TPi July 2017

business & market news

North Sea contract for FES International FES International, a producer of fluid transfer solutions, has been awarded a major contract from National Oilwell Varco (NOV) to supply equipment to be used in the Maersk Oil UK-operated Culzean field of the North Sea.

and to promote a positive safety culture as part of their management systems. To support these expectations, the draft Order will require companies regulated by the NEB to verify components having material properties not meeting required specifications; provide a timeline to conduct engineering assessments that demonstrate the safety of identified pipeline components installed in operating pipelines having material properties not meeting the required specifications; provide a timeline to revise the company’s quality assurance programme, as required under section 15 of the NEB OPR, which is aimed at preventing the installation of pipeline components with material properties not meeting the required specifications; and the company’s accountable officer must file a written confirmation certifying that the engineering assessments have been completed and the quality assurance programme has been revised. National Energy Board – Canada www.neb-one.gc.ca relationships within our supply chain and our streamlined internal processes mean we have been able to deliver on time and on budget for NOV. “From design stage through to completion, we support our customers throughout and maintain a flexible approach at all times. With NOV and Maersk Oil we have a long-standing working relationship based on mutual trust, where both companies have faith in our ability to supply equipment of the highest quality, and FES has faith in NOV and Maersk Oil to work proactively with us to ensure we have the information and feedback we needed to meet the brief.” FES International – UK fes@fesltd.co.uk www.fesinternational.com

The project includes the design, manufacture and supply of automatic diverless bend stiffener connectors (DBSC). The Culzean field, which is one of the largest recent gas discoveries in the North Sea, is a high-pressure, high- temperature gas field located around 145 miles east of Aberdeen, UK, at a water depth of 90m. Ian Latimer, technical director at FES International, said, “This project was particularly challenging in terms of delivery times and cost parameters; however, our well-established

Fluid transfer solutions

NEB amends safety advisory and issues draft order on pipeline materials

to identify components fitting this description, confirm they are safe, and take appropriate mitigation measures. The NEB is concerned about these manufacturing issues but stresses that there is no immediate risk to the public or the environment. No incidents have been reported on NEB-regulated in-service pipelines that relate to the use of these materials. The NEB’s Onshore Pipeline Regulations (OPR) section 23 requires regulated companies to conduct pressure testing on all pipe and fittings before they can be connected to a pipeline system. In all cases, fittings are pressure tested to at least 25 per cent above maximum operating pressure because they are over-designed for their intended use. The NEB expects regulated companies to demonstrate a proactive commitment to continual improvement in safety, security and environment protection,

Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) has expanded the scope of a previous Safety Advisory and draft Order regarding the quality assurance of pipeline materials. In February 2016, the NEB issued two Safety Advisories and an Order that required NEB-regulated companies to identify and report on purchased and installed pipeline components that contain material properties that do not meet standard associations’ requirements. The NEB has become aware of addi- tional quality issues associated with pipeline fittings. In order to continue to ensure the safety of NEB-regulated pipelines and facilities, the NEB has issued an amended Safety Advisory and Order. The amended Safety Advisory will expand the scope of the previous advisory by naming additional manufacturers whose components did not meet requirements. The draft Order will require NEB-regulated companies

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TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL July 2017

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