TPI July 2013

business & market news

TMK acquires pipe services assets US-based service company OFS International LLC, controlled by tubular products manufacturer TMK, has acquired a 100 per cent stake in the pipe services and precision manufacturing assets of ITS Tubular Services (Holdings) Ltd (Aberdeen, Scotland) and a group of affiliated shareholders. In addition, the facility provides pipe inspection services and manufactures down-hole tools and accessories for a wide range of oil and gas applications. As part of the agreement, OFS International LLC acquired the brand ‘Independent Inspection Services’ and will continue to provide inspection services under this name.

developing service and producing high value-added tools for the oil and gas industry,” said Alexander Shiryaev, TMK CEO. Konstantin Semerikov, president of OFS International LLC, added, “These newly acquired assets will allow us to further integrate our operations as well as meet the pipe service requirements of our customers throughout the Americas.”

The facility is located on an 84-acre site northeast of Houston and has the capacity to produce more than 700,000 joints of threaded pipe and around 250,000 couplings.

“This acquisition marks another step in TMK’s expansion in the US and reinforces the company’s focus on

TMK – Russia www.tmk-group.com

Reducing water losses by applying welding standards

water infrastructure, which will serve future generations.”

Water has always been a treasured commodity in the desert. Today the sustainable supply of potable water in the six Gulf nations is at risk. The demand for potable water is expected to increase drastically, and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries are building additional desalination plants, but up to 50 per cent of the potable water is wasted. Leaking piping systems are the main reason. In order to improve this situation, many end-users have shifted from conventional piping systems like ductile iron, steel and glass- reinforced plastic, to piping systems made of HDPE. This material is known for advantages such as high service life expectations and low maintenance costs. Despite the proven advantages, many network owners are still facing high leakage rates in their piping systems. The water infrastructure in the GCC countries is just a few decades old, but due to the lack of educated specialists the piping systems are not properly designed and installed. This results in heavy environmental impact as well as financial losses throughout the region.

To date, over 500 specialists have been successfully trained at the SKZ Training Centre Middle East, which was opened in August 2008. Training courses for welding of HDPE piping systems, as well as welding of polymeric sheets and membranes, are offered. In 2012 the local water authority Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) sent over 40 engineers and welders to attend GW 330 and GW 331 training. With regards to technical specification for HDPE piping systems, SKZ Germany has been involved in consulting many governmental authorities in the GCC, including municipalities, water and gas network operators, and national oil companies. In addition, the Gulf Plastics Pipe Academy recently chose SKZ Germany for the operation and management of a new testing laboratory for plastics located in Abu Dhabi.

Engineers from the UAE’s local water authority during GW 331 training

German plastics centre SKZ is approaching this situation by providing training, education, testing and certification, according to the internationally acknowledged German welding standards DVS and DVGW. business development manager for the Middle East and North Africa, commented, “By implementing German standards we can ensure that state-of-the-art technology is applied to achieve a sustainable and environmentally friendly Reda Ashkar, SKZ

SKZ – Germany info@skz-me.com www.skz-me.com

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Tube Products International July 2013

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