Offshore Oil & Gas Future Development

I just got an interesting news related to emergency pipeline repair!  Sources indicates that Petronas is in discussion with all its local (Malaysia) PSC (Production Sharing Contract) to share resources for all pipeline repair jobs.

PSC = Petronas Carigali, Nippon Oil, ExxonMobil, Shell, Newfield Exploration Company, Murphy Oil, Talisman Energy, Hess Corporation and otherss.

The issue was discussed during SEAPOG EPRES (South East Asia Pipeline Operators Group Emergency Pipeline Repair Equipment Sharing) meeting.  The possible emergency pipeline repair equipment to be shared includes:

• Pressure containment clamps.
• Composite repair equipment.
• Mechanical connectors.
• Elbow bends and connectors.
• Line pipes.

I strongly believe that PLIDCO will be one of the items considered in this pool of resources.  So next time should any pipeline repair tender coming out, the methodology will be driven by resources available within the PSC.  As my personal experience in one of the pipeline repair job,  PLIDCO was not considered during that time.  The more ‘primitive’ approach was used since the job does not affecting the production.  The methodology used was, CUT & REPLACE with spool.  Btw, for those who are not very familiar with PLIDCO, here is the video stating their strength in pipeline repair. (more…)

The above video shows some more explanation on hot tapping. I would like to thank our user ‘pitihkawe’ for his post on the hot tapping.  This is more towards onshore applications & will be different for subsea applications.

What Is Hot Tapping

“It’s A safe control entry into a pipe or vessels operating at vacuum,pressured or….without losing product and process interuption.” Hot Tapping applications includes the following :
* Prevent shutdowns
* New construction tie-ins
* Installation of by-pass systems
* Pressure and vacuum gauge installation
* New pipeline construction
* Sight glass installations
* Quality control sample points
* Valve installations
* Thermowell coupling installation
* Orifice taps for flow meters
* Offshore and underwater service
* Pipe inspection
* Temperature indicators
* Sparger installations (more…)

Local authorities, insurance companies or anyone that has had to hire in teams of professional divers to Inspecting underwater structures, sea protection barriers and water tanks, know only to well it can be a very costly business indeed. These modern days of health and safety awareness bring many problems associated with working underwater in poor conditions and with it the extra costs involved. Breathing compressed air in water has time limiting restrictions for divers and depending on the depths the diver has to work, the danger of air bubbles becoming trapped in their blood stream increase. Professional divers therefore have to stick stringently to following dive tables or dive depth computers that limit the amount of time that they can spend working underwater. (more…)