TPT July 2014

Industry News

Arc Energy gains ASME U2 approval

additional demands of Division 2 allow for design to pressures as high as 10,000 psi. Typically, both types are used by Arc Energy Resources customers in the oil and gas and related industries. When producing Division 2 vessels, Arc Energy becomes responsible for verifying the customer’s design brief, and responsibility extends to verification of all potential load cases including seismic, wind, snow and other issues, as well as the effect of thermal stress and cyclic loading. Explaining the work involved in gaining the certification, technical and quality director Neil Cook said that during months of preparation, authorised inspectors from Arc Energy’s chosen authorisation inspection agency visited the factory to ensure that the company’s procedures and processes were strictly to code. During the audit, Arc Energy successfully demonstrated design and production of a complete test pressure vessel.

ASME VIII Division 2, four are existing clients of Arc Energy Resources. This approval is expected to help nurture the good working relationships between the various organisations. ASME U and U2 Stamp holders who require welded or clad components for inclusion into their vessels or equipment can only obtain such items from other companies with the relevant stamp. Because of this, in the short period since obtaining certification Arc Energy has produced a number of U2 parts for items such as pig launching and retrieval systems, enclosures and doors, blind flanges and nozzles. The company is also capable of producing complete vessels. The more stringent Division 2 code is required for vessels where systems are running at higher pressures. Division 1 vessels are usually designed to work at pressures up to 3,000 psi, while the

WELD overlay cladding and fabrication specialist Arc Energy Resources has obtained an ASME U2 Stamp. The company states that it is now the only weld overlay cladding specialist in the UK with ISO 3834-2 certification from the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF) and certified for welding and fabrication to ASME VIII Division 2. The new certification complements Arc Energy’s long-standing ASME VIII Division 1 Stamp for the manufacture of unfired pressure vessels and components. The ASME U2 Stamp supports the company’s specialised weld overlay cladding service, as the company can offer a comprehensive service that incorporates all aspects of welding and fabrication to code. Arc Energy is one of only seven companies in the UK with the certification, and of the six other companies approved to

Arc Energy Resources – UK Fax: +44 1453 823623 Email: sales@arcenergy.co.uk Website: www.arcenergy.co.uk

40 MN 25 5

MAXIMUM SUPPORTING FORCE

PIPE TESTS PER HOUR WEEKS REBUILD TIME

Quality unites – a fact that our customers and we discover time and again with every new project. Together we develop solutions that give our partners the com- petitive edge in their business. Thanks to this good cooperation, SMS Meer is a leading international company in heavy machinery and plant engineering.

Hydrotesters for longitudinally welded large- diameter pipe guarantee conformance with the relevant requirements of international certification bodies. Berg Steel Pipe Corpo- ration (BSPC) commissioned SMS Meer to set up a new hydrostatic pipe tester with integrated emulsion treatment system at its site in Panama City, Florida (USA). It was in- stalled as a replacement investment for a predecessor machine. An adjustment of the fundament was not necessary – that is why we needed only five weeks including com- missioning. The plant itself is also quick: with a standard pipe length of 12.4 m it can reach a frequency of 25 pipes per hour.

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