Offshore Services to be Carried Out in Malaysia
Posted on
9/8/2009
STAVANGER, Norway - September 8, 2009 -- TDW Offshore Services AS announced that it has entered into a frame agreement with Amserve Engineering to provide a range of pipeline services on a call-out basis on behalf of Sarawak Shell Berhad in Malaysia. The agreement calls for TDW to supply SmartPlug® pipeline pressure isolation and hot tapping services as required, in addition to subsea repair clamps.
Work will be carried out on Sarawak Shell Berhad’s facilities in the South China Sea, offshore western Borneo. The facilities include the M3, B11, E11 RB, F23 and F6 platforms, located 80 km to 200 km from Miri and Bintulu in the State of Sarawak. Natural gas is transported through four major trunk lines of the pipeline network to an onshore processing plant in Bintulu. Shell and its co-venturer PETRONAS Carigali Sdn. Bhd. are the production-sharing contractors of PETRONAS, the Malaysian national oil company, and Shell is the operator.
Pipeline pressure isolation services are traditionally carried out in conjunction with valve change-outs on export lines in the event of leakage. When these situations arise, TDW “pigs in” the SmartPlug tool from the launcher past the valves that are in need of repair or replacement in order to provide safe isolation while valve maintenance takes place. The valves are typically larger, with a 24-inch to 38-inch bore. Offshore pipeline isolations of this nature typically require a four-man crew to launch, monitor and retrieve the SmartPlug tool. Depending on the circumstances, the operation is completed in two to four weeks. For Shell, the SmartPlug pipeline pressure isolation method is particularly beneficial because a number of pipeline sections in this network require a double-block to safely isolate the work area from hydrocarbons. Without SmartPlug technology, it would be necessary to “bleed down” the affected work zone, which can be very costly and time-consuming.
Successful Pressure Isolations Facilitate Safe Pipeline Maintenance
Work associated with the three-year frame agreement has commenced. Already, TDW has successfully carried out pipeline pressure isolations on the F23 and the M3, with plans to complete two isolations in order to facilitate a pipeline tie-in on the F23 and to replace two valves on the E11 RB in autumn 2009.
The majority of work is being supplied by TDW personnel in Stavanger, with additional support from the company’s base in Singapore. The SmartPlug tools used to carry out these services are assembled, tested and mobilized from TDW-Stavangar via Labuan, Malaysia, for customer clearance, and transported by sea to the designated platform.
ince 2001, TDW has performed a number of pipeline pressure isolation operations to facilitate safe valve replacement on behalf of Sarawak Shell Berhad in the region. “Shell is a highly valued customer of ours in Malaysia and worldwide, so we are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to continue working on their behalf to ensure that their facilities in the south China Sea continue to operate safely and efficiently,” said Rune Haddeland, Managing Director of TDW Offshore Services. “We look forward to providing Shell with custom-engineered isolation solutions that make pipeline maintenance and repair a straightforward and reliable process,” he added.
About TDW Offshore Services
TDW Offshore Services’ core business is to provide its customers with products and services they need to construct and maintain pipelines. The company’s world-class engineering capability has resulted in numerous innovative products and services. TDW Offshore Services has an engineering staff that excels in customized design and fabrication of a wide range of repair clamps installable by remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The SmartPlug® tool from TDW Offshore Services is the world’s leading pipeline pressure isolation technology.
The company is a subsidiary of T.D. Williamson, Inc., the world leader in pipeline equipment and services. T.D. Williamson delivers safe integrity solutions for onshore and offshore applications. Experts provide hot tapping and plugging, pipeline cleaning, geometry and MFL inspection, pigging and non-tethered plugging pig technology services for any pressurized pipeline system, anywhere in the world.
Note to editors:
To receive a high resolution photo of the 24-inch SmartPlug® pipeline isolation operation recently carried out by TDW for Sarawak Shell Berhad on the M3 to facilitate replacement of valves, please contact Sharon Roe below.
For further information, contact:
Rune Haddeland, Managing Director, TDW Offshore Services, Stavanger, Norway
Phone: +47 957 07 205, E-mail: rune.haddeland@tdwilliamson.com
Mark Sim, Commercial Manager, TDW Offshore Services, Stavanger, Norway
Phone: +47 900 88 113, Email: mark.sim@tdwilliamson.com
Rolf Gunnar Lie, Regional Business Development Manager,
TDW Offshore Services, Singapore
Phone: +65 9651 3837, Email: rolf.gunnar.lie@tdwilliamson.com
Sharon Roe, Spinnaker Communications, St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1334 473 754, Email: Sharon.roe@tesco.net