TPi May 2014

Oi l and gas

Strong outlook for offshore pipe industry The European outlook for the offshore pipe industry in 2014 is positive, according to a report conducted by Tata Steel, a supplier of deep-water pipe line solutions.

GRP systems With a 50-year company history, Fiberdur is an experienced manufacturer of glass fibre reinforced piping systems. The company’s service covers a wide range of GRP pipes and fittings made of epoxy resin, vinyl ester resin and polyester resin. This flexibility allows the company to engineer customised piping systems meeting high quality requirements. Fiberdur piping systems are resistant against many corrosive, abrasive and chemical media, as well as being high-pressure resistant. The material properties make Fiberdur GRP pipe systems a choice for any application with high forces and high temperatures. Mr Broughton added, “Increased investment from operators will see infrastructure requirements grow. Already we are beginning to see the signs of this offshore activity in regions like the Gulf of Mexico, where spending will represent a third of all deep water activity globally, and the Middle East, where existing brownfield infrastructure needs to be replaced and new installed. Both represent significant opportunities for the pipe line industry. Shale will also play an important role, particularly as renewable energy progress has been intermittent.” The European operations of Tata Steel comprise Europe’s second largest steel producer. The company supplies steel and related services to construction, automotive, packaging, rail, lifting and excavating, energy and power, aerospace and other demanding markets worldwide. Tata Steel Europe Ltd – UK www.tatasteeleurope.com

Richard Broughton, commercial manager for the pipe lines division of Tata Steel, said, “Whilst it is undeniable that the economic recovery has been sluggish and as a consequence progress in major infrastructure projects has been delayed, we are now experiencing real signs of recovery and a change in momentum, both onshore and offshore. “Budgets will continue to be challenged, but the industry will continue to step up to the challenge, push the boundaries and drive innovation.”

The study points to high energy demand from Africa, Asia and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations, which will continue to drive offshore developments. It also highlights the growth in deep water developments in Africa and Europe as signs that the offshore pipe line industry is set to continue its recovery.

Investment in deep water exploration has increased significantly over the past year and is expected to continue as easy-to-reach reserves continue to be depleted. Also emphasised is the likely growth in pipe line transportation as new sources of shale gas come on line. In particular, the report highlights Russia as a region of significance for 2014.

Tata Steel’s report shows a positive outlook

Approval from oil companies TMK, a producer of tubular products for the oil and gas industry, has received official confirmation that its pipes made from the company’s own Russian- produced billets are eligible for use by Iraq’s South Oil Company (SOC). SOC’s engineers visited TMK’s Russian facilities to get an overview of pipe billet production technology. Based on their technical report, TMK’s pipes received the Iraqi Ministry of Oil approval for being used by SOC. In a separate development, Taganrog Metallurgical Works (TAGMET), a TMK subsidiary, has been qualified by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) as an approved supplier of ТМK UP PF and ТМK UP PF ET premium connections. ТМK UP PF connections are used in tubing and casing pipe strings for wells with intense borehole crooking, while ТМK UP PF ET connections ensure high tightness of the casing string at extreme loads and torque, and can be used in complex oil and gas production technologies, such as drilling with casing.

“TMK has put a lot of effort into securing its presence on the Iraqi market, which boasts strong potential for further growth,” commented TMK CEO Alexander Shiryaev. “The decision made by the national Ministry of Oil proves the high quality of our pipe and billet, putting them alongside those made in the US, Japan and Western Europe. From now on, TMK is fully capable of delivering pipe to both South Oil Company and any other state-controlled oil and gas producer in Iraq.”

“KOC qualification of our TMK UP connections offers new opportunities to promote our products in the Middle East,” said Mr Shiryaev. “Expanding sales of high-margin premium pipe products is TMK’s strategic priority.”

TPR Fiberdur GmbH & Co KG – Germany

TMK – Russia tmk@tmk-group.com www.tmk-group.com

info@fiberdur.com www.fiberdur.com

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Tube Products International May 2014

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