TPT January 2009

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Contents
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Editor • Rich Sears
Features editor (USA) • Dorothy Fabian
Editorial assistant • Christian Bradley
Production manager • Lisa Benjamin
Design • Julie Tomlin
Sales & marketing • Catherine Sayers
English speaking sales
• Giuliana Benedetto
Italian sales
• Hendrike Morriss
German speaking sales
• Linda Li
Chinese sales
• Jeroo Vandrevala
Indian sales
Advertising • Liz Hughes
co-ordinators Andrea McIntosh
Subscriptions • Liz Hughes
Accounts manager • Richard Babbedge
Publisher • Caroline Sullens
Founder • John C Hogg
Published by: Intras Publications,
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2 Editorial Index
6 Industry News
24 Technology
Update
82 From T he
Americas
The international magazine for the tube & pipe industries
Tube & Pipe Technology magazine is available on subscription, or via membership of the
International Tube Association – See for more membership benefits
104 Advertisers Index
Separating the random from the predictable
There is currently an interesting piece of trivia doing the rounds that points out
each year a democrat has been elected as US president over the last 30 years, a
British driver has also won the Formula 1 Grand Prix title. When Bill Clinton was
elected in 1992, Nigel Mansell won the drivers championship; in Bill Clinton’s re-
election year of 1996, Damon Hill took the F1 title. And, of course, the election
of Barack Obama as US president coincided with Lewis Hamilton clinching the
coveted Grand Prix crown.
But the problem with such happenstance is that it’s never clear if there’s a tangible
link between two sets of facts, or if they just serve to reflect our randomly predictable
existence. This reminds me of the economic puzzle about the theatre audience with a
higher than average proportion that play tennis. The puzzle poses the question: does
the fact that they go to the theatre explain why they also play tennis?
The world is full of unexplained coincidences like these. However, as we head into
possibly the worst financial year in history, it should be recognised that this economic
mayhem is no coincidence and was entirely predictable (see the theories of economist
Nikolai Kondratiev). In the game of consequence, for those many companies that will
sadly fail and the unfortunate job losses incurred, the root of the problem lies with
gross financial mismanagement and reckless debt accumulation from top to bottom.
Fortunately, what will be a little more reliable in 2009
is the Tube & Pipe Technology features program. Next
issue we will turn our attention to Tube Russia 2009,
‘Clamping, handling and packaging’ and ‘Drilling, piercing
and punching technology’. As always, please keep sending
your news so that I may help keep our industry informed.
Rich Sears
Editor • Email:
66 Oil & G as N ews
14
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