,” says Ms Hyams.

WOMEN IN PIPELINES & GAS

"Everybody should be mentored, but if you mentor young women, you could be educating them on the very clear hurdles that they face. Employers need to understand where their hurdles might be."

Justine Hyams is a Senior Consultant at MBS Environmental.

She adds that employers need to better invest in their junior female staff in order to see better female retention in the industry.

Ms Hyams agrees that networking is a viable

solution for helping women to feel included by the industry, but currently these opportunities are only available to those in the ‘purple circle’.

Helping women to connect with one another across industries will help generate a sense of solidarity.

“Companies need to invest in those things.

It’s not a lot of money; there’s a training budget, and companies should use it.”

Alongside networking, better mentoring opportunities should be available to women in the industry.

“Everybody should be mentored, but if you mentor young women, you could be educating them on the very clear hurdles that they face.

Employers need to understand where their hurdles might be,” she says.

Greater female representation is vital for creating a culture of support and for striking out

patriarchal culture.

“I was in a meeting the other day and one of the girls there sent me a text message saying, ‘Did you just get completely fobbed off?’ And I said ‘Yes, I do believe that was what happened.’

You need someone else there to acknowledge that you’re not going mad when you have been shut down in a meeting,” says Ms Hyams.

“It’s important to know, because then I can take it to that person and say, ‘Are you aware that this is what you’re doing when you’re engaging with me?’ If you don’t have somebody else backing you, you don’t always have the confidence to do that.”

Without greater female representation in the industry, it will continue to be difficult to address these microaggressions. Ms Hyams is enacting the changes she wants to see happen in industry for women.

For more information on the APGA Women’s Leadership Development Program visit www.apga.org.au

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WOMEN IN PIPELINES & GAS

Unconscious bias in recruitment The energy sector is one of the lowest ranked in terms of female representation in leadership positions. The industry is currently facing an ageing workforce and a demand for new skills, with declining appeal among younger people. Consequently, renewed urgency has been placed on the conversation around workplace diversity.

K

ate Cuic is the Recruitment Manager at Peter Norman Personnel (PNP) – an industry-specific recruitment specialist.

She sat down with The Australian Pipeliner about the role of unconscious bias in the workplace and how best to overcome it.

“Unconscious bias is a human problem and neutralising it will require industry-led action beyond rules and policies,” says Ms Cuic, who has been with PNP for more than 20 years.

“When it comes to employment, unconscious decision making is the ‘gut feeling’ based on underlying attitudes and stereotypes that we intuitively attribute to a person or group. This then affects how we understand and engage with them.”

Unfortunately, when a prevailing group is responsible for continuing a company culture, talented individuals who do not fit the mould can fall through the cracks.

“There’s plenty of research showing that, because our brains are wired towards patterns and similarity, we use stereotypes all the time to recruit, promote and manage performance

32

through our unconscious bias lens,” says Ms Cuic.

This partiality is something which often infiltrates companies’ recruitment processes.

“The results are a lack of opportunity with far-reaching consequences, not only from an internal workplace relations perspective, but across hiring, retention and promotion trends.”

Unconscious bias poses a huge detriment to the industry, as well as individuals, in terms of untapped talent and limited opportunity.

“Unless addressed, it is going to remain the proverbial thorn in the side that will continue to undermine diversity and inclusion efforts, and negatively impact the bottom line.”

Examples of unconscious bias are rife within the pipeline and gas industry.

“The naturally obvious example is low gender diversity, which has been driven by affinity or similarity bias, where the tendency is to connect with others who share similar interests, experiences and backgrounds,” says Ms Cuic.

“This can be seen when hiring for a particular ‘cultural fit’. This is reinforced by gender The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

stereotypes ingrained in all of us.”

Ms Cuic says the idea of a ‘cultural fit’ is inherently problematic, with employers subconsciously leaning towards candidates that will perpetuate a legacy that hasn’t necessarily been driven by talent alone.

“This has created an easier environment for persistent lagging gender diversity in a sector faced with an ageing workforce and a low public profile in appeal to future generations,” she says.

But thanks to continued and open discussions, the situation is beginning to change for the better.

“As an agent at the frontline of a constantly changing employment landscape, we aim to create opportunity where it may be lacking.

We’re in a unique position, being between the hiring manager and the job candidate, to bring awareness and work with the parties for better hiring outcomes.”

Ms Cuic says there are some practical measures companies can take to mitigate the role of unconscious bias.

“For us it begins at the job design and

WOMEN IN PIPELINES & GAS

"We’re in a unique position, being between the hiring manager and the job candidate, to bring awareness and work with the parties for better hiring outcomes." specification development stage and continues throughout the life cycle of a hiring process. We incorporate process and framing measures to ‘nudge’ inclusive behaviour.

“Employers can do the same by starting with the questions and conversations that lead to an increased awareness of where diversity is lacking. Initiatives can then be targeted according to the desired outcome - like increasing gender diversity at each stage of recruitment, retention, promotion and leadership,” she says.

During a recruitment process, consider what can be done to make it more conducive to female participation through simple redesign like anonymising and standardising applications. One of the major barriers for women applying is feeling underqualified.

“By understanding how women interpret the job opportunity and application questions, it is possible to make adjustments to address reluctance that may be preventing them from taking up jobs.”

Ms Cuic says she has been impressed by initiatives like the APGA’s Women’s Leadership Development (WLDP) which encourage professional development, advocacy, training and networking among women in the industry.

She is also an alumnus of the pilot program.

“I’m so pleased the APGA has ignited the flame on gender diversity through a program like the WLDP, as it has provided an industry-wide pathway and platform to encourage increased female participation and representation.”

Ms Cuic says the skills she learnt in the course are applicable to all in the workplace.

“While the initiative was established from the perspective of women’s leadership development, the principles in the program are universal and draw upon the strengths of our differences to shift how we understand and engage in leadership.”

Affirmative action, she says, is essential for the inclusion of marginal groups in industry.

“Initiatives like leadership training,

PNP Recruitment Manager Kate Cuic.

employment surveys and diversity awards are great steps leading to the development of industry-standard best practice and industrywide change.”

Ms Cuic encourages employers to move the conversation forward around unconscious bias and fair representation. She hopes we can make neutral the new normal and strive to change the workplace, one face at a time.

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The company specialises in a range of planning and scheduling services at all stages of project delivery, from concept through execution to close out. Finn Planning offer specialist project control services, guaranteeing the recruitment of elite contract project staff, and delivering expert consultancy and project management.

The company standard for planning delivery is Oracle Primavera P6 while also offering supply and installation of Oracle Primavera P6 and Safran Risk Analysis software options for clients.

Planning, scheduling and reporting methodologies make up the backbone of Finn Planning’s capabilities; however, what differentiates Finn Planning is its intimate knowledge of the international resource industry, dynamic market conditions including supply and delivery, and client expectations.

The Finn Planning team can also deliver the best staffing solutions with maximum flexibility, responding to challenges and guiding the project team through the dynamic lifecycle of a project.

This is what the company calls its tried and tested flexible engagement model, customising its approach to a client’s needs and accounting for enough plasticity in the method to manage evolving requirement specifications.

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Finn Planning Managing Director Paul Finn.

Growing in prominence Established little more than four years ago, the company has already made a name for itself within the LNG, infrastructure, subsea, pipeline and refinery industries. Finn Planning’s impressive portfolio include high-profile projects such as the Jansz-lo Compression Project, Dorado and Waitsia Gas Plant Stage 2, as well pipeline projects including Gorgon onshore pipelines, DBNGP Stage 5b looping and Kewdale pipeline.

Managing Director Paul Finn migrated to Western Australia in 2005 and since, has held a variety key project roles with Chevron, Woodside and Mitsui. His experience around the globe across a broad spectrum of industries and a diverse portfolio of projects has made him an adaptable and intuitive leader.

The Finn Planning team welcomes the The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

challenge of developing and implementing project planning systems and reporting mechanisms and are highly respected project and planning construction specialists.

A nimble Australian business with global expertise, the company provide highly competent and qualified resources which include primavera software as a package, to simplify and further reduce clients’ costs and their need to carry expensive and unnecessary licensing charges.

The company’s mission statement is 'plan for safety, plan for quality, plan for excellence', attesting to its firm belief that the execution of success starts with an intelligent plan and considered method.

For more information visit www.finnplanning.com

FRONTIER ACCESS MATS™ Stable Ground, All Year Round.

FRONTIER ACCESS MATS™ are designed to overcome some of the natural limitations of traditional access mats by utilising the inherent flexibility of bamboo, allowing them to bend on uneven ground.

Their superior strength means the mats can accommodate steel tracked vehicles such as excavators, standing up to the harshest conditions of your pipeline project.

Cut your access costs Lighter material means reduced transport and logistics expenses Designed to withstand the harshest environments More sustainable and eco friendly than traditional mats

Exclusively available in Australia, NZ, PNG and the Pacific Islands through Western Group.

Produced from a completely renewable bamboo harvest

30-40% lighter than oak

Comparable in strength to concrete & steel

10X stronger than wood in tension & 3X stronger than steel

Less than 10% moisture absorption

E: office@westerngroup.co.nz www.westerngroup.co.nz

CHECKING ALL THE BOXES

Hardwood

HDPE

Bamboo Access Mat

Durability Eco Friendly Prime Economy

More impervious to rot, fungus and insects

Less prone to shrinking or wraping

3 layers of light veneer bamboo

CONTRACTORS

Nacap’s collaborative approach keeps Arrow on target

CNJV stringing HDPE pipe coil along the right of way using a LineTamer.

Nacap in joint venture with CPECC (CNJV) is currently providing construction services using a Master Services Agreement delivery model (MSA) to Arrow Energy for the company’s coal seam gas operations in Queensland.

In addition to its expert technical knowledge, CNJV credits its collaborative approach and strong culture for the continued success of the project and the creation of a trusted relationship between operator and contractor.

A

rrow has been developing and supplying its CSG resources in Queensland’s Bowen and Surat basins for more than a decade, producing gas for both the domestic and international markets through operations that are significant in size.

In 2021, a new, three-year MSA contract was awarded to CNJV to install HDPE gathering pipelines from wells drilled by Arrow, to connect and feed back to processing facilities where the gas is then supplied to market. The scope of works includes the facility infrastructure – wellheads, skids and associated piping – along with the underground trenching and pipeline installations/testing throughout Arrow’s project tenure.

CNJV’s operations are overseen through a regional office in Dalby, Queensland, with approximately 150 staff currently out in the field.

Having already spent two years on the project, CNJV sees this latest contract award as a mark of success for its collaborative approach and the strong relationship built with Arrow through communication and teamwork.

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Collaborative environment To deliver the contracted works successfully, a fully integrated Construction Management Team (CMT) based in Brisbane supports the site operations and oversees project management, procurement, cost control, scheduling, call-off order pre-award activities and contract management as a whole.

“This enabled us to work together with Arrow, not on a side-by-side basis or a project-by-project basis, but as an integrated team,” says CNJV Senior Package Engineer Nigel Bennion.

“Arrow has engaged our CMT on a progressive basis independent to the onsite works. An agreed upon team of people manage and execute the work for them in order to get these packages of work off the ground from a site execution or construction point of view.”

The CMT promotes a collaborative environment and allows meaningful interactions and clarifications between the principal and contractor, improving communications and minimising potential unforeseen challenges, and their impacts.

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

“As part of the CMT, we have performance targets and achievements we must hit,” says Mr Bennion.

“We have meetings, we agree on a common platform and what targets or incentives we need to hit, and we report on those as required. We continually develop key performance indicators and benchmarks so we can constantly deliver the desired results to Arrow and seek to drive improvements back through their system and ours.”

“The structure of the MSA allowed for a greater visibility and understanding of the wider project’s priority program (including drilling) to develop stronger integration and flexibility to deliver efficiencies in construction services, and at the same time meet Arrow’s gas production requirements,” says CNJV Senior Estimator Luke Baldock.

“Typically for other projects, there’s a learning phase where a new contractor comes in, there’s a new set of people you have to build relationships/ trust with and then work together as best as you can with the time available to get the

CONTRACTORS

constructability into the client’s design, planning, optimisation and de-risking processes.

“Here, because our CMT is maintained on an ongoing basis to support execution as well as these initial planning phases, it allows us to short-circuit all of that. We’re here, we’ve already got the relationships, we know the relevant stakeholders and who to talk to within Arrow, we’ve developed mutual trust toward each other, and from both sides we’re comfortable the information we’re getting is relevant and correct.”

CNJV also uses an integrated process approach where it combines adjacent existing and new projects to achieve direct and indirect cost efficiencies by ‘bundling resources’. In one example, the team introduced Arrow to what it called a “mainline approach” to gathering activities which, when employed, resulted in an efficient construction sequence and delivery improvement.

“The reason we were able to see this opportunity was because of the collaborative approach – we were able to see both delivery packages in advance and come up with this approach to combine the two together and execute it in a different manner than what Arrow would have previously envisioned,” says

Mr Baldock.

“We proposed it, demonstrated the benefits to Arrow, and they gave us the ‘green light’, importantly with enough time to put the plan into practice. All of this discussion happened well in advance of the planned delivery, that was the benefit of having our resident CMT team there in this style of contract where we are embedded within and focussed on best for project outcomes.”

Welding of HDPE gathering pipe using a McElroy TracStar welding unit.

The importance of culture The delivery team believes its approach is successful thanks to the strong work ethic and professional culture of all parties involved. Even with the best contract strategy, without the people involved and a collaborative approach, achieving a mutually satisfactory outcome is infinitely more difficult.

“I firmly believe the CMT and MSA strategy is a benefit to the client because we have many cost efficiencies ideas available to be presented once the scope and timing parameters are known using this type of contract arrangement in the wellhead and gathering space,” says Mr Baldock.

“This collaborative MSA approach provides insight into the forward projections of Arrow’s

Surat Basin business in terms of potential workload, enabling CNJV to provide valued input to investigate, propose and later execute tangible cost and schedule saving efficiencies while meeting both parties’ key objectives. Arrow receives certainty of delivery with a team that is effectively integrated support to their organisation.”

For more information visit www.nacap.com.au

COMPLETE UTILITY LOCATING SYSTEM™

Copperhead has developed the Complete Utility Locating System, a complete tracer wire system designed to ensure the protection of underground utility assets. Copperhead is part of Tapex Industrial’s Dig Safe range.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

- Michelle Moreira on +61 411 104 981 - sales@tapexindustrial.com.au - tapexindustrial.com.au/digsafe-range/copperhead

CONTRACTORS

HDD construction methodology Insights Maxibor prepares an HDD construction methodology which provides a comprehensive overview of the processes involved in the physical delivery of the project and to demonstrate to stakeholders how key activities and issues specific to the project are to be managed.

T

his article provides an insight into reaming, hole conditioning, product pipe installation and testing for a typical 500 m large bore project installing OD500 HDPE pipe.

Pilot hole construction, reaming and hole conditioning The expected ground conditions based on the geotechnical investigation is: • Drill set up for 60 m – OTR Clay • 60 to 140 m – bluestone with quartz (hard rock) • 140 to 207 m – transition from bluestone to mudstone/siltstone • 207 to 450 m – mudstone/siltstone

• 450 m to exit at 500 m – transition from mudstone/siltstone to OTR As the pilot hole will encounter both OTR and rock, the key bottom hole assembly (BHA) tooling will include: • 6.5 inch (165 mm) pilot hole drill bit • Jetting assembly • Orientation sub for mounting survey probe • P2 pressure module • 4 inch (101 mm) non-magnetic drill collar • 4.5 inch (114 mm) 5:6 motor for the rock sections Following completion of the pilot hole, the BHA

will be removed at the exit location and the first reamer attached. The proposed reaming sequence for the pipeline will be conducted as follows: • 500 mm back-ream • 750 mm back-ream • 750 mm hole conditioning pass The hole conditioning passes will confirm the bore is in a condition to accept the product pipe. The driller will monitor and record drilling pressures, and the mud technician will monitor and record fluid properties so an accurate assessment can be made of the hole condition prior to installation.

Detailed bore logs will be maintained throughout the drilling processes. A drilling summary will be provided detailing the tooling used at each stage and relevant commentary particularly around the bore hole cleaning processes.

Product pipe installation and testing

Excavator support operation during HDD installation.

Maxibor drilling at the Logan Water Project.

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

Following hole opening and the completion of any required cleaning passes, pipeline installation will take place. As this is one of the most critical phases of construction, a site-specific installation plan will be developed which will cover daily schedules, pipe stress analysis, over bend dimensions, risk analysis and contingency and emergency procedures.

This will be reviewed and approved by Maxibor management prior to installation taking place.

The pulling head on the pipeline will be connected to the drill string using a 150 t rated maxi dub swivel. Attached to the swivel will be a 30 inch (750 mm) barrel reamer.

The drill string and barrel reamer will be free to rotate during the subsequent pipeline installation operation. The jets on the barrel reamer will allow bentonite drilling fluid to be pumped through the borehole during the installation operation.

The gravel shield will be installed over the rear of the reamer, swivel joint and the leading edge of the carrier pipe to prevent loose material falling in behind the reamer. This provides a smooth transition between the rotating and non-rotating parts of the assembly.

For buoyancy control, water will be pumped into the pipeline from the rear of the pipe string using a 50 mm pipeline and fill pump located at the rear of the site. A meter will be used to ensure that only the section of pipe below ground is filled so as not to cause excessive loads and stress on the above ground section of pipe.

CONTRACTORS

Detailed engineering will determine the expected pull back loads and the fill and pull speed graphs for the project. An overbend will be formed using rated excavators and rollercradles to lift the pipeline and into a predetermined geometry which will ensure the pipeline enters the borehole in a smooth curve with no pin points that could cause a kink in the carrier pipeline.

The overbend bend radius will be kept as small as possible to stop overstressing the pipe.

The pipeline will be supported on land using 20 t capacity pipeline rollers to support the pipeline above the ground surface during the pullback operation.

The rollers are typically placed every 12-15 m and an excavator is used to control the pipeline tail as it moves between rollers during the pullback installation. During the installation of the pipeline, large volumes of drilling fluid may be displaced from the borehole, so onsite storage facilities will be used in conjunction with the use of semi-trailer tankers to remove the drilling fluid.

Upon the completion of the pipe installation, the pulling head will be removed. The stub flanges and stainless-steel backing rings will be attached to each end to allow for the post installation hydrostatic testing to be completed.

Maxibor onsite at the Logan Water Project.

Maxibor is a knowledge sharing organisation. David Turner can be contacted on 0499 375 511 if you would like to learn more about Maxibor’s HDD Construction Methodology and its other good practice HDD design and delivery processes.

50 YEARS ... 50% OFF ... 50 DAYS ... SPECIAL OFFER ... HEATH SERVICES Heath first came to Australian shores 50 years ago offering gas leak surveys along the Eastern seaboard. Today, 50 years later, 100% Australian owned, we are pleased to serve major Australian gas utilities, government departments, regulators, local councils and a large number of small businesses.

We still conduct gas leak surveys though it's fair to say technology has dramatically improved over recent years. Now we use tuned-laser and infrared gas detectors in the field, as well as the amazing EyeCGas fugitive emissions camera. We perform the bulk of our survey activities with vehicle or drone mounted equipment - 'Walking the line' is a distant memory!

We trust only a few brands to meet our client's safety and legislative requirements, and that's why we are the exclusive Australian distributor for: Ÿ GMI gas detectors (all configurations and capabilities) Ÿ Heath gas detectors (tuned-laser, Infrared, detection ranges up to 30m) Ÿ Opgal optical gas imaging cameras (cooled thermal, OGI with a range of up to 100m) For the next 50 days*, we are offering 50% off the cost of rental for any gas detection equipment from our GMI, Heath, and Opgal hire fleets. Availability is limited, so please book today.

CONTACT HEATH ... WWW.GASANDOIL.COM.AU ... 1300 287 564

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

More reach and more product for Vermeer Australia customers It’s been a busy 12-18 months for the Vermeer Australia, and there are more exciting things on the horizon for customers as the brand looks to the future.

The T1255 Terrain Leveler.

A

t the end of 2019, Vermeer Australia became part of the RDO Australia Group, along with John Deere construction and forestry dealer RDO Equipment, and renowned agricultural dealership Vanderfield. This has resulted in an expansion into new markets for Vermeer Australia, and a larger footprint, backed by the support of the

The T1055 Track Trencher.

largest machinery dealer network across Australia.

Vermeer Australia General Manager of Sales Jeff Lawson says this has been welcome news for customers.

“Our customers have support over more locations and more equipment options to expand their fleet. We now can provide a wide range of machines for all types of work, from small jobs through to large pipeline projects, and support sectors from construction to agriculture, mining, civil, roads, hire and utility works to just name a few,” he says.

“Our ranges of machinery complement each other nicely and are backed by our expert team of sales and support technicians.”

Vermeer machinery is now available across seven dealerships in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. The partnership with Vanderfield allows Vermeer Australia to provide machinery and backup support in regional locations across NSW and Queensland as well.

“We know a lot of our customers are in more than one region and have jobs going across

multiple sites. We’re now better able to service these customers with boots on the ground across both metro and regional locations,” says Mr Lawson.

“The newly-launched John Deere construction equipment line through RDO Equipment is a great option for our Vermeer customers looking for a larger piece of machinery to add to their fleet.

“Alongside our own well-known pipeline equipment range including track trenchers, directional drills, vacuum excavators and surface miners, customers can also access John Deere excavators, dozers, wheel loaders, graders, articulated dump trucks and backhoes, available in the Group’s larger construction equipment fleet.

“Both the Vermeer Australia and RDO Equipment teams are looking forward to working together across our customer base and providing them with machinery solutions that are tailored to their project needs. Plus, our customers will be backed by the service and support of the entire RDO Australia Group network.”

To find out more about RDO Australia Group you can visit www.RDOaustraliagroup.com.au, and to contact your local Vermeer team contact 1300 VERMEER or visit www.vermeeraustralia.com.au.

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

Professional Pipeline Services Safe, Dependable Solutions with 24/7 Emergency Services

• Hot Tapping • Line Isolation & Bypass • Pipe Cutting • Commissioning • Decommissioning • Equipment Maintenance • Training

Pipeline Maintenance and repairs on: • Natural Gas • Steam • Water • Chemical • Hydrocarbons

E: info@propipeservices.com Ph: (03) 9330 4016 49 Lambeck Drive, Tullamarine, Vic 3043 www.propipeservices.com

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Leaving the competition in the dust Pollard’s Sawdust Supplies provides a simple and reliable solution for pipeline bedding and dunnage bags, continually supplying its products for use on some of Australia’s largest projects.

P

ollard’s Sawdust Supplies has been providing Australia with quality wood shavings since 1968. The company’s principal activity is recycling virgin timber byproducts, processing them into sawdust and wood shavings, and packaging them in polywoven or hessian bags.

Today, Pollard’s is a leading manufacturer and distributor in Australia for sustainably sourced wood shavings and sawdust. Pollard’s primary material is pine and Australian hardwood, and their eco-friendly product is both biodegradable and chemical free.

Pollard’s is a reliable solution for pipeline bedding and dunnage bags, supplied with timely service and competitive pricing. McConnell Dowell Senior Pipeline Engineer Andrew Tsitas has used the company for years in the business of storing and transporting pipe.

“It’s not a particularly sexy technology, I must admit, but it is a key ingredient for ensuring the integrity of pipe cuttings,” says Mr Tsitas, who has worked in the industry for 25 years.

He and the team at McConnell Dowell use dunnage bags to prop, lift and protect heavy loads, and to prevent jostling during freight.

“We purchased some large diameter steel mains pipe last year and now we’ve delivered it without complication using Pollards sawdust bags. It might sound like a pretty basic

operation, but to be able to turn around thousands of bags at a snap of the fingers is a pretty impressive feat,” says Mr Tsitas.

“Pollard’s provides a reliable and efficient service for all of our projects around Australia.”

Sawdust bags are a semi-permanent foundation for pipelines, and each bag will have multiple uses before it eventually disintegrates.

This degradation process is accelerated by wear and exposure to sunlight.

“It depends how heavy the pipe is,” Mr Tsitas explains.

“It’s a consumable. Typically, we get 60 to 70 sawdust bags per pallet.”

Timber dunnage is ideal for medium-term storage or transport applications, and for keeping pipe off-ground. Pollard’s sawdust bags are strong, durable, light and available in three sizes.

The bags will not explode under the weight of the pipe, with the largest able to withstand 15 t of weight. Compared to sandbags, dunnage backs are considerably lighter, making them better for maneuverability and lower risk from an ocuupational health and safety perspective.

Pollard’s bags are shipped all across the country and pallets arrive on site shrinkwrapped and weatherproof.

They have been used on a multitude of projects involving companies like McConnell

Pollard’s sawdust bags are strong, durable, light and available in three sizes.

Dowell, Steel Mains, Spiecapag, John Holland, and Nacap. These projects include the Victorian Desalination Plant, Northern Gas Pipeline, the Lake Way Gas Pipeline, Agnew Gas Pipeline, the Victorian North-South pipeline, and the Wentworth to Broken Hill Pipeline where Pollard’s provided approximately 25,000 bags.

“We’ve used Pollard’s for many years,” says Mr Tsitas.

“It’s testament to the reliability of their service to supply a large number of bags in a short space of time.”

Steel Mains is Australia's leading manufacturer and supplier of complete steel pipeline systems for the transportation of water and wastewater, and another satisfied Pollard’s customer. Frank Deiesi is Steel Mains’ Customer Support and Training Officer and has held a working relationship with Pollard’s for 13 years.

Mr Deiesi chooses Pollard’s for its quality, competitive pricing, availability and turnaround.

“I can get the product within 24 hours of placing an order,” he says.

On larger products, Pollard’s is still able to deliver to order.

“We had a particular project – Wentworth to Broken Hill - which was a 262 km pipeline. We had an agreement with Pollards that we would hold two road train’s worth of stock, which is equivalent to roughly 44 pallets, and at any given time, I could have requested another 44 pallets within a week.”

Mr Deiesi also prefers Pollard’s product because it is more ergonomic than sandbags while biodegradability is also a big priority for Mr Deiesi and the team.

“We try to make it easy for the customer on the other end to unload and to manoeuvre the product,” he says.

“It’s all good and proper to deliver, but the laying contractors need to make sure they can dispose of the product properly.”

Pollard’s is based in Plenty, Victoria, and supplies within Australia and overseas. Their variety of graded sawdust products can be used for a range of applications besides dunnage, including animal bedding, meat and cheese smoking, and for absorbing oil or chemical spills.

For more information visit www.sawdust.com.au

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

BISEP®

Temporary Line Plugging

PRODUCTION MAINTAINED

DUAL Leak-Tight Seals double block & bleed isolation SINGLE HOT TAP POINT

ISOLATED PIPELINE ZERO-ENERGY ZONE

The BISEP® with extensive track record provides industry first double block and bleed isolation while maintaining production.

Hydraulically activated dual seals provide fully monitored leak-tight isolation, every time, any pressure.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

New player teams with trusted name Despite being a new name in the market, Pipeline Equipment Rentals continues to cement its status as a major player in the industry having become the sole official distributor of special purpose equipment supplier SCAIP.

The SCAIP Padder SPD-350HD EVO.

P

ipeline Equipment Rentals (PER) is a newly formed specialist provider of pipeline construction equipment.

Founded in 2020, the company offers an extensive product range from some of the world’s most respected suppliers, backed by expert personnel who carry a strong passion for the machinery they work with.

To expand its portfolio, PER has recently become the official Australian distributor of the SCAIP range of pipeline construction and agricultural equipment. Operating out of Italy and having built custom machinery for the pipeline industry since 1959, SCAIP is a familyowned original equipment manufacturer that has made its mark on the Australian industrial landscape over many years.

Originally founded as a mechanical workshop for agricultural machinery, SCAIP began to specialise in the design and manufacture of pipeline construction machinery in the 1980s.

Over time, SCAIP’s line-up of equipment has been perfected through modifications based on consumer feedback.

A new opportunity “In 2020, we found out the relationship between the Italian factory and the American distributor had come to an end, leaving Australia without a local importer as well as without a local supplier of spare parts and technical support provider,” says PER Business Development Manager Fabio Resimini.

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The SCAIP Padder SPD-350HD EVO being built in Parma, Italy.

“We decided it was the perfect time to see if the Italian factory was interested in keeping their presence in Australia through an official distributorship, and the rest is history.”

Mr Remini is a mechanical engineer with more than a decade of experience in the pipeline industry and an inaugural member of the PER team.

Before the company became sole distributor, Mr Resimini was well acquainted with SCAIP products when the brand was managed by an American company and marketed under the The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

Superior Manufacturing name in Australia.

“We researched the products, ran some investigations and found that the Italian factory was producing some of the best pipeline specific equipment in the world,” he explains.

The Superior Manufacturing brand was replaced in favour of SCAIP in 2016.

“We ended up purchasing some pipe layers, bending machines, vacuum lifts and padding machines over the years, growing our know-how of the brand and of the equipment while developing our relationship with the factory in regards to Australia’s specific needs.”

Eventually the company began putting together what is now the biggest fleet of SCAIP equipment in Australia.

“We had been using, servicing and maintaining SCAIP’s products for many years: we knew them intimately.”

Within the PER team, operators have up to 10 years of experience with the Italian manufacturer from previous companies, making PER a natural choice for sole distributor.

Mr Resimini explains that the SCAIP name is superior to other suppliers both in range and in its specific tailoring to the Australian market.

“There are some competitors out there on the market, but none of them offers such a wide range of efficient, purpose-built machines.”

With 60 years of experience, SCAIP machines are recognised for having the most advanced technology in the industry.

“We know SCAIP is much appreciated in

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

“It was a big step for PER to take on the distributorship agreement: we are a young company and relatively small, but now our range of offerings in the pipeline construction industry is comprehensive,” PER Business Development Manager Fabio Resimini.

Australia, which is why they are so widely used by most, if not all, pipeline construction companies in our country. These are special purpose machines built to do their job in the most efficient and safe way possible while providing an ergonomic station for the operator.”

PER began distributing SCAIP in the early months of 2021 after penning an agreement that recognised the company as the sole official distributor of SCAIP products in the country.

“It was a big step for PER to take on the distributorship agreement: we are a young company and relatively small, but now our range of offerings in the pipeline construction industry is comprehensive,” says Mr Resimini.

PER now provides equipment hire and sales, technical and mechanical support, and the provision of spare parts for all SCAIP products.

SCAIP equipment is not only suitable for

pipeline construction but also for mining, drilling and renewable energy industry applications.

“We wanted to ensure a steady supply of spare parts for all the machines in the country: no distributor meant the owners of Superior equipment had to ask the factory directly for support and parts. Now they can come to us knowing we will do our best to offer a timely and efficient service, which is why we are building a good stock of spare parts for all the models currently known to be in Australia.”

“Partnership and innovation are central to everything we do: we listen to our clients’ needs and expectations and we work with them to achieve their targets,” says Mr Resimini.

The SCAIP Padder SPD-350HD EVO being built in Parma, Italy.

“PER is very proud to represent the SCAIP brand in Australia and we are looking forward to a very productive and long-lasting relationship.”

For more information visit www.pipelineequipmentrentals.com.au

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Supporting projects from the ground up in Australia Western Group is now offering access mats that overcome the natural limitations of conventional mats currently on the market in Australia. Frontier Access Mats are an eco-friendly solution that provides the strongest, most flexible and durable result.

R

educing the environmental impact of construction sites and roads is becoming increasingly important. Moreover, industries are eager to demonstrate greater responsibility for worker and community health, water conservation and sustainable solutions.

The Western Group keeps businesses functional, low impact and compliant, with specialist products to improve site and road stability, and mitigate impact on the surrounding environment.

Frontier Access Mats for Australia As the latest addition to the company’s range of solutions, Western Group is now distributing Frontier Access Mats – a portable platform used to support equipment in construction and pipeline projects that may also be used as a roadway to provide passage over unstable ground.

The product’s design team consulted with an international troupe of structural engineers, designers and field technicians. The access mats create temporary surfaces, reduce ground pressure, and minimise impact on the environment, with suitability to support equipment in resource-based activities, including construction, oil drilling, remote camp projects, and to provide passage over unstable ground.

Heavy equipment may leave residual impressions on the environment, such as tyre tracks. This not only impacts the natural surrounds, but also causes degradation to equipment.

Sinking into soft soil can impede equipment progress, increase repair and maintenance

Frontier Access Mats can be used as a roadway to provide passage over unstable ground.

requirements, and add time to project completion, so access mats minimise harm to both the equipment and the environment. The bamboo composite mats have been specially designed to overcome some of the natural limits of timber and steel mats.

Frontier Access Mats maximise the inherent flexibility of bamboo, allowing them to bend on uneven ground. Their bending strength can withstand up to double the weight that solid oak panels can, making them especially suitable for heavy steel-tracked vehicles such as excavators. By incorporating new technology into traditional design, these mats are stronger and less susceptible to breakage.

Engineering the Frontier Access Mats out of laminated bamboo creates a product that retains less than 10 per cent water, compared to at least

Frontier Access Mats maximise the inherent flexibility of bamboo, allowing them to bend on uneven ground.

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

30 per cent moisture retention with traditional hardwood. This means that transportation costs between applications are reduced.

There are many other inherent benefits to bamboo, for example, bamboo is a grass and takes between three and six years to reach its full potential. Comparatively, hardwood forests take at least 50 years to reach full growth.

This means bamboo is fast to harvest with shorter regeneration times, making supply more reliable. Bamboo also has a tensile strength of 28,000 per inch2 (645 mm2), where steel has only 23,000, making it a more resilient composite than other materials.

Bamboo requires less energy to harvest and process than most timber products because of its structure. It is also more impervious to rot, fungus and insects, and is 20-30 per cent lighter than traditional hardwood.

What’s more, bamboo generates 35 per cent more oxygen than an equivalent area of trees, making it an environmentally sound choice.

Frontier Access Mats have been extensively tested and validated, and the results are conclusive: all products have proven durability, strength and longevity.

Frontier Access Mats are suitable for a range of equipment on a variety of different terrain types.

For more information visit www.westerngroup.co.nz or email office@westerngroup.co.nz

FLOWTITE® is an Australian manufactured GRP pressure and non-pressure pipes and fittings system.

FLOWTITE® is a glass reinforced polymer pipe produced on a continuously winding and advancing mandrel, ensuring consistent high-quality pipes.

FLOWTITE® pipes are recognised for their strength, flexibility and corrosion resistance making them suitable for a range of applications for water, sewerage and drainage.

The Durable Solution FLOWTITE® is immune to galvanic corrosion which makes the product resistant to chemical attack in acidic and saline soils or soils of low resistivity, providing a longer service life in aggressive ground conditions.

The FLOWTITE® GRP pipe coupling with REKA rubber ring seals is a proven pipe joint system with years of proven performance and reliability requiring a low jointing effort and no site welding.

FLOWTITE® GRP is available with an extensive range of fittings, providing a complete pipeline system. Custom fittings are also available to suit bespoke project requires.

FLOWTITE® is also recognised for it’s smooth and large internal bore providing excellent hydraulic performance with low friction losses and greater flow capacity reducing pump operating costs.

www.iplex.com.au

/company/iplex-pipelines

13 10 86

Flowtite® is a registered mark of Flowtite Technology AS, a member of Amiantit group, and is used under licence by RPC Pipe Systems and distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand by Iplex Pipelines. No unauthorised use of the Flowtite mark is permitted.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Tracer wire system ensures safe utility location As part of its Dig Safe range, Tapex Industrial offers the Copperhead tracer wire solution to help operators and contractors locate underground pipes and cables through cost-effective means.

W

hy install tracer wire?

Tracer wire is the most accurate way to detect buried pipes and cables. Tracer wire: • Prevents underground utility damage and saves lives.

• Locates non-metallic and metallic materials.

• Designed for open cut, directional drilling, and pipe bursting.

Tracer wire is an inexpensive insurance policy to ensure accurate location for the life of a utility.

Tracer wire is an inexpensive insurance policy to ensure accurate location for the life of a utility.

Why choose Copperhead copperclad steel tracer wire?

Copperhead has developed the Complete Utility Locating System – a complete tracer wire system designed to ensure the protection of underground utility assets. The company has established a complete specification based on best practices for installing complete tracer wire systems. Dig Safe can assist utilities, municipalities, and engineers in writing specifications to meet their specific needs, and its dedicated customer service team can assist in every step of the selection, specification and installation process.

high-density polyethylene (HDPE) jacket that is designed for direct bury.

Why Copperhead’s complete utility locating system?

Tracer wire alone, or tracer wire that is improperly installed, is ineffective.

Copperhead’s Complete Utility Locating System allows you to pinpoint the exact location of underground utilities. It is a complete system of compatible components, including tracer wire, water-proof connections rated for direct bury, magnesium ground rods, and protective access points, is critical to ensuring signal continuity and detectability across the entire system.

Step 1: Conduct with Copperhead CCS Tracer Wire.

Step 2: Connect with SnakeBite corrosionproof connectors.

Step 3: Ground all tracer wire dead-ends. A Ground Rod pulls the electrical current emitted by the locate transmitter down the tracer wire for detection.

Step 4: SnakePit Access Points – tracer wire and ground rod termination and direct connection point for utility locate transmitters.

Step 5: Locate Dig Safe offers a range of locators to suit various requirements.

Copperhead’s Complete Utility Locating System is part of Tapex Industrial’s Dig Safe range.

Choosing the right tracer wire: copper-clad steel advantages over solid copper • Durable • Longer lasting • Stronger (up to 6 times the break load) • Reduced material cost • Reduced threat of theft due to lack of aftermarket value • Lower shipping and handling costs due to lighter weight Copperhead copper-clad steel (CCS) tracer wire is a bimetallic wire with a steel core, with a copper covering. The two metals are metallurgically bonded together with heat and pressure, making them inseparable after the cladding process is complete.

CCS offers the strength of steel with the conductivity of copper, providing utilities an intelligent alternative to solid copper tracer wire.

All Copperhead tracer wire is insulated with a

Copperhead CCS tracer wire is a bimetallic wire with a steel core, with a copper covering.

Contact Michelle Moreira on +61 411 104 981 Email sales@tapexindustrial.com.au Visit www.tapexindustrial.com.au/digsafe-range/copperhead/

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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WE MAKE IT HAPPEN Helping your company find equipment right for the job Austrack is passionate about providing the construction, mining and agricultural industries with quality new and used equipment.

We have a long history in the construction and mining industries within Australia, and this experience serves to ensure it’s clients find the right equipment solution for their needs.

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Our industry knowledge keeps us consistently seeking equipment that will make your projects easier, cost effective and time efficient.

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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

kwik-ZIP’s simple spacer solutions Used extensively in production drilling, trenchless and ground engineering applications, kwik-ZIP centraliser and spacer systems have been developed by drilling professionals to solve all centralisation challenges.

k

wik-ZIP products have been developed to support centralisation challenges in a number of industries. The products serve a range of applications across many different industries and projects.

Spacers and centraliser systems help contractors to comply with regulations outlined by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA). Headedquartered out of Western Australia, the company endeavours to support projects nationally and abroad. kwik-ZIP’s products are made from a custom, high grade thermoplastic blend that’s flexible, tough and has low coefficient of friction. The thermoplastic composition means spacers are chemically resistant and impervious to oils, even if emersed for long periods of time.

Because kwik-ZIP products contain no metal parts, they are impervious to corrosion. Without any lead content, products are fully compatible with portable water applications. kwik-ZIP is currently the only Australian-owned spacer on the market, providing clients with simple solutions to their centraliser needs.

The HDX Spacer is the only spacer approved

by WSAA against its product specifications, and kwik-ZIP spacers have been added to the Accepted Infrastructure Products and Materials (IPAM) list for the South East Queensland Water Supply and Sewerage Design and Construction Code.

As a result, its products are used and recommended by pipeline and civil contractors and more. kwik-ZIP has provided services on many high profile, large-scale water main upgrades and construction projects like the Melbourne Metro Tunnel and the Waiari Trunk watermain development.

Most recently, kwik-ZIP products were incorporated in upgrades to the Sunbury Line by the Rail Infrastructure Alliance. Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) specialist Jelmac was asked to deliver drilling services on the project, and kwik-ZIP HDX-90 spacers assisted in slip-lining a 35 mm HDPE carrier pipe over a 66 m run.

Spacers were placed at 1.5 m intervals along the length of the pipe. Because the pipes were not grouted after installation, the spaces also needed to support the weight of the pipe and water for the life of the installation.

The HDX’s unique load sharing design maximises the load bearing capacity of each runner, reducing point loading. The simple and

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The 355 mm HDPE pipe being installed.

efficient installation process does not require any special tools.

The spacer grips the pipe surface with anti-slip rubber pads that prevent dislodgement during installation.

The Sunbury Line Upgrade project was delivered ahead of schedule thanks to the efforts of contracting partners. Jelmac Operations Manager Mick Hemer says kwik-ZIP’s simple spacers were essential to ensuring a efficient and

The spacers were specified at 1.5 m intervals for this project.

successful sliplining process. kwik-ZIP says its spacers help to facilitate projects due to their ability to both protect and support the carrier pipe during the installation process. The company maintains a focus on competitive price and simplicity in on-site assembly, to ensure advantages to the end user.

The HDX casing spacer comes in four runner heights, 38 mm (1.5 inches), 65 mm (2.6 inches), 90 mm (3.6 inches) and 125 mm (5 inches). kwik-ZIP HDX-38’s spacers on high-density polyethylene pipe.

To view the full range of kwik-ZIP products go to www.kwikzip.com The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

FREE Online: Watch our webinar at bit.ly/SuperEmitters21

IS IT TIME TO LAUNCH YOUR SUPER EMITTER PROGRAM?

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Find and Fix Super Emitters for Greater Emissions Reductions 5% of leaks account for 50% of methane emissions. Picarro’s Emissions Management solution allows you to: Collect methane data on your pipeline network Identify the handful of leaks that are contributing the most to your emissions Develop a plan to effectively manage Super Emitters Quantify and validate greater emissions reductions Picarro is already working with utilities in several states to implement their Super Emitter programs. Contact us to learn how we can help with yours.

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SOFTWARE

Service enhanced solutions to accelerate your ESG Program Mipela GeoSolutions’ innovative X-Info suite technology optimises data and allows companies to keep the focus on their business.

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he pipeline and gas industry is at a point of inflection. Recent global events such as COVID-19 and supply and demand unbalance are providing a challenging environment for companies, management, and technical teams on the frontlines.

History proves that technology innovation accelerates when disruptive events occur. How the industry looks to develop a sustainable environmental, social, governance license to operate are each significant objective.

There’s never been a more important time for businesses to show stakeholders their human side – not with words, but through actions and the delivery of positive experiences for internal and external stakeholders.

Mipela GeoSolutions commercial-off-the-shelf Solutions-with-a-Service allows companies to focus on the lifecycle of their service and

community assets using the innovative X-Info suite technology. This captures, measures and reports on daily activities with the view to optimise and continuously improve with technical assurance.

Traditional methods of manually connecting dispersed data sources and applications are not scalable, and process flexibility is limited. Energy and infrastructure companies can automate any technical workflow with the X-Info suite, which provides a unified, modern, seamless and costeffective ability to run a business more efficiently.

In short, the suite delivers solutions out-of-thebox to allow you to focus on your business.

• Mipela assists its clients to make good decisions by connecting people, processes and systems using technology to provide responsive engagement, requiring intuitive interactions driven by data.

• Mipela simplifies how people work with repeatable activities to be more efficient by capturing data and automating processes to centralise the information people need.

• Mipela empowers people to identify insights reliably with a map to improve the speed of communicating tasks and outcomes so they can focus on their business.

The Mipela GeoSolutions team looks forward exploring how it can help your business.

For more information visit www.mipela.com.au

SOFTWARE

Sentanil CMS supports pipeline construction Quality data traceability and management for gas, slurry and water pipeline construction can be greatly assisted through the use of Sentanil Systems CMS mobile devices and office database, to support the requirements of a pipeline project’s quality system and field data capture.

C

onstruction Management Systems (CMS) has now been in operation in Australia for 26 years and has been successfully used in the construction phase for most gas transmission pipelines, which require strict adherence to AS 2885, and in associated facility construction.

CMS is used primarily in the pipe transport, receipt and inspection, pipe stringing, welding, field joint coating, pipe body repair, lowering-in and as-built survey phases of the project.

Some of the recent enhances to CMS include: • Environment GPS data capture component to allow collection of fauna, erosion control and inspection activities in the field.

Includes tracking of inspection actions to ensure adherence to compliance requirements.

• Daily Field Joint Coating Inspection data

capture form for coating consumables, environmental and surface temperatures, profiles, thickness readings, adhesion testing etc. This accelerates the field data collection process by limiting data collection to the time of the actual readings, and therefore not required for each individual weld.

• Enhancement of MDR component to enable CMS to be used for generation of key components of the MDR. • Enhancement of the ability to manage CMS off-site due to the further development of the Remote Management module. Field Data Collection devices can be synchronised remotely via email to and from the site office to an off-site location where CMS can be managed. Appropriate daily reporting and communication with the Site QA Manager allows this feature to be successfully deployed.

If you have any queries regarding CMS, contact Hayden McDonald at Sentanil Systems in Brisbane on 07 3252 5589.

100% People - There’s never been a more important time for business to show stakeholders their human side

PIPELINES IN QUEENSLAND

Queensland hits peak production amid pandemic Queensland’s energy sector has continued to operate and employ people through the country’s most difficult days. The most recent data shows Australia’s resource and energy export earnings are estimated to have reached an all-time high, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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t’s been a busy few months for Queensland.

The state made Australian history in July 2021 when Brisbane was selected to host the 2032 Olympics, while major infrastructure works like the Cross River Rail have commenced in anticipation for the mega event

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and to stimulate local economic recovery.

New investment in energy continues to support jobs across regional Queensland and will remain a key driver in economic bounceback post COVID-19. The petroleum industry in the state now exceeds $1 billion in

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

production value, with significant potential for further developments in both exploration and production of LNG and CSG. Onshore gas is now the state’s second largest commodity export with two basins currently producing CSG – the Bowen and Surat basins.

PIPELINES IN QUEENSLAND

This year has seen significant expansions to major processing facilities, final investment decisions (FIDs) made on groundbreaking projects, and gas acquisitions by Queenslandlisted energy companies.

Roma North processing facility works complete The Roma North Gas Processing Facility expansion is now complete with Jemena and its project partners finalising testing at the site in August 2021. Upgrades to the facility, which cost $15 million, have increased processing capacity by 50 per cent, in line with increasing production from Senex’s Roma North gas field.

Jemena is set to transfer gas from the facility on behalf of Senex to customer GLNG, with Queensland-based Wasco Australia awarded the construction contract for the project. Wasco Managing Director Mel Whyte called it “fantastic” to see contracts like this awarded to local businesses.

Roma North is also supporting the regional economy and generating royalties for the state government to provide and maintain roads, schools and hospitals. The region is expected to produce important natural gas supplies for the

Comet Ridge increases interest in Mahalo

east coast market for the next 30 years.

Senex makes FID on Atlas In August, Senex announced an FID on the $40 million expansion of the Atlas project. Atlas is the first natural gas acreage in Australia dedicated solely to domestic supply, located 20 km southwest of Wandoan in the Surat Basin.

Expansion of the project will result in a 50 per cent production increase, from 12 to 18 PJ/year. Senex Managing Director and CEO Ian Davies says the Atlas expansion project is a low-risk, high-return growth opportunity for Senex to support increased domestic natural gas supply.

“This investment follows strong project execution and natural gas production performance at Atlas, with reservoir performances and well availability to continue to excel,” he says.

The company says this progression is the next phase of growth to drive Senex towards its annual production target of more than 60 PJ/year by the end of the 2025 financial year.

Comet Ridge has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) interests in Mahalo, taking the company’s stake from 40 to 70 per cent.

Mahalo, located in the Denison Trough area of Queensland’s Bowen Basin, is a highly appraised gas field with more than 20 wells.

Comet Ridge has executed a funding agreement with continuing Mahalo joint venture (JV) partner Santos. Payment – which will be $12 million in upfront considerations – is fully funded in loans from Santos and will be payable to APLNG at completion of the acquisition.

Comet Ridge Managing Director Tor McCaul says the transactions established a streamlined JV with Santos, not only to progress development plans for the Mahalo Gas Project, but also for the whole gas hub area. The Mahalo Gas Hub area, he stated, has the potential to become a significant supplier of gas to the east coast market.

For more information on the latest industry news, projects and products visit www.pipeliner.com.au

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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PROJECTS

HDD installations on the Parmelia Gas Pipeline

UEA onsite at the Parmelia Gas Pipeline replacement works.

The shifting sands of Perth can add complexity to trenchless projects; however, with good drilling practices and a swift, well-planned schedule, running sand is no obstacle for horizontal directional drilling.

With expert knowledge and extensive preparation, UEA was able to complete vital replacement works on one of Western Australia’s most significant gas pipelines.

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he Parmelia Gas Pipeline is a major piece of gas transmission infrastructure linking the Perth gas fields with the Carnarvon Basin and Mondarra Gas Storage Facility in Western Australia. Owned and operated by APA Group, at 445 km in length, including laterals, the steel pipeline is a critical piece of WA infrastructure.

As such, when two sections of the pipeline recently required replacement due to a railway expansion, the project needed to be completed promptly and with minimal disruption to service. Adding extra complexity, the 550 m and 650 m crossings were required to be placed under roads and within 10-20 m of the active rail corridors.

Expert contractor UEA, one of Australia’s leading trenchless technology companies, was

engaged to deliver these works in safe and efficient manner.

Given the minimal disturbance required and limited construction area, UEA General Manager Steve Hopkins says, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) was a natural choice for the project.

“This project needed to be completed really promptly not only because of the critical infrastructure, but also because of the ground conditions,” he says.

“Being familiar with WA ground conditions, we are well acquainted with the running sand geology of the area, and we know the impact that it can have on an HDD project.”

A priority for UEA (and principal contractor Pipecraft) was ensuring that all Transperth and Department of Transport requirements were

abided by, and that there were zero impacts on the road and rail infrastructure.

After completing the necessary design and auxiliary planning, UEA mobilised quickly to get the project underway. UEA Operations Manager Jonathan de Vos says thoughtful planning of the site layout was vital.

“We were low on space but still needed to deliver this major piece of infrastructure,” he says.

“And being a steel pipeline, the steering and drilling accuracy in particular needed detailed

UEA used a Vermeer D330 maxi rig for the works.

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

PROJECTS

planning to ensure both pullbacks could be completed without adversely impacting the pipeline.”

Driller Andre Nevstad was in charge of the Vermeer D330 maxi rig, which was selected for its combination of ease of mobilisation, capacity

for larger pipelines and relatively compact size.

“The D330 is great for jobs that have limited space but still need the capabilities of a maxi rig,” says Mr Nevstad.

“The onboard drill cab and power pack minimises the extra containers which are

normally required for maxi spreads, which is great when space is a premium.”

Spudding in on the first crossing in early May, the works took place on an accelerated schedule from there. “Progress was swift but predictable,” says Mr de Vos. “With the faster schedule, optimal site layout and specifically designed drilling fluids program, we minimised risk from the running sand conditions and avoided potential collapse of the holes, which can happen with delays in sand conditions.”

Installation of the two 355 mm diameter pipelines, with a total length of more than 1.2 km, was complete within less than a month.

Mr Hopkins says the successful installations were a testament to good planning.

“By completing all of our planning and ensuring all factors were accounted for prior to spudding in, drilling was smooth and uninterrupted,” he says.

“Soft sand can be very unforgiving in the case of delay, but with proper planning and due diligence, there’s nothing to forgive.”

For more information visit www.uea.com.au

PROJECTS

Spiecapag makes its mark on Australian pipeline history

The Spiecapag team on the Eastern Goldfields Pipeline project.

In 2023, Spiecapag celebrates 100 years of pipeline heritage, and this year, the company has been celebrating the earliest of the projects it worked on over the 40 years since it first trenched, blasted and horizontally drilled pipelines in Australia. The Australian Pipeliner sat down with Spiecapag’s Managing Director John Walsh to talk about some of the biggest milestones over those 40 years in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Can you give us some of the highlights across projects Spiecapag has worked on in this region over the past 40 years?

JW: Sure. This year we mark 40 years of the Sydney to Newcastle pipeline. The project is memorable as our first project in Australia, and one of the innovations on that project was in minimising the environmental impacts on the Hawkesbury River crossing.

And there were lots of other crossings: tunnels, minor river crossings, highway crossings, road crossings and even cattle track crossings. Many working on the project will remember the rocky sections and some of those steep sections with large boulders to be avoided – and labour activism.

And so Spiecapag’s work in Australia had started. Moving on a decade, perhaps the most

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memorable project of the 1990s was the Tenneco pipeline (South West Queensland Pipeline), with its 756 km of cross-country pipeline, including hundreds of km of hard rock. It bears some similarities to SEA Gas, which at 687 km, was another long-distance pipeline, constructed in the early 2000s.

Additional client demand for gas meant that 340 km of the SEA Gas pipeline was expanded during construction to install twin 14-inch (355 mm) diameter pipelines, and that was a project where we were the EPC. Both these projects were true tests of our ability to get the logistics for our remote operations right, and great examples of the importance of working with local traditional landowners to protect cultural heritage.

The 2000s brought the second of our projects in PNG, following Kutubu in the 1990s – the The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

more than 600 km of large diameter pipelines for the ExxonMobil-led PNG-LNG project.

This was a monumental test of our logistics and of operating in harsh, variable conditions.

Perhaps an enduring upside of those projects is that it seems everybody in PNG knows how to pronounce Spiecapag (no need for our “Speecah-pag” mugs there!).

And very soon after that project was commissioned, we started work on the Eastern Goldfields Pipeline for APA Group – the first of many projects for APA. At 293 km, it might have been shorter than the others I’ve mentioned, but 12 hours northeast of Perth, it was really remote. Again, logistics played a key role in delivering ahead of schedule (maintaining a LTIFR of 0), by supporting production of an average of 5 km/day with a single spread, and like so often, a very rapid mobilisation.

PROJECTS

A lot of the projects Spiecapag has constructed have been delivered through joint ventures (JV) with other businesses. Is that also the way of the future?

Yes, and over the years, Spiecapag has long worked alongside JV partners in Australia as much as internationally. Some JVs were formed to deliver a single project for clients, but many have created enduring partnerships, where we shared so much more than just project risks and rewards, but also long-term client relationships, skilled workers and indeed management.

The longest standing JV partner we had was Lucas Engineering and Construction, a relationship built over decades, which culminated in a marriage of the businesses a few years ago. And in doing so, we also added another very strong string to our bow with the arrival of our horizontal directional drilling (HDD) business, HDI Lucas, which has done many firsts, longests, and largests in the HDD world, both in Australia and overseas.

So yes, partnerships and joint ventures are definitely a big part of how we work today, and also part of our vision of the future. This way, we focus on being best in class at what Spiecapag does – pipelines and facilities – and we work hand-in-hand with partners who bring additional expertise so that our clients can deliver more complex projects while both reducing costs and having a simpler owner-contractor interface.

Some recent examples of those kinds of JVs include our recent project with Seymour Whyte to deliver the Mardi to Warnervale water pipeline project for the NSW Central Coast Council, and another with Menard to assist a large mining client on Lihir Island in PNG.

We saw that Spiecapag fielded a team in the Brisbane Marathon festival recently, John, and it’s not the first time. Can you tell us what that means to you?

At a personal level, I must confess that I love running. But that’s not the only reason we field a team in the marathon. Since we first ran in 2018, the Spiecapag team has raised over $30,000 for charities, including Mates in Construction and Motor Neuron Disease Queensland.

What’s more, every year, we see our partners and subbies getting involved and supporting the causes too, which shows great team spirit.

Those worthy causes have really added purpose to the run for us - and there is the additional benefit of it being a great team-building exercise too, with a noticeable boost in camaraderie and drive to do better in the team.

And that drive to do better, to do good, has informed how we run the business. We have a very active Green Team in the business, which drives environmental improvements from all levels in the business and throughout our operations here in Australia and the region. That combines well with our parent Vinci Group’s research and development to reduce

The Sydney to Newcastle pipeline was Spiecapag’s first project in Australia.

our carbon footprint, and means we look forward to a very bright future for the business. And we are not unique: so many other parts of the industry are doing the same, so we look forward to sharing those successes for constructing a better world together.

For more information visit www.spiecapag.com.au

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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PROJECTS

Fast game’s a good game on the Sunshine Coast Accelerated works on the Sunshine Coast helped a Maroochydore community network get back online quicker with minimal disruption.

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ipeline installations in developed areas are becoming more commonplace as populations grow. Unitywater, which provides essential services to the Moreton Bay, Noosa and Sunshine Coast regions of South East Queensland, was faced with this challenge when urgent work was required on a severely degraded sewer rising main at Fishermans Road in Maroochydore.

The project was further complicated by the popular Sunday market, bustling sports precinct and the need to replace and realign the major sewer rising main installed in 1977.

Unitywater Executive Manager for Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions Amanda Creevey says works were fast-tracked to reduce the impact on local business and recreators that access the Maroochy River.

“The completion of this project ensures we can provide reliable sewage services to around 10,000 customers and many more into the future, while also improving the efficiency of our network more broadly,” she says.

“By accelerating these works, the pipeline could also be brought online prior to the 20212022 wet season, when demand is at its peak.”

Unitywater contractor Pipeline Drillers Group helped make it possible with a horizontal direction drilling (HDD) project designed and delivered without delay.

Director John Whitbread says HDD was the natural choice to install approximately 550 m of new pipework by drilling 20 m underground to minimise disruption to the community and safeguard the new asset.

“We had the Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex, busy Fishermans Road, additional under and above ground services, and residential areas near the pipeline, so a trenchless option was a must,” says Mr Whitbread.

“With those factors, along with the pressing need to complete the project on a tight turnaround, we had for-construction HDD designs completed within a week of contract award. We knew the significance of this project and the importance of getting the HDD works

Approximately 550 m of new pipework was installed by drilling 20 m underground to minimise disruption to the community in South East Queensland.

done to allow for completion of the tie-ins and other larger project works, so timing was vital.”

As well as being time-sensitive, several other project-specific factors added to the complexity of the project, explains Pipeline Drillers Group Business Development Manager Paul Tredenick.

“We had building infrastructure and lighting services right in the middle of the alignment,” says Mr Tredenick.

“Additionally, ground conditions were challenging – penetration boreholes and diffraction surveys were taken in the project area, and they were demonstrating variable results.

One area would show rock conditions at particular depths, while not far away, we’d get results of very low-strength, other-thanrock geology.”

Pipeline Drillers Group tackled these complexities with a risk-based approach.

“We minimised settlement, vibration, and construction risk to existing infrastructure by incorporating a significant horizontal radius into the design,” explains Mr Tredenick.

“And given the uncertainty in ground conditions, we included risk mitigation measures such as adding exit side casing into the design, and a set of lightweight tooling as well as rock tooling. With this approach, we could minimise risk of hydrofracture at shallow depths, but at the same time, we knew we could confidently handle any harder geology we might encounter.”

Pipeline Drillers Group mobilised its Herrenknecht 250T rig, along with a variety of auxiliary and standby equipment, to ensure minimal downtime during the seven-day schedule. Supported by classic Sunshine Coast weather, the 550 m, 450 mm HDPE crossing was completed ahead of schedule, within four weeks of project commencement.

Ms Creevey says the project was a testament to the benefits of trenchless methods.

“By using HDD to replace and realign the Fishermans Road Sewer Pipeline, we were able to bring this important piece of infrastructure online quickly and efficiently, with minimal closures and disruption to our residents and local community,” she says.

For more information visit www.pdgroup.com.au

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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PROJECTS

STATS uses remote operation on pipeline isolation STATS Group provided pipeline isolation services on an offshore platform to allow the safe replacement of a launcher valve, in the Bass Strait, offshore Victoria.

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he change in diameter in the export pipeline, from 24 inches (609 mm) reducing down to 20 inches (508 mm) at the isolation location presented a challenge on the project and required innovative thinking to provide an efficient and safe solution.

Remote Tecno Plug and Door Plug pre-deployment.

The vertical pipeline featured a launcher, 24-inch (609 mm) valve and production tee which then reduced to 20 inches (508 mm) and included a 20 inch valve that needed to be isolated and replaced. The dual diameter piping presented a challenge to engineer a piggable isolation plug to negotiation the change in internal diameter.

To overcome this issue, STATS Group proposed the use of a remotely operated Tecno Plug that would be deployed to the isolation location on rigid stem bars, rather than being pigged through the pipeline. This deployment method allowed the Remote Tecno Plug to be lowered in a controlled manner and precisely positioned in the short straight section of pipe after the 20-inch valve before a bend.

This avoided the need to pig the isolation tool which can present challenges in dual diameter pipelines. The Remote Tecno Plug provided a fully proved, double block and monitor isolation of the gas pipeline and ensured that only a small section of pipework was required to be vented and purged while the valve replacement activities took place.

This provided the operator with considerable time and cost savings while ensuring the safety of the worksite. The use of the remotely operated Tecno Plug ensured communication to the plug was maintained throughout the project and while the valve replacement activities took place.

To enable the Remote Tecno Plug to be deployed from the launcher to the set location with stem bars, STATS provided a 24-inch (609 mm) isolation plug to act as an isolation barrier of the launcher, as the launcher door would not be able to be used during the isolation activities due to the stem bars.

The 24-inch Door Plug provides the same dual seal double block and bleed isolation as a Tecno Plug, but has a port through the centre of the plug to allow the stem bar to be fed through the pipeline while the Door Plug provides isolation of the launcher, which during operations had the potential to be 118 bar.

Fully tested As part of the project, STATS conducted a client witnessed Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) at its operational base in Abu Dhabi, UAE on both the Remote Tecno Plug and Door Plug. A full-scale test fixture was created to replicate the exact pipeline

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

Valve removed revealing rear of Remote Tecno Plug providing 60 bar isolation of gas export pipeline.

configuration onsite.

The FAT was conducted using STATS live remote monitoring system, which offers a unique opportunity for the client team to witness the FAT without the need to attend their facilities in person.

This system was particularly beneficial to the client who was based in Australia, due to travel restrictions in place due to the COVID pandemic.

Following the FAT, the equipment and personnel were mobilised to the platform to carry out the isolation and allow the valve to be replaced during a planned shutdown. To allow the Tecno Plug to be installed into the launcher the valves were closed and the launcher was vented and purged.

Final pre-deployment checks were conducted on the isolation plugs and the launcher door was opened. The Door Plug and Remote Tecno Plug were then lifted together and lowered into the launcher until the Remote Tecno Plug engaged in the reducer and the Door Plug was positioned in the end of the launcher.

The Door Plug was then hydraulically activated to energise the locks and dual seals. The seals were each tested independently to confirm leak-tight isolation and the launcher was repressurised and a leak-tested was conducted.

Prior to deploying the Remote Tecno Plug, a deployment frame was positioned at the end of the launcher, allowing each section of stem bar to be assembled and hydraulically deployed into the pressurised pipeline, through the Door Plug.

Communication with the Remote Tecno Plug

PROJECTS

was maintained using an extremely low frequency (ELF) inductive system while the plug was deployed through the pipeline and once positioned at the set location. At location, the isolation plug was hydraulically set to activate the locks and dual seals.

The dual seals were then independently tested with full pipeline pressure in the correct direction to confirm leak-tight isolation and allow the pipeline to be bled down to ambient from the platform launcher to the rear of the Remote Tecno Plug. The annulus between the plug seals was then vented to ambient to create a zero-energy zone.

Following an isolation stability hold period the ‘Isolation Certificate’ was issued. The stem bar was then hydraulically disconnected from the rear of the Remote Tecno Plug and recovered back to the launcher.

With the isolation in place and the double block and monitor isolation verified and constantly monitored, the valve replacement activities were safely completed. Once the new valve had been installed, the stem bars were redeployed and reattached to the rear of the Tecno Plug.

A wheel bracket mounted to the stem bar ensured the stem bar remained centralised ensuring reconnection to the Tecno Plug. With connection made and confirmed, the launcher pressure was

raised to 60 bar to carry out a reinstatement pressure test of the newly installed valve while the isolation remained undisturbed.

Once the leak test was successfully completed the pipeline pressure was equalised and the Tecno Plug was unset and recovered to the launcher. The launcher valves were closed allowing the launcher to be vented and purged and the Tecno Plug and Door Plug were removed from the pipeline completing the project.

“This is a significant milestone for STATS marking our first deployment of the Remote Tecno Plug in Australia,” says STATS Regional Manager for Asia Pacific Gareth Campbell.

“This work scope is now one of many safety critical pipeline isolation projects completed for this client in the region, following projects using our tethered Tecno Plug and patented BISEP. “The Tecno Plug offers a high level of safety while providing a cost-effective solution, this successful isolation prevented the operator from depressurising and purging the entire pipeline required to ensure it was hydrocarbon-free prior to maintenance activities.”

For more information visit www.statsgroup.com

Dual module Remote Tecno Plug supported below Door Plug and hydraulic deployment system.

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PIPELINE INSPECTION

Tremco Pipeline Equipment's DIY intelligent pigging and emissions reduction technologies Tremco Pipeline Equipment may be Australia’s oldest continually operating pipeline equipment supplier, but it stays at the forefront of providing the newest technology and most innovative solutions to meet the changing needs of Australia’s pipeline market.

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ast-approaching its 30th year in business, family-owned and operated Tremco Pipeline Equipment is Australia’s longest continually operating pipeline equipment supplier, known for its enthusiasm and passion for providing the oil, gas, water, mining and petrochemical industries with quality products and back-up service.

Since the company’s humble beginnings in a home office solely supplying anti-corrosion tape coatings, Tremco Pipeline Equipment has steadily grown its range to supply a variety of the highest quality pipeline products and equipment for new construction, emergency response, maintenance, upgrades and repairs to existing infrastructure.

Its range includes well-known and respected global brands, such as Plidco emergency leak-repair fittings, Girard Industries pigs, Petroline PetroSleeve, Sawyer Manufacturing, SPY Pipeline inspection Co and Weldfit hot-tap and linestop fittings.

Tremco Pipeline Equipment continues to look for new technology, quality products and effective solutions to support operators’ specific needs and drive an efficient, safe and reliable pipeline industry.

Now, to meet market demands the company has added two new solutions to its portfolio.

These include: • TPE Midstream’s ZEVAC (Zero Emissions Vacuum and Compression) technology, which instantly reduces emissions from venting activities; and, • EnviroCal’s run-on-your-own caliper and MFL inspection tools that provide an innovative, costeffective and technician-free solution to pipeline inspection.

Instantly reduce your emissions and reduce waste with ZEVAC Natural gas is an essential component of the world’s energy mix. According to the APGA, Australia has enough gas supply for more than 50 years based on current production rates.

However, oil and gas industries are under extreme scrutiny from environmental activists, investors and others who are concerned about the methane emissions that are produced from oil and gas operations. Much of this scrutiny focuses on routine tasks such as venting. The graph above identifies the various activities that contribute

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to venting.

TPE Midstream envisions a future without venting, where every operator is equipped to do their job without releasing gas.

Using its Zero Emissions Vacuum and Compression (ZEVAC®) technology, TPE Midstream has made a future with zero emissions from the venting activities listed on the chart possible.

The ZEVAC is a patented revolutionary technology that provides an emission-less alternative to venting and flaring.

The solution captures natural gas during maintenance or inspection operations so it can be recycled for use, and methane releases are subsequently significantly reduced or eliminated.

The ZEVAC uses compressed air and moves gas into an adjacent pipeline or appropriate storage container. It allows the intake to depressurise and discharge back into the pipe system with 100 per cent of the gas staying inside the pipe.

This also allows for less waste as the product always stays in the system, and eliminates emissions, noise warnings, hazards and the permits generally associated with venting and flaring.

The ZEVAC has a simple design that ensures air and gas never mix. There are no electronics or engines powering the ZEVAC thus no chance for a spark.

Everything from pipeline pigging, in-line The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

inspection runs, distribution main replacement, hot-tapping and line-stopping activities can all now be completed without releasing emissions. The technology can also handle wet gas and natural gas liquids for midstream pigging applications.

The ZEVAC system makes work crews safer, more environmentally responsible, and better neighbours. Using ZEVAC, natural gas operators can now meet or exceed the timelines set on their emission reduction goals.

Many American utilities have embraced the technology.

“Our field crews have embraced ZEVAC® for the ease of operation,” says New York utility Consolidated Edison’s Manager of Research, Development & Demonstration Rick Trieste.

“ZEVAC is a must-have for the natural gas industry to reduce methane emissions associated with main replacement and ensure a sustainable future.”

With the use of ZEVAC operators now have the power to stop routine voluntary emissions.

EnviroCal’s cost-effective DIY inspection solutions EnviroCal delivers straightforward solutions to complex problems leveraging the latest technologies to provide the best in-line inspection in the industry.

The company manufactures simple, easy-to-use caliper inspection tools that don’t require a dedicated technician for onsite use.

PIPELINE INSPECTION

Its caliper tools have been used by some of the largest pipeline operators in the world, including Williams, Enterprise Products, ExxonMobil, Centurion Pipeline and more. What’s more, the easy-to- use system has proven extremely costeffective for executing projects in remote locations such as outback Australia, Papua New Guinea and offshore Nigeria.

Now, the company is set to revolutionise the pipeline pigging industry again by designing a technician-free MFL inspection tool.

With a targeted release date of 2022, EnviroCal is applying all it has learned to provide another high- value service to its customers – using the same discipline, resilience, passion and commitment to simplifying the inspection market.

EnviroCal’s tools are able to be used without a technician because of the company’s commitment to conservative design principles and the latest technology. The equipment, along with all accessories necessary to operate the tool in the field, are shipped to the client through a commercial shipper.

The ability to inspect a pipeline without a dedicated technician translates directly into costs savings for EnviroCal’s clients. EnviroCal has

estimated that its caliper system results in an average cost saving more than 30 per cent compared to running a pig with a technician. And in the case of project delays, the cost is a fraction of the normal stand-by rates.

When EnviroCal first introduced its run-onyour-own caliper system, some in the pipeline industry were skeptical about a product that didn’t come with onsite expertise. There was no precedent in the industry.

But EnviroCal recognised that it needed to match the level of service of an onsite technician – and has doubled-down on its commitment to excellent customer service. Solving problems as they arise, reassuring customers of its commitment to quality, and continuously improving systems and processes has been key to the DIY system’s success.

Throughout its journey, EnviroCal has aimed to create a service of highest value to its customers – a straightforward, simple system that can be used efficiently and effectively – a vision that aligns with Tremco Pipeline Equipment.

Innovative products backed by extensive experience Tremco Pipeline Equipment’s sales and service staff

EnviroCal’s run-on-your-own caliper and MFL inspection tools provide an innovative solution to pipeline inspection

have more than 100 years of combined extensive product knowledge and training as well as in-field pipeline experience. This, coupled with its broad range of stock, means it is well-equipped to assist with any enquiry.

In addition to Australia, the company also services Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

For more information on innovative products backed by extensive experience, go to www.tremcopipeline.com.au

02 4966 5583 www.maxibor.com.au admin@maxibor.com.au Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter

» Quality and collaborative HDD design and construct services » Expertise to advise at the right time in the project delivery cycle » Gas, water and sewer, rail, road, power, telecommunications, mining, residential development and renewables » Maxi-rigs capable of long and wide diameter bores in hard rock and difficult conditions » Build a future we all look forward to.

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING HDD SPECIALIST Maxibor is using its network of experience to deliver better project outcomes to asset owners and principal contractors alike

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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PIPELINE INSPECTION

Super Emitters no match for Picarro solution Picarro continues to offer its unique analytics solution to reduce gas emissions and improve the safety of energy networks. Its innovative system identifies a gas network’s highest emitting leaks in order to conduct prioritised repair operations.

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icarro is a leading provider of hardwareenabled software solutions for the energy industry that has recently introduced its gas network assessment and pipeline replacement optimisation applications to the Australian energy market.

One of the aspects that makes Picarro’s solution unique is the ability to collect and map emissions data to target repair or replacement works and precisely quantify the emissions reduction benefits.

Picarro’s solution can easily quantify the amount of emissions from individual leaks or the total leakage emissions in a pipe section or area, while with traditional means it is extremely difficult and nearly impossible. Picarro’s solution enables emissions data to be taken rapidly at scale and its analytics uses this data to produce emissions related outputs which helps gas utilities focus efforts on higher emitting leaks and pipeline segments.

Large or “Super Emitters”, which frequently contribute disproportionately to emissions reduction goals, can be easily identified so they are remediated first as part of an informed and cost-effective emission reduction strategy.

In one case in the United States, a pipeline operator was able to detect more than 1,000 emission sources using the Picarro system, eight of which were classified as Super Emitters, being 10 ft3 (0.28 m3) or greater of emissions, which contributed 27 per cent of the system’s total emissions.

Picarro Director of Gas Sales and Marketing Doug Ward says the top 5 per cent of sources contributed to 50 per cent of the total emissions in this case, a ratio which the company found was typical for gas networks.

“Using our solution, finding and identifying the largest emitters and fixing that small percentage of leaks can have a huge impact on reducing greenhouse gas and methane emissions,” he says.

“When you concentrate on Super Emitters, our data shows you are also focusing your resources and your efforts on your more hazardous below ground and high consequence leaks, and less so on your less hazardous and miniscule leaks.

“This focus not only gives you the environmental greenhouse gas emissions reduction benefit, but from a public safety

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Picarro’s Emissions Quantification Analtyics dashboard used for super emitter leak identification and analysis.

The dashboard allows gas operators to quickly look at repair scenarios, calculating aggregate emissions reduction benefits of different types, sizes and locations of leaks.

standpoint you’re able to mitigate risk associated with these predominantly hazardous risks being identified outside of your normal compliance leak survey activities.”

Mr Ward says Picarro’s analytics have been developed to a point where it is the world’s leading system in terms of quantifying the amount of gas that is emitted from these sources.

“Largely, other technologies can’t tell you how much is being emitted. The biggest differentiator for our solution is the ability to effectively and accurately quantify the amount of gas being emitted from the different sources that we can detect.

“Without that ability, you cannot obtain the benefits of this kind of program,” he says.

“Hand or foot-based crews don’t have the technology to do this, so this solution really is a game-changer for utilities from an environmental The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

standpoint. We’re seeing many companies in the US and now companies in Australia taking up the Super Emitter and Emissions Reduction use case applications solution.”

Mr Ward says the company continues to see a steady uptick in the use of its system around the world, with the company now increasing its focus in Australia.

“We’re currently engaged in a project with a utility in Australia and are in discussions with our utilities, with demonstrations and pilot trials scheduled this year. It’s a matter of these companies seeing and understanding Picarro’s solution and offerings leading to new partnering relationships providing our services.”

For more information visit www.energy.picarro.com

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PIPELINE INSPECTION

The GS700 in action.

Futureproofing gas detection in a hydrogen future Leaders in gas detection are poised to embrace the emergent hydrogen industry as the world chases net zero emissions.

Heath Pipeline Services is now offering the next generation of leak detection technology from Teledyne GMI as the industry moves into a new phase of energy generation.

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eath Pipeline Services has served oil and gas providers in Australasia for more than 40 years, distributing world-leading brands designed to deliver the best outcome for clients.

Heath is also the exclusive distributor for Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments (GMI) detectors – the leading brand in Australasia for portable gas detectors. Used by all gas utility companies, government departments, regulators and private sector companies, Teledyne GMI has more than 50 years’ experience supplying gas detectors to operators.

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The GS700 has been used to support testing on the safe generation, storage and distribution of hydrogen within distribution networks.

For decades, the Gasurveyor (GS) 500 series, and more recently the 700 series with infrared natural gas detection technology, has been trusted to ensure peak safety outcomes for the production and transportation of methane, propane and a variety of industrial gases.

With a ready-made delivery network, the natural gas industry is at the forefront of the emerging hydrogen economy as existing The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

infrastructure will be essential for safe hydrogen generation and distribution in the staged replacement of natural gas.

Hydrogen generation and distribution has become a leading policy in many governments’ plans to reduce carbon emissions and meet agreed climate targets. The International Energy Agency (IEA) report has provided a forecast of 520 million t of hydrogen required to meet the

PIPELINE INSPECTION

‘Net Zero by 2050’ global energy roadmap.

There are two leading technologies upscaling to meet the target.

Steam methane reforming is considered ‘blue’ hydrogen because it still generates carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which must be captured and stored. This method is currently the cheapest, most efficient, and most common, involving the creation of hydrogen through the reaction of natural gas with high temperature steam.

Electrolysis is the generation of ‘green’ hydrogen and is produced when an electric current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules. The electricity used in this process is generated from renewable sources such as solar or wind power, and therefore, the resulting hydrogen is considered renewable as well.

According to the IEA report, the production of 322 million t of green hydrogen in 2050 would require a global electrolyser capacity of 3,585GW, up from about 300MW today. This would mean a compound average annual growth rate (CAAGR) in clean hydrogen production of 66 per cent between now and 2030, and 23 per cent between 2030 and 2050, the report concludes.

Whichever the method of hydrogen 1 1/12/21 Australian Pipeliner.pdf

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PIPE

FUSION AS EASY AS...

generation, there are many new challenges that the traditional gas industry faces in handling this emergent fuel.

The greater flammability of hydrogen compared to methane or natural gas requires that traditional appliances are adapted and explosion risks re-calculated to account for the hydrogen/methane blends that will be the stepping-stones to a 100 per cent carbonfree future.

Teledyne GMI supports developments in the safe generation, distribution and use of hydrogen or hydrogen blends. TGMI has been working diligently to develop leak detection solutions to meet the needs of future hydrogen networks.

Over the past two years, the business has been involved in a number of innovative projects, including Hydeploy, H21 and H100, where the GS700 has been used to support testing on the safe generation, storage and distribution of hydrogen within existing and new distribution networks.

The company is nearing completion of a new

device capable of measuring from 1ppm to 100 per cent volume hydrogen . The multimode instrument will facilitate all field activities including leak locating (ppm range), safe evacuation decision making (LEL range) whilst also supporting purging and commissioning (Volume range).

The TGMI team is also working on ensuring GS700 users can upgrade existing units to accommodate the future hydrogen demands of the industry, guaranteeing the reliable measurement of different compositions and blends, thus futureproofing existing 700 series fleets.

The GS700 series has now been used across multiple projects as gas companies work to understand hydrogen and its impact on existing policies and procedures around network safety and leak management.

With 30 years of shared experience, Heath Pipeline Services and Teledyne GMI have a proven track record of supporting natural gas transmission and distribution operators across Australia and New Zealand.

For more information on how Teledyne GMI can support your current and future detection needs, go to www.gasandoil.com.au

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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CORROSION & CATHODIC PROTECTION

Insulation joint testing of water pipeline.

CCE expands its pipeline corrosion management offering For 20 years, Corrosion Control Engineering (CCE) has established a reputation as the pipeline industry’s leading cathodic protection (CP) goods and services provider. The company has Australasia’s largest number of NACE certified cathodic protection staff including nine CP-4 Cathodic Protection Specialists - the highest level of CP certification offered by NACE, the worldwide corrosion authority.

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hile many in the pipeline industry know CCE for its CP technical expertise and supply of quality CP materials, many are unfamiliar with the other corrosion prevention services and pipeline specific product lines that CCE can offer the industry.

The company name, Corrosion Control Engineering lends itself to many other areas outside of just CP, and over the past few years, the company has diversified into other sectors of the pipeline corrosion industry.

As well as having more corrosion engineers and technicians specialising in CP than any other company in Australasia, CCE also has an in-house team of corrosion investigation and pipeline integrity consultants, whose primary function is to provide corrosion analysis and mitigation solutions for pipeline asset owners.

Alan Bryson is CCE’s Principal Corrosion and Integrity Specialist based in Melbourne.

With more than 40 years of CP, coatings and AC mitigation knowledge, Mr Bryson has been providing pipeline integrity expertise and solutions for some of Australia’s oldest and most

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complex buried steel pipeline systems.

In Perth, Dr Grahame Strong is CCE’s corrosion expert specialising in corrosion management for both onshore and offshore structures. Dr Strong's 30 years of corrosion experience includes specifying and reviewing corrosion and chemical monitoring equipment and assessing the fitness for service of equipment damaged by corrosion.

Dr Strong is an internal corrosion and corrosion inhibitor consultant and subject matter expert for managing microbial influenced, CO2, H2S, top of the line and under deposit corrosion.

Based in Sydney, CCE Corrosion and Materials Consultant Edgar Mendez has been working in the inspection and testing industry for 17 years, most of which has been in metallurgy. Mr Mendez's corrosion expertise includes condition assessment, failure investigations, visual and microstructural examination, standards review and a wide range of onsite and laboratory testing and reporting.

In addition to the above areas of engineering and field technical expertise, the company’s warehouses across Australia and New Zealand The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

stock and sell a wide range of pipeline related products and materials.

While CCE is known for supplying world class sacrificial and impressed current anodes, earth contact backfills and transformer rectifier units from the world’s leading suppliers, the company has a whole lot more to offer the pipeline industry that many of us don’t know about.

All of CCE’s regional offices have a products, materials and technical equipment specialist with many years of experience in the pipeline industry. Its regional warehouses stock a full inventory of CP and pipeline related products, materials and technical equipment.

CCE’s regional office locations throughout Australia and New Zealand allow reduced shipping costs for products and materials supplied to their customers. This local presence means CCE has the ability to expedite the dispatch of materials all over Australasia at short notice, whenever required.

In support of the pipeline industry, CCE offers competitive pricing for a wide range of products and technical equipment including: • CP test points, stands, cabling and thermit

CORROSION & CATHODIC PROTECTION

weld materials • Monolithic Insulating Joints (MIJ’s) supplied by Zunt in Italy • Surge protectors and decouplers - supplied by Dairyland USA • Pipeline pigs - all types and sizes of pipeline cleaning and gauging pigs manufactured by the world’s leading suppliers • Corrosion and erosion monitoring equipment • Pipeline casing spacers • Insulating barrel unions for pipework • Pipeline repair sleeves/kits • Speciality cables and heat shrink materials • Radolid Caps - to protect bolted connections against corrosion • DCVG Pipeline Coating Defect Survey Equipment • CIPS ‐ Close Interval Potential Survey Equipment • Data loggers and GPS current interrupters • CP remote monitoring systems for test point and transformer rectifiers • DC Current Clamp (Swain Meter) • Soil resistivity testing equipment • Pipeline locators With eight offices located around Australia and New Zealand, CCE are well positioned to

CP survey at a pipeline test point.

assist pipeline asset owners and constructors with their pipeline corrosion prevention and cathodic protection needs for any project, large or small.

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

Visit www.cceng.com.au or call 1300 COR ENG for further information.

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CORROSION & CATHODIC PROTECTION

Corrosion inhibiting grease for maintaining construction equipment Regular maintenance on grease points is one of the best ways to keep heavy construction equipment in good condition with fewer joint failures and repairs. Savcor Products Australia offers top-of-the-line grease products to ensure this equipment is protected against the elements for longer periods of time.

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hile lubrication can be done with almost any extreme pressure grease, CorrLube™ VpCI® Lithium EP Grease offers an added boost of corrosion protection for equipment used or stored near the ocean.

Corrlube VpCI EP Grease.

CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease is an NLGI grade 2 grease that can be used in extreme operating conditions—high pressure, high temperature applications (dropping point is 182°C) or high pressure, low speed applications where there is a shock loading concern.

This makes it acceptable for almost any common grease point on heavy equipment turrets, shovels, booms, graders, etc. These components should be lubricated according to equipment manual recommendations so extreme pressure and friction do not take a premature toll on joints, pins, bearings, and bushings, leading to costly and difficult replacement.

Applying CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease will help keep moving parts lubricated to avoid these unnecessary interruptions.

Seaside storage An added benefit of CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease is enhanced corrosion protection.

While grease provides a natural barrier against corrosion, equipment exposed to sea spray and airborne chlorides in extreme coastal environments can benefit from extra protection.

CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease is specifically formulated with superior corrosion inhibiting properties to protect against salt water, brine, H2S, HCl, and other corrosive agents in harsh conditions such as these.

The added protection is particularly helpful for construction equipment that will be idle for a while but needs to be kept in ready-to-use condition corrosion-free for use at any time.

Image courtesy of Cortec®.

Extreme pressure applications

"With the abundance of coastal environments in Australia, the enhanced corrosion protection of CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease makes it an excellent option for lubrication when operating or laying up construction equipment in corrosive conditions."

Intermittent operation Protection of lube joints during equipment layup would typically require the removal of one grease in order to apply another one with greater preservative qualities. The layup grease would in turn have to be removed and replaced with operating grease when putting the equipment back into service.

CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease eliminates this extra hassle. Although ideal for layup applications, it does not have to be removed or replaced before equipment operation, offering much more flexibility to the equipment users.

This is especially good for construction crews

that operate intermittently — for example, 16 hours per day for several weeks while trying to finish one project, then not at all when waiting for a new contract. CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease offers the flexibility of lubrication and corrosion protection during any of these stages.

Construction equipment should be kept welllubricated for best results. With the abundance of coastal environments in Australia, the enhanced corrosion protection of CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease makes it an excellent option for lubrication when operating or laying up construction equipment in corrosive conditions.

For more information please contact your local Savcor Products Australia representative on 1800SAVCOR or visit www.savcorproducts.com.au

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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CORROSION & CATHODIC PROTECTION

GreenAmp represents the latest in remote monitoring of cathodic protection Corrosion experts Anode Engineering are now offering the GreenAmp® remote monitoring system – a patented, cutting-edge technology which allows pipeline operators to acquire a greater understanding of the health and condition of their pipelines.

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hen it comes to cathodic protection of critical pipeline infrastructure, information is the key. Traditional yearly test point surveys are typically labour intensive and inefficient, providing only a small snapshot of the cathodic protection at that one moment in time.

The GreenAmp® remote monitoring system provides a much deeper insight into the state of a pipeline, providing hourly measurements of pipeline protection levels transmitted daily to an intuitive online portal or to an asset owner’s own systems.

GreenAmp is the patented technology of Anode Engineering – experts in corrosion control engineering. This product has been developed and manufactured in Australia, with a potential worldwide addressable market.

There are two variants of GreenAmp: the single-channel unit and the 4 Plus model. The GreenAmp single-channel unit is designed for installation in a test point box, recording a reading of pipe potential (cathodic protection level) once every hour and transmitting those 24 readings once per day.

The GreenAmp 4 Plus unit compliments the single channel units in locations that have sacrificial anode beds, cathodic protection units (CPUs) or foreign structures. It has the following additional features: • Four channels of data such as CPU output of Volts, Current, Pipe potential and a foreign structure for interference monitoring purposes.

• Accepts active 4-20mA signals from sensors such as soil moisture meters, A.C. current transducers and other custom applications.

• A contactor output for synchronous switching of CPU or sacrificial systems to generate instant off potentials. Removing the “IR” drop to indicate the true polarised potential (protection level) of the pipe.

All units feature a variety of communication protocols to accommodate many scenarios.

GreenAmp primarily uses LTE internet of things (IoT) protocols of Cat M1 and Narrow Band IoT (NB IOT), Sigfox, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

In areas that lack IoT coverage or Wi-Fi, the Daisy Chain Data (DCD) protocol wirelessly

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The GreenAmp single-channel unit is designed for installation in a test point box.

shares data from GreenAmp to GreenAmp along a pipeline. Each unit has a range of 5 km to the next and can link up to 10 units, offering 50 km of daisy chain coverage in such areas.

GreenAmp is also compatible with the latest low earth orbit satellite systems, which are specifically designed for IoT applications allowing economical and reliable coverage in the most remote locations.

The GreenAmp portal is an intuitive webbased interface featuring graphs of test point pipe potential data; configurable alarm states for out-of-range readings; scheduling of current interruptions with high resolution logging; geographic maps of a pipeline with the ability to interrogate individual points; and a range of The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

easily interpreted customisable info-graphics.

A fully documented API allows GreenAmp data to be seamlessly integrated into existing I.T. systems if required. There have been a number of other non-pipeline implementations including monitoring of anode systems on marine structures, commercial ships and pontoons covering both steel or aluminium.

GreenAmp patented technology brought to you by Anode Engineering – experts in corrosion control design, installation, reporting and material supply.

For more information visit www.greenampsystems.com.au

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COMPANY NEWS

Iplex delivers on large-scale project management from start to finish Iplex demonstrates end-to-end capabilities on large-scale pipeline infrastructure projects, from design to delivery. The 83-year-old company employs proven strategies and tailored client solutions to safely deliver projects with the best results.

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ince its foundation in 1938, the Iplex modus operandi has been solving Australia’s pipeline industry challenges, delivering future focused products and solutions with demonstrated longterm customer value. Today, the company is a onestop shop for large scale pipeline projects and has a specialist service in project delivery on major pipeline infrastructure projects.

The team can offer an end-to-end service from design phase through to manufacturing, quality certifications, logistics and delivery management as well as provide expert installation advice.

Project delivery expertise

100 km of FLOWTITE GRP DN1000 and 1200 on the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme in South East Queensland.

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Iplex’s project delivery team handles high volumes with complex delivery requirements under tight time constraints. Mark Brunning is the Manager of Project Delivery and regularly coordinates large daily volumes on projects backed by expert project knowledge.

“The team individually tailors a solution for every project. Each project has a specially selected team with high skill and diversity – everybody brings a different skillset from technical product knowledge, engineering, manufacturing to expert supply management knowledge,” says Mr Brunning.

To bring all elements of a project together requires strong internal and customer relationships, and communication is key. The Iplex Project Delivery team has experience in many large-scale water and sewer projects, one example being the delivery of the Haughton Pipeline Duplication Project for the Townsville City Council.

Funded by the Queensland Government, the $215 million project involved the duplication of an existing pipeline to provide the town with a backup supply from the Burdekin Water Supply Scheme.

Iplex was awarded the tender for the supply of 36 km of DN1800 FLOWTITE® glass reinforced pipe (GRP), engineered to provide up to 234 ML of water per day into the Ross River Dam. FLOWTITE GRP was the preferred medium for its superior properties and material strength.

Glass reinforced plastic (GRP) is resistant to The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

chemical attack and can be installed in ground conditions such as acid sulphate soils or saline ground conditions that are detrimental to metal and concrete. You don’t have to use special linings or wrap the pipe in plastic sleeving; GRP products have a resistant resin barrier through all the layers of glass and sand, so the whole wall is protected.

To meet the significant project delivery requirements, Iplex chartered six transport ships from Adelaide to Townsville. Each vessel carried 500 lengths of 13 GRP with a diameter of 1,800 mm – that’s over 6 km of pipe on each vessel. On arrival in Townsville, the team was able to discharge each vessel within 72 hours, safely transferring each pipe onto a single B-Double for transport to a specially secured laydown facility.

Iplex’s end-to-end capabilities ensured the project was delivered successfully, on time and on budget. One of the key ingredients for the success of the project was communication.

“There’s always a single point of contact for the customer,” says Mr Brunning.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s an engineering question, a supply enquiry, a warranty question, a question around paperwork for the Manufacturers Data Reports (MDR) – the client only needs to know one person in the business, and they’ll get all their answers. This is what sets Iplex apart from others.”

From the outset, the Iplex Project Delivery team will engage with the customer to ensure a clear understanding of their requirements, goals and timelines they want to achieve. The team is also committed to ensuring onsite safety and working collaboratively with the customer across product and safety requirements.

Product Marketing & Training Manager Nathan Swaffer says providing onsite support is one of Iplex’s core offerings for large-scale projects.

“An important component we offer is site presentations to help with the installation process.

It’s not formal training, but it is our technical staff onsite helping the contractors to get it right the first time.”

Depending on the product to be installed, Iplex provides an installer presentation to guide

COMPANY NEWS

contractors on the unique features of the product and how to correctly install it, whether it is cutting, joining, bedding, or correct handling. A Certificate of Attendance is issued to ensure contractors are aware of best practice installation methods.

On larger scale projects where staff rotations are commonplace, Iplex continually offers refresher training to support client safety and results – it’s all part of the service. Iplex offers a wide range of products suited to large-scale pipeline projects, as well as design guidance and support through the sales engineering team.

The best possible product solutions for your project Iplex offers a wide range of products that are suited to large scale pipeline projects. Iplex Head of Sales Shaun O’Brien says the company works with its clients to give them the best possible solutions for their project, whether it is polyethelene, PVC, GRP or ductile iron.

Iplex has a range of polyethylene systems sold under the Poliplex® brand, which are manufactured and controlled within Iplex facilities and can be made in sizes up to 2 m in diameter. Poliplex pipes are used to convey all types of liquids and gases for above and below ground applications.

For PCV, Iplex has a wide range of technologies suitable for major supply trunk and reticulations mains, industrial process pipelines and irrigation systems. Iplex’s Rhino® PVC-M for pressure pipes incorporates the advancements of modified PVC technology, whereas Apollo® PVC-O, a dualpatented technology, offers an exceptionally tough, high-performance thermoplastic. This has greatly enhanced physical characteristics including an increased hydraulic performance capacity due to its exceptionally smooth and enlarged bore.

Iplex has always been an innovator in terms of introducing new materials to the Australian market. In fact, it was the first company to introduce large bore GRP pipes for water and sewer.

Michael Lancuba is the Manager for Engineered Products at Iplex.

“Iplex were the pioneers in offering a competitive alternative to conventional clay, concrete and steel pipes. In 2006 we became partners with RPC Pipe Systems and introduced FLOWTITE GRP pipe systems in Australia: an advanced GRP technology that gave our customers more options for large projects,” says Mr Lancuba.

“The FLOWTITE range offers flexibility in design and installation, from standard to nonstandard pipes and fittings, and we can also custom design and manufacture to the required specification.”

FLOWTITE GRP pipes can be made in a range of standard pressure classes, stiffness classes and lengths. As such, the product can be engineered to

meet the clients’ requirements.

FLOWTITE GRP is a composite pipe using continuously wound glass fibres, sand as a filler and thermosetting resins as a corrosion barrier. Australian made FLOWTITE has been used on a number of high-profile, largescale projects, including the Haughton project, the Burgowan to Takura Water Main upgrade for the Fraser Coast and the Belconnen Truck Sewer project in Canberra.

FLOWTITE GRP DN1800 on the Elermore Vale Project.

“We’ve supplied a lot of projects with GRP pipes with diameters up to 2 m, but the product can actually be supplied up to 3 m.

It’s not a commodity product, it’s a specialised fully strength and hydraulic properties, and engineered product which we can make to the specialised personnel to see the project through required specification,” says Mr Lancuba. to delivery, achieving proven results from end Iplex offers GRP piping with superior to end.

For more information visit www.iplex.com.au FLOWTITE GRP on the Haughton Pipeline Duplication Project.

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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COMPANY NEWS

Composite pipes prove both safe and efficient Baker Hughes knows there are many benefits to using composite line pipe over steel – one being the added safety benefits in the mobilisation and installation processes.

B

aker Hughes is a global energy technology company with a diverse portfolio of equipment and service capabilities. The company designs, manufactures and services energy technology, operating in more than 120 countries across the globe.

One of the company’s latest developments has been the introduction of composite pipe to drive onshore progress. Today, these flexible composite pipe solutions serve as the natural transition from steel pipe to non-metallic pipe, offering a more economical, safer, and faster-to-deploy solution to Baker Hughes’ customers around the world.

Mobilisation The spoolable, lightweight design of reinforced composite pipe allows for fewer trucks to transport materials to the installation site, with one truck able to transport 3.5 km of composite pipe compared with only 1.5 km of traditional steel pipe.

Fewer equipment rentals The lightweight pipe can be deployed with a backhoe, A-frame, spools, and a coupling machine.

Connections do not require welding, which also eliminates the need for x-rays. In the case of pullthrough rehabilitation, no trenching equipment is needed.

Composite pipe also requires less space for easements or rights of way. This means less equipment with fewer workers and minimal trenching requirements due to the simple installation process, giving way to an efficient use of space.

Baker Hughes offers flexible, spoolable composite pipe.

Composite pipes are more durable than steel alternatives, creating more sustainable, longer lasting infrastructure. Without corrosion, the need to condemn, repair or install new infrastructure is eliminated, reducing the likelihood of workers having to revisit jobs.

Composite pipes pose a lower safety risk due to their reduced transportation needs, their spoolable and lightweight design, and their less cumbersome handling requirements.

Faster installation with lower risk

They allow for fewer trucks and equipment, requiring less to mobilise, minimising the consequences of equipment failure. The pipes are stronger than their unreinforced alternatives and better able to resist forces applied during installation, while also being lighter and easier to install.

Baker Hughes brings a solution to the onshore pipe industry that holds ergonomics and worker safety at its core.

The flexible composite pipe solutions serve as the natural transition from steel pipe to non-metallic pipe.

Long lengths of pipe on reels can be unspooled in less time than it takes to lower small segments of stick pipe into place. The process poses fewer safety risks due to the lightweight nature of the materials.

With less equipment required, risk is also mitigated by minimising the potential for equipment failure.

Installation is simpler, faster and more cost effective than rigid steel or poly HDPE pipes with fewer connections and no need for welding or nondestructive testing.

Construction crews Typically, a team of two to three people can manage the installation of a line, substantially fewer than traditional steel or poly pipes. The pipe itself can be unspooled from an A-frame and laid in longer continuous lengths than stick pipe.

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For more information visit www. bakerhughescompositepipe.com The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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COMPANY NEWS

Contactless flow measurement for the oil and gas industry

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration provides a range of top-quality equipment for the oil and gas industry from some of the world’s leading manufacturers. These manufacturers include Katronic – a global expert in ultrasonic flow measurement technology that has been used by thousands of customers worldwide.

W

ithin the oil and gas industry there are various applications that require the measurement of flow of liquids such as oil, hydrocarbons or produced water. For oil platform operators, for example, it is imperative they ensure they are adhering to the directives of oil discharge guidelines.

This requires them to find a way to reliably and accurately monitor the platforms’ discharges, such as produced water. These circumstances lead to a situation where flowmeters often have not been installed on pipelines where monitoring was originally unnecessary.

In this case, instruments, which can subsequently be installed to pipes of various materials and diameters without the need to interrupt ongoing processes, are in high demand. The clamp-on mounting technique allows the flow of oil and hydrocarbons to be measured safely and accurately without the need to open pipes.

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Considering the previously mentioned requirements, Katronic’s ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeters are the perfect solution for various applications of the oil and gas industry. As the sensors are clamped onto the pipe surface, platform operators do not have to face large costs caused by lost production and intensive engineering work as is normally the case during the installation of inline meters.

Katronic can supply fully ATEX and IECEx certified metering solutions and within an hour the operator could have fitted a flowmeter. More importantly, Katronic have the application experience in the offshore industry to know that measurement of produced water systems is possible in all the different pipeline materials used offshore, including duplex pipes.

Leading companies in the industry such as BP and Schlumberger have already installed Katronic flowmeters on platforms for produced water metering. In the case of BP, The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

Katronic flowmeters are available through AMS across Australia and New Zealand.

COMPANY NEWS

"Katronic can supply fully ATEX and IECEx certified metering solutions and within an hour the operator could have fitted a flowmeter. More importantly, Katronic have the application experience in the offshore industry to know that measurement of produced water systems is possible in all the different pipeline materials used offshore, including duplex pipes."

Katronic’s ultrasonic meters were used to monitor produced water pipes where electromagnetic meters failed.

These flowmeters are easy, quick and costeffective installation on existing pipelines and applicable on pipes of various materials for diameters from 10 to 3,000 mm. Various power supply options are available, including AC, DC, battery and solar power, while integration into existing or future control systems is possible.

Katronic flowmeters are available through

AMS across Australia and New Zealand. AMS has been confirmed to be an essential service supplier, with the company’s support to customers in the energy, water, food, mining, defence and pharmaceutical industry, mean the continued ability to supply its products and services.

Preventative measures have been implemented, including a dedicated sanitation officer and social distancing in work areas being monitored and maintained.

For further information contact AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd on 03-9017 8225, or free call (NZ) 0800 442 743, email sales@ams-ic.com.au or visit the web site at www.ams-ic.com.au

www.peternorman.com.au 1300 THE KEY (1300 843 539) pipework@peternorman.com.au

Placing & paying Pipeliners all over Australia since 1992 The Key to Personnel – delivering contract & permanent workforce placement & payroll solutions nationally

The NT YPF gathered for a fishing charter event in Darwin.

YPF takes to the water in sunny Darwin While the rest of the country might have been shivering away on a cold winter’s day, the Northern Territory Young Pipeliners Forum enjoyed an afternoon on a fishing charter offshore sunny Darwin.

I

n August, the NT YPF took to the water to enjoy the NT YPF Fishing Charter event, thanks to sponsors Winnellie Valve and Process, Tremco Pipeline Equipment and Fyfe.

On a chilly NT winter dry season day at 3O° Celsius and blue skies as far as the eye could see, the young pipeliners were treated to flat water, plenty of drinks and the occasional fish to have a great day fishing the harbours of Darwin.

Those in attendance consisted only of pipeline and gas personnel from the vibrant Darwin community, with the inclusion of a special Queensland pipeliner, Brett Trembath, who word was gave up seats at the State of Origin game to make the day’s proceedings.

The NT YPF would like to give a special thanks to Arafura Bluewater Charters and Captain Dan who kept all pipeliners in attendance safe on the water.

The YPF would also like to thank the APGA, and the Sponsors Winnellie Valve and Process, Tremco Pipeline Equipment, and Fyfe for putting on events like these to bring together the lively gas and pipeline community in the NT.

Want to get involved?

The YPF provides a forum for all young people involved in the pipeline and gas industry working in APGA member companies to get together at events to exchange ideas, network, share information, discuss issues in the pipeline industry with each other and learn about other industry disciplines.

The YPF has committees across Australia and in New Zealand. These committees organise events in their areas several times a year. Events are likely to include educational visits to member companies’ facilities, fun-focused networking events (such as bare-foot bowls, quiz nights, geo-tagging) and mentoring events where more experienced pipeliners can share their experiences.

Any employee of an APGA member company can join under the age of 35.

Although the YPF focuses on pipeliners aged up to 35, you don’t have to leave the forum. Both long-serving ‘young’ members who have turned 35 and the more experienced pipeliners can be involved in YPF activities.

The day’s proceedings were not without the occasional fish.

Interested in joining the YPF? Visit www.apga.org.au/YPF to contact your state chair.

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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APGA EVENTS

Pipeliners out and about APGA wasn’t able to have as many in-person events as it wanted this year, but here is a look at some of the functions that took place around the country. APGA looks forward to seeing members in person again soon.

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

SUBSCRIBE TO

FEATURE

ISSUE 188 | OCTOBER 2021

Tried and tested VEGA TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES SANTOS CSG OPERATIONS – page 24

APGA Convention goes virtual 18

UEA completes vital 56 HDD in WA

Women breaking down industry barriers

28

The Australian Pipeliner is the official magazine of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association and covers project news, technology developments, policy updates and company announcements.

A subscription to The Australian Pipeliner is the best way to stay up-to-date with the industry across Australasia and includes the print version of the magazine, the print version of the APGA Directory, the highly-valued Major Pipelines of Australia Map, access to the weekly Pipeliner e-newsletter, regular updates on all APGA events and full access to The Australian Pipeliner website.

Visit www.pipeliner.com.au and click the ‘Subscribe’ buttonon the homepage to subscribe.

APGA MEMBERSHIP

Australian Pipelines and Gas Association Membership CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR Aegis Pty Ltd Ampol Australia Petroleum Pty Ltd Anode Engineering Pty Ltd Atteris Pty Ltd Australian Energy Market Operator Avmin Pty Ltd Bureau Veritas Asset Integrity and Reliability Services Pty Ltd Civil Geospatial Services Pty Ltd Core Group Limited Corrosion Control Engineering Pty Ltd Denso (Australia) Pty Ltd DSQ Pty Ltd Energy Matrix Group Pty Ltd ERIAS Group Pty Ltd GB Energy Hard Metal Industries CONSULTANT Heath Pipeline Services Pty Ltd Inductabend Pty Ltd Jindal Saw Limited Jiva Consulting JLL Infrastructure Advisory Pty Ltd LFF Australia Lidiar Group Lochard Energy (Iona Operations) Pty Ltd Long Energy and Resources Pty Ltd Maxibor Australia Moody Civil & Pipe Pty Ltd National Australian Pipelines PAC Pipeline Drillers Group Pipeline Plant Hire Pty Ltd PipeServ Plant & Platform Consultants Ltd Qenos Pty Ltd Refining NZ Rider Hunt International (RHI) Scape Consulting Pty Ltd ENERGY DISTRIBUTOR Shipman King ENGINEERING/PROJECT MANAGER SPIE Plexal System Control Engineering The Hills Rockslinger TIB Chemicals AG TRACTO-TECHNIK Australia Pty Ltd

Trushape Engineering Pty Ltd Veris Viega Pty Ltd Western Process Controls A J Stack Solutions Pty Ltd ABB Australia Pty Ltd AFS Projects Pty Ltd GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS/ REGULATORS Anti Corrosion Technology Pty Ltd ASME Projects AtlasGas Pty Ltd Austrack Equipment Sales and Rentals Australian Pipeline Valve INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION AXS Pty Ltd PIPELINE OWNER/OPERATOR Bao Australia Pty Ltd Brookfield Infrastructure Group Brownline Australia Pty Ltd Cloudcon Pty Ltd Deaton Enterprises Pty Ltd trading as CST Hire Delnorth Pty Ltd Department of Planning, Industry and Environment DNV GL Australia Pty Limited EnergyQuest Pty Ltd Esperance Pipeline Company Fast Fusion, LLC Flowtran Pty Ltd Future Fuels CRC Future-Proof Solutions HH Civil Pty Ltd IntelliGas Iontech Engineering Solutions iPipe Services Kleinfelder Australia Pty Ltd Land Access & Management Services Pty Ltd McElroy Australia Metcalfe Engineering Consultants Metropolis Services Pty Ltd SERVICE PROVIDER MST Global MVC Services Pty Ltd OC Project Services Pty Ltd P and G Welding Pty Ltd

Peter Norman Personnel Pty Ltd Pipe Tek Pty Ltd Pipecraft Pipeline Engineering Consultants Pipeline Equipment Rentals Pipeline Machinery International LP Piping Specialty Supply Service Pty Ltd Powered Prime Creative Media Pro Pipe Services Pty Ltd PSAH Pty Ltd QIC Protective Coatings (Aust) Pty Ltd RAEDLINGER PRIMUS LINE PTY LTD Red Rock Oilfield Service Resources Safety and Health Queensland Sage Consulting Solutions Pty Ltd Savcor Products Australia Pty Ltd Shawcor (Singapore) Pte Ltd Sustech Engineering Pty Ltd T D Williamson Australia Pty Ltd Tapex Industrial Techrite Controls Australia Pty Ltd The Newham Group Tremco Pipeline Equipment Pty Ltd Tubi Pty Ltd Twycross and Partners Pty Ltd Universal Corrosion Coatings Pty Ltd Vacuworx Australia Vlentec Australia Pty Ltd WestSide Corporation Worldpoly Pty Ltd WRAP Resources Australia ACIL Allen Consulting Alltype Engineering Department for Energy and Mining EagleBurgmann Australasia Pty Ltd GF Piping Systems LandPartners Pty Ltd Laurini Officine Meccaniche Srl Locusview Ltd Mipela GeoSolutions SUPPLIER OF EQUIPMENT OR MATERIALS Oceaneering Australia Pty Ltd ORIX Commercial Ozzie's Pipeline Padder Inc Pipeline Research Council International, Inc RDO Australia Group Richmond

ROSEN Australia Pty Ltd SICK Pty Ltd Vinidex Pty Ltd Worldwide Group Arrow Energy Pty Ltd ATCO Gas Australia AusNet Services Baker Hughes Beach Energy Limited Brooks Hire Service Pty Ltd CNC Project Management Comdain Infrastructure Downer EDI Engineering Power Pty Ltd EDMI Gas Pty Ltd Energy Safe Victoria EnerMech Pty Ltd Enscope Pty Ltd First Gas Ltd Fortescue Metals Group Fyfe Gasco Pty Ltd GHD Pty Ltd Global Engineering & Construction Pty Ltd GPA Engineering Pty Ltd Herrenknecht AG Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd ITI International Lincoln Electric Company (Australia) Pty Ltd Man Industries India Ltd Michels Corporation Mitchell Water Australia Pty Ltd Mobil New Zealand Oil Limited Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd Momentum Engineering NDT Global Pty Ltd Origin Energy Limited Papuan Oil Search Limited Power and Water Corporation Qube Energy Pty Ltd Santos South Australian Water Corporation STATS Group Tas Gas Holdings Pty Ltd Valmec Limited Viva Energy Australia Ltd Wasco Energy Group Water Corporation Welspun Corp Limited Woodside Energy Ltd Zinfra

APGA New Membership Approvals CORPORATE MEMBERS LFF Australia - CMBL - Mark Grubanovich

WRAP Resources Australia - CMBR - Rex Sim IntelliGas - CMBR - David Nichols Man Industries India Ltd - CMPL INT - Sant Lal

Supplier of Equipment or Materials

Adviser/Consultant

Manufacturer of Equipment or Material

Techrite Controls Australia Pty Ltd - CMBR - Anubhav Anand EagleBurgmann Australasia Pty Ltd - CMG - Dean Channer

Powered - CMBR - Wade Elofson

EMPLOYEE MEMBERS Yuyu Fang - Arrow Energy

Service Provider Civil Geospatial Solutions Pty Ltd - CMBL - Tony Forde

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The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

APGA MEMBERSHIP

Body.

APGA would particularly like to acknowledge the generous support of its Owner Members • •

APA Group Australian Gas Infrastructure Group

• •

Epic Energy SA Pty Ltd Jemena

• •

SEA Gas Tasmanian Gas Pipeline Pty Ltd

APGA would also like to acknowledge the strong support of its Lead Members • • • • • •

AGL Energy Limited Esso Australia Pty Ltd McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd MPC Kinetic Nacap Pty Ltd OSD Pty Ltd

• • • • •

QGC Quanta Services Australia Pty Ltd Solar Turbines Australia Spiecapag Australia Worley Services Pty Ltd

Honorary Life Members • • • • • •

Ken Barker David Curry Keith Fitzgerald* Leigh Fletcher D C Gore* Robert Gration

• • • • • •

Max Kimber Andy Lukas Tony Marletta Mick McCormack Stuart McDonald Jim McDonald*

• • • •

Allan Newham Stephen Ohl Mark Twycross Phil Venton *deceased

Individual Members • • • • • • • •

Dean Barker John Blain Bevan Boocock Grant Bowley Ken Cameron Chris Carter Andrew Cook Mark Cooper

• • • • • • • •

Geoff Cope John de Robillard Stephen Dykes John Fleming Kenneth Flowers Gretchen Gagel Chris Gatehouse Lynndon Harnell

• • • • • • • •

Mark Harris Chris Harvey Graeme Hogarth Justine Hyams Jeff Jones Ashley Kellett Steven Liddell John Lott

• • • • • • •

Cameron MacDiarmid Jason Mansfield Mick Murphy Trevor Nichols John Piper David Pollock Brett Reay

• • • •

Jasper Tieland Andrew Wood Howard Wright Ken Wyllie

Edwin De Prinse Jason de Ross Ross Demby Carlo DiCarlo Yuyu Fang Daniel Faulkner Matt Felvus John Ferguson Mike Flynn Tom Forde Mark Fothergill Paul Frederick Jarrod Gilby Calvin Gordon Peter Harcus Geoff Harrison

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Chris Hewson Ian Israelsohn Hugo Kuhn Trent Leach Benjy Lee Keith Lenghaus David Levy Stephen Livens Paul May John Messent Paul Miller Stephen Mudge Ashley Muldrew Matthew O'Connell Brian O'Sullivan Neil Parry

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Bob Paton Michael Peoples Jan Peric Janusz Podgorski Tawake Rakai Jim Reaman Josh Row John Rutherford Craig Sheather James Smith Reynard Smith Andrew Staniford Robert Strong Colin Symonds Soheil Taherian Farrah Tan-Savva

• • • • • • • • •

Warwick Tidswell Mark Turner Sean Ward Louise Watson Rob Wheals Paul Williamson Ben Wilson Alex Wong Michael Xanthopoulos

Employee Members • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Michelle Andersen Awais Ashraf Eric Bardy Geoff Barton Tony Bird Tom Bohacik Liz Brierley Peter Bucki Mark Bumpstead Ivan Byak Annette Cahill Geoff Callar Francis Carroll Philip Colvin Jeff Cooke Craig de Laine

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

87

APGA MEMBERSHIP

FULL MEMBERSHIP

(1)

OWNER MEMBER(2)(3)

LEAD MEMBER(4)

CORPORATE MEMBER

Category Applied for (please tick)

ORGANISATION NAME: ABN: POSTAL ADDRESS: SUBURB: STATE: POSTCODE: STREET ADDRESS: SUBURB: STATE: POSTCODE: PHONE: FAX: WEBSITE: APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE (5) NAME: POSITION: PHONE: FAX: MOBILE: EMAIL: ORGANISATION CHIEF EXECUTIVE (if different from above): NAME: TITLE: APGA POINT OF CONTACT – for distribution of APGA information within your organisation (if different from Appointed Representative) NAME: POSITION: POSTAL ADDRESS: SUBURB: STATE: POSTCODE: PHONE: FAX: MOBILE: EMAIL: ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT CONTACT: EMAIL: NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN ORGANISATION:

1-5

6-25

26-50

>51

ORGANISATION’S INTEREST IN THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY (Must tick ONE ONLY. If more than one applies, please tick the one most applicable to your business):

Adviser/Consultant

Construction Contractor

Energy Distributor

Engineering/Project Manager

Pipeline Owner/Operator

Service Provider

Manufacturer/Distributor of Equipment or Materials

Government Department/Regulator

Other Industry Association (Please Specify)

SECTOR Please indicate which of the following industry sectors you are primarily working in (please tick ONLY ONE box)

Gas

Water

Oil

Slurry

We hereby apply for Full Membership of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association in the Category and Interest Group indicated above and agree to abide by the Association’s Constitution and any By-laws set from time to time. We attach our payment for the appropriate portion of the first year’s subscription.

SIGNED: DATE: NOTE

(1)

Upon payment of the relevant fees, an organisation may hold more than one category of full membership.

(2)

The appointed representative of an Owner Member should be the Chief Executive.

(3)

All Owner Members are entitled to nominate up to ten Employee Members without additional subscription.

(4)

All Lead members are entitled to nominate up to three Employee Members without additional subscription.

(5)

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All correspondence will be sent to the appointed representative, who will hold the member’s voting rights. A member’s appointed representative may be changed at any time by advising the Association’s Secretary in writing.

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

APGA MEMBERSHIP

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP/EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP(1)

EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP

APPLICANT’S NAME: ORGANISATION: POSITION: POSTAL ADDRESS: SUBURB: STATE: POSTCODE: STREET ADDRESS: SUBURB: STATE: POSTCODE: PHONE: FAX: MOBILE: EMAIL: INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION: I hereby apply for Individual Membership of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association and agree to abide by the Company’s Constitution and any By-laws set from time to time. Payment for the appropriate portion of the first year’s subscription is attached. NOTE (1): Open to any individual consultant with an interest in the pipeline or gas industries. This membership category is designed to accommodate the one-man consultants working within the pipeline and gas industries and will not be open to consulting organisations consisting of more than one person. Employees of a company will not be accepted as an Individual Member of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association unless the company employing that person is a Full Member of APGA. E MPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION: (Open to employees of full members of APGA) I hereby apply for Employee Membership of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association and agree to abide by the Association’s Constitution and any By-laws set from time to time. Payment for the appropriate portion of the first year’s subscription is attached.

SIGNED: DATE: SUBSCRIPTION RATES (2019/2020 Membership year 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020)

AUSTRALIA Membership year 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020

OWNER Applicable to owners only – fee upon application

LEAD $11,780 (incl. GST)

CORPORATE 1-5 Employees 6-25 Employees 26-50 Employees >51 Employees (incl. GST)

AUD AUD AUD AUD

INDIVIDUAL $630 (incl. GST)

$2,360 $3,160 $3,980 $5,100

EMPLOYEE $230 (incl. GST)

New members joining after 1 October 2019, please contact APGA to discuss the appropriate pro-rate subscription rate.

(All applications received after 15 May 2020 will be issued with an invoice for the 2020/2021 membership year).

ALL PRICES QUOTED FOR AUSTRALIAN MEMBERS INCLUDE 10% GST.

INTERNATIONAL Membership year 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020

OWNER Applicable to owners only – fee upon application

LEAD AUD $10,710

CORPORATE 1-5 Employees 6-25 Employees 26-50 Employes >51 Employees (incl. GST)

AUD AUD AUD AUD

INDIVIDUAL AUD $580

$2,140 $2,880 $3,620 $4,640

EMPLOYEE AUD $220

New members joining after 1 October 2019, please contact APGA to discuss the appropriate pro-rate subscription rate.

(All applications received after 15 May 2020 will be issued with an invoice for the 2020/2021 membership year).

ALL PRICES ARE IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS. A TAX INVOICE WILL BE ISSUED.

PAYMENT

EFT Bank Westpac Banking Corporation, Swift/ABA/Routing# WPACAU2S. IBAN No. 032729162756.

BSB: 032-729. Account No: 16-2756.

I enclose my cheque made payable to The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association, or APGA.

Please debit my credit card (please tick)

Amex

Visa

MasterCard

Credit card processing fee applies.

CARD NUMBER:

EXPIRY DATE:

TOTAL AMOUNT AUD$

CARDHOLDER’S NAME: SIGNATURE: Please return completed form with payment to: AUSTRALIAN PIPELINES AND GAS ASSOCIATION (ABN: 29 098 754 324) PO BOX 5416, KINGSTON ACT 2604 | PHONE: 02 6273 0577 | FAX: 02 6273 0588 EMAIL: apga@apga.org.au | WEBSITE: www.apga.org.au The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

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ADVERTISERS INDEX

Advertisers' index AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Anode Engineering APGA Austrack Baker Hughes Corrosion Control Engineering Denso (Australia) Pty Ltd DNV Finn Planning Heath Pipeline Services Herrenknecht AG Inductabend Iplex kwik-ZIP Maxibor McElroy Mipela GeoSolutions Nacap Peter Norman Personnel Picarro

71 13 19 49 17 11 79 45 29 39 9 55 47 73 65 69 53 15 81 51

Pipe Tek Pipeline Equipment Rentals Pipeline Plant Hire Pipeline Drillers Group Piping Specialty Supply Services Pollard's Sawdust Prime Drilling Pro Pipe Services ROSEN Group Sentanil Systems Savcor Products Australia Spiecapag STATS Group Tremco Pipeline Equipment Tapex Industrial UEA Vacuworx Vermeer Australia Western Group

Here's what's coming up in the next edition:

FEATURES

Water pipelines Coatings and linings NDT Engineering and design Social licence

REGIONAL FOCUS

WA

DISTRIBUTION

APGA functions

DEADLINE

January 2021

Features and deadlines are subject to change.

90

The Australian Pipeliner | October 2021

IBC 3 67 63 61 31 33 41 IFC 52 59 27 43 5 37 7 57 OBC 35

W O N K WE

PRESSURE!

CONTACT US TODAY myles@pipetek.com.au 0417 707 729

taddam@pipetek.com.au 0432 666 917

WWW.PIPETEK.COM.AU

PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS FOR

PIPELINE

INSTALLATION

YOUR PIPELINE DELIVERY PARTNER

Vermeer’s range of pipeline trenchers have cut through some of Australia’s toughest landscapes, helping our leading contractors deliver vital infrastructure projects. Contact your local Vermeer Australia team to learn how we can support your project.

Australia

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