TPT September 2007

Industry News

Socotherm establish Angolan subsidiary

Jesco to build first seamless tube plant in Saudi Arabia Jubail Energy Services Company (Jesco), a subsidiary of Riyadh based Industrialization & Energy Services Company (TAQA), has placed an order with Danieli for the supply of what is believed to be the first seamless tube plant in Saudi Arabia. Danieli Centro Tube (DCT) – a division of Danieli – will be in charge of the construction of this new plant, due for installation on a turnkey basis in Al-Jubail at the end of 2008. The hot rolling mill is an essential component of the completely new tube plant. Plans include a DCT designed 14" FQM-mill (3-roll continuous rolling mill with retained mandrel) and an extractor and sizing mill, both in the 3-roll design of Freidrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG, Germany. Following completion, the new plant will have an annual production capability of up to 400,000t of high quality seamless tubes. These tubes will be produced in a range of 139-365mm diameter in accordance with international standards to be applied in the oil industry. According to the agreement, Kocks will have comprehensive responsibility for the 3-stand extractor and 10 stand sizing mill. Both mills are equipped with ‘Star Drive’ featuring separate drives for every roll. The 3-roll stands are designed for a nominal roll diameter of 650mm. Important technical features are the quick stand changing system, the inline remote controlled pass adjustment for the adjustable stands, and quick roll changing system in the roll shop. The deal also includes process automation systems and the Tumicon-System, consisting of various Kocks components. Two other important elements are the Tec- Box – a dynamic open and closed loop system for quality optimisation, and the Inspect-System. Friedrich Kocks GmbH & Co KG – Germany Fax : +49 2103 54 028 Email : v.d.Heiden@kocks.de Website : www.kocks.de Danieli – Italy

Socotherm SpA, Italy, a leader in pipe coating and insulation, has inaugurated Socotherm Angola Ltd, the company’s Angolan subsidiary. Socotherm Angola is the first and only Angolan marine base able to serve local market demand in the offshore and deepwater sector. Deepwater fields are fast developing in Angola, with high growth rates. The opening ceremony – held in Luanda – was attended by a party including Mr Desiderio Costa – the Angola minister of petroleum, Mr Lambert Mende Omalanga fi Left to right: Mr Zeno Soave (chairman & CEO of Socotherm Group), Mr Desidério Costa (Angola petroleum minister), and Mr Lambert Mende Omalanga (Congo Democratic Republic minister of petroleum)

– the Congo Democratic Republic minister of petroleum, Mr Botelho de Vasconcellos – the Angola minister of water and energy, and other important local authorities and company representatives. Present on behalf of the Socotherm Group were Mr Zeno Soave, CEO of the Group, Mr César Mainetti, managing director of Socotherm Americas, and Mr Miguelangelo Thome, West Africa COO. Socotherm Angola Ltd already operates a 3-layer polyolefin external anticorrosion coating plant (Plastykote ® ), a thermal insulation plant for deepwater pipes (Wetiskote ® ) and a concrete weight coating plant (Concretkote ® ). Presently the Angolan subsidiary is carrying out pipe thermal insulation for the ‘Saxi e Batuque’ project. The company will also be responsible for the upcoming coating projects ‘Tambua Landana’ and ‘Malongo’

– worth almost US$50mn. Socotherm Group – Italy Fax : +39 0426 901 055 Email : info@socotherm.com Website : www.socotherm.com

Ukrainian research and development for new tube technologies

State Enterprise Ya Ye Osada Scientific Research Tube Institute (SE SRTI), Ukraine, is a scientific centre of the metallurgical industry in Ukraine and the CIS countries. The Institute has recently developed energy-saving tube production technologies that are now due for launch.

The Institute’s activities are spread over the fields of theory, technology and the methods for manufacturing tubes and high pressure cylinders. Areas of research include problems of tube production at all stages, from making tube billets to finished product quality control and certification, and investigation of economical and marketing issues. The Institute has laboratory and trial facilities for the development of competitive and ecologically safe technologies for the manufacture of tube and cylinders. This technology applies to tube

› Mr Grigory Shepel, director of the Institute

produced from both ferrous and non-ferrous metals – including refractory metals, titanium and zirconium based alloys – with anti-corrosion coatings and methods of application.

State Enterprise Ya Ye Osada Scientific Research Tube Institute (SE SRTI) – Ukraine Fax : +380 56 372 4541 Email : postmaster@vniti.dp.ua • Website : www.vniti.dp.ua

Fax : +39 0432 59 8289 Email : info@danieli.com Website : www.danieli.com

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S eptember /O ctober 2007