TPi January 2018

business & market news

Tenaris opens new Aberdeen service centre Tenaris is enhancing its support to customers’ offshore and onshore operations in the North Sea region through Rig Direct™, with the inauguration of its new service centre in Aberdeen, UK. preparation and delivery of OCTG, both casing and tubing. The company also has a premium threading facility in Aberdeen, which expanded in 2016 with the opening of a new Dopeless ® technology line, increasing its production capacity.

growth for the two formerly competing businesses. Nick Crofts, CEO of Amiblu, and Claus Brun, the company’s international CCO and former MD of Hobas, agree that by merging they can better support the product and market investments required to transform the position of GRP pipeline solutions. This has global implications, given the positioning of Hobas and Flowtite Technology customers and licensees around the world. “Water is a precious resource, fundamental to life,” said Mr Crofts. “At Amiblu we believe we can better manage this resource without increasing investment rates. We can offer solutions to wastage, pollution, disruption and inefficiency of pipeline systems today whilst saving capital and operating costs.” Amiblu Holding GmbH – Austria “This development allows us to further enhance our service offering, granting us the flexibility to respond to our customers’ needs quickly, and to leverage our products’ strengths,” said Gary Thomson, Tenaris UK country manager. “We continue to invest in infrastructure and in opportunities for growth as conditions in the local market improve.” From the new service centre Tenaris will provide a full range of logistics, storage, cleaning and inspection services for OCTG and accessories, along with complete pipe management services such as Pipe Tracer™, a pipe-by-pipe identification system that allows customers to keep track of their inventories and to update pipe status and service conditions.

The new line applies the dry multi- functional coating in a fully automated process. Tenaris is a global manufacturer and supplier of steel pipe products and related services for the energy industry and other industrial applications. It operates an integrated network of steel pipe manufacturing, research, finishing and service facilities with industrial operations in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and a direct presence in most major oil and gas markets. Tenaris SA – Luxembourg www.tenaris.com

The merger of the European business activities of the Wietersdorfer subsidiary Hobas and Amiantit Europe (including Flowtite Technology) was officially closed following the approval of the European Competition Authorities (ECA). The two GRP (glassfibre reinforced plastic) pipe companies have combined forces to form the joint venture company Amiblu. An agreement between WIG Wietersdorfer Holding GmbH and Saudi Arabia’s Amiantit Company SAAC, the owner of Amiantit Europe, was reached in December 2016, with the ownership structure shared 50:50 between the part- ners. The headquarters of the joint ven- ture are located in Klagenfurt, Austria. GRP pipes provide sustainable solutions across infrastructure and industrial applications such as drinking water, irrigation, wastewater, hydropower and industrial plant systems. The brands Hobas and Flowtite each offer distinct benefits as pipeline solutions, and Amiblu will ensure both continuity and The company has been providing direct service to customers in the North Sea for 20 years. Its presence in the region has been critical to the continued deployment of its Rig Direct model of working directly with customers to optimise their supply chain, in addition to providing them with technical consulting and field services. Customers and suppliers joined Tenaris for the opening ceremony at the eight- acre facility, which includes pipe storage, an inspection facility, and an indoor warehouse to handle the management,

Hobas and Amiantit Europe join forces in European business

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Contact: Tel: +44 203 735 7247 Emails: info@qualitube.co.uk 3.08 Q West Great West Road

Brentford TW8 0GP

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info@amiblu.com www.amiblu.com

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January 2018 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL