TPT March 2010

I ndustry N ews

Pipe Center named best supplier by Briggs & Forrester

Pipe Center has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence for best supplier/manufacturer by one of its major customers, Briggs and Forrester Group. The award was presented to Pipe Center, Wolseley’s specialist supplier of commercial and industrial heating plant and pipe systems, when Briggs & Forrester hosted its 3 rd annual Supply Chain Presentation. The top supplier award is judged on a range of criteria and measures used to determine the winner included on-time and correct delivery, adherence to delivery procedures and office cooperation. Key account manager for Pipe Center, Rob Townley, who collected the award at a ceremony at the Hilton Hotel, Northampton said, “To win an award from a customer is a real accolade. It’s a credit to the whole team and we are all delighted to have done so well in a category that included strong competition. It’s certainly an endorsement of our commitment to customer service and we fully intend to maintain these high standards of service in the future.” Pipe Center is a supplier to mechanical services and plant engineers, offering TECHNIP and Schlumberger have signed a global cooperation agreement to develop subsea integrity and surveillance solutions for flexible pipes used in deep offshore oil and gas production. The new agreement extends the collaboration between the companies that began in 1998. The agreement is initially focused on surveillance systems activities for new and challenging flexible pipe applications such as those required in the deepwater pre-salt environment in Brazil. Several key Schlumberger technologies used in subsurface applications have been identified for integration into Technip’s new ultra deepwater flexible pipe designs. Alain Marion, senior vice-president, subsea assets and technologies, Technip, commented: “By combining Technip’s technical and manufacturing knowledge of flexible pipe with Schlumberger’s surveillance technology, a new generation of intelligent flexible pipe will be created. The

expertise in pipe fabrication and tube, valves and fittings in steel, plastic, copper, stainless steel and commercial/industrial heating and air conditioning equipment. The company has been a long-term supplier of valves, tubes, fittings and off-site fabrication to the Briggs & Forrester Group. Wolseley UK Email: judy.lawson@wolseley.co.uk Website: www.wolseley.co.uk

Rob Townley (right) accepts the award from Briggs & Forrester procurement director Darren Grizzell

Duo bring flexible pipe integrity and surveillance to deepwater

“measurement-enabled” flexible pipe will provide significant value to the industry in safety, reliability, and performance. This new combination enhances Technip’s already extensive portfolio of flexible pipe products, which represent key components for the development of ultra deepwater fields.” One of the initial integrity solutions that the partners expect to develop and qualify is focused on the use of optical fibres to monitor a variety of parameters characterising pipe behaviour. The new technology combination extends Schlumberger subsea products and services, which include other surveillance technologies, production flow assurance engineering, and light-vessel well intervention. Retrofit solutions will also be pursued to address the large number of flexible pipes in operation. Technip – USA Email: kstewart@technip.com Website: www.technip.com

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M arch 2010

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