Gorgon's pipeline revolution

Offshore triumphGorgon’s pipeline revolution

Out with the old: MAPS becomes bidirectional 171

Roma-Brisbane Pipeline: an historical revisit 82

Safety in the industry: is all as well as it should be? 34

ISSUE 164 | OCTOBER 2015

2015 APGA Convention Edition

BUILDING CIVIL ELECTRICAL FABRICATION MAINTENANCE MARINE MECHANICAL PIPELINES RAIL TUNNELLING

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THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015www.pipeliner.com.auTHE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015 www.pipeliner.com.au 76

CONTENTSCONTENTS

EXECUTIVE REPORTS10 President’s Message12 Chief Executive’s Report

APGA NEWS AND EVENTS14 Members and memos16 Pipeliners unite for Sydney dinner18 Talking pipelines in the top end20 Technical seminar manages corrosion22 Brisbane hosts pipeliner masterclass24 Fighting fire with fire in Adelaide

YOUNG PIPELINERS FORUM26 Young pipeliners take a stand28 Victorian YPF benefits from experience30 SA YPF teams up with Energy Pipelines CRC32 Queensland YPF strikes it lucky

INDUSTRY NEWS34 Public safety of high pressure natural gas pipelines in Australia: is all as well as it should be?42 What’s next for the NEGI?44 Longford replacement starts rolling46 Young leaders let gas do the talking48 NATA–accredited laboratory delivers calibration services to Surat Basin50 A pipeliner in Paris

TECHNICAL52 Crossway JIP: an engineering guideline for crossings

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT58 The Energy Pipelines CRC: building for the future

POLICY60 APGA addresses the inquiries

TRAINING64 Pipeline Engineer registration: what’s in it?

INTERVIEW66 Running in the industry: Susan Jacques70 Worker on the line: Les Bennett74 A view from abroad: Brian Leis78 In conversation with Ivi Cicak

HISTORY83 Memories of constructing the Roma-Brisbane Pipeline

APGA CONVENTION 201588 2015 APGA Convention to light up the Gold Coast90 2015 APGA Sponsors list92 2015 APGA Exhibitors94 2015 Convention Program

EXHIBITOR PROFILES100 Pipeliner pops up at the Convention102 Vermeer opens new facility in Melbourne104 Avoiding depressurisation during offshore maintenance106 ROSEN: empowered by technology108 PNP rolls out its next-gen solution110 Prime Drilling: delivering HDD from Germany to the world112 Qenos: made by gas, for gas114 With pipeline plastics, experience comes first116 Testing the way forward118 Developing the fields120 MPC heads to the States122 Crest confirms coatings ability124 More [w]raps for Denso126 Endowed with experience128 The ART of innovation130 Five tips for centralising pipe132 Mipela launches x-info aware

COMPANY NEWS133 Sentanil’s AS 2885 study updated134 Lifting expectations: IPS delivers on vacuum pipe lifters136 Infield Impacting on pipeline inspection138 Pipeline Specialty Supply Services goes on the move140 Major industry contracts cement Canusa’s reputation 142 AJSS grows with the market144 Clearflow offers the advantage of experience146 Fine tuning bucket wheel trenching148 Cathodic protection gets a dust-up149 Redesigned rigs ready to roll out 150 Compaction problem solved151 Momentum taking you forward152 ZNX builds unique confined space training facility

REGION REVIEW: QUEENSLAND155 Sunny days for Queensland pipelines160 A stranded asset no more162 APA introduces the Wallumbilla evolution165 CSG construction continues seamlessly 168 Queensland pipeline personality: Kevin Kealy

MAJOR PROJECTS171 Engineering pipeline innovation in the West177 A pipeline rises in the East181 An old pipeline becomes new184 Securing east coast gas185 New pipelines set for Victoria’s western coastline186 Pipeline abandonment: what you need to know

QUIZZES AND PUZZLES188 The Australian Pipeliner Quiz

PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OF AUSTRALIA190 Pipeline construction workers of Australia

NEWS IN BRIEF192 The latest industry news194 World wrap

MAGAZINE BRIEFS196 ACCC inquiry must cut through the contradiction196 Nord Stream’s offshore inspection survey196 Insights into pipe selection

CONFERENCES197 International pipeline events

APGA MEMBERSHIP198 APGA Membership List200 APGA Membership Application Form202 APGA New Membership Approvals

APGA EVENTS AND CONFERENCES202 APGA Meetings 2015–2016202 Exhibitions and Conferences203 Advertisers Index

THE LAST WORD204 What I know about pipelines: Bob Gration

Pipe being delivered to the Sunrise Dam stockpile for APA Group’s Eastern Goldfields Pipeline in Western Australia.

THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015 www.pipeliner.com.au8

REGULARS

The Australian Pipeliner is the official journal of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) and is distributed to members without charge and circulated to interested organisations throughout Australia and overseas. It is also available on subscription. The publishers welcome editorial contributions from interested parties. However, neither the

publishers nor the APGA accept responsibility for the content of these contributions and the views contained therein are not necessarily the views of the publishers or the APGA. Neither the publishers nor the APGA accept responsibility for any claims made by advertisers. All communications should be directed to the publishers.

GreatSouthern

Press

Average Net Distribution 2,945 Period ending March 2015

The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association’s vision is to lead the sustainable growth in pipeline infrastructure for Australasia’s energy.

The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) is a non-profit organisation formed to represent the interests of its members involved in: the ownership, operation, maintenance, design, engineering, supply and construction of pipelines, platforms and all other structures used in or in connection with the drilling for, extraction and transmission of hydrocarbons, solids, slurries and similar substances both onshore and offshore. As a single voice representing the collective interests of its members, the APGA is dedicated to encouraging the extension and development of the industry.

EDITORSally Commins | [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITORStuart Scudamore | [email protected]

JOURNALISTJosie Emanuel | [email protected]

DIRECTOR – PIPELINES AND GASLyndsie Clark | [email protected]

SALES DIRECTORJulie McConachy | [email protected]

SALES MANAGERTim Thompson | [email protected]

SALES MANAGER – PIPELINES AND GASDavid Marsh | [email protected]

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERMichael Villanti | [email protected]

DESIGN MANAGERSKatrina Rolfe, Bianca Botter

DATA MANAGER/ANALYSTGareth Weaver

PUBLISHERZelda Tupicoff

PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTIONThe Dynamite Group Pty Ltd Complete Mailing Pty Ltd

A.C.N. 005 716 825 (A.B.N. 28 096 872 004) GPO Box 4967 Melbourne VIC 3001 T: +61 3 9248 5100 | F: +61 3 9602 2708 E: [email protected] | W: www.pipeliner.com.au

ISSN 0310-1258

Cover: Allseas’ Solitaire vessel lays the Jansz-Io offshore pipeline off the coast of Western Australia. The pipeline forms part of Chevron Australia’s Gorgon LNG Project. Read more on the pipelay on page 171.

Read The Australian Pipeliner on your device!

To view the digital edition on your device, scan the QR code or go to

pipeliner.com.au

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Off shore triumphGorgon’s pipeline revolution

Out with the old: MAPS becomes bidirectional 171

Roma-Brisbane Pipeline: an historical revisit 82

Safety in the industry: is all as well as it should be? 34

ISSUE 164 | OCTOBER 2015

2015 APGA Convention Edition

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REGULARS

APGA BoardPresidentMark DaymanFyfe Pty Ltd

Vice PresidentShaun ReardonJemena Limited

TreasurerDave MaloneyCNC Project Management

Immediate Past PresidentKevin LesterAPA GroupPeter CoxWorleyParsons ServicesJim FrithMcConnell DowellBrent JonesPetroserv InternationalTony O’SullivanMurphy Pipe and Civil ConstructionsMark TwycrossTwycross and Partners Pty Ltd

A complete APGA membership list is printed on pages 198 and 202

The Gold Coast is a timely destination given the progress of the LNG developments within Queensland. I look forward to the opening address of the Hon. Dr Anthony Lynham MP, Minister for State Development and Natural

Resources and Mines in Queensland. At the time of writing, registrations, exhibition sales and sponsorship were on track to exceed expectations and deliver an outstanding Convention.

Being elected President of APGA has been the highlight of my career, and over the last two years I have enjoyed my role as President immensely. Being back on the Gold Coast for the Convention will also recall some great memories I have of earlier conventions and in fact one of my first conventions.

In my position of Managing Director of Fyfe, I have become involved in many industry associations. Over a long period of time and before I became involved in the APGA Board, I had formed the view that no other association provides such good value to its members. This is largely due to the outstanding work of our secretariat team in Canberra. In particular, I would like to compliment Cheryl Cartwright and Steve Dobbie on developing and delivering a winning formula that provides great value for our members and ensures our continued success.

During this period the Association has continued to develop its services to the members of the pipeline and gas industries. At June 2015 the Association membership was 522. The membership for the current financial year is lower, but tracking well given the current challenges facing the industry. The most notable change for the association in my time has been the increased influence APGA has in the advocacy and policy arenas. However, over the last year we have seen the impact of the change of the name of the Association to include gas but also retain our broad heritage in supporting the pipeline industry.

No doubt we are all feeling the effect of the change in project work levels. The fall in the price of oil has seen a dramatic effect on the industry. This combined

with projects coming off development phase, has contributed to the reduction in activity. Many businesses have made changes to reduce costs. Some businesses unfortunately have not been able to make it through these times. Overall the industry is adjusting to this new environment. We are all reducing costs, being more efficient and looking to improve the value we provide. I am sure we will all be better organisations as a result these changes. Most predictions are that low oil prices will be with us for a while, so we all need to work within these economics.

I would like to thank my APGA Board colleagues, Cheryl Cartwright, Steve Dobbie and the rest of the Secretariat. We have an outstanding Association that supports our industry and its members. I look forward to continuing to work with the team in the future.

I hope you have a very successful Convention and look forward to catching up with you.

MARK DAYMAN PRESIDENT

Mark Dayman, President.

This is my sign-off message as President of APGA and I will hand over the reins to the new APGA President at the Convention on the Gold Coast.

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REGULARS

Cheryl Cartwright, Chief Executive.

Welcome to the October/Convention edition of the pipeline industry’s magazine. If you’re reading this and you’re not at the Convention, we’re very sorry that you will be missing it this year and, of course, we’ll miss you.

Chief Executive’s Report

ABN: 29 098 754 324APGA Secretariat Registered Office:7 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600(PO Box 5416, Kingston ACT 2604)Tel: +61 2 6273 0577Fax: +61 2 6273 0588Email: [email protected]: www.apga.org.au

Chief ExecutiveCheryl Cartwright Business ManagerSteve DobbiePolicy ManagerSteve DaviesPolicy ManagerDamian CappMembership ManagerGisela ThaurerBusiness and Finance OfficerPeter HeffernanFunction and Administration OfficerSally MacGregorTraining and Communications ManagerKaren PolglazeEnergy Pipelines Cooperative Research CentreChief Executive OfficerProf. Valerie LintonBusiness ManagerRobert NewtonAdmin OfficeUniversity of Wollongong,Faculty of Engineering, Northfields Ave, Wollongong

It’s a great opportunity for members to catch up with their interstate and international friends and colleagues and it promises to be another excellent event this year.

It’s been a tough year for many members and we are very pleased so many of you are able to attend the Convention (at the time of writing, the number of bookings is tracking well; in fact, it’s as high as any other year).

We hope attending the Convention helps to bring new business opportunities and keeps our members up to date with new developments.

The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) has some very long-term members; people and companies committed to the industry and to the Association.

The numbers highlight this commitment. We have 11 members who have been with the Association for more than 20 years; 63 who have been members for more than 15 years, 31 for 10; 62 for five years; and 81 for two or more years.

And, in a very good sign for the industry and the Association, there are many newer members. 18 members have been with us for one year, and there are 21 new members (so far) this year. We hope these new members will find the benefits and the camaraderie that have kept others with us for so long.

At the risk of offending many, I’d like to personally nominate just a couple of long-term members for different reasons.

These two guys were there at the beginning, when it was the APCA, the constructors association, and have continued their support. Firstly, Keith Fitzgerald, who I’ve enjoyed naming and shaming these past few years at the Convention, has only missed two Annual Conventions in the 48 years of the Association. Keith’s health is preventing him from attending this year so we’ll miss him and Maureen.

And the other long-termer, who’s attended almost as many Conventions as Keith, is Bob Gration. Steve Dobbie and I can’t thank Bob enough for his behind-the-scenes support of both of us at the Secretariat.

His advice is always honest and forthright, with the best interests of the Association and the members at heart. Bob, we’d be lost without you. Personally, too, Bob and Helen were instrumental in ensuring I received the biggest and best surprise of my life at the Convention last year. Thank you my friend.

Of course, what the experienced pipeliners also encourage is the Young Pipeliners Forum (YPF). It’s grown from a single event in Canberra in 2006 to many events and functions – both educational and fun – around the country. It’s the 10th anniversary of the YPF next year and we’d like to celebrate and congratulate our young people for their initiative and drive.

It’s also time to review the focus of the group, as the industry adapts to new challenges, so will the YPF need to focus on rejuvenation and planning for the future. These young people are the pipeline leaders of the future.

So, this is a call-out to the bosses of our industry. Yes, times are tougher than they were when this group began, but our young people need your support and encouragement. We’ll hold a national YPF event in 2016 – please make sure the young people in your organisation can attend.

Finally, on behalf of the APGA Secretariat, I’d like to thank our President Mark Dayman whose two-year term in that role comes to an end after this year’s Convention.

Mark has been a committed President during his term, providing his time and knowledge enthusiastically during what has been a very challenging period.

We have enjoyed working with him and look forward to his continuing contribution as Immediate Past President over the next two years. Thank you, Mark.

CHERYL CARTWRIGHT CHIEF EXECUTIVE

DSA

EC90

52a

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THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015 THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015www.pipeliner.com.au www.pipeliner.com.au14 15

OSD announces Managing Director succession

OSD founder, Managing Director and major shareholder Brian O’Sullivan has moved to the position of Executive Chairman after 23 years in the role.

Linton Burns, who joined the company as Chief Financial Officer in 2009 and has been an Executive Director since 2012, has been appointed as Managing Director.

Former Chairman, Rod Keller, remains on the Board as Non-Executive Director.

“The company has grown through the efforts of our team to be a significant and respected service provider in the development and operation of pipeline transportation, facilities and processing in Australasia,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“It is time to hand over to Linton who has strongly contributed to the company and its operations and I am sure he will continue to improve the business in the year ahead.

“I acknowledge former Chairman, Mr Rod Keller, for his guidance and his experienced public company corporate governance capability.”

“I am extremely excited to be given the opportunity to lead the business in the next phase of its growth,” Mr Burns said.

“With Brian’s ongoing support and that of the rest of the OSD team, I look forward to executing our plan for future growth.”

For more information visit www.osdlimited.com

MEMBERS AND MEMOSMEMBERS AND MEMOS

Murphy Pipe and Civil supports NAIDOC WeekTwo Queensland students have moved a step closer to achieving their dreams of pursuing medical careers, thanks to an indigenous education bursary set up by APGA member Murphy Pipe and Civil.

Miles State High School’s Zali Dawes and Roma State College’s Tristian Waites both wrote essays detailing their tertiary education goals and highlighting the pride they had in their Indigenous heritage, as part of a NAIDOC Week youth initiative run by Murphy Pipe and Civil (MPC).

Tristian and Zali both received $2,000 bursaries to assist in their ongoing schooling in recognition of their well-written accounts.

Both bursary wining authors said they would use the funds to help purchase educational equipment and assist with their university fees.

MPC Gas Field Services Project Manager Andrew Parker said the essay competition attracted more than 60 entries from across Queensland, but the strong indigenous pride conveyed in the submissions by Zali and Tristian struck a real chord with the essay judges.

New CEOIn further news, MPC has announced a major management change, announcing former BHP

Mitsubishi Alliance President John Smith as the company’s new CEO.“The MPC Group is pleased to welcome John on board, and I believe his extensive industry

experience and capability will enable us to strategically capitalise on what the company has already achieved and successfully take us to the next level,” said MPC Chairman Alastair Kerr.

Mr Smith said he is looking forward to leading the company through its next phase of strategic growth and working with the MPC team.

“Murphy Pipe and Civil has achieved a great deal in a very short timeframe, but underpinning this achievement is the company’s commitment to working safely in the pursuit of continuous improvement, and developing innovative solutions for our clients, which is the hallmark of our success.”

For more information visit www.mpcgroup.com.au

McConnell Dowell appoints new CEOMcConnell Dowell has announced Scott Cummins as its new CEO, following an announcement earlier in the year that existing CEO, David Robinson, would retire in October 2015.

Bringing extensive knowledge in the construction and engineering industry across various disciplines and geographies, Mr Cummins has worked in project and functional management and leadership roles in the marine, production, construction engineering, fabrication, business development and regional operations for McDermott International over the last 25 years.

Mr Cummins has held leadership roles in major locations across the world, including Singapore, Indonesia, Dubai and London. Since January 2015, Mr Cummins has held the position of Senior Vice President of Commercial at McDermott International.

Prior to this position his roles included Executive Vice President Offshore, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Asia Pacific, at McDermott International

Mr Cummins is an Australian national with a Bachelor of Engineering from Monash University, Melbourne, and a Masters of Business Administration from Strathclyde University, Glasgow, United Kingdom. The McConnell Dowell board has thanked Mr Robinson for his contributions to the company and its parent, Aveng, over the past 37 years, in particular the past 15 years as CEO.

Mr Robinson will remain available to the company in a consulting role.For more information visit www.mcconnelldowell.com

WE ♥ PIPELINESHow do we love themLet us count the waysWe love them for the energy they bringThe hot showers in the morningThe warm and cosy homesWe love their clean green footprintWith so little global warming

We love their depth of coverThat hardly any soul can reachWhen digging in the groundWe love that they are safeAnd cannot ruptureWhere people are around

We honour their long serviceOf fifty years and moreAnd that when they are old and frailWe will make them young againEither thatOr put them into restWhen they’ve given so much gain

Poem written by Leigh Fletcher, with the support of fellow pipeline lovers Susan Jaques, Max Kimber, Jim McDonald, Richard Robinson and Peter Tuft.

* With acknowledgment to Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Interested in submitting an item to Members and Memos?Email The Australian Pipeliner Assistant Editor Stuart Scudamore with your pipeline company news at

[email protected]

‘Like’ us on Facebook!The Australian Pipeliner is all about staying fresh and modern, so if you are similarly inclined make sure you check out our newly launched Facebook page. With all your favourite features included, it also provides a

great opportunity for our broad readership to stay connected.Head to www.facebook.com/pages/The-Australian-Pipeliner to see for yourself!

McConnell Dowell’s new CEO Scott Cummins.

OSD Limited Executive Chairman Brian O’Sullivan.

Miles State High School student Zali Dawes (centre) being presented with a $2,000 education bursary from, (from left), MPC Land Access and Social Performance Advisor Ray Hanrahan, QGC Indigenous Relations Mentor and Compliance Coordinator Mia Hampson, Miles State High School Deputy Principal Norman Gill and MPC Senior Project Manager Andrew Parker.

New Murphy Pipe and Civil CEO John Smith.

The Australian Pipeliner goes under the knifeYou might have noticed something different about this edition of The Australian Pipeliner. Don’t worry, you aren’t seeing things, we have undergone a redesign to make the magazine more accessible to our readers.

Now made from a lighter material the redesign features a newly designed masthead, fresh content as well as a reimagined layout for the whole magazine.

New features include ‘What I know about pipelines’, with pipeline legend Bob Gration heading up the first edition, and new pictorial spread of workers on-site.

These features will be regular going forward, so if you know someone who should give their pipeline insights, or if you have good pictures from ongoing work on the site, send them in!

We’d also love to hear your feedback on the redesign, so be sure to pop over to The Australian Pipeliner’s booth at this year’s APGA Exhibition and let us know your thoughts.

If you would like to send feedback in, or contribute images and article ideas to The Australian Pipeliner, email Assistant Editor Stuart Scudamore at [email protected]

THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015 www.pipeliner.com.au

APGA NEWS AND EVENTS

16

Approximately 60 guests were treated to a presentation from Lucas Construction and

Engineering CEO Russell Eggers, which was titled Distributed Generation – pipeliners’ friend or foe.

With many years of executive and consulting experience focused on mining

and energy services, Mr Eggers spoke about the experience Lucas gained from their energy operations in the United Kingdom – including shale gas, fracking and ‘micro grids’ – as well as opportunities for pipeliners in new distributed energy generation models.

Lucas has vast experience in the business of pipeline construction, and has been involved in projects such as the Eastern Goldfields Gas Pipeline, the Bonaparte Gas Pipeline, the Gorgon horizontal directional drilling shore crossing project,

the SEA Gas Pipeline, and the Brooklyn to Lara Pipeline.

Drawing on such experience, Mr Eggers delivered a very entertaining and informative speech, which set the tone of the discussion for the rest of the night.

Overall, the dinner was a successful event, with the festivities lasting long after dessert was finished.

The Sydney Dinner was sponsored by CNC Project Management and Denso Australia.

The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association Sydney Dinner, held on 9 July at the Sydney Harbour Marriot, provided an excellent opportunity for guests to catch up with old friends, network and hear from an expert on pipeline construction in the United Kingdom.

Pipeliners unite for Sydney dinner

Sponsor CNC Project Management’s Ian Spence addresses the dinner attendees.

Service beyond expectations

www.simon.com.auDirect : 03 8587 9000 | Email: [email protected] | Mobile: 0488 859 312



18

Over 80 pipeliners gathered at the Hilton Darwin on Thursday 16 July for the APGA Darwin dinner.

Gary Barnes, Coordinator-General for Major Projects, Infrastructure and Investments, provided dinner guests with an overview of the background and vision for the approximately 1,000 km (depending on selected final route) NEGI.

Mr Barnes welcomed everyone to Darwin, and mentioned that it was great to have so many pipeliners up in the Territory to hear about what is happening in terms of pipeline development. An anecdote about NEGI employees winning big at the recent Darwin races on a horse called ‘It’s a Pipedream’ drew a lot of laughs from the audience.

Mr Barnes took the audience through the status of this Northern Territory government-led initiative, and the next steps in the process, which include the Northern Territory Government currently seeking commercial proposals for the pipeline.

He spoke about the importance of key infrastructure projects like the NEGI for the continued development of the Northern Territory.

“Here in the Territory, there is an aspiration to make sure that this place goes forward, and forward it will go,” he said.

“There is a ‘can-do’ attitude in the Territory. It happens to be an attitude that both sides of politics embrace, and I can say almost with certainty that the pipeline that connects ourselves to the eastern seaboard will happen. It has bi-partisan support, it’s ahead of its time, and government has intervened to make something happen ahead of when it otherwise might have.”

The attentive crowd had lots of questions for Mr Barnes, and were keen to hear further on what was next for the NEGI project.

Mr Barnes finished by saying he was looking forward to welcoming the APGA back to Darwin for its Convention in

2018, when the NEGI is proposed for commissioning.

The evening was proudly sponsored by APA Group and Fyfe.

Read more about the NEGI pipeline project in our in-depth article on page 42.

Pipeline development was a hot topic in the top end recently, where pipeliners from around the country gathered to hear the latest on the proposed North East Gas Interconnector pipeline (NEGI).

Talking pipelines in the top end

A

A. Attendees took the opportunity to catch and network. From left: Mark Cooper from DBP Development Group, Kevin Lester from APA Group, and Colin Lewis from Steel Mains.

B. Northern Territory Coordinator-General for Major Projects, Infrastructure and Investments Gary Barnes addresses attendees at the Darwin dinner in July.

B



20

A. From left: Anti Corrosion Technology’s Peter Jones, Lucas Engineering and Construction’s Xavier Ader and ACT’s Simon Ghobrial.

B. Canusa CPS’ Nasa Chaabani and David Anderson.

C. Delegates were treated to an informative day of corrosion management best practice.

Held at the Pullman Brisbane, the seminar’s discussion revolved around topics such as material

selection, coatings and cathodic protection required to attain the desired design life of assets.

With a host of experienced speakers lined up for the day, the presentations were selected to appeal to all industry sectors involved with pipeline asset management – including asset owners, project and integrity engineers, operators, inspection and maintenance personnel, contractors and suppliers.

There were some standout presentations. Wayne Thomson of Anode Engineering’s presentation on Corrosion monitoring inside and out; Raj Jeyarajah of Jemena’s outline on Cradle to the grave – asset strategy perspective on corrosion, and, Corrosion Control Engineering’s John Grapiglia’s A comparison of onshore/offshore CP monitoring methodologies.

The approximately 80 delegates were also treated to a keynote address on why corrosion is so important to the pipeline industry from APA Group’s Francis Carroll.

The seminar proved to be very informative to the delegates, and new

ideas and technologies were presented in order to properly manage corrosion on pipelines.

Delegates then had the opportunity to relax and let their hair down after a long day with a cocktail function later that night.

The joint APGA and the Australian Corrosion Association technical seminar was held on 26 July, and discussed the challenges and solutions for preventing corrosion in Australia’s pipelines.

Technical seminar manages corrosion

A

B

C



22

Kicking off at the Pullman Brisbane in King George Square, the APGA and the Plastics Industry Pipe Association (PIPA) of Australia exhibition and seminar on CSG

showcased the latest in plastic pipe technology, discussed the ever-growing plastic pipe industry and what steps need to be taken to ensure its growth.

The seminar provided a forum for robust discussion on the state of the industry, with presentations including Emergency response on large bore gathering networks by iPipe Services Managing Director David Nichols; V4 update – where we are heading from Santos Senior Staff Pipeline Integrity Engineer Lloyd Nicholls-Goffey; and, CSG – Queensland and beyond from QGC’s Hugh Luckhurst-Smith.

A number of those who attended the APGA/PIPA Seminar and Exhibition were also present at the APGA Brisbane Dinner, held across King George Square at the Brisbane Hilton.

Once again, the Queensland crowd turned up in numbers and everyone had the opportunity to have a few refreshments and catch-up with colleagues and friends before the formal proceedings got underway.

The evening’s speech was provided by Central Petroleum Managing Director Richard Cottee, who delivered his views on the state of Queensland’s industry, the role of Central Petroleum in developing the Northern Territory and a range topics in between.

Delivered with the vigour and style that Mr Cottee has long been associated with, the speech was often interrupted with laughter and applause – especially when he gave his views on Queensland’s southern neighbours.

The festivities continued long after the dinner ended.The dinner was sponsored by Nacap and LandPartners.

Brisbane turned it on for a gathering of pipeliners on Thursday 6 August, hosting both the APGA/PIPA CSG Seminar and Exhibition and the APGA Brisbane Dinner.

Brisbane hosts pipeliner masterclass

Central Petroleum Managing Director Richard Cottee addresses the APGA Brisbane Dinner.

HDPE PIPELINES | STEEL PIPELINES | CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE | RENEWABLE RESOURCES

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Held at the Hilton Adelaide on 20 August, a large crowd of 115 pipeliners enjoyed

networking drinks and then gathered to hear from Mr Van, Founder and Managing Director of public relations company De Wintern Group.

Mr Van covered a hot topic, speaking on the attacks often directed at the industry by conservationists, environmental lobbyists, and various social activist groups.

In his speech, titled Fighting Fire with Fire: Dealing with the International Conservationists’ Campaign Against Fossil Fuels, Mr Van covered topics such as scare campaigns, the effects of damaging media coverage on industry development, and the increasing use of social media by activist groups to drum-up public support.

Mr Van also focused on the practice of ‘promoting outrage’ that lobby groups often engage in and had a strong message for the audience, urging the gas and coal industries to work together to combat the often demonising representation they receive from activist groups.

Despite its lower-emission status, Mr Van said the natural gas industry had been caught up in the international campaign against fossil fuels and mining. However, Mr Van cautioned that “gas picking on coal was not a good idea”, and advised the industries to join forces in order to fight the broad anti-development agenda and promote job security and income, among other benefits.

This campaign, he advised, would also do well to join forces with the wider agricultural community, who also face

similar campaigns against them. In the social media age of today, simply refuting conservationists’ claims with factual evidence is not always enough, he said.

“It’s now such a big problem that we need to get together and do something. Competing industries, coal and gas, must work with farmers. It’s across the board and there’s no one group who can take this on.” Fighting misinformation

promoted by activists with facts was like “putting water on a large fire”, he said.

APGA Chief Executive Cheryl Cartwright said “The industry is keen to highlight the positive side of gas, its uses in the community and its value to the economy despite the campaign against it.”

The Adelaide dinner was proudly sponsored by Denso and Zinfra.

The August APGA Adelaide dinner drew a great crowd, with attendees keen to hear from guest speaker David Van about how the pipeline industry can address conservationists’ campaigns against fossil fuels.

Fighting fire with fire in Adelaide

A. De Wintern Group Founder and Managing Director David Van spoke about ‘fighting fire with fire’ and how the industry can respond to extreme conservationist campaigns.

B. Huw Dent and Rasool Mayahi from GPA Engineering, and Damian Penneck from SEA Gas enjoying the dinner.

A

B


YOUNG PIPELINERS FORUM

26

The Young Pipeliners Forum (YPF) is active around the country and the annual APGA Convention and

Exhibition provides the perfect opportunity for the chapters to catch up, swap ideas and, of course, discuss the future of the industry.

With fun and exciting networking events such as winery tours, bare-foot lawn bowls, quiz nights and treasure hunts, the YPF also has a focus on knowledge transfer with mentoring nights and Q&A sessions.

As most know, the thirst for knowledge is insatiable among young pipeliners, so any opportunity to grill a member of the older generations about everything from the state of the industry through to the best methods of pipelaying is eagerly anticipated.

With the annual Convention and exhibition being the best opportunity for this, it is essential that the older generation

pass their knowledge and expertise onto the young pipeliners, especially in today’s unpredictable global energy climate.

New membersFurther to this, the YPF’s various state

chapters are always looking for new members to take part in the activities on offer, so if you know of a person at your company or in the industry who is under 40 and not aware of the YPF, be sure to send them to the YPF stand so they can find out what it’s all about!

With representatives from the various state chapters manning the stand throughout the convention, there is sure to be a friendly face waiting to say hello.

The long-term success of any industry depends on fostering the interest and skills of all employees and ensuring that experiences and knowledge can be passed on from one generation to the next.

The YPF is certainly a strong representative of the young pipeliners in our industry, but with your help it will only get stronger.

It’s coming up to ten years since the formation of the Young Pipeliners Forum, so be sure to show your continued support to the young people in the industry by visiting the YPF stand at the 2015 APGA Exhibition.

Young pipeliners take a stand

If you’re under 40 and not yet involved in your state’s YPF chapter, visit the APGA website www.apga.org.au to sign up and start meeting your

fellow young pipeliners.

Young and older pipeliners mix at the YPF booth at the 2014 APGA Convention and Exhibition.

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Held at the Highlander Bar in Melbourne’s CBD, the young pipeliners had the opportunity to

catch up with each other before the more experienced members of the crowd gave their views on where the industry has come from, where it is going and a range of topics in between.

The first pipeliner to speak was long-time industry member Peter Norman, owner and director of recruitment company Peter Norman Personnel, who spoke about his time working on the construction of the Brooklyn to Altona Pipeline in the mid-70s.

Recounting five pipelines of different diameter being laid in the same trench, Mr Norman explained it was a very interesting project to work on, although not without its challenges.

Viewing images of the construction practices and procedures at the time,

the young pipeliners had the opportunity to see how much particular aspects of the industry have evolved over the years.

Next to present was CNC Project Management Managing Director and APGA Treasurer Dave Maloney who, rather than focusing on the construction and projects, spoke about the human side of the pipeline industry.

Mr Maloney spoke on the increasing role of women in the industry, the role that young people need to play in shaping the future of their respective industries, and how

to make the most of any career choices that may present themselves in the future.

Both presentations were open to discussion from the floor and involved back and forth between the audience and the two experienced heads.

The night proved to be very informative across a wide range of topics, and the conversation lasted long after the presentations had finished - over some cold refreshments of course!

A big thank you goes to CNC Project Management for sponsoring the event.

Attendees of the Victorian Young Pipeliners Forum annual Speaker Night, hosted on 22 July, were treated to advice and insights from experienced industry figures.

Victorian YPF benefits from experience

Members of the Victorian YPF enjoyed informative presentations from industry leaders.

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30

The event ensured that the young pipeliners in South Australia had access to the latest pipeline research

being undertaken by the Energy Pipelines CRC, as well as insight into a stress corrosion cracking (SCC) research project

currently being undertaken by the CRC. While some young pipeliners were

familiar with the Energy Pipelines CRC, many attendees had not been exposed to the group’s work, highlighting the importance of providing opportunities for exposure to research.

It was a reminder of the excellent work completed by the research body, with results that young pipeline engineers can apply directly to their work.

Erwin Gamboa from the University of Adelaide commenced the night with a short lesson on ‘classical’ high pH SCC fundamentals, and an update on his research into the challenging nature of assessing inclined SCC cracking, which has been observed on an Australian pipeline.

Providing the attendees with an overview of the basic SCC principles, Mr Gamboa outlined the key factors that influence its

occurrence, the lifecycle of crack initiation, growth, dormancy and final rupture, and how SCC can be managed.

Energy Pipelines CRC CEO Professor Linton concluded the event by providing an update on current and past Energy Pipelines CRC research, including projects focused on new Digital Image Correlation Systems for strain measurement, venting of pipeline temperature modelling, pipeline drilling damage and the development of a coating test facility at Deakin University in Geelong, Victoria.

Overall the night was a great success with approximately 25 attendees.

The South Australian YPF would like to thank the Energy Pipelines CRC for sponsoring the event, and Professor Linton and Mr Gamboa for presenting on the night.

On Thursday 30 July, the South Australian Young Pipeliners Forum convened at the Coopers Alehouse in Adelaide for a technical presentation by the Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre.

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32

Over 35 young (and a few not-so-young) attendees kicked off the evening by participating in a

bowling initiation ceremony that had the health and safety conscious among us raising a sweat.

All the young pipeliners lined up in front of each lane, legs apart, with the chosen bowler from each team required to bowl between the legs of their fellow

bowlers for the right to bowl first.With a lot more on the line than simply

winning, there were a number of nervous young pipeliners who shut their eyes and hoped for the best, but fortunately there were no injuries during initiation and a surprising number of good bowls across the lanes!

Following bowling, the young pipeliners were split into two groups, with half

participating in laser tag while the other half tested their vocal capacity through karaoke.

After hearing some of the singing, it was clear we weren’t listening to the next winner of The Voice, but a mighty effort was put in by all.

Special thanks go to Origin Energy for sponsoring another popular Queensland YPF event.

The annual Queensland Young Pipeliners Forum Strike Bowling event was, once again, a great success.

Queensland YPF strikes it luckyBy Paul Buckwell, Brand and Sponsorship Manager, Orrcon Steel

If you’re under 40 and not yet involved in your state’s YPF chapter, visit the APGA website www.apga.org.au to sign up and start meeting your

fellow young pipeliners.

From left: KBR’s Clinton Glanville and Jason Flick, and Amec Foster Wheeler’s Nathan Belgrove.


They deliver over 20 per cent of our energy requirements, and in most cases gas is the most economical

form of energy for both domestic and commercial users. We have vast reserves of gas, which is ideally suited as a transition fuel between coal and renewables and delivers a reduction of more than 50 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions.

Without these pipelines the gas cannot be transported to users, and compared to electricity transmission lines, pipelines are out of sight buried safely underground. Although there have been several ruptures, there has never been a fatality due to an operating failure of an Australian gas transmission pipeline, unlike notable examples overseas in San Bruno,

California, United States of America and Ghislenghien, Belgium.

Therefore, on record, Australian energy pipelines have been very safe, and we all hope that this will continue.

The Australian Standard for natural gas pipelines

The Australian Standard (AS) 2885 (the Standard) has been adopted by the State and Territory governments as the single and sufficient set of requirements for petroleum pipelines, and is arguably better in many key respects than equivalent Standards elsewhere.

An important feature of the Standard is that it was never the intent of the responsible committee to allow ‘grandfathering’ of safety requirements,

which is to say that when standards are updated, the new requirements do not apply to existing pipelines, only the new ones.

Pipelines are required to be licensed and the licensee is accountable for the safety and integrity of the pipeline, and cannot delegate this responsibility. The pipeline is subject to metre by metre risk assessment over the entire length, and all threats are ‘designed out’ such that risk is reduced to low or negligible, or at least to As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) providing the assessed risk is not higher than intermediate.

An important and special feature of the Standard is a requirement that in High Consequence Areas (HCA) where population density or other considerations

High pressure natural gas transmission pipelines are a vital part of Australia’s infrastructure, however, it appears that some of the engineering lessons of the past are not being followed today.

Public safety of high pressure natural gas pipelines in Australia: is all as well as it should be?

INDUSTRY NEWS

By Leigh Fletcher, APGA Honorary Life Member and Honorary Professorial Fellow, University of Wollongong

Public safety of high pressure natural gas pipelines in Australia is of paramount importance to all pipeline operators.


dictate the need for increased levels of protection for the public, the pipeline must be designed such that it will not rupture i.e. that it will leak rather than break if impacted, for example, by an excavator, or if some material failure occurs.

The main factor influencing the susceptibility to rupture is the stress level, and unfortunately, the effect of mandating no-rupture retrospectively on an existing pipeline will be likely to reduce the allowed operating pressure, and that will have serious implications for the economics of the pipeline.

A useful analogy here is to think of an inflated toy balloon which will fail catastrophically if pricked by a pin, whereas a bicycle inner tube will simply leak and deflate slowly. Pipelines in HCAs should leak not break, and thus should not allow a full-bore rupture to occur with the resulting very high radiation intensity that will occur perhaps hundreds of metres or more from a ruptured pipeline if ignition occurs.

AS 2885 clause 4.7.4 Change of Location Class requires that: “where there are changes in land use planning (or land use) along the route of existing pipelines... a safety assessment shall be undertaken and additional control measures implemented until it is demonstrated that the risk from a loss of containment involving rupture is ALARP.”

Unfortunately, these requirements around HCAs that have arisen from changed land use are not always being achieved nowadays.

Despite the intentions of the Standard and those that nurture it, the encroachment of suburban growth upon pipelines designed for rural areas has resulted in hundreds of kilometres of pipelines spread over most of our capital cities that don’t meet the no rupture and limited discharge rate requirements.

As such, these pipelines expose large numbers of the community to risks that they are blithely ignorant of, and have no say or choice over.

Thus, while the Standard requires old pipelines in HCAs to be upgraded to the same safety level as would apply to a new pipeline, in practice we now have different requirements for new pipelines from that applying to old, now encroached, pipelines.

Another matter that I find disturbing is that, contrary to clearly stated principles of AS2885, fracture control, including

prevention of propagating fracture, is not a mandatory requirement for all pipelines – including pipelines constructed before current fracture control requirements were implemented.

We not only have pipelines in populated areas that can suffer full bore rupture, but it may also be possible that a fracture initiated as a rupture could run for hundreds of metres or more because of the lack of sufficient toughness to cause arrest. It is understood that this exception to the principles will be corrected in the next revision of the Standard.

Risk Assessment practiceThis is a very difficult and somewhat

fraught situation. The middle management and independent consultants that routinely get involved in risk assessments become accustomed to accepting risk rankings for old pipelines that they wouldn’t accept in new pipelines.

They find themselves constrained to produce outcomes that won’t cause the need for very expensive measures, like many kilometres of slabbing or even total replacement of the pipeline.

They are forced, possibly against their professional engineering judgement, to rely on procedural measures like patrols and dial-before-you-dig, even though those measures are fallible like all human endeavours, instead of strong physical measures like no rupture and limited release rate.

Therefore, we routinely see outcomes of risk assessments that are not always as transparently rigorous and as effective in ensuring public safety as they should be.

A recent issue paper written by Peter Tuft, Chairman of the Standards committee responsible for AS 2885.1 Design and Construction that is currently under revision makes the point well.

The issue paper notes: “The current SMS [safety management study] process appears to have been useful but has never been under the spotlight expected after a failure that has disastrous effects for the public. It has also never, as far as we know, reached a conclusion that an existing pipeline presents unacceptable risk even though there are a small number of pipelines whose failure would have very serious consequences (multiple fatalities) and attract intensely critical attention.”

It then goes on to say:• SMS is completed by middle-level

technical people in accordance with AS 2885

• High-consequence risks are inevitably shown to be at worst Intermediate and ALARP, and hence tolerable

• The person authorised to issue approvals on behalf of the licensee will see a report that shows risk to be tolerable and hence accepts it without deep consideration

• The CEO and/or Board may or may not be informed of the consequences of failure.

It is an anomaly that the Standard holds the licensee accountable for safety and integrity without the ability to delegate, and yet the system allows the Directors, who hold ultimate responsibility to be uninformed of the risks they bear.

Along with this, it is not always the case that the Board includes people that are expert in pipeline technology.

An example of this is cited by Jan Hayes and Andrew Hopkins in Nightmare Pipeline Failures (CCH Australia Ltd 2014), where they say that the Board of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the operator of the pipeline that failed at San Bruno, did not include

INDUSTRY NEWS

THE AUSTRALIAN STANDARD ALREADY HAS QUITE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS FOR CHANGE OF LOCATION CLASS IN LAND USE CHANGE.LEIGH FLETCHER, UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG HONORARY PROFESSORIAL FELLOW AND APGA HONORARY LIFE MEMBER


anybody with experience in “gas engineering or high pressure gas transmission”.

These matters are of course issues of Corporate Governance over which the Standard has no control, but they are issues for the pipeline industry, and for the community.

A current example The recent rupture of the Moomba-

Adelaide pipeline (MAP) Port Pirie lateral as a result of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a good example of the potential consequences of the currently fraught risk assessment practices.

The pipeline system in question is typically 40–50 years old, and it is out of its original design life. It consists of hundreds of kilometres of pipeline, made up of different diameters, age, pipe manufacture, and coatings. It is also known to have a history of SCC, which it is particularly susceptible to given that much of it was coated over-the-ditch with a tape coating. The coating is acknowledged by the owner to be in a deteriorated condition.

Despite the diversity of the pipeline, widely differing risk, and known issues with SCC due to over-the-ditch coating, the risk of SCC was assessed as Intermediate and subsequently deemed ALARP. The 2013 Annual Report on the Technical Regulator’s website, upon which the pipeline licence is presumed to depend amongst other things, asserts compliance with the AS 2885 risk criteria, and earlier reports say that the risk of SCC was assessed as Intermediate without a case being made.

Similarly, the risk of SCC failure is deemed ALARP without explicit reasoning. The term ‘ALARP’ comes out of safety legislation where the onus is on the operator to present a case to the regulator that the pipeline is safe. No such case was found in the public domain.

The fitness for purpose reports on the website do not review the design parameters and pipe material properties against current requirements. For example, no fracture control plan information was found, and this would be a very important consideration in the event of a rupture on the main line.

Direct AssessmentThe mitigation cited to support the

ALARP outcome was Direct Assessment, a

method of inspection involving dig-ups and inspections at sites selected on the basis of maximum expected susceptibility.

The methodology is described in a NACE International Recommended Practice RP0204, which has recently been called into question by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in North America, and which is self-described as: “complementary with other inspection methods such as in-line inspection (ILI) or hydrostatic testing and is not necessarily an alternative or replacement for these methods in all instances.”

Reference was made in the reports to ILI with Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) tools, which it is known cannot find SCC. Other tools, for example those employing ultrasonics or the very recently proven electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) technology tools, are needed to discover SCC.

Since the case for ALARP was not made in publicly available documents, the argument that the cost of further mitigation was grossly disproportionate to the reduction of risk achieved cannot be examined. Perhaps it was considered that the cost of ultrasonic ILI at some tens of millions including supply interruptions, say around 5–10 per cent of the asset value, does approach a disproportionate level of expenditure, but the new EMAT technology available is much cheaper and would not be a disproportionate level of expenditure.

The type of SCC that caused rupture in the Port Pirie lateral, whether high pH or near neutral (NNSCC), has not been made public. The former is historically more likely in regions of elevated temperatures downstream of compressor stations, but NNSCC is not regarded as particularly temperature dependent. Both forms have been found in pipelines with deteriorated over the ditch coatings.

The NACE Direct Assessment standard refers to the risk of NNSCC near the weld seam in Electric Resistance Welded pipe as used on the lateral that failed. In any case, temperature is not the only parameter affecting high pH SCC and selecting direct assessment sites immediately downstream of compressor stations, especially in a very old pipeline with serious coating degradation, is not conservative in seeking to demonstrate ALARP.

On this basis, Direct Assessment cannot be relied upon alone to demonstrate

ALARP, and this is graphically demonstrated, albeit with hindsight, by the rupture event. Of course, any commission of enquiry that is set up to investigate a catastrophe will also have the same benefit of being able to apply hindsight.

It seems that the risk of rupture was not Low or Negligible, and not demonstrably and transparently ALARP. The saving grace was that, very fortunately, the rupture occurred in a small diameter lateral instead of the main line, that no one was around at the time, and that ignition didn’t happen.

If, just as likely, the rupture had occurred on the much larger diameter main line in the region of encroachment in the populated suburbs of Adelaide, the consequences could have been catastrophic with multiple fatalities and extended loss of supply.

Change of ownership and due diligence

In the June 2015 edition of Pipelines International there is a timely article by W.K. Muhlbauer entitled Due Diligence – risk costs of asset ownership, which says that “Pipeline systems are assets. Their value stems from their ability to generate revenue for their owners” and that “too often insufficient attempts are made to fully quantify the implications of acquiring an asset.”

In the July 2015 edition of The Australian Pipeliner, Max Kimber commented that we seem to forget the engineering lessons of the past, and how we still suffer welding problems on new pipelines.

The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) has commendably introduced accredited competency standards for pipeline personnel, and maybe one day there will be sufficient competent welding personnel to fill the gap that exists in that area.

However, until this happens we will go on having problems in the quality standards of welding in new pipelines and in the due diligence processes when those pipelines change ownership. The outcome is that there may be systemic quality shortcomings so that the pipeline may not meet the AS 2885 requirement of low or negligible risk in the event of the kind of washaways that have been seen in some of our pipelines in recent years during flood events.

INDUSTRY NEWS


The other example is the Moomba-Adelaide pipeline which changed hands only a couple of years ago. If, as it seems, the risk of failure in that pipeline was not really ALARP, should that situation have been discovered by the purchaser’s due diligence process?

It is understood that the cost of the acquisition was $400 million. If the cost of EMAT ILI was around $5 million, that would have been a relatively small expense and would have been something that could have been undertaken as part of due diligence.

ConclusionThe price of safety is eternal vigilance. I

believe that the industry practice and the technical regulation system needs to be reviewed and improved, especially in relation to the safety of the public in high consequence areas that have come about through land use changes. If there was to be a catastrophic failure with fatalities and major economic loss there is no doubt that a judge would find serious flaws in our systems and practices. It is very important that we make the necessary improvements without the need for a catastrophe as a catalyst.

The Australian Standard already has quite stringent requirements for change of location class in land use change. It also has a very clear set of principles set out in AS 2885 Part 0 that require the integrity of a pipeline to be maintained throughout its life, including where changes occur that affect the integrity, and at the end of the design life, the pipeline is to be abandoned unless an approved engineering investigation determines that its continued operation is safe.

The first and most important thing that must be done is that these requirements must be thoroughly complied with. This is not the case at the present time.

In summary, the issues requiring attention by the industry are:

• Risk assessment processes, especially in relation to the ALARP principle;

• Land use change due to residential and other development around pipelines that were built to a rural specification;

• The application of fracture control to existing pipelines, as well as new pipelines; and,

• The use of competent people in girth welding.

Finally, for want of a persuasive example, this article has focussed more than I would like upon the Moomba-Adelaide pipeline.

However, it is just one example. There are probably other pipelines for

which the details might be different but the failure consequences similar.

INDUSTRY NEWS

I would like to acknowledge the assistance and support of

the following people who have helped in the preparation of this

article: Andrew Hopkins, Susan Jaques,

Max Kimber, Jim McDonald, Sarah Maslen,

and Peter Tuft. The opinions expressed in this

article are my own, and the acknowledgement of the people

listed above does not indicate that they agree with all of the

views expressed.

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The Government has granted Major Project Status to the proposed North East Gas Interconnector

(NEGI) gas pipeline and is undertaking a competitive bidding process to identify proponents to build, own and operate the pipeline.

Three main routes are being considered for the proposed pipeline, with one option being a 600 km pipeline from Tennant Creek to Mt Isa at an estimated cost of $900 million.

The second option involves a 1,175 km pipeline from Alice Springs to the Santos-operated Moomba gas plant in South Australia for approximately $1.3 billion, while APA Group has also flagged a potential 700 km pipeline connection to the Carpentaria Gas Pipeline.

Following the Request for Initial Proposals held earlier this year, nine responses were received and evaluated by an expert panel comprising of two private sector members and two senior public servants.

Next stepsFour proponents – APA Group, DDG

Operations Pty Ltd (DUET), Pipeline Consortia Partners Australia Pty Limited (China National Petroleum Corporation) and SGSP (Australia) Assets (Jemena) – were shortlisted to develop the pipeline, with a successful proponent due to be named in October 2015.

Gary Barnes, Northern Territory Coordinator-General for Major Projects, Infrastructure and Investments recently told the audience at the APGA Darwin dinner that the pipeline would “almost certainly” go ahead due to the bipartisan support it has from both sides of government.

In late 2014, at the 38th meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), the nation’s leaders voiced their support for the connection of the northern and eastern gas markets.

“COAG agreed that connecting these gas markets is the next step to developing a national gas grid and will contribute to

the development of a more national and competitive domestic gas market, helping to improve supply security,” the meeting’s communique read.

Earlier this year, NT Deputy Chief Minister Willem Westra van Holthe told an invitation-only breakfast at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association 2015 Conference that he confidently believes the pipeline will be constructed by the middle of 2018.

Tapping into the Territory’s gas reserves

The first supply of gas for this pipeline is expected to come from existing offshore and land-based operations in the NT.

“With this pipeline we can make it possible for industry to unlock the Territory’s vast offshore and onshore gas reserves today, while supporting the jobs and development of tomorrow,” NT Chief Minister Adam Giles said.

“The current local industry can’t support gas exploration and development on its own without the market confidence this pipeline provides. This pipeline will connect them with the volume of customers they need to fund the scale of exploration the Territory needs to fuel new industries into the future.

“Through this pipeline, the Government is setting up a long term framework that grows gas supply, creates a more competitive energy market and provides access to plentiful, cheaper gas for use by local industry and domestic energy production.”

It is estimated that the Territory has more than 200 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas resources in six onshore basins – potentially enough gas to power Australia for more than 200 years – and reserves almost 20 times the size of INPEX’s Ichthys LNG Project. There is also more than 30 Tcf of gas located offshore.

The Northern Territory Government is working to facilitate the development of a gas pipeline connection from the Northern Territory that will help meet energy demands on the eastern seaboard and contribute to national energy security.

What’s next for the NEGI?

INDUSTRY NEWS

The proposed NEGI pipeline will connect the Northern Territory to the eastern seaboard.

Existing pipelines

Indicative pipeline routes

Gas pipeline under construction

Gas basin

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The 187 km, 700 mm diameter Longford to Long Island Point oil pipeline, operated by ExxonMobil Australia subsidiary, Esso Australia Resources, is set to be replaced

to transport crude oil and condensate between its Longford and Long Island Point facilities in Victoria.

The replacement project has received full project funding from Esso and its Gippsland Basin Joint Venture partner, BHP Billiton, who each have a 50 per cent interest in the project with Esso acting as the operator.

The replacement pipeline is still pending regulatory approval, however, the construction is expected to begin in late 2015.

Project backgroundThe Longford gas processing and crude oil stabilisation plants

are Esso’s onshore receiving point for oil and gas output from the Bass Strait, supplying most of Victoria’s gas requirements for more than 40 years.

The original pipeline – which was built in 1969 and underwent a partial replacement in 1980 – is approaching the end of its operational life.

It transports crude oil and condensate from Longford to Esso’s Long Island Point plant where the final stage of gas processing (ethane, propane and butane) is carried out, as well storing crude oil prior to distributions to refineries around Australian and overseas.

The Bass Strait is one of Australia’s largest oil and gas producing regions, with some of the gas from the strait shipped off to Asia via the new LNG facilities on Curtis Island in Queensland.

Australia’s first offshore well was drilled in the Bass Strait by an Esso and BHP Billiton Joint Venture in 1965, which led to the discovery of the Barracouta gas field.

This discovery, along with others in the region, led to significant changes in Australia’s industry and economy.

Massive infrastructure costing billions of dollars has been built to develop, produce and process the crude oil and gas, which is used to power industry, fuel vehicles, heat homes and manufacture products in Australia and overseas.

There are now 23 offshore platforms and installations in Bass Strait, including the new Marlin B platform and Kipper subsea wells, which feed a network of 600 km of underwater pipelines and keep the oil and gas flowing, 24 hours a day.

Also falling under Esso’s operations in the Bass Strait is the Kipper Tuna Turrum Project, which is the largest domestic gas development on the eastern seaboard and holds enough energy to supply a city of 1 million people for 35 years.

Start-up for the $4.5 billion project began in 2013 with the Tuna and Turrum fields starting production in June 2013 and October 2013 respectively.

Kipper production is expected to come online in 2016, following the instillation of mercury removal facilities at Longford.

Out with the oldThe existing pipeline will continue to operate until the

replacement pipeline has been constructed and is ready for operation. After completion of construction work, to reduce the need to disrupt landowners, occupiers and the broader community, Esso will clean and leave the existing pipeline in-situ, in accordance with the existing pipeline licence, AS 2885 and the Victorian Pipelines Act 2005.

In with the newNot only allowing the continued delivery of crude condensate,

the new pipeline is required so that natural gas from Esso’s offshore operations in the Gippsland Basin, continues to flow to Australian households and businesses.

Expected to be 350 mm in diameter, reduced from its existing 700 mm diameter due to a reduced volume of crude oil and condensate from Gippsland operations, the replacement pipeline will be constructed adjacent to the existing pipeline between Longford and Long Island Point within existing easements held by Esso.

These easements are set aside for crude oil and condensate and LPG pipelines, which minimises the need to acquire or disturb additional land. However, land liaison officers will be in regular contact with affected land owners to discuss the project’s potential impact on their land and activities.

Regional developmentExxonMobil Australia Chairman Richard Owen said the

pipeline presents an opportunity to further develop a region which has been strong energy producer for the company for decades.

“With an approximate cost of $400 million, the replacement pipeline represents another significant investment in the continuation of our Gippsland operations, which have provided crude, condensate, LPG, and natural gas to the Australian market since operations began in 1969,” Mr Owen told The Australian Pipeliner.

Mr Owen said it is anticipated that, at its peak, the project will provide up to 500 jobs, as well generating additional indirect employment opportunities.

“Development of Gippsland’s oil and gas has historically brought the region significant long-term benefits, boosting economic growth and creating new jobs.

“Our commitment to the continued safe, reliable supply of cost-effective energy is demonstrated through this key infrastructure investment and our continuous pursuit of opportunites to reduce cost and improve productivity.”

One of the oldest pipelines in Victoria is nearing the end of its operational life, and plans are well advanced for the construction of a replacement pipeline to ensure supply continues uninterrupted.

Longford replacement starts rolling

You can find out more about the Esso Australia Longford to Long Island Point Pipeline Replacement

Project here www.exxonmobil.com.au


Each representing different areas of the gas industry, the 27 delegates from across the country were given the opportunity to present on a topic of their choice in front

of their peers and Gas Speak ‘mentors’, all of whom are established industry members.

Welcoming the delegates and mentors to the Colloquium was APGA Chief Executive Cheryl Cartwright, who introduced Shadow Minister for Resources, the Hon. Gary Gray.

Mr Gray spoke to the delegates about his experiences in Canberra, his time working in politics as well as offering his advice on public speaking, which was very readily accepted by the audience.

Before the delegates delivered their presentations, the first day of the seminar was dedicated to a public speaking workshop hosted by David Marshall AM of Talkforce Consultants and Trainers.

The workshop involved Mr Marshall dispensing over 25 years of knowledge on public speaking, which included encouraging the attendees to leave their comfort zone, the skills of what makes a good public speaker, the traps to avoid, and the best way to put a personal signature on the work.

The delegates were also surprised with announcement that they were to deliver a short presentation on a completely random subject of their peers choosing, to give each an idea of how developed their skills were.

The following day saw the official presentations begin, with each presentation lasting approximately 17 minutes followed by three minutes for questions from the floor.

The improvement in each delegate’s presentation was clear from the first impromptu speeches on the first day, with each speech delivered clearly, concisely with the desired message conveyed.

APA Group Land Agent (New South Wales) Michael Parker won Most Outstanding Presentation with his Third Party Encroachment – Risk and Mitigation, while the Encouragement Award went to Jemena Systems Controller Zoe Barnett who provided insight into Emergency Management in a Control Room.

Trent Shinners picked up the award for best impromptu speech, where he listed off the reasons why Melbourne is better than Sydney.

The Colloquium also provided the opportunity for the delegates to rub shoulders with senior industry figures at the Australian Gas Industry Dinner, held at The Boat House by the Lake.

Attendees were treated to a presentation from founder of braaap Motorcycles and Australian Young Entrepreneur of the Year Brad Smith, who told his incredible story of going from a young boy from Tasmania to the founder and owner of one of the fastest growing niche motorcycle companies in the world.

Closing the Colloquium, Gas Speak Mentors Chris Blogg, Executive Technical Adviser, Rinnai Australia; Andrew Creek, Director, Australian Gas Industry Trust; Steve Davies, National Policy Manager, APGA; Steve Dobbie, Business Manager, APGA; Saul Milner, Operations Manager, Gas Trading Australia Pty Ltd and Karen Polglaze, Training and Communications Manager, APGA, all praised the quality and drive of this year’s speakers, before wrapping up what they said was one of the best Australian Gas Industry Trust Gas Speak Colloquiums ever held.

The 2015 Australian Gas Industry Trust Gas Speak Colloquium, held from 7-9 September in the nation’s capital, provided the opportunity for future leaders of the gas industry to develop their public speaking skills at the National Portrait Gallery.

Young leaders let gas do the talking

INDUSTRY NEWS

By Stuart Scudamore, Assistant Editor, Great Southern Press, and AGIT Gas Speak Colloquium participant

Young gas industry professionals at AGIT Gas Speak 2015.

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The newly-established National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) calibration laboratory was

set up by UPT in the Surat Basin Industrial Park, a precinct fast becoming an industry hub for specialist services in the region.

UPT Operations Manager Tony Alcock said the laboratory had full NATA accreditation to conduct calibrations on all types of pressure instruments and torque wrenches, and further specialist services that the UPT team can now offer its clients.

“UPT has made a significant investment over recent years to expand its range of testing and commissioning services, and adding calibrations to our portfolio of expertise, further supports the growing needs of the region and its ability to self- support,” said Mr Alcock.

UPT’s laboratory is the only NATA accredited facility in the Surat Basin, and is the only one located in close proximity to operational areas.

“Up until now, Surat Basin companies were forced to use Brisbane or interstate testing facilities, which was not only costly, but also required increased lead times,” said Mr Alcock.

“With our new laboratory set up, our team can now provide full calibration services either in-house, on-site at the well heads, or in a company’s establishment through UPT’s mobile field unit.”

For the first time, the Surat Basin’s CSG, mining, power generation and specialised service industries have immediate access to a locally-based NATA-accredited calibration laboratory.

NATA–accredited laboratory delivers calibration services to Surat Basin

INDUSTRY NEWS

For more information on UPT’s services visit www.upt.com.au

A. UPT’s NATA-accredited calibration laboratory located in Chinchilla’s Surat Basin Industrial Park.

B. Safe, reliable, accurate – UPT’s experienced laboratory testing team is now able to provide NATA-accredited calibration services to the Surat Basin.

A

B


Featuring both a conference and exhibition, the World Gas Conference (WGC), organised by

the International Gas Union (IGU), took place in Paris from 1 to 5 June at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, France.

The five-day event included keynote speeches from industry leaders, technical presentations, interactive showcases and intensive discussions on the future of natural gas. Several gas industry majors chiefs were in attendance, including BP’s Bob Dudley, Shell’s Ben van Beurden, Total’s Patrick Pouyanné, Qatar Gas’s Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, in addition to Australian representatives including Woodside’s David Coleman, Origin Energy’s Grant King and Jemena’s Paul Adams.

More than 4,000 delegates and trade visitors from 600 global organisations, representing over 100 countries attended the conference. I was fortunate to be granted the opportunity to attend this incredible event by the scholarship program offered by the Australian Gas Industry Trust (AGIT).

Working as a Senior Pipeline Engineer at AusNet Services, I have had more than 10 years of experience in Australian gas pipeline industry. At AusNet, my responsibilities include developing and delivering the integrity management systems for the company’s gas transmission pipelines.

I obtained the opportunity to become a participating member in the IGU’s Transmission Asset Management Committee during the 2012-2015 triennium, following the approval of my scholarship application by the AGIT in 2012.

My three-year involvement in this committee granted me a rare opportunity to interact with the highly reputed technical experts, senior managers and industry leaders on the committee, and gave me a wider perspective on the global gas infrastructure and work practices, which has subsequently empowered me to

benchmark our own work practices and asset performance.

I have also actively contributed to a study aimed at investigating opportunities to further optimise the current Pipeline Integrity Management Systems (PIMS).

Finally, my participation in the committee exposed me to several socio-political issues faced by the industry, and how these are dealt with. This has included listening to both the formal and informal opinion of several industry leader on how European nations are seeking alternative gas sources to reduce dependence on Russian gas, why Russia is building an approximately 4000 km gas pipeline to China, and how the Arab Spring of 2013 in Northern African nations resulted in a gas crisis in Europe.

Overall, my participation in the committee has provided me with exceptional leadership opportunities and experiences, such that I now lead a task group which has two other members from Thailand and Brazil. We have subsequently developed a report titled Opportunities to Improve Gas Pipeline Threat Identification Systems, which formed a section of the Gas Transmission Pipelines Report which was released at the conference in Paris.

I strongly believe that the knowledge and experiences I gained through my

involvement in the committee could not be obtained in any classroom or university, and I am thankful to the board of AGIT in offering me this opportunity.

I recommend all gas and pipeline professionals to take advantage of the AGIT scholarship to participate and be a voice for Australia in the global forum of the natural gas industry.

One of the key roles of the Australian Gas Industry Trust is to support up-and-coming gas industry professionals. This year, one of AGIT’s scholarship recipients was able to travel to Paris to experience the IGU’s 26th World Gas Conference. Deepank Gupta tells his story to The Australian Pipeliner.

A pipeliner in Paris

INDUSTRY NEWS

by Deepank Gupta, Senior Pipeline Engineer – Gas Networks, AusNet Services

The key lessons taken from the World Gas Conference 2015 were: » Natural gas is abundant and it has an increasing role to play in the

clean-energy market; » LNG is flexible and can be delivered to remote regions without requiring

long-term commitments; » The renewable sector should be seen as partners in providing an

integrated, sustainable and cleaner energy mix; and, » More community engagement and promotion is required in illustrating

the advantages of natural gas.

To find out more about AGIT’s scholarship opportunities for gas and pipeline industry professionals, visit www.agit.org.au

AusNet Services’ Senior Pipeline Engineer Deepank Gupta.


The geology along shorelines and waterways can be complex. In some cases, a natural waterway has been formed along an ancient geologically active zone. In many

cases, gravels and cobbles have been deposited in the bed or banks. Rivers can experience intense flooding events and are usually subject to meandering. Shorelines are often subject to gradual or extreme change under the influence of waves, tidal currents, and weather. Sometimes, there is a natural seasonal erosion or accretion process with fluctuating beach levels. Shoreline cliffs are also often subject to catastrophic erosion and collapse.

These geomorphology processes can be difficult to predict, introducing risks for the operation of a pipeline system.

In Australia, shorelines and waterways are almost always pristine environmental habitats for flora and fauna, and are also highly valued by people for a range of purposes. Australian legislation requires that due care is applied when planning, designing, building and operating pipelines across these areas.

At shoreline crossings, there is also a need to manage the interface between the onshore and offshore sections of a pipeline system, which are governed by two engineering standards: AS2885 for onshore pipelines and AS2285.4 for submarine pipelines, with the latter referring to DNV-OS-F101.

These standards offer ample guidance to pipeline engineers for the section of the pipeline above the high water mark, and for the section of the pipeline well below the low water mark.

However, there is little guidance for the critical section in the intertidal and shallow water zone. In some cases, such as in mudflats or for long and shallow shore approaches, this can be many kilometres along a pipeline route. The need for better engineering guidance at crossings in pipeline routes has been relevant for decades; not only in Australia, but also globally.

The role of the Energy Pipelines CRCThe Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)

enables safer, more efficient and reliable pipelines to meet Australia’s growing energy needs. This is achieved by providing the Australian energy pipeline industry with the technology necessary to extend the life of the existing natural gas transmission network, and to build better, more cost-effective

Pipeline shoreline and waterway crossings have always been challenging sections in pipeline routes. The primary objective is to ensure that the pipeline at the crossing will maintain its integrity during the operational lifetime of the entire pipeline system. Just as important is the care for the natural environment.

By Thomas Seeber, Atteris Pty Ltd

Crossway JIP: an engineering guideline for crossings

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networks necessary to support increased demand for energy.In 2014, the Energy Pipelines CRC formed an Offshore Users

Group, comprising of pipeline experts from a number of offshore oil and gas operators and engineering consultancies.

To address the above concerns in relation to crossings in pipeline routes, the EPCRC Offshore Users Group teamed up with Woodside Energy and Chevron Australia to form the Crossway Joint Industry Project (JIP), together with subsea and pipeline consultancy Atteris Pty Ltd.

Employing Atteris to undertake the work was a logical choice, given its extensive design and engineering expertise in this field. This has included many river and shoreline crossings in Australia and overseas, including small-scale projects as well as large diameter pipelines for mega projects, such as Gorgon’s HDD shore crossing, Wheatstone’s micro-tunnelled shore crossing, and Pluto’s open cut and cover shore crossing, to name a few recent Australian examples.

Research study and engineering guidelineThe objective of the Crossway JIP is to develop an engineering

guideline for these challenging areas on pipeline routes. It was proposed to develop the guideline in two phases. The

first step was to conduct a research study in order to collate all the existing relevant literature, and identify any gaps in the industry’s knowledge. This formed the basis with which to develop the engineering guideline.

The study has involved the review and assessment of applicable national and international engineering standards, as well as

A. The QCLNG Project involved crossing the ‘Narrows’ in Gladstone Harbour, located between the mainland and Curtis Island.

B. The Crossway JIP has developed new guidelines for shoreline and waterway crossings.


TECHNICAL

For more information on the Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Committee and its work on delivering safer, more efficient and reliable pipelines

visit www.epcrc.com.au

relevant published literature such as books, technical papers, company standards, existing engineering guidelines, and technical articles.

In addition, Atteris’s extensive national and international expertise was applied, including first-hand experience from a large number of projects in Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. An overview of the regulatory approvals regime in relation to designing, constructing, and operating pipelines at shoreline and waterway crossing locations in Australia was also provided.

One finding of the research was that the requirement for an isolation joint at the landward side of pipeline shoreline crossings is often challenged. It has been found that the interaction between onshore and offshore pipeline cathodic protection systems in not fully understood. Given the uncertainties which have been highlighted by the industry on this topic, it is recognised that the assessment of non-isolated shoreline crossings would benefit from further research, which is currently underway.

The engineering guideline has subsequently been prepared to provide recommended processes and considerations to assist the design of pipelines at shoreline and waterway crossings, from early concept development through to detailed design. Guidance for the operational phase of a pipeline system at crossings, focusing on inspection, monitoring, maintenance and repair has also been included. Finally, the topic of decommissioning is addressed in the guideline.

The document presents an overall approach to engineering in relation to pipelines at crossings. A clear process is given for the pipeline route selection and crossing design development. This

incorporates the required engineering design data, such that appropriate site data collection can be planned and coordinated for each design step.

A comprehensive pipeline system integrity design section is also provided, which outlines all the considerations that require assessment in order to complete the engineering design of a crossing.

The topics range from system and mechanical design through to external coatings and cathodic protection design. Pipeline stability and seismic loading are covered, and the construction, commissioning and operational considerations that might influence the design are also listed.

Addressing the issuesIn addition to these concerns canvassed above, three specific

issues common to shoreline and waterway crossings are presented: environmental preservation, design interface management, and application limits of pipeline standards.

The recommended environmental preservation philosophy at crossings is that it should be an integral component in the development of the design of a crossing, rather than an afterthought.

Key decisions in any phase should always consider the impact on the natural environment, and environmental submissions should have appropriate engineering input reflecting the design of a pipeline at a crossing.

The timelines for development of a crossing design and the environmental approvals processes should be integrated at an early stage of the design, and regularly updated as the design progresses.

TECHNICAL

Design interface management is relevant for all engineering design, and can be particularly onerous for pipeline shoreline crossings on very large projects. Internal interfaces are those between the different disciplines within a project or operations team. External interfaces are those between the project or proponent and an external stakeholder. Interfaces can be managed formally or informally, depending on the nature, size, culture, complexity and composition of a crossing. For large scale and complex crossings, a detailed project interface system should be developed in the early project phase.

Guidance is provided for defining the Code Break between the onshore and offshore application limits of the Australian pipeline standards AS2885.1 and AS2885.4. It applies to shoreline crossings where the pipeline transitions from the submarine to the onshore environment. It is not relevant for waterway crossings, given that these will generally be covered by the same onshore pipeline standard. The Code Break location will vary depending upon the crossing design, and therefore separate considerations are addressed for the range of design options. These include: open cut and cover, horizontal directional drilling, tunnelling, and pipelines on jetties.

New industry guidelinesCommencing in September 2014, the engineering guideline was

delivered in its final issue in June 2015. However, further work is necessary to refine and add to the

guideline, and to close some existing gaps in the knowledge of complex technical issues regarding pipeline shoreline and waterway crossings.

The engineering guideline has been presented to the AS2885.4 Standards Review Committee with a recommendation to incorporate the considerations outlined within.

The recommendation has been received favourably and work has begun to update the standard.

Det Norske Veritas (DNV) of Norway has also expressed interest in the guideline and the JIP partners are working together with DNV to update its submarine pipeline standard DNV-OS-F101.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CROSSWAY JIP IS TO DEVELOP AN ENGINEERING GUIDELINE FOR THESE CHALLENGING AREAS ON PIPELINE ROUTES.

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It is also an excellent time to celebrate and acknowledge the achievements of previous years.

More importantly, it is crucial that the Convention remains a time for industry to come together and discuss the challenges that will be faced in the future and the means to overcome them.

So far, 2015 has been a dynamic year for the Energy Pipelines CRC. The findings of a Commonwealth review into the overall CRC program conducted by Dr David Miles have reinforced my belief that the Energy Pipelines CRC is a model CRC due to its strong industry focus and drive to provide long-term support to help the Australian pipeline industry face key challenges. The recommendations of the review, which have been accepted by the Federal Government, align well with our current approach to collaborative research.

This commitment is exemplified in the recent release of a shore and water crossings guideline develop in cooperation with Chevron, Woodside and Atteris Pty Ltd. The project has provided the offshore and onshore pipeline industry with an engineering guideline which makes recommendations covering the design of pipelines at shoreline and waterway crossings, all the way from the early concept development stages through to detailed design.

This guideline is an example of what the Energy Pipelines CRC does best; collaboration with industry and research partners to address an industry identified challenge. You can read more about this new shore and water crossings guideline on page 52.

Over the life of the Energy Pipelines CRC, we have committed to working with the APGA Research and Standards Committee (RSC) in enabling safer, more efficient and reliable pipelines to meet Australia’s growing energy needs. Working with research teams drawn from four universities and committed industry advisors, the Energy Pipelines CRC has delivered on this commitment.

The shore and water crossing guidelines, the establishment of the National Facility for Pipeline Coating Assessment, advances in fracture control, corrosion prevention, materials development and safety, to name a few, are all examples of our successful collaborations working alongside the industry partners within the APGA RSC.

Over the coming years, we will continue to deliver high quality, industry focused research in key areas supporting the offshore, onshore transmission and distribution pipeline industry, through design, construction and operations.

As I have reiterated throughout the year, it is important to consider the role of younger employees in the future of the Australian pipeline industry. I recently spoke at an APGA Young Pipeliners Forum (YPF) event in South Australia where I took the opportunity to outline the current work of the Energy Pipelines CRC as well as the importance of engagement in our research activities over the coming years.

I was excited by the level of engagement at the event, as well as the increased level of interest in the Energy Pipelines CRC following it. I am more than happy to speak at more YPF events in the coming years as it is a great opportunity to bring news on the Energy Pipelines CRC to the next generation of pipeliners and the future leaders of our industry.

I look forward to seeing many of you this year during the APGA Convention to celebrate and acknowledge another year of achievements for the Australian pipeline industry and another year of successful collaboration with the Energy Pipelines CRC.

If you feel there is a major challenge that the Australian pipeline industry and the Energy Pipelines CRC need to address, feel free to get in contact with me. If you would like to be part of this collaboration, come to our trade stand or talk to Steve Dobbie from APGA to discuss becoming a member of the APGA RSC and actively support and contribute to a stronger Australian pipeline industry into the future.

The APGA Convention is a great opportunity for its members to come together and celebrate what makes us a strong, close knit group committed to supporting Australia’s pipeline network at all levels.

The Energy Pipelines CRC: building for the future

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

By Valerie Linton, CEO, Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre

Prof Linton will be speaking on how the Energy Pipelines CRC is building for the future at the 2015 APGA

Convention. Her presentation will be on 19 October 2015.

Energy Pipelines CRC CEO Valerie Linton.


The Inquiry with the greatest ability to investigate matters of competition in the gas market is the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) East

Coast Gas Inquiry, which has legal powers to mandate information provision and call witnesses to provide testimony.

The Chief Executive and I made an appearance at the Sydney Public Hearing and were asked a range of questions focusing on access to pipelines, service pricing and transparency.

Below is the opening statement made by Cheryl Cartwright at the start of proceedings.

The full transcript is available online at the ACCC’s website.

APGA Opening Statement to the Public Hearing of the ACCC’s East Coast Gas Inquiry Sydney, 31 August 2015

The APGA thanks the Commission for this opportunity to directly address the East Coast Gas Inquiry.

APGA is the peak body representing Australia’s gas transmission industry. Our members build, own and operate the gas transmission infrastructure connecting Australia’s gas supply basins and demand centres.

We would like to make these specific points:• The contract carriage framework has allowed the gas

transmission industry to develop services and infrastructure in response to market requirements. This industry activity has created the east coast gas grid.

• There has been a strong focus on pipeline capacity, and the pipeline industry has responded with new services and platforms to facilitate enhanced trade. A strong secondary market will take time to fully develop and without an increase in supply, no amount of capacity availability or trading will increase the amount of gas available to end users.

• Liquidity in gas supply will come through more competition – that means more producers, and more supply agreements containing increasingly flexible options. Already, pipeline contracts have become more flexible in response to changing market requirements.

Now, a little more detail about gas transmission.Transportation and associated services are sold on an open and

non-discriminatory basis through negotiated bilateral contracts. It is important to recognise the role the transmission industry

and private investment have played in contributing to the development of the interconnected east coast gas market.

After an early history largely driven by Government investment, the private sector continued development and investment in pipeline infrastructure and this was enabled by the contract carriage framework. It is this investment that has led to today’s interconnected east coast gas grid.

Since 1999, new pipelines such as the NSW–Victoria Interconnect, the Eastern Gas Pipeline, the Tasmanian Gas Pipeline, the SEA Gas Pipeline and the QSN Link, have provided access to new markets for producers and increased options for users. This has materially increased competition in the east coast gas market.

If the North East Gas Interconnector pipeline goes ahead, linking the Northern Territory with the east coast market, it will be a further extension of the east coast grid, opening up more competition in the market.

These investments, like most investments in the natural gas supply chain, were made possible through negotiated, bilateral agreements – primarily long-term contracts.

Long-term contracts are an important risk management and allocation tool in many industries and the gas industry is no exception. Producers use long-term contracts to secure markets for their capital-intensive production and processing facilities. Users of gas use long-term contracts to secure supply in order to help justify investment in their facilities. Pipeline owners use long-term contracts to manage their risk due to lack of control over future gas supply and demand requirements and to secure lower-cost debt financing.

The long-term contracts historically favoured by the gas transmission industry and its customers have been developed through negotiation between large, sophisticated parties.

The APGA has written a couple of times in The Australian Pipeliner about the number of reviews and inquiries being held to investigate gas markets. This year has seen the two ‘reviews to end all reviews’ and the APGA has been actively participating in both.

APGA addresses the inquiries

POLICY

By Steve Davies, National Policy Manager, APGA

IN DEVELOPING THE CAPACITY TRADING PLATFORMS, THE GAS TRANSMISSION INDUSTRY WORKED WITH SHIPPERS TO DEVELOP THE SERVICES AND PLATFORMS THAT THEY NEEDED TO MAKE CAPACITY TRADES SIMPLER, EASIER AND LOWER COST. APGA DEVELOPED GUIDELINES FOR THESE SERVICES TO ENSURE THEY WERE IMPLEMENTED CONSISTENTLY ACROSS THE INDUSTRY.


Consistent with Australia’s competition policy, the National Gas Law is a safeguard in circumstances where negotiated outcomes are unable to be achieved.

Firm capacity provides large gas users with supply certainty for their capital-intensive gas plant.

Firm capacity provides suppliers, whether producers or retailers, with the certainty that they can get gas to markets and meet the needs of their customers at all times.

Firm capacity provides gas transmission companies with the risk management strategy that makes them attractive long-term investments in capital markets.

The Commission is well aware of the structural change under way in the east coast gas market as the development of the three LNG facilities in Gladstone nears completion. Clearly, the gas market has a new centre of gravity.

The gas transmission industry has responded to this challenge with new investments that deliver increased capabilities to all market participants. Naturally the customers that enter the long-term contracts that enable the investments have the best opportunity to use these capabilities.

For example, major pipelines are installing capabilities to allow gas to flow in either direction in response to changes in demand. Major pipelines are expanding to meet exporters’ need for third-party gas. Major pipelines are building new interconnections to more efficiently facilitate the market’s requirements.

Negotiated third-party access has enabled this investment in new and existing pipelines to occur as it is required, ensuring pipeline capacity is available to meet market needs. Gas transmission companies are also recognising the market’s changing requirements regarding contract duration. As supply arrangements become shorter term, transportation arrangements are changing to meet shipper requirements. As a result, gas transmission companies are demonstrating a willingness to take on more risk, investing in new projects under contract arrangements that are made on shorter terms than the historical average.

The gas transmission industry readily innovates in service delivery and has introduced new services to reflect the increasing capabilities of pipelines and the requirements of market participants.

Shippers have always had the contractual right to trade capacity. The operational capacity transfer service allows obligations and rights to be more readily transferred between parties when trading capacity. Capacity listing platforms have been developed to allow parties to signal demand and availability of secondary capacity more transparently. New services have been introduced to facilitate trades at the Wallumbilla Gas Supply Hub. Our members tell us there is increasing interest in augmenting arrangements with storage and flexible services.

The transmission industry has also been innovative in responding to policy-makers’ concerns, and developing new services and infrastructure for the market during this period of structural change.

The attention of recent years on secondary capacity largely arose from concerns that the operation of the Wallumbilla Gas Supply Hub, then in development, could be impeded by a lack of

capacity trading. The Hub has now been in place for almost 18 months. There have been no difficulties in trading gas and, with almost 900 trades already undertaken, it is apparent that capacity trading, has not limited the trading of gas through Wallumbilla.

A strong secondary capacity market provides participants with more flexibility and enhanced risk management options, complementing arrangements in primary markets. We have put in place a framework to enable development of a strong secondary market.

In developing the capacity trading platforms, the gas transmission industry worked with shippers to develop the services and platforms that they needed to make capacity trades simpler, easier and lower cost. APGA developed guidelines for these services to ensure they were implemented consistently across the industry. A strong secondary capacity market will take time to become an established part of the market.

Some market participants and policy makers suggest firm capacity tariffs should be the ceiling for access charges to a pipeline. They advocate that tariffs for ‘as available’ or ‘interruptible’ services should be lower than for firm services.

Firm services and flexible services are different. With firm services, pipelines and shippers share volume risk. With firm services, shippers pay every day and the cost of the service is averaged over an agreed period. In contrast, shippers pay for flexible services only when they use them.

I take the opportunity to repeat the question asked by the Commission with regard to the pricing of flexible services. ‘What is to be expected in competitive markets?’

In competitive markets, customers making long-term commitments attract favourable terms and conditions. In the case of primary firm capacity, these favourable terms and conditions are largely lower tariffs and guaranteed access.

Finally, we would emphasise that liquidity in capacity access is meaningless without liquidity in wholesale gas supply. Enhanced capacity trading does not produce additional supply and it is difficult to see the use of capacity trading increasing without greater availability of gas.

To date, reform processes seem to have actively ignored this fact. Also ignored is the fact that gas transmission pipelines are not vertically integrated and have every incentive to support competition in markets, both upstream and downstream. This cannot be said of other infrastructure services essential to the gas supply chain, such as upstream trunk lines, processing facilities and storage facilities.

The key to solving current challenges is enhanced gas supply.Enhanced gas supply will come through more competition,

more producers and more short-term supply agreements containing increasingly flexible options. This must be achieved in a manner that maintains a positive investment environment for supply chain infrastructure.

As I said at the start of this statement, the gas transmission industry provides services to gas market participants. A strong, healthy and growing gas market benefits the gas transmission industry. The gas transmission industry has responded to the needs of market participants in this challenging period and there is every reason to expect it will continue to do so. It is in its best interests to do so.

POLICY


In one of my previous roles as a communications professional, this was what we called the ‘what’s in it for me?’ (WIIFM) question. To be successful in your campaign, you had to

answer that question for all those likely to ask it, as the answers were likely to be different for different groups of people.

This, clearly, is a question that has come from a sales and marketing perspective but, before dismissing it as a sales pitch, take a look at what it can do for you.

While answering WIIFM isn’t always as simple as it looks, it has become a tool that enables better targeting and outcomes in a range of areas including, importantly, training.

The secret to enabling people to understand WIIFM is to focus on benefits or outcomes. A simple illustration is that when someone says “I am an engineer” it doesn’t tell you very much. But if the person said “I can design a pipeline compressor station and all the compressor, pump and safety systems it needs” then you have a better picture of what the engineer can do for you.

In training, the easiest way for people to understand WIIFM is through exposure to information about what students will be able to do after successfully completing the course. Although a description of the subject matter to be studied is also helpful, a key part of course recruitment strategy is helping people understand how they will be able to apply the learning.

For example, a description of course content in fracture control might be: This course examines the theory of fracture control and the elements of a fracture control plan.

Thinking about WIIFM, it might be more attractive to potential students to include information about what they will be able to do after taking the course.

For example: You will be able to understand modes of failure for pipelines and identify key areas where failure might occur, determine between ductile and brittle fracture and list factors affecting both, understand how strength, toughness and hardness of a material is determined, understand what happens to the defects during a hydrostatic strength test, and list the objectives and requirements of a fracture control plan and help identify when a fracture control plan is required – thanks to PIPEd for this example.

So, what’s in it for a pipeline engineer to register in that specific area of practice? Engineers play a key role in our society and economy. Ensuring that engineers who work in the oil and gas sector are appropriately qualified and that they have the knowledge, experience and expertise required is essential to ensure Australia continues to build and operate its transmission pipelines safely, sustainably and efficiently.

The ability to clearly recognise competent pipeline engineers is an important part of ensuring the safety of oil and gas pipelines, so the specific area of practice has been established as it requires knowledge, expertise and specific experience which is unlikely to be obtained elsewhere.

Establishing a register of those recognised by the industry as having those very specific skill sets and knowledge enables the

people who commission these services to have confidence that they can find the right engineers for the work. And that confidence is likely to guide commissioning decisions.

Those on the register are also recognised by their peers and colleagues as having a particular expertise. They are at the forefront of the field, as gaining registration requires knowledge and experience that can be obtained only after a period of practice in pipeline engineering.

So, what’s in it for you? Recognition from your peers, respect, public service and the building of confidence that can result in financial reward – and that’s not a bad answer to the WIIFM question.

One of the questions I’m asked most frequently is “Why should I apply for registration as an oil and gas pipeline engineer?”

By Karen Polglaze, Training and Communication Manager, APGA

Pipeline Engineer registration: what’s in it?

TRAINING

To find out more about the advantages of registration and how to go about it, why not ask

someone who is already registered?The members of the Oil and Gas Pipeline Engineer

Assessment Panel can provide information presentations on registration requirements and the process.

If you and your colleagues would like hear from a panel member about how to become a registered pipeline

engineer, send an email to [email protected] and I will organise a presentation for your group.

APGA Training and Communications Manager Karen Polglaze.


INTERVIEWINTERVIEW

And this one was just that – a real project with real challenges, but a real success as well.

QSN3 would probably be considered as my favourite for the adventure, the location, the challenges, the teamwork, and the successful outcome.

How have you been involved with the APGA?

In 1998 I wanted to go to the annual APGA Convention; however, being a junior engineer and a foreigner to boot, I wasn’t given the opportunity.

There was also no Young Pipeliners Forum (YPF) in those days encouraging young people to participate.

My manager at the time made the mistake of telling me that if I really wanted to go I should apply to present a paper, because then the company couldn’t really say no.

So, after taking up his advice, in 1999 I presented my first of several papers to the APGA Convention audience, with the topic that year being: Same yet different: comparing the pipeline industries in Canada and Australia.

I’ve presented several times since that 1999 paper, and will continue to do so. I’ve discovered that I like to present at conferences, allowing me to share information that I’m interested in or passionate about. I think it’s important to share knowledge when we are given the opportunity to do so.

What has been your involvement in the YPF?

I think the formation of the YPF has become the stuff of legends, and it’s really satisfying to have been part of it.

In 2004, when I was ambling between minor pipeline projects, and trying to figure out where I fit in this big, bad world of pipelines, I offered to present at an APGA dinner in Brisbane – again, like the conference, this got me an invitation to the dinner!

That presentation was titled Define a Pipeline Engineer?, and it raised the questions that many young engineers face, which is, ‘What is it that I need to know?’

In my presentation, I expressed how our clients were seeking ‘pipeline engineers’ for a project, so, I’d get tasked

to design process piping, or check hydraulic flows, or do corrosion calculations – things I had little background or experience in, but, apparently were things clients expected in a pipeline engineer.

It was very hard on my self-esteem at the time, because I thought myself a ‘pipeline engineer’, but in my first five years of work hadn’t done any of that particular kind of pipeline engineering.

The presentation got senior people in the industry talking, and from there, with the assistance of APGA Chief Executive Cheryl Cartwright, it developed into the first Young Pipeliners Forum in 2006 in Canberra. I am so proud to have been part of all of that.

How did you get involved in endurance events?

Anyone who talks to me long enough knows my hobby is endurance events, particularly ultra-distance running.

There is a great industry presence in various endurance events across the country: Richard Robinson and Scott Mitchell compete in (and win) endurance

Susan spoke to The Australian Pipeliner about her participation in these challenging endurance events,

and the parallels they hold to starting out as a young worker in the Australian pipeline industry.

How long have you been working in the industry?

I have been working in the Australian industry since October 1997. However, I started my career at TransCanada Pipelines in Calgary in 1993, so overall it is an astonishing 22 years in the business of pipelines.

Do you specialise in a particular sector of the industry?

I’m one of those people in the industry who has no speciality to claim. I have spent almost equal amounts of time with operators, consulting engineers, and, most recently, construction contractors.

Each sector is special for its own reasons – the operators’ work never ends, unlike projects. The consulting engineers are required to sell knowledge but yet keep enough back to stay employed. The constructors...well, we have the most fun but perhaps work the hardest!

What Australian pipelines have you been involved with?

In 1998 I worked on the 304 km Century Zinc Pipeline in Normanton, Queensland.

This was my first ever ‘camp’ job – the pipeline projects I had previously done in Canada, just involved staying in local motels and share houses. The Century pipeline camp had a shared ablution block (separated male/female), and in the rooms there was just a bed, with no fridge, and no television. Entertainment was found in the camp mess room, where there was a pool table and a TV.

From 1999 to 2002, I worked on various wellhead and flowlines in the Cooper Basin, which included auditing the construction company that I now work for, Nacap.

The period between 2003 and 2006 saw me project managing the installation of a new operating system on an old Queensland oil pipeline, which shall remain nameless, because the system wasn’t successful and the pipeline is now abandoned. But I remember this project fondly, because the project team put its heart and soul into trying to make it work.

I enjoyed this project because it was a really good team effort, even though it was an unsuccessful installation in the end.

Upon arrival back to Australia in 2009 after three years in South Africa, I sought work on the QSN3 project in Queensland. This was a major pipeline project – a 940 km, 457 mm diameter looping project for the South West Queensland Pipeline. I recognised that my project experience had been patchy to date – only parts of projects, and not very notable – and I wanted to have a real project under my belt.

A familiar face at APGA events, Susan Jaques has been involved in the Australian pipeline industry for almost 20 years. However, her interest in activities running smoothly extends beyond pipelines, demonstrated by her regular participation in ultra-marathons and Ironman events.

Running in the industry

A. Susan crossing the finishing line of the 2015 Melbourne Ironman.

B. Susan on-site at a project in south-east Queensland in May 2012.

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INTERVIEW

orienteering events that last all night; Ian Spence and Ryan McDonald compete in fast triathlons and Steve Banning climbs the podium in half-Ironman events.

I am so mediocre compared to their accomplishments; it’s embarrassing to get this attention without a nod to those I talk to about it, and I’m envious each time I talk to them!

In July 1999, I successfully completed the Gold Coast marathon.

After that, I didn’t run for six years, but then I got back into it in 2006, which led to the 89 km Comrades Ultra in South Africa, which I completed in 2008 and 2009.

I then participated in ultra-trail running around southeast Queensland, in preparation for the Canadian Death Race in northern Alberta in 2011 (125 km over

three mountain passes; I only made it 65 km and didn’t make the next cut-off), and in 2013, I had two attempts at a sub-12 hour 100 km ultra-running events (finishing the 100 km in 12 hours and 20 minutes the first time, and 12 hours and 2 minutes in the second attempt), so there’s some unfinished business yet with that distance.

How did you get involved in Ironman events?

I’d first heard about Ironman in 2008 when a friend from high school posted on his Facebook page about doing his first Ironman.

It was at that moment that I had an inkling I would do one someday, but at that time I was focused on ultra-running, and I decided it would be good to do an Ironman for my 50th birthday (which, at the time, was 12 years away).

In December 2013, after the APGA Brisbane Christmas lunch, I was full of happy cheer and that afternoon I found out that a friend of mine had signed up for an Ironman.

That was when I realised I had to do one too, so I decided March 2015, for my 45th birthday, would be perfect.

What clinched it for me was in March 2014, a year before my goal, I was watching the live coverage of the finish line of the Melbourne Ironman, and at the 15 hour mark (my anticipated finish time – actual finish in March 2015 was 14 hours 12 minutes) there were still hundreds of spectators watching those back-of-the-pack people come across the line.

I wanted to experience that – the Ironman finish. Even though at the time I hadn’t swum since high school, and didn’t own a road bike, I knew I could run!

Do you have any advice to new people coming into the industry?

Firstly, join the YPF and meet people through that organisation. Get involved with the APGA and the industry.

Secondly, when work frustrates you, do things that make you proud of yourself. Even if those around you don’t notice, at least you’ll be satisfied internally. Finally, no one can take away your knowledge, so always strive to learn more.

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INTERVIEW

What is your position title? I’m an Environmental Officer and

Cultural Coordinator for Mitchell Water.

How long have you been working at Mitchell Water, and what industry were you in prior to this?

I have been working at Mitchell Water since 2006. When I commenced working for the company on the 218 km Darling Anabranch Pipeline, which runs from Curlwaa to the Menindee Lakes in New South Wales (NSW). The pipeline is the longest molecularly oriented polyvinyl chloride (PVC-O) pipeline in the world.

Prior to this I was a Cultural Heritage Adviser with the NSW State Water Corporation, overseeing earthworks.

I also worked as an Aboriginal Education Community Liaison Officer at Wilcannia Central School.

What is your favourite aspect of working in the pipeline industry?

I enjoy rehabilitating the environment after the easements and special crossings have been altered due to construction – restoring the environment is my passion.

What has been your favourite project to work on and why?

The aforementioned Darling Anabranch Pipeline, as it was the first time I was introduced to the pipeline industry.

It enabled me to look after both the environment and to protect my indigenous culture and heritage.

What projects are you working on at present and have you learnt any new skills?

Recently I have been working with the surveyors as a trade assistant where I have been broadening my skills and learning new methods of setting up easements and selecting route alignments through the bush.

Environmental rehabilitation is a key component of every pipeline project. Sustaining and managing a healthy environment is something close to Mitchell Water Environmental Officer Les Bennett’s heart, whose ancestors have walked this land for over 40,000 years.

Worker on the line: Les Bennett

Les Bennett on the Darling Anabranch Pipeline construction site.

MITCHELL WATER HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ACTIVE PROMOTER OF INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT AND CONTINUES TO TAKE A CULTURALLY SENSITIVE APPROACH TO ALL PROJECTS IT UNDERTAKES, BY ENSURING THAT ALL LOCAL LAND COUNCILS ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED AND CONSULTED IN ALL DECISION MAKING PROCESSES. – Mitchell Water Environmental Officer Les Bennett.


INTERVIEW

Do you know someone who should be profiled in our

‘Worker on the line’ series?Contact Stuart Scudamore at [email protected]

Outline a typical day in the field for yourself

I commence work at 6:30 am, then attend a ‘tool box’ where the actions for the day are outlined.

Next I travel to the rehabilitation site and restore creek crossings, which involves laying matting and erecting silt fences, then putting berms in place to ensure there is no erosion.

It will also involve marking-off cultural and protected vegetation sites, and at gully crossings I’ll place geofab as temporary control.

Do you have any interesting stories of activities in the field?

I have been incredibly fortunate to witness first-hand the new 21st century machinery which has enabled even greater protection of the indigenous culture and the environment, such as the use of the ‘BulletPlow’ and directional drilling under sites.

The incredible advancements in technology that are continually being made and incorporated into the pipeline industry to make our jobs more accurate and efficient always amazes me.

Who are people you admire or have learnt a lot from in the pipeline industry?

I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with many incredible people over my time at Mitchell Water.

The superintendents and the environment and safety people who I have worked with over the various projects have always guided and led by example and instilled in me the importance of teamwork and how to do things properly, the first time around.

The surveyors have continued to develop and enhance my skills and my fellow workers have always ensured that I enjoy coming to work and being the best that I can be.

How has Mitchell Water’s Indigenous employment program benefitted the community in the area?

Mitchell Water has always been an active promoter of Indigenous employment and continues to take a culturally sensitive approach to all projects it undertakes, by ensuring that all local land councils are actively involved and consulted in all decision making processes.

As a result Mitchell Water and Indigenous communities are forging new links and everyone is reaping the rewards – the company gains strong, loyal workforces grounded in cultural diversity and Indigenous communities face a bright future when all people are all working together to achieve a common goal.

What can the pipeline industry do more of to support Indigenous workers in the pipeline industry?

Continue to forge close working relationships with local land councils to further strengthen and foster the positive Indigenous employment programs that companies such as Mitchell Water already have in place.

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How long have you been working in the pipeline industry for, and in what capacity?

My work with pipelines began in the late 1970s, with my focus being nuclear piping systems. About the same time I became involved in the development of technology to characterise slow crack growth in non-metallic (‘various polymeric’) gas distribution pipeline materials, which then expanded to consider cracking and other concerns in steel transmission systems.

Virtually all of my work has been directed at understanding the mechanics and physics of pipeline failure mechanisms, with the goal of developing criteria to assess and manage pipeline system integrity. In this context I have worked in basic research and development, systemic root-cause and component failure analyses, and technology adaptation and/or development to address the unique aspects of pipeline service and the flow and fracture response of line-pipe steels. Over the years my role in integrity assessment and management has transitioned from supporting major projects, to planning and leading them, whether in the office or along the right-of-way.

What have been the most important lessons that you’ve learnt during your time in the pipeline industry?

Perhaps the most important lesson over the years is that a strong client-focused team is critical to meeting expectations. Depending on the nature of the problem and the scope of work, this could run from skilled experimentalists through to theoreticians and numerical modellers.

When dealing with vintage systems, those with decades of experience and knowledge of the unique issues can be essential. In contrast, when dealing with advanced design modern systems, those that understand the modern steels are critical. When developing criteria for

integrity assessment and management, careful attention to the detail is central to safe, serviceable, efficient systems.

Which pipeline or research projects have been a highlight for your career?

Of the work that has been made public, developing the basis for the Alliance fracture control plan ranks best among the above metrics in regard to solving a practical technology problem, as Alliance was then the first advance design pipeline that fell well outside the bounds of the current knowledge base.

In regard to root-cause and failure analysis in general, evaluation of the root-cause for the lives lost associated with the offshore failure of Pemex’s Usumacinta Platform ranks highest. It was highly complex in many ways ranging from stakeholders through circumstances. That complexity was magnified because the work was done under the critical eyes of the Mexican media, a panel of university faculty that covered all of the potential technical and circumstantial factors, the leadership of Pemex, and the Minister of Energy – all of which shared somewhat divergent drivers.

What would you identify as the pipeline industry’s biggest strengths and weaknesses?

From my perspective the historical strength of this industry has been its labour force, as without it there is no industry – this labour force runs well beyond the practitioners that staff the operator’s offices or serve as consultant to them. Rather, this labour force includes those supporting the technology development to grow the industry and keep it out of the media. In general this includes the universities, the R&D laboratories, the supplier’s offices, and as critically those funding this development – within the industry as well as from sources such as the government entities that regulate the industry.

I fear that this industry’s main weakness is its failure to initially recognise and thereafter manage public perception. At least in the US this has resulted in major issues in getting pipelines permitted – even when it is clear that the new line is needed and will be much safer from a public and environmental perspective. Self-focused stakeholders argue not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) because they don’t personally benefit from a pipeline running through their state or county. Yet the reality is that they would be without all necessities (e.g., light, heat, fuel, water) if it was not for pipelines running through an upstream state or county. The downside is that once such attitudes become entrenched they are very hard to contain, much less manage.

What does the future hold for the international pipeline sector?

Recognising that there will always be a demand for energy, and that pipelines are one route to its supply, one might argue that the future for international pipelines is bright and expanding. That being said, depending on the routing, crossing a border can cause sharp changes in stakeholder attitudes which can differ radically within the socio-political strata

Successful pipeline operation requires both years of experience, as well as an understanding of advanced design modern systems and materials. The Australian Pipeliner speaks to international pipeline expert and researcher Brian Leis about mixing the old with the new, where the international pipeline sector is headed and what lessons Australia can learn from this transition.

A view from abroadINTERVIEW

Brian Leis.

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encountered, and the stability of the government or local tribal views.

I have worked in countries where product theft is rampant, in spite of those that have died in the course of tapping a line. But I have also seen quite sophisticated hot-taps and quality welds, suggesting an insider or former employee was involved. It can be hard to balance flow in such cases, which not only effects the bottom line but also could create the impression that a smaller diameter line is now leaking. Managing integrity under such circumstances poses a challenge.

I have also worked on issues where factions within a country will use well-designed plate charges to blow a pipeline, to affect economic instability for their own gain. But building and operating a cross-border pipeline between apparently stable first-world countries can open to issues – the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline between the US and Canada being a prime example. My experience with KXL suggests it would provide a safer alternative to the older lines in service moving the same product, yet this line has remained stalled in the headlines now for several years.

So stakeholders and NIMBY pose

concern for cross-border lines regardless of where they lie, which can constrain the flow of energy in some areas. Provided this can be managed, the demand for hydrocarbons should maintain a rosy future for such lines.

What would be the key piece of advice you would offer to young pipeliners?

Pipelines appear to be simple in concept, as under elastic conditions the primary stress can be determined from equilibrium principles. The reality is that their design as well as operation and maintenance can be complicated by a host of factors that affect risk – primarily through the routing and the environment the pipe is buried in. So, don’t be complacent on the expectation that the problems are simple and the technology is mature. Failures continue to occur, which flies in the face of this expectation.

Realising that failures can only be avoided by understanding the circumstances that have caused them, there is great value in reading reporting of past failures, for each of the several threats that cause them. Finally, get involved with the process of failure analysis, as it will open your eyes to what can go wrong and why, and help you be diligent in your day to day activities. In addition, get out of the office, and into the right-of-way, to better understand the threats and how they might combine to pose a problem.

Why are research bodies so essential for the pipeline industry?

Organisations like PRCI are essential because they facilitate efficient research development, deployment, and information sharing for issues common across the industry. Collaborative project development with executive as well as peer review insures the outcome has broad acceptance and dissemination, leading to safe, reliable, environmentally sound, and cost-effective pipeline systems. Joint industry projects also are well suited in this context, but these tend to be more focused in scope as compared to PRCI.

INTERVIEW

Brian will be presenting at the upcoming 47th annual convention

of the APGA, taking place at the Gold Coast Convention and

Exhibition Centre from 17-20 October.

Melbourne +61 3 9559 4273 Sydney +61 2 9829 1999

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Tell us about your how you became interested in pipelines?

I was born and raised in Geelong and am currently live less than 1km from the house I grew up in.

After graduating from high school I continued my studies at Deakin University at the Waurn Ponds campus, where I graduated with a first class honours degree in mechanical engineering and science degree majoring in mathematics.

I spent one year working in the automotive industry but quickly found myself back at Deakin University, this time working in the Geelong Technology Precinct on the development of diffusion based coatings on steels using fluidised bed reactors.

I subsequently went on to complete a Masters in the field of chromium nitride coating using fluidised bed reactors.

More recently I have become involved with the Energy Pipelines CRC in working on stress corrosion cracking of energy pipelines, as well as managing the National Facility for Pipeline Coating Assessment (NFPCA).

In total I have spent 15 years to date as both a Deakin student and employee.

How did you become involved Australian pipeline industry research?

It was only in the past year and a half that I became involved in research associated with the Australian pipeline industry.

Prior to becoming involved with the Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) my main research area was associated with metal diffusion/deposition based coatings on both ferrous and non-ferrous components for improving wear and corrosion resistance of components using fluidised bed reactors.

Having focused on improving the surface properties of metals and steels led to a project with the Energy Pipelines CRC on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of gas pipelines.

The SCC project specifically investigated high pH SCC in relation to different pipe surface conditions such as those with mill scale and grit blasted surfaces.

What does your project focus on? The initial phase of the stress corrosion

cracking project looked at various surface conditions prior to coating which could influence SCC, some of surface conditions included mill scale, grit blasting and surface which had been ‘seasoned’ due to sitting out in the atmosphere.

The different surface conditions were all characterised microstructurally and further assessed in terms of their resistance to SCC via threshold stress tests, which involved applying a cyclic loading regime to the samples while immersed in an electrolyte under a certain potential.

Post analysis of the samples involved recording the number and depth of cracks which can be used to assess the samples resistance/susceptibility to SCC.

Some of the positive outcomes associated with the SCC project include a comparison of the resistance of the various surface conditions as well as how cracks initiate, and the results should provide the pipeline industry with some valuable information in regards to surface conditions which offer improved SCC resistance.

The second phase of the SCC project will be to propose new and improved surface conditions which can offer increased SCC resistance and for greater periods of time.

What are your areas of expertise which are being developed from this research?

The involvement with the EPCRC on this SCC project has developed my knowledge and expertise in how surface conditions of a pipeline can influence SCC.

Understanding the standard practices in preparing a pipeline prior to coating has been paramount to assessing how current pipelines perform against SCC.

Similarly understanding the pipe forming process, the residual stresses, and pressure fluctuations is necessary to be able replicate as closely as possible conditions which are found out in the field.

Deakin University has a large repertoire of scientific equipment which I have taken advantage of in characterising the surface of samples before and after SCC tests.

Hailing from Geelong in Victoria, Ivi Cicak graduated with first-class honours in Mechanical Engineering from Deakin University. He spoke to The Australian Pipeliner about how he became an aficionado in stress corrosion cracking, and his work with the Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre.

In conversation with Ivi Cicak

INTERVIEW

Energy Pipelines CRC researcher Ivi Cicak.


Why is this sort of expertise necessary in the Australian pipeline industry?

SCC has been an issue in Australian pipelines and around the globe, thus it’s imperative to minimise the risk of failures occurring which lead to both devastating consequences on many fronts.

Although pipeline surface preparation methods have a come a long way, it’s

necessary to understand the mechanisms of failure and susceptibility of such surface preparation methods.

What research programs are you currently involved with?

Recently I have become involved with the National Facility for Pipeline Coating and Assessment (NFPCA) which was an

Energy Pipelines CRC initiative situated at Deakin University.

The coating and assessment facility is available for the Australian pipeline industry to assess their coatings and application methods to ensure the quality of their coatings and workmanship.

The facility offers a range of pipeline coating testing for commercial and independent testing for coating manufacturers, suppliers and applicators in the Australian pipeline industry.

Have you been involved in any practical applications of your research?

I have made several field trips to some of the grit blasting applicators to get an understanding of the surface preparation methods of pipelines and at the various grit media used to achieve specifications.

One area of our research looked at the residual stress induced by different grit blasting media which can be beneficial towards SCC resistance.

Are you looking to further develop your broader knowledge in the industry?

The first phase of the SCC project is complete and we are hoping to begin a second phase which looks at new techniques and methods to improving SCC resistance of pipelines.

To further broaden my knowledge on SCC of pipelines I am going on a field trip this year to see it firsthand, which I’m sure will be fruitful in seeing the bigger picture at how the different conditions and factors initiate SCC.

What are your interests outside of research and development in the industry?

Outside of research and development associated with energy pipelines, I enjoy being involved in other research programs within the Institute for Frontier Materials which allows me to broaden my knowledge and skillset.

I like to be hands-on with projects and take any opportunity I can to learn new testing methods or training on instrumentation. I also enjoy a challenge which is probably why I play a lot of chess!

INTERVIEW

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HISTORY

The Roma to Brisbane Pipeline (RBP), originally 50 per cent owned and operated by Associated Group of Companies (AAR Group), first came into operation in March 1969,

and is now capable of delivering 75 PJ/a to Brisbane and other regional centres.

The RBP was the first major gas development in the region, and indeed Australia, after natural gas was first discovered in the Roma region in 1900.

Early attempts to capitalise on the resource over the first half of the century led to the drilling of further exploration wells, and consequent construction of a few gas adsorption plants in and around the town.

However, it wasn’t until the AAR Group – composed of Associated Australian Oilfields, Associated Freney Oil Fields, the Papuan Apinaipi Petroleum Company, Interstate Oil Limited and Sleigh Exploration – was formed in 1961 that gas exploration and production activity significantly ramped-up.

By 1964, the Group had 21 wells cased for production, however, the available reserves far outstripped the needs of the Roma area and a pipeline to Brisbane became essential to market the gas.

Roma had a population of about 5000 and although it serviced a large rural area, growing cattle, sheep and wheat, only the town powerhouse and hospital used sufficient energy to warrant a gas connection.

Commercialising early Australian gasThe following years saw the Group, with the support of the

Bjelke-Petersen Queensland Government, make enquiries around the world to various fertiliser groups to buy gas from the Roma fields to feed new industrial plants, with sites at both Roma and Brisbane considered. A whole group of some of Australia’s early oil and gas exploration and development pioneers contributed to the final commercialisation of Roma gas.

The breakthrough to commercialisation came in 1967 when Austral-Pacific Fertilizers was contracted to buy 71,000 MMcf of natural gas over 15 years to produce ammonia fertiliser at a $40 million plant constructed on Gibson Island in Brisbane.

This was followed by South Brisbane Gas Company signing a contract for a further 29,000 MMcf for the same period.

These two contracts provided the minimum basis for the economic construction of the pipeline.

While these contracts enabled the pipeline to be constructed, it was the financing of the pipeline that proved to be the most difficult aspect of getting the project off the ground.

“The Roma to Brisbane Pipeline was unique in that it is the only transmission line I know of in Australia where the producers stood last in line to get payment for their gas,” says Mr McCaul.

“The Queensland Government guaranteed some of the loans, but all loans had to be serviced from the pipeline income before the producers could get their gas payment, in case the pipeline did not financially ‘perform’.

“Only the minimum of gas reserves (for the two major initial contracts) had been proven at the time the commitment was made to build the pipeline, and Brisbane did not have the additional assured gas market demand sufficient enough to guarantee the pipeline’s overall economics.”

American influenceWhile negotiations were underway to find a customer for the

gas, international assistance was needed to construct the RBP, due to limited local knowledge.

The 440 km Roma to Brisbane natural gas pipeline is Australia’s oldest gas pipeline, and heralded the dawn of an industry – not only in Queensland, but across the nation. Bruce McCaul was a Field Manager in Roma for Associated Group AAR during the construction of the pipeline and recounts his memories to The Australian Pipeliner.

Memories of constructing the Roma-Brisbane Pipeline

Then Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen opens the Roma Brisbane Pipeline in March 1969. Photo credit: News Ltd/Newspix.

Roma’s Gas Timeline 1900: Natural gas first discovered in the Roma region.1961: AAR Group formed.June/August 1967: Gas sales agreement reached between Austral-Pacific Fertilizers followed by South Brisbane Gas Company. These agreements facilitated pipeline construction.February 1968: Construction contract signed with Thiess Brothers.March 1968: Construction commences ahead of schedule.June 1968: Welding commences on mainline at the western end (from Wallumbilla).1 March 1969: Last weld made on the mainline.17 March 1969: Official inauguration ceremonies in Roma and Brisbane.October 1969: Supply commences to Ipswich and Toowoomba.March 1970: Total supply to pipeline customers tops 5000 MMcf.


HISTORYHISTORY

Welders Fred Verna (left) and Bob Papp during the construction of the Roma Brisbane Pipeline in 1968. Originally from Italy and Hungary respectively, set a welding record for the number of pipeline welds on the RBP construction.

The McCaul clan, all of whom have worked on the RBP. From left: Burk, Bruce, Rohan, Case and Tor.

A map of the Roma to Brisbane Pipeline route.

“We did not have the experience in long distance high-pressure transmission pipelines, even though we had constructed about 30 km of small diameter lines in and around Roma,” recalls Mr McCaul.

“This is why we partnered with Southern Union Gas (SUG) from the United States for the project.

“SUG, based in Dallas, Texas, entered into the pipeline project on a joint venture basis and was involved in practically every phase of the business.”

From exploration and production through to gathering, transporting, distributing and selling at wholesale and retail levels, SUG played a role in the birth of the gas industry in Australia.

“SUG sent us a number of specialists to supervise construction and carry out the design, planning, materials specification, supervision and welding training,” said Mr McCaul.

SUG Design Engineer Robert Jebavy and Construction Manager Amos Persons played major roles in the project.

“Unlike some pipelines that came later, there was not a large number of overseas people in addition to the people from Southern Union Gas (except for some specialist welders) involved in the construction,” said Mr McCaul.

“The rest of the work force were locals who already had experience in large civil and mining operations and were given additional training on the job.”

Pipeline constructionEstimated to cost $11 million (approximately $99 million in

today’s currency), the construction contract (after worldwide tenders were called) was awarded to Queensland-based civil engineering and construction company, Thiess Brothers, who commenced work on 11 March 1968.

Mr McCaul remembers that when construction started, few envisaged the industry that would grow from their work.

“We were indeed pioneering a new industry, and I realise this more than ever when I look at the map of Australia showing the number of pipelines built over the last 46 years.”

Indeed, gas field development and pipeline construction was so new to Australia that Mr McCaul had to use everyday supermarket items to assist with the works.

“There were few ‘off-the-shelf’ equipment items available, and shipping times from the U.S. were long,” said Mr McCaul.

“For example, to make mist extractors for supply gas to instruments, I ‘cornered the market’ in Roma for old style wire mesh pot scrubbers to fill sections of pipe as a condensate separators.

“I bought Woolworths and two local corner stores out of stock!”The 273.05 mm diameter mainline pipe employed three

different wall thicknesses depending on location: in open country 4.77 mm thickness was used, in the vicinity of country towns and along roads a 5.15 mm thickness, and for all road crossings and through the last 20 km of the pipeline, where land for urban development set aside, the pipe had a wall thickness of 6.35 mm.

Delivered in lengths averaging 14.32 m, the pipes were welded together by hand by a team who completed over 42,000 welds by the time the pipeline was finished.

Some of the RBP’s welding team included pipeline legends Fred Verna and Bob Papp, originally from Italy and Hungary respectively, who set a welding record for the number of pipeline welds on the RBP construction.

Coated and wrapped in plastic tape after final inspection, the pipeline was lowered with a minimum cover of 73 cm, with the surface then restored.

Mr McCaul recalls that, while the construction itself was relatively straightforward, it was a very different process in terms of land holder negotiation and access compared to modern times.

“Unlike today’s environment, we had few land access problems,” said Mr McCaul.

“Landholders accepted that, apart from some short disruption in the construction phase, they would quickly regain the use of their and thought compensation for disruption was fair.

“We only had about half a dozen negative landholders, and our Premier at the time, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, said the pipeline was ‘important for the development of the state’ and therefore no individuals should prevent or delay it!”

Safety on the lineSpeaking on how times have changed since the RBP’s

construction, Mr McCaul says the most obvious difference

between then and modern times is the formalisation of considerations for safety.

“There was very little in the way of ‘formal’ safety training as it is these days,” recalls Mr McCaul.

“Nearly all safety precautions were addressed by ‘on-the-job’ training, with new workers operating under the supervision of the few who did have high-pressure or construction experience in similar industries.”

Apart from the obvious more formal considerations for safety, Mr McCaul sees the biggest change in pipeline construction as the coating technology.

“The RBP was bare pipe wrapped over the trench by a complex machine of chains and belts, which was difficult to operate consistently with the correct tension,” said Mr McCaul.

“The pipe had to be cleaned of rust and mud (particularly after rain) before it was primed and wrapped, which meant sometimes pre-running the tape machine with counter-rotating wire brushes several times before taping.

“Surprisingly, the old technology tape, when applied correctly, is still in good order today on some sections of the pipeline after 46 years.”

Commencing operationsOfficially inaugurated in ceremonies in both Roma and

Brisbane, the RBP commenced operations in March 1969.In a speech at the RBP 25 years’ celebration lunch, Mr McCaul

explained a few issues he had with the inauguration ceremony.“I was in charge of the official turning-on of the gas at the gate

station ay Wallumbilla, near Roma, on the 16 March,” explained Mr McCaul.

“Unfortunately, we looked like being a day or two late in actually having gas right to the end of the pipeline in Brisbane, as there was more slush from the hydrostatic pressure testing to be removed, from the last section in the Brisbane area, than had been expected.

“Most of the pipeline from Roma to Brisbane had been filled with gas to 1000 PSI, and to hear gas move through a line it is necessary to have a large pressure drop, otherwise it is almost inaudible.

“We therefore had to remove the gas from the station piping at Wallumbilla to atmospheric pressure, so that when the Premier at the time opened the valve, gas rushed backwards into the station and made an appropriate hissing noise.”

A family affairThe RBP and the Roma gas region has had McCaul

involvement from its inception through to today.Partnering Mr McCaul while he was involved in in the

exploration and development of pilot projects in the Roma area was his wife, Victoria, who was an employee of AAR Ltd and Richter Drilling, whose operations were necessary to get the pipeline off the ground.

“Victoria then became savvy in the operations and methods that are today known as ‘land management and liaison’, while we lived in Roma for four years pre- and post-pipeline construction,” said Mr McCaul.

Based in Roma from 1968 to 1971, Mr McCaul became the Area Manager for the Group while seismic, drilling and gathering system construction operations continued.

After a three-year stint in Indonesia, where he managed the Group’s drilling operations in Sumatra, and oil production from Seram Island, Mr McCaul returned to the RBP in 1974 as General Manager of the pipeline.

He took over from Rudi Motto (Southern Union gas) who had managed the pipeline’s first few years in the operations phase.

It was during this period that Mr McCaul “collected” four sons:

• Tor – now Comet Ridge Managing Director;• Burk – now Origin/APLNG Queensland Pipeline

Operations Manager;• Rohan – now an APA Group Mechanical Technician

(Roma- Brisbane Pipeline ), and; • Case – now a LogiCamms Engineer.Burk and Rohan, who each worked on the RBP for 20 years,

were later joined by Case, and they all worked concurrently on the RBP for nearly ten years, while Tor was involved in the gathering lines during university holidays.

Roma Wallumbilla

YulebaCondamine

KoganDalby

Toowoomba

OakeyGatton

IpswichBrisbane

Compressor stations


HISTORY

The Australian Pipeliner would like to thank Bruce McCaul for his assistance in developing this article, and for providing historical documents from the time of the RBP’s construction.

“When our three eldest boys were in their early to mid teens, I combined some weekend camping trips with inspections along the western half of the right-of-way (ROW), with overnight camps on properties whose owners I knew well,” said Mr McCaul.

“From these trips they developed an interest and learned something of pipeline cathodic protection systems, compressor station layout and operations and ROW problems.

“As youngsters they were never far away from a pipeline environment and people, so it is little wonder that they all entered the pipeline and gas industry.”

A word for young pipelinersWhen asked his views on the current state on Australia’s

pipeline industry, and whether he had any advice for future generations of pipeliners, Mr McCaul delivered some sound advice.

“Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. If you need a compressor station, heater facility, CO2 extraction plant or whatever, find one of the size type you need which works well and copy it,” explains Mr McCaul.

“I hear of many facilities built today which are costly,

inefficient and over-engineered where there are many examples to copy from that are far less costly and much easier to operate safely.”

Another area where Mr McCaul offers his advice is the employment of workers on construction projects, a very relevant topic in today’s world of fly-in fly-out workers.

“It is more efficient to employ and train local people (as many as available) for both construction, and particularly, long-term operations, as you retain them and their knowledge for long periods,” said Mr McCaul.

“It is also imperative to have land contact exclusively carried out by people from the local area.”

The RBP’s construction proved that Australia was a viable market for relatively smaller diameter long distance natural gas transmission pipelines, and it is now rightly looked upon as a catalyst for a new energy market in the country.

And so, 46 years after the completion of the RBP, Queensland continues to lead the way in onshore natural gas development in Australia.

This is thanks to Australia’s first natural gas pioneers, who were led by the explorers who believed the gas resource was in place, and the developers who followed them.


The APGA Convention and Exhibition is the number one event on any pipeliner’s calendar, and attracts local and international delegates from all sectors across the energy

and infrastructure industries.The 47th annual Convention and Exhibition will be held at the

Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and, with a wide range of activities and events held over the four days, this is a Convention that is not to be missed.

With presentations and technical papers covering pipeline operations, project updates, training and research, the theme for the 2015 Convention is ‘Australia’s pipeline industry: providing skills and infrastructure for energy’.

APGA’s annual Convention is well known for bringing together participants from all sectors of the pipeline industry as well as other industries that are associated with natural gas and the transportation of energy, slurry and water.

This major annual industry event provides excellent information in the business sessions and the social events allow for extensive networking opportunities.

With around 100 exhibitors showcasing their products and information, over 134 exhibition stands, it will be a fantastic opportunity to ask questions and discuss the latest products and services in the industry.

Promising high-quality papers and useful information, the event will deliver four busy, informative and entertaining days.

Host sponsors of the event include APA Group, CNC Project Management, GPA Engineering, ITI International, Nacap, OSD and Vermeer.

The 2015 Australian Pipelines and Gas Association’s Convention and Exhibition, the first since its name change, is set to bring maximum capacity entertainment to the Gold Coast from the 17-20 October.

2015 APGA Convention to light up the Gold Coast

APGA CONVENTION 2015

For more information visit www.apga.org.au

A. The Gala Dinner closes off the Convention in style.

B. The Family Day is a great event for young and old.

C. Phil Venton passes on some of his knowledge during the speaker sessions.

D. Delegates enjoying the Opening Dinner of the 2014 APGA Convention and Exhibition.

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The generous support of the Australian pipeline industry stakeholders for the industry’s premier event has again been on display for the 2015 APGA Convention and Exhibition. APGA would like to thank and publicly acknowledge all of the 2015 Sponsors for their greatly appreciated support of this year’s event.

2015 APGA Convention & Exhibition List of Sponsors


HOST SPONSORS

MAJOR SPONSORS

SPONSORS

Joint Sponsorship

ACIL Allen ConsultingAmerican Augers/TrencorAustralian Portable Camps

Baker Hughes LtdEnerflex

Falck Pty LtdFreyssinet Australia Pty Ltd

Fyfe Pty LtdGHD

Great Southern Press

Iplex PipelinesJemena

Jindal SawLand Partners Limited

Lean Field DevelopmentsLucas Engineering & Construction

Momentum EngineeringMST Global - Nixon Communications

Ozzie’s Padder of AustraliaPeter Norman Personnel

PII Pipeline SolutionsPipeline Machinery InternationalPipeline Specialty Supply Services

Qube EnergyROSENSEA Gas

Twycross and PartnersVacuworx International

WorleyParsons Zinfra

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2015 APGA Exhibitors


COMPANYBOOTH

NO.

Adtech FRP Pipelines 82

Aerometrex 122

American Augers / Trencor 55

Anode Engineering Pty Ltd 1

Anti Corrosion Technology 79

Australian Portable Camps 31 + 56

Applus 99

APTS 83

AusSpace 128

Australian Truck Hire 25 + 26

+ 27

Baker Hughes 54

BAO Australia 118 + 119

Busicom Solutions Pty Ltd 6

Cameron Valves and Measurement 97

Carboline 131 + 132

Cirtex Industries Pty Ltd 90

Comdain 57 + 58

Corrosion Control Engineering 53

Crest Coatings (Australia) Pty Ltd 9

DENSO 70 + 81

Depth Industries 127

Dial Before You Dig 93

Ebro Armaturen 61

Edgen Murray 108

EPCRC 13

Fast Fusion 8

FEGAS 89

Freyssinet Australia Pty Ltd/ Freyssinet NZ Pty Ltd

5

Fugro Geospatial 77 + 78

Furmanite 106

Fusion Hire & Sales (FHS) 129

Fyfe 114 + 115

Gasco 32

COMPANYBOOTH

NO.

GE Oil & Gas – PII Pipeline Solutions

50 + 51

Great Southern Press 102

Halfwave 46

Heath Pipeline Services 14 + 15

Herrenknecht AG 33

High Country Fusion 7

Imatech Energy Technology 19 + 20

IPD Group Ltd 87

Iplex Pipelines 74 + 80

ISCO Australia Pty Ltd. 43

KJM Contractors 124 + 125

Kwik-Zip 30

Lean Field Developments 92 + 123

Lincoln Electric 113

LogiCamms 134

McConnell Dowell 117

Mining Camps Australia 105

Mipela Geosolutions 75

Monkey Media 121

MRC Global 109

Murphy Pipe & Civil 66 + 67

National Oilwell Varco 28 + 59

NationWide Hire 34

NDT Global 42

NGL Pipeline Australia Pty Ltd 21

Novafast International 16

OSD 35

Pergam-Suisse AG 73 + 74

Peter Norman 107

Pigging Products & Services Association

91

PIHA 88

Pipeline Plant Hire 41

Pipeserv 2

COMPANYBOOTH

NO.

Position Partners Pty Ltd 98

Prime Drilling GmbH 62

QENOS 96

QUBE Energy 100 + 101

Quest Integrity Group 44

RMG Atlas Pty Ltd 64 + 65

RMT Valvomeccanica Pty Ltd 48 + 49

ROSEN 24

Russell Fraser Sales 63

Rustbuster 135

Schneider Electric 45

Schoenbeck GmbH & Co. KG. 71 + 80

Securatrak 126 + 133

Select Solutions 52

ShawCor 112

SICK Pty Ltd 72

Solar Turbines 68 + 69

Specialised sales + services 38 + 39

Sunlion 103

T.D. Williamson Australia Pty Ltd10 + 11

+ 12

Tapex 76

Thrifty Car & Truck Rental 60

TMS Consulting Pty Ltd 86

Tremco Pipeline Equipment 104 + 110 +

111

UPT 84+85

Vacuworx Australia 94 + 95

Vermeer Australia 36+ 37

Vinidex Pty Ltd 17 + 18

Welspun Corp Ltd 22 + 23

Worldpoly 3 + 4

Worldwide Machinery 120

Wrap Resources 116

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2015 Convention Program


DAY 1: SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER

7:00 – 14:00 Golf | Palmer Colonial Golf Course Sponsored by Vermeer

6:30 Securatrak buses depart all Convention hotels

7:00 Light Breakfast

7:30 Shot-gun tee off

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Securatrak buses return to all Convention hotels

10:00 – 17:00 Convention Registration

14:00 – 16:00 Exhibition Set-up

15:00 – 17:00 Golf’s 19th Hole Meeting Place | Level 3 Courtyard, Sofitel HotelSponsored by Vermeer

19:00 – 23:00 Welcome Dinner

Lakeside at Sea World Sponsored by Baker Hughes Ltd; SEA Gas and Worldwide Machinery/Worldwide Pacific Enterprises

18:20 Securatrak buses depart all Convention hotels

19:00 Pre-dinner drinks commence

22:00 Return Securatrak buses commence to all Convention hotels (last transfer at 23:00)

After-function Happy Hour at Room 81, Sofitel HotelSponsored by Vermeer

DAY 2: SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER

8:00 – 16:00 Exhibition Setup


9:20 – 15:00 Sunday Outing | McLarens Landing, South Stradbroke Island Sponsored by CNC Project Management

9:20 Securatrak buses depart all Convention Hotels

10:00 Cruise transfer to South Stradbroke Island

12:15 Lunch buffet opens

14:00 Return cruise transfer

14:45 Return Securatrak buses commence to all Convention hotels


17:30 – 18:00 Speakers’ Briefing (Optional) – Hosted by Cheryl Cartwright, Chief Executive, APGA

18:00 – 19:30 Exhibition Opening Reception | Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre Sponsored by Baosteel; Qube Energy; Solar Turbines Australia and Tremco Pipeline Equipment

19:30 – 23:00 Opening Dinner | Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre Sponsored by Baosteel; GPA Engineering; Iplex Pipelines; Jemena Limited; Jindal Saw; Lucas Engineering & Construction; Vacuworx and Zinfra

18:00 Exhibition Opening and Pre-dinner drinks

19:30 Dinner commences

23:00 Dinner concludes

After-function Happy Hour at Room 81, Sofitel Hotel Sponsored by LandPartners Limited

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DAY 3: MONDAY 19 OCTOBER

8:00 – 08:30 Arrival Light BreakfastSponsored by Fyfe


8:30

MORNING BUSINESS SESSIONSponsored by EnerflexChair: Cheryl Cartwright, Chief Executive, Australian Pipelines and Gas Association National AnthemWelcoming Address: Mark Dayman, Managing Director, Fyfe Pty Ltd and President, APGA

8:50 Chief Executive’s Report: Cheryl Cartwright, Chief Executive, APGA

9:10 Opening Address: The Hon. Dr Anthony Lynham MP, Queensland Minister for State Development and Natural Resources and Mines

9:30 Awards Presentation

9:45 Keynote Address: Laurie Lawrence, former Australian Rugby Union representative and Olympic and World Champion Swim Coach

10:30 Morning TeaSponsored by Peter Norman Personnel

10:30 Partners’ Day Outing | Whale Watching Experience Sponsored by GPA Engineering and Twycross & Partners

10.30 Securatrak buses depart the Convention Centre

11:15 Whale Watching Cruise departs

13:30 Cruise return | Lunch at the Wharf | Fishermans Wharf Restaurant

15:00 Return Securatrak buses commence to all Convention hotels

11:00

MORNING BUSINESS SESSION (continued)Sponsored by EnerflexPIPELINES AND GAS – THE INDUSTRY’S FUTUREChair: Shaun Reardon, Executive General Manager Strategy, Regulation and Markets, Jemena Limited and Vice President, APGACEOs Panel: Mick McCormack, APA Group; Paul Adams, Jemena Limited; Mark Bumpstead, Quanta Services Australia; Andy Cole, WorleyParsons and Stuart Johnston, DBP

11:30 Australia’s Natural Gas – The Question of SupplyJim McDonald, Chairman, Intelligas Group

12:00 Innovative Gas MarketsBenjy Lee, Energy Policy Manager, Jemena Limited and Alexandra Curran, Regulatory Manager, APA Group

12:30 LunchSponsored by McConnell Dowell Constructors

14:00

AFTERNOON BUSINESS SESSIONSponsored by Momentum EngineeringPIPELINES RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONChair: Peter Cox, Vice President - Pipeline Systems, WorleyParsons and Director, APGAWhat is Risk? Third Party Motivations to Reduce the Potential for Pipeline StrikesDr Vanessa McDermott, Research Fellow, Centre for Construction, Work Health and Safety Research, RMIT University

14:30 Are Your Critical Asset Safety Controls Actually Working?Ian Russom, Asset Risk and Assurance Manager, Jemena Limited

15:00 The Energy Pipelines CRC – Building for the Future Professor Valerie Linton, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Pipelines Cooperative Research Centre

15:30 Afternoon TeaSponsored by Peter Norman Personnel

16:00

AFTERNOON BUSINESS SESSION (continued)Sponsored by Momentum EngineeringCOMMITTEE UPDATESChair: Kevin Lester, Group Executive, Infrastructure Development, APA Group and Director, APGAThe Story of the Standard Susan Jaques, Corporate TQM Manager, Nacap Australia

16:30 The APGA Pipeline Corridor Committee and the Case For a Greater Integration of Land Use and Pipeline PlanningAshley Kellett, General Manager, SEA Gas and Bronwyn Clarkson, Partner, Carter Newell Lawyers

17:00 Close

19:00 – 23:00Fancy Dress Dinner (Costume Theme: Stars That Delight; Stars That Fright: Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner Tonight?) | Movie WorldSponsored by Australian Portable Camps; Nacap Australia; MST Global-Nixon Communications; Ozzie’s Padder of Australia and Solar Turbines Australia

HYDROSTATIC TESTING SERVICES

• UNDERGROUND AND ABOVE GROUND PIPELINES• FACILITIES TESTING• PIGGING, CLEANING & DRYING• MOBILE TESTING LABORATORIES• NATA ACCREDITED TEST PERSONNEL• 400-1600 CFM DESICCANT / REFRIGERANT DRYING UNITS• 40000 kPa TWIN RANGE PRESSURISATION PUMP

NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

• API 653 TANK INSPECTIONS• PRESSURE VESSEL & SRV INSPECTIONS• GAMMA & X-RAY FACILITIES• ULTRASONIC INSPECTIONS• MAGNETIC PARTICLE INSPECTIONS

MACKAY OFFICEMr Peter NelsonPh. 61 (07) 49525500Fax 61 (07) 49525511Email: [email protected]

ROCKHAMPTON OFFICEMr Brett NelsonPh. 61 (07) 49264744Fax 61 (07) 49264788Email: [email protected]

NATA Accreditation: 12649

See our web site for more details

www.axsndt.com.au

HYDRO

AXS_FP.indd 1 14/04/10 12:39 PM


APGA CONVENTION 2015APGA CONVENTION 2015

DAY 4: TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER

8:00 – 9:00 Arrival Light BreakfastSponsored by Fyfe

8:00 – 17:00 Registration

8:30 APGA AGM

9:15 Partners’ Outing | Explore the Gold CoastSponsored by GPA Engineering and Twycross & Partners

9:15

MORNING BUSINESS SESSIONSponsored by APA GroupPIPELINE OPERATIONS ISSUES (Presented by the Pipelines Operators Group)Chair: Craig Bonar, Manager East Coast Grid Engineering, APA Group and Deputy Chair, POGHydrographic Survey of Pipelines in Shallow River Crossings and Fitzroy River Crossing Scouring ProtectionDerek Boo, Engineering Manager, APA Group; Mark Kowalczyk, Asset Investment Engineer and Merna Sery, Project Manager, Jemena Limited

9:45 The Perfect Say – Improving Management’s Line of Sight Using Behavioural ManagementJames Smith, General Manager Maintenance, DBP

10:15 Pipeline Emergency Repairs – Combining ILI Data Analysis With Field AssessmentFrancis Carroll, Engineering Services Manager, Qld, APA Group and Ian Murray, IE COE Regional Team Leader, PII Pipeline Solutions

10:45 Morning TeaSponsored by Securatrak

11:15

TWO CONCURRENT SESSIONSMORNING BUSINESS SESSION (continued)Sponsored by APA GroupENVIRONMENT AND PIPELINE SYSTEMSChair: Dave Maloney, Managing Director, CNC Project Management Pty Ltd and Treasurer, APGAAPGA and EPCRC Weed Scoping Study and Weed Seed Spread by Vehicles: A Case Study from South East QueenslandDan Morgan, Director, Environmental Management Contractors

11:45 Breaking New Ground: The Hidden Value of Factory Processes and Data ManagementNathan Blundell, Project Lead – Bowen Gathering, Arrow Energy Pty Ltd

12:15 The Wallumbilla Hub – Integrating Queensland’s Pipeline Infrastructure to Meet the Changing Demands of the East Coast Gas GridCraig Clarke, Manager Infrastructure Construction Engineering, APA Group

11:15

MORNING BUSINESS SESSION (continued)Sponsored by APA GroupMEETING WORKFORCE NEEDSChair: Brent Jones, Manager Business Development, Petroserv International and Director, APGADynamic Capabilities: Key Skills for Engineering Business GrowthWayne Thomson, Managing Director, Anode Engineering

11:45 Why Diversity Matters – The Bottom Line ImpactAnthony Bowman, Director of Operations, Fyfe Pty Ltd

12:15 Is Psychosocial Safety on Your Company’s RadarHelen Wood, Chief Executive Officer, TMS Consulting Pty Ltd

12:45 LunchSponsored by OSD

14:15

TWO CONCURRENT SESSIONSAFTERNOON BUSINESS SESSION Sponsored by APA GroupPIPELINE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIESChair: Tony O’Sullivan, Director, Murphy Pipe and Civil Construction Pty Ltd and Director, APGAThe Challenges of Providing Skills for Pipeline InfrastructurePeter Owbridge, Pipeline Controller and Greg Bracey, Asset Engineer and Civil Manager, Refining NZ

14:45 Development of Offshore Competencies for Pipeline EngineersEric Jas, Managing Director, Atteris Pty Ltd

DAY 4: TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER

14:15

AFTERNOON BUSINESS SESSION Sponsored by APA GroupSUPPORTING PROJECT REQUIREMENTSChair: Dave Maloney, Managing Director, CNC Project Management Pty Ltd and Treasurer, APGADelivering on Clients’ Needs: Improving Delivery of Pipeline Infrastructure Using Standard Forms of ContractsLeon Richards, Project Manager – HSEQ, McConnell Dowell

14:45 Issues in Specifying High-Toughness SteelsDr Brian Leis, Director, B N Leis, Consultant, Inc.

15:15 Afternoon TeaSponsored by Worldwide Machinery/Worldwide Pacific Enterprises

15:45

AFTERNOON BUSINESS SESSION (continued)Sponsored by APA GroupPROJECT UPDATES AND SHARING INFORMATIONChair: Jim Frith, Executive General Manager – Pipelines, McConnell Dowell and Director APGAThe FTP2 Project – Showcasing Australian Onshore Pipeline Technical Expertise on the World StageRod Blackwell, FTP2 Project Construction Manager, McConnell Dowell

16:15The West Angelas Petroleum (Gas) Pipelines and Stations (WAPPL) Project – A New Approach to Pipelining Keith Horstmann, KT-OSD Joint Venture Project Manager, OSD; Ian Kemball, Senior Project Manager, Monadelphous KT and Wal Terlecki, Projects Area Manager Petroleum Pipelines, Rio Tinto

16:45 Summary & Close: Mark Dayman, Managing Director, Fyfe Pty Ltd and President, Australian Pipelines and Gas Association

19:00 – 24:00

APGA Annual Dinner Pre-Dinner Drinks | Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition CentreSponsored by APA GroupAPGA Annual Dinner | Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition CentreSponsored by ACIL Allen Consulting; GHD; Momentum Engineering; Nacap Australia; PII Pipeline Solutions; Pipeline Machinery International and Tremco Pipeline Equipment

19:00 Pre-Dinner drinks commence

24:00 Dinner concludes

After-function Happy Hour at Room 81, Sofitel HotelSponsored by CNC Project Management

DAY 3: MONDAY 19 OCTOBER

18:15 Securatrak buses depart all Convention Hotels

19:00 Pre-dinner drinks commence

22:00 Return Securatrak buses commence to all Convention hotels (last transfer at 23:00)

After-function Happy Hour at Room 81, Sofitel HotelSponsored by CNC Project Management

Other Item/Event Sponsors:Convention Buses – Securatrak Convention Notepads – Solar Turbines AustraliaConvention Pens – BaosteelConvention Photos – WorleyParsons Convention Pocket Program and Lanyards – OSD Convention Satchels – ITI InternationalConvention Slushie & Gelati Bar – Worldwide Machinery/Worldwide Pacific EnterprisesConvention Water Bottles – ROSENExhibition Cappuccino Café – GPA Engineering Exhibition Eating Area – American Augers/TrencorExhibition Massage Area – Tremco Pipeline EquipmentExhibition Recharge Area – Nacap AustraliaFancy Dress Dinner Photo Booth – Securatrak

Satchel Insert Sponsors:Falck Pty LtdGreat Southern PressLean Field DevelopmentsMST Global - Nixon CommunicationsPipeline Specialty Supply ServicesQube Energy

APGA Convention Disclaimer: The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association reserves the right to cancel or alter any program item, venue or activity without notice. APGA expressly disclaims any liability to Convention attendees (including but not limited to its members, their employees and agents) for any injury, claim, loss, damage or expense arising out of or in any way connected to the Convention. Attendees assume all risks when attending the APGA Convention and should arrange their own insurance. Certain Convention events, dinners, receptions and parties will serve alcoholic beverages and Convention attendees are responsible for their own well-being. APGA expressly disclaims any liability arising out of a Convention attendee’s consumption of alcohol at the Convention.


T he Australian Pipeliner is the official publication of the Australian Pipelines and Gas

Association (APGA) and has been the voice of the industry since 1972.

Dedicated to providing its readers with the latest industry developments, projects, equipment and techniques, The Australian Pipeliner prides itself on high-quality and relevant information for readers who want to be connected and involved in the industry.

With a wide range of content including interviews, reports, project updates from major players in the industry and detailed technical articles from industry experts, as well as some fresh new features including ‘What I know about pipelines’ and a pictorial spread featuring pipeline workers on-site, the magazine has something for everyone.

In addition to the quarterly publication, the Pipeliner team also produces resources designed to help industry professionals stay on top of all the developments and information about the industry.

These include the annual Major

Pipelines Map of Australia, wallcharts associated with pipeline construction, the annual APGA Directory Yearbook which is filled with the details and capabilities of every APGA member, and the new Pipeline Licences Booklet which will provide all the information you need to know about Australia’s pipelines in one easy-access booklet.

More to comeThe team at Great Southern Press also

produces content for those after information about the industry on a daily basis.

Pipeline, Plant and Offshore (PPO) is an online e-newsletter filled with project, policy and tender announcements that is sent to subscribers daily.

PPO subscribers also receive access to a comprehensive online project database, and are sent monthly and annual project updates organised state-by-state.

Great Southern Press also produces a number of other products for companies involved in the global pipeline industry, including Pipelines International and the Journal of Pipeline Engineering, as well as the broader natural gas industry’s leading title, Gas Today.

The Great Southern Press team behind The Australian Pipeliner will once again be attending the 2015 APGA Convention and Exhibition, and with a new-look magazine to show-off make sure you pop by our booth for a chat.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Pipeliner pops up at the Convention

The Australian Pipeliner team at the 2014 Convention in Melbourne.

The Australian Pipeliner team will be located at Booth 102 so feel free to come by and discuss opportunities

available in our products.The team will also be producing

its daily newsletter for the convention – PPO Convention

– and will be taking photos throughout the exhibition and

social events.We hope you enjoy the 2015

APGA Convention and Exhibition.

APGA Exhibitor

# 102

Adtech FRP Fibreglass PipeAustralian Distributors of Ameron/Centron Fibreglass Pipe

Superior flow characteristics

Exceptional pressure capabilities

Excellent corrosion resistance

Light weight composition

Designed to AS 2855.1

Tel: +61 (0) 8 9262 7000 Fax: +61 (0) 8 9249 3966 Email: [email protected]

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Adtech_QPH_Highres.pdf 1 6/12/10 1:34 PM

Our SPD-160 was designed to tackle tasks conventional padders can’t.

• Top-loading design

• Self-propelled

• Remote control operation

• Five models/sizes available

Ideal for job sites where there are:

• Maneuverability limitations

• Hard or sticky soil conditions

• Restrictions on length of open ditch

Innovative Solutions for Challenges Worldwide

Australia Pacific LNG - Australia

Worldwide Group family of companiesPhone +61 0 400 144 432 | Intl. toll free 800 9675 [email protected] | www.worldwidemachinery.com


EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Purpose-built to meet the unique logistical and space requirements of a Vermeer dealership, the new

location is the latest of the company’s five dealerships on the eastern seaboard to move to larger premises.

“We sought a location that would enable us to store, service and showcase the full product range and create an engaging showroom experience that not only presents our products, but also communicates the story of Vermeer and our brand promise,” said Project

Manager of the build and fit-out, Sheryl Richardson.

The new Melbourne facility represents an exciting expansion for Vermeer, however the company is not going to rest on its laurels.

Plans are already underway for the company’s next investment, a new location for its Brisbane dealership.

For more information on Vermeer’s products and services visit www.vermeer.com.au

Vermeer Australia has opened its new purpose built facility on a 10,800 sq m site in the Melbourne suburb of Derrimut.

Vermeer opens new facility in Melbourne

Vermeer’s new facility in Derrimut, Melbourne.

APGA Exhibitor

# 36 & 37

ProjectDevelopment

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OSD Service Delivery Model

Educating a new generation of pipeline professionals (PIPEd)

Informed pipeline integrity management

www.OSDlimited.com

Engineering, Operations and Commercial Services

Efficient and cost-effective design of complex gathering systems

Pipe & Valve Engineering brings with it significant technology, expertise and end to end solutions to the Gas & Mining Industry Australia wide.

We are an Australian owned recycler, established in Southern Queensland since 2012 but have over twenty combined years’ experience in the Pipeline, Environmental and Recycling Sector.

We are a proud member of the APGA

www.pipevalveaus.com I [email protected] 0431 750 019 or 0448 144 888

THE RECYCLING SPECIALISTS FOR:

OIL & GAS CONSTRUCTION AND DECOMMISSIONING PROJECTS | HDPE SCRAP PIPE | HDPE OFF SPEC PIPE |

GEOMEMBRANE POND LINERS | ALL MINING INDUSTRIES

Pipe_&_Valve_Eng_TAP_Oct15_FP.indd 1 2/09/2015 12:20 pm


EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Thanks to innovative isolation technology, the expense incurred by bleeding down the entire

pipeline to prepare for these tasks is a thing of the past.

The name of this technology is the SmartPlug® pressure isolation system, which has proven to be a reliable, cost-effective method of isolating pipeline pressure.

Double-barrier isolation technology During design, it was critical that the

isolation tool meet the requirements for double barrier, in keeping with offshore standards and recommended practices, namely DNV-OS-F101 and DNV-RP-F113.

Working in close cooperation with DNV GL to make certain the tool would meet with these standards and function with isolation plugs that form a double or single pressure barrier in the pipeline, the collaboration resulted in the remote-controlled SmartPlug pressure isolation tool, introducing the double block and monitor method of pipeline pressure isolation.

Approved by DNV GL: the double block and monitor method

“The SmartPlug system is fully certified by DNV GL, and is a pipeline pressure

isolation system equipped with two completely independent barriers and sealing systems,” said DNV GL Oil and Gas Principal Engineer – Pipelines and Materials Dag Øyvind Askheim.

“It satisfies the standard for what DNV GL deems to be double block and monitor isolation.

“The development of the SmartPlug tool illustrates how DNV GL works with the oil and gas industry to help it work smarter, safer and greener; in this case, to facilitate effective pressure isolations, with a view to reducing cost and speeding pipeline repairs.”

The SmartPlug system is comprised of two independent plug modules, and, if required by the operator, a third module for hydrotesting.

Each of the two independent plug modules can act as a barrier against full pressure on its own, successfully isolating pressure by completely sealing the pipeline.

The presence of the second plug module further increases safety.

The combined effect of activating the second plug module and reducing pressure across the modules, spreads the pipeline stress across the two modules.

As a result, stress on the line is further reduced during the isolation.

Independent gripping systemsThe two plug modules have their own

individual gripping system, also known as slips, which operate as separate systems, completely independent from one another.

The plug module is held firmly in place by the locking system, preventing it from shifting within the line.

Coupled with the independent sealing element, or packer, it uses the energy produced by the pressure in the pipeline to create a failsafe isolation.

Each plug module is independently tested in a test pipe to 1.43 times the operational pipeline pressure as part of the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT).

A safe measureReducing risk and increasing uptime

during pipeline interventions is extremely important.

The SmartPlug tool’s ability to not only form a double pressure barrier, but to monitor pipeline integrity throughout the intervention provides operators with peace of mind, secure in the knowledge that works are being carried out safely, with minimal disruption and loss of production.

For more information of T. D. Williamson’s products and services visit www.tdwilliamson.com

Replacing valves and preparing for tie-ins may be viewed as necessary ‘evils’ of pipeline maintenance and management, but there is good news for pipeline managers.

Avoiding depressurisation during offshore maintenanceBy Gary Anderson, Director – SmartPlug® Technology, T.D. Williamson

T. D. Williamson’s Smartplug Isolation Technology.

APGA Exhibitor

# 10, 11 & 12


ROSEN’s latest developments include its ‘integrated approach’, capable of fulfilling the

requirements to determine pipe properties and maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) validation comprehensively and holistically.

This turn-key deliverable comprises three complementary activities:

1. Review and align existing pipeline information;

2. Use existing pipeline data; and, 3. Determine pipe grade using the

RoMAT PGS service with a novel in-line inspection (ILI) technology.

ROSEN has also developed the world’s first ILI service capable of continuously identifying and differentiating the pipe steel grade.

In comparison to other statistics analysed by ‘in the ditch’ methods, ROSEN’s new service delivers a high

resolution strength profile of the entire examined pipeline section.

ROSEN’s innovative attitude does not stop with the development of new technology applications.

The company’s integrity solutions provide specialised engineering, integrity assessment and data management services that support operational decision-making.

In focusROSEN’s focus areas are:• Integrity Management Systems:

large-scale integrity program implementations including operating guidelines, supporting software programs and network-wide risk-based maintenance approaches; and,

• Integrity Management Services: detailed engineering assessments, corrosion control, risk and reliability services as well as specialised consultancy services.

APGA ConventionAt this year’s APGA Convention and

Exhibition, ROSEN will feature the Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) technology.

This highly advanced technology can be utilised on assets where features such as hydrogen induced cracking, fatigue cracks, stress corrosion cracking and/or coating disbondment are present.

The exhibition will include presentations on the principle of EMAT, capabilities of the ROSEN EMAT tools and an actual EMAT ILI tool for you to appreciate and discuss with our experts.

Having been a very active member of APGA and pipeline industry since 1997, ROSEN is proud to have maintained a fully operational ILI and integrity solutions facility for all of that time, as well as remaining the only service provider to do so.

Looking forward, ROSEN’s objective to be the world’s leading provider of in-line inspection solutions that assist operators in maintaining and operating assets efficiently and safely.

ROSEN helps pipeline operators to assess the integrity and remaining life of valuable assets and to plan effective inspection and maintenance strategies.

For more information on ROSEN’s products and services visit www.rosen-group.com/global

ROSEN: empowered by technologyAs a leading service provider for inspections globally, ROSEN is at the front of the pack with technology innovation.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

The 304.8 mm EMAT tool representing ROSEN’s new small diameter fleet.

APGA Exhibitor

# 24

T: +61 3 9095 8520F: +61 3 9095 8539www.peternorman.com.au

We’re tapped in to Peopleinto Pipelines!We offer• Recruitment Services – Contract/Temporary & Permanent• • Psychological Services

Who we are• Engineering qualified & experienced Consultants

• Registered Psychologist• Contract Payroll Administrators

Our expertise• Engineering• Administration• Finance• Industrial

T: 1300 THE KEY

Payroll Services across Australia

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Peter Norman Personnel (PNP) is currently focused on rolling out its next-gen solution to complex

contingent workforce tasks with centralised administration, faster candidate processing and self-configurable invoice/billing workflows.

Harnessing the rise for 24/7 customer service, and the enthusiasm for customers to self-service, the next-gen solution offers a truly collaborative approach with access to client and candidate self-service portals; assistance for placement, timesheet, payslip or billing questions, account or candidate engagement.

Pipeliner servicesProviding contract and permanent

recruitment solutions from entry to

executive levels, PNP is recognised as a leader in custom recruitment for the pipeline and engineering sectors, and is supported by many long-term clients who work with the company’s experienced team. PNP’s recruitment capabilities are also complemented by a comprehensive payroll service.

Fully compliant with all statutory requirements throughout Australia, PNP’s team regularly undertakes training in administration of WorkCover,

Superannuation, PAYG, and other statutory requirements for PAYG, Sole Traders and various entities.

Not stopping there, PNP’s in-house registered psychologist can provide tools such as profiling, psychometric, aptitude and vocational testing to simplify the decision-making process, in addition to employer/employee counselling to support management of personnel.

Industry experience‘Cutting his teeth’ in the pipeline

industry on the construction of the Melbourne to Ballarat and Bendigo Pipeline system in 1972, PNP’s Director Peter Norman has been associated with the industry for over 40 years and has been an APGA member since establishing PNP in 1992.

An ever present at various APGA events since then, PNP is again showcasing its services at the 2015 APGA Convention and Exhibition at the Gold Coast.

This gives the company the opportunity to introduce its new system, explaining how this will streamline business critical recruitment, pay and accounting functions.

The PNP team invites you for a coffee at Booth 107 facing the Barista Area at this year’s APGA Convention and Exhibition to discuss your recruitment needs for your next project.

For more information on PNP’s services visit www.peternorman.com.au

Peter Norman Personnel combines intimate knowledge of the pipeline industry, its people and culture to provide recruitment, payroll and psychological services to the industry.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

PNP rolls out its next-gen solution

Visit PNP’s booth at the APGA Exhibition to see how the next-gen solution can assist your business.

APGA Exhibitor

# 107


Prime Drilling not only offers tailor-made technology solutions for its clients’ projects, but also extensive

experience and know-how in customising equipment designs to specific project needs.

Investing in a Prime Drilling product provides the additional advantage of universal compatibility with global parts suppliers and a strong industry record in equipment productivity, often resulting in proven cost savings for Prime Drilling’s clients.

The company also supports its customers with technical training,

planning and preparation from the conceptualisation of the project through to on-site execution.

Prime Drilling’s corporate objective is to optimise the success of its clients in delivering on their commitments through steadfast partnership, reliable service, innovative technology and customised product design solutions.

One of the latest innovations on offer from Prime Drilling is the Prime Pipe Pusher.

This product mainly serves for additional push or pull force with pipe pullback, but also offers the perfect solution for application combined with tunnel boring machines.

A further new product is the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) Compact Unit with pump on board in the range of 300–1.500 kN.

To improve the high-pressure version of the X-pump on board the HDD

Compact Unit even further, the valve blocks have been reinforced to better accommodate higher pressures. Prime Drilling has also revised the design of the X-pump to simplify maintenance and the replacement of wear parts.

The lower valve unit is now installed horizontally and enables direct access to the valves via mounting apertures.

Piston and rubber can easily be retrofitted into plunger from the front side, thus allowing for universal application of the pump. The liners simply have to be exchanged by packing kits for plunger within the existing installation space.

Prime Drilling will be present at the 2015 APGA Convention and Exhibition, to be held on the Gold Coast from 17–20 October.

For more information on Prime Drilling’s products and services visit www.prime-drilling.de

Prime Drilling: delivering HDD from Germany to the worldOperating worldwide, Prime Drilling specialises in horizontal directional drilling technology, and has over 30 years of experience manufacturing high-quality horizontal directional drilling rigs.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

One of Prime Drilling’s pipe-pusher rigs in action.

APGA Exhibitor

# 62

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ENGINEERING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT• Compressor stations• Inlet, delivery and metering facilities• Pipeline design and crossings design• Gas, oil and water treatment and handling• Onshore and offshore production facilities

WWW.MOMENG.COM.AU

TAKING YOUFORWARD

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Ethane and LPG feedstock are delivered to the Altona and Botany manufacturing sites after being

refined from natural gas sourced from the Cooper and Gippsland basins.

Using Australia’s rich oil and gas reserves, Qenos converts these natural resources into high value petrochemicals and plastics.

Qenos is a vital local partner to Australian manufacturing, delivering reliable, high quality materials backed by innovation and technical expertise.

The company is Australia’s only manufacturer of polyethylene for pipe applications, employing more than 600 staff in the development, manufacture and distribution of polyethylene at facilities in Melbourne and Sydney.

Qenos offers a full range of polyethylene pipe grades used in a wide variety of demanding applications including water conservation and delivery, irrigation, waste management, mining, gas distribution and upstream gas gathering networks.

Recognised as the benchmark in Australia for the supply of world class PE100 polyethylene grades for use in

pressure pipes, Qenos is the supplier of the Alkadyne® PE100 grade range, which delivers outstanding in-service performance combined with throughput benefits that maximise pipe extrusion capacity and ultra-low sag performance, enabling the production of very large diameter thick walled pipes.

Keeping Australia movingAlkadyne® PE100 grades are made

from Australian gas to keep Australia moving. They were developed by Qenos in partnership with Australian pipe manufacturers and standards authorities.

Qenos’ close involvement in the local pipeline industry has ensured that local product and processing requirements are fully understood and incorporated into each product design.

Qenos has tested its grades to produce pressure data that goes beyond the standard requirements to enable design for maximum lifetime and elevated usage temperature.

The stress crack resistance of Alkadyne® PE100 grades exceeds the standard and gives designers flexibility to reduce contingency and whole of life project costs.

The high performance Alkadyne® PE100 grades are backed by the Qenos technical service team, widely recognised for their analytical capabilities and expertise.

At the Qenos Technical Centre in Altona, customers have access to the extensive range of processing equipment to support application development and troubleshooting.

This capability has been essential in facilitating end-to-end pipe project collaboration from pipe design to installation and commissioning.

Be sure to drop by the Qenos stand at the 2015 APGA Convention and Exhibition to see how we can assist in the design and delivery of your next pipe project.

For more information on Qenos’s products and services visit www.qenos.com

Qenos: made by gas, for gasA fact not too many in the gas industry are aware of is that the raw material used for polyethylene production at Qenos is natural gas.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Ethane gas is converted to ethylene for PE production at the Qenos Olefins plant in Altona, Victoria.

APGA Exhibitor

# 96

Lott Field Services Pty Ltd1 The Grove, WoodvilleS.A. 5011Telephone: 08 8244 3786Mobile: 0428 745 843Email: [email protected]

Lott Field Services Pty Ltd are consultants and can assist you providing or finding people for the following services.

Member of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association

• Project Management • Construction Management • Construction Design Verification• Construction Design, Survey & Asbuilt• Tender compilation• Tender evaluation• Inspection services to the pipeline industry


Since the introduction of polyethylene (PE) pipe resins in the 1960s, Iplex has been at the forefront of PE pipe

development worldwide. Over the decades the strength of PE

resin has more than doubled and, in turn, has led to larger and more demanding applications for pipe.

Today, Iplex is the sole Australian supplier of 2 m diameter PE100 pipe, with the capability to produce this huge pipe in the company’s factories in Perth, Albury and, most recently, Toowoomba.

In response to the desire for fewer but larger pipelines for both gas and water transportation, Iplex is aiming to be the primary supplier of PE pipe in sizes above 900 mm to the coal seam gas industry.

The growing market for larger diameter pipe demands complementary fittings and valves to complete the system.

To meet this need, Iplex is investing heavily in fabrication facilities in both Queensland and Western Australia and in building its network of European and Asian supply partners.

However, larger and stronger pipe is not the company’s sole focus.

Iplex has identified the emergence of newer and tougher PE100 resins with enhanced resistance to slow crack growth as another point of focus for the company.

By utilising the improved properties these resins offer, large diameter pipelines will be designed, constructed and operated at a substantially lower cost than was thought possible in 2008, when Iplex joined the APGA as a member.

The theme of the Iplex stand at APGA 2015 is ‘Dare to think big’, and will

feature a 2 m diameter PE100 pipe and DN630 PE valve, supplied by fittings partner Georg Fischer.

Iplex is the largest Australian owned and operated pipe and fittings manufacturing business in Australia, with

manufacturing and distribution capabilities across all states as well as New Zealand.

For more information on Iplex’s products and services visit www.iplex.com.au

For more than 40 years Iplex has been supplying plastics products to the Australian pipeline industry.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

With pipeline plastics, experience comes first

Workers welding sections of Iplex’s DN1600 PE100 pipe.

TO MEET THIS NEED, IPLEX IS INVESTING HEAVILY IN FABRICATION FACILITIES IN BOTH QUEENSLAND AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND IN BUILDING ITS NETWORK OF EUROPEAN AND ASIAN SUPPLY PARTNERS.

APGA Exhibitor

# 74 & 80

www.iplex.com.au

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Iplex Pipelines… Australia’s only manufacturer of AS/NZS 4130 polyethylene pipe in sizes up to 2 metres.

Email: [email protected]

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The past 12 months has seen a significant increase in the use of 3D scanning in the oil and gas, mining

and industrial sectors. Used to accurately measure pipeline

surface corrosion, mechanical damage and even stress measurement, the technology provides fast, accurate and repeatable results.

Russell Fraser Sales (RFS) will be showcasing a range of new inspection and testing products at the 2015 APGA Exhibition, including the Creaform HandySCAN 3D Scanner with Pipecheck software on display.

Pipecheck is the only solution on the market able to extract corrosion depth within mechanical damage.

Pipeline operators are aware of the potential impact of a catastrophic failure resulting from complex or combined pipeline damage.

Being able to accurately measure the contribution of each form of damage directly increases the level of confidence in the pipeline integrity management program.

This confidence results in lower maintenance costs and reduces the risk of failures.

Used in conjunction with the HandySCAN 3D Scanner, Pipecheck’s functionality has been enhanced significantly with a host of new performance features.

Pipecheck now features a built-in straightening tool, which uses powerful algorithms to extract the pipe’s center-line and then straightens the full segment. Further to this, the technology now has an integrated in-line inspection (ILI) correlation tool, which is used to

correlate ILI data with the Pipecheck 3D scanning data.

RFS will also be exhibiting a number of other products at the APGA Exhibition, including:

• Ultrasonic thickness gauges; • Ultrasonic phased array; • Thermal imagers; • Borescopes; • Field microscopes; • Surface replication products; and,• More equipment associated with

pipeline integrity assessment.RFS has been involved with APGA since

becoming a corporate member in 2012, and has been displaying non-destructive testing technology at the annual exhibition since then.

RFS is committed to continuing to provide the very latest in non-destructive testing and inspection equipment to assist in solving the many common and not-so-common inspection problems faced by pipeline asset owners and maintainers.

For more information on Russell Fraser Sales’s products and services visit www.rfsales.com.au

Providing high quality products in the area of non-destructive testing for over 20 years, Russell Fraser Sales has had a long involvement with Australia’s pipeline industry.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Testing the way forward

The Pipecheck 3D Scanning equipment in operation.

PIPELINE OPERATORS ARE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING FROM COMPLEX OR COMBINED PIPELINE DAMAGE.

APGA Exhibitor

# 63

Pipe spool Fabrication Pressure Vessel Fabrication Onsite Installation Design and constructionof Oil and Gas Facilities

Pipeline Construction

Certi� ed ISO 9001:2008Certi� ed ISO 4801:2012

Adelaide 61-67 Plymouth Road Wing� eld SA 5013 PH: 08 8341 0045 FAX: 08 8341 0876

Queensland 18082 Warrego Highway Dalby QLD 4405 PH: 07 4662 2901 FAX: 07 4662 2502

www.ottowayengineering.com.auEmail: [email protected]

F A B R I C A T I N G A U S T R A L I A ’ S F U T U R E


Not only does this technology minimise environmental impacts it also cuts installation costs significantly.

In addition to these innovative installation methods, LFD also specialises in mobile broad acre mulching.

LFD provides efficient, environmentally sustainable clearing options for pipelines and fibre optic right-of-ways, seismic lines and many other industrial applications.

International pedigreeLFD continues to utilise its expertise in

the global market, most recently completing a project for Donggi Senero Liquefied Natural Gas of Indonesia.

Located 25 km south east of Luwuk in the province of Suwalisi, Indonesia, LFD was the preferred contractor to project manage the installation and supervision of one of the first Flexsteel projects for the company.

LFD Managing Director Cory Stevens praised the team’s efforts while outlining the company’s commitment to project and personnel safety.

Gaining experience in diverse areas of the globe gives LFD the advantage of a broader understanding on the challenges each client faces.

This has only strengthened its team’s approach to continue focusing on being a preferred contractor when clients are looking for cost-effective solutions in challenging locations and markets.

Moving forwardMoving in 2016 and beyond, LFD’s

main focus will be around strengthening its capabilities and maintaining commitment to finding sustainable cost efficiencies for its clients in what is currently a difficult market.

LFD is a flexible contractor that understands its clients and the market, and is big enough to handle large-scale projects such as GLNG, but still flexible enough to service the smaller markets such as the gathering networks in the Cooper Basin and Narrabri.

Recently LFD was given the opportunity and has successfully constructed beam pumps, truck loadouts and other civil projects for multiple clients in both areas.

LFD is committed to maintaining a high level of safety, even as the current market trends are focused on driving down costs.

“This is a challenging market for both operators and contractors. It is essential that we do not compromise safety and quality on our projects as we work

together on delivering sustainable cost-effective solutions,” said Mr Stevens.

LFD will be showcasing its products, services and growth at the 2015 APGA

Convention and Exhibition, be sure to visit its booth to discuss options for your next project.

For more information visit www.leanfd.com.au

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Lean Field Developments’ (LFD) capabilities stretch across pipelines and associated facilities, fabrication

and installation services, telecommunication and power cable distribution and collection networks, bulk earthworks and civil infrastructure, as well as operational maintenance and field support services.

With offices and facilities in Brisbane, Roma, Adelaide, Ballera and Calgary, Canada, LFD employs over 200 staff on projects across Australia and North America.

Australian pipelinesIn line with its strategic growth strategy,

the past 12 months have seen LFD expand its steel pipeline capabilities in Australia.

Drawing on its extensive steel pipeline experience from North America, LFD has successfully completed steel pipeline projects for the Australia Pacific LNG

Project in Queensland and Santos in the Cooper Basin.

LFD is also experiencing significant activity in the CSG sector, with the award of the Gladstone LNG (GLNG) Project Roma West Phase 2A Balance Works contract in early 2015.

Consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) gathering pipelines, flowlines, high voltage and fiber optic cable installation and associated well pad facilities, LFD continues to showcase its collaborative cost effective solutions in a challenging market.

Supported by a large fleet of Fockersperger SpiderPlows, LFD provides expert ploughing services for fast, economical and low impact construction installations in almost any terrain.

Not only does this technology minimise environmental impacts it also cuts installation costs significantly.

LFD remains one of Australia’s leading spoolable composite pipeline installation contractors and in combination with its ploughing capabilities, provides extremely cost-effective solutions for marginal projects.

Ensuring that innovation and environmental sustainability are always accounted for, LFD was given an opportunity to install 22 km of 127 mm diameter spoolable composite pipe in the Cooper Basin for Beach Energy.

This is the largest diameter pipeline of its kind in Australasia and was successfully completed in record time.

The installation occurred in an area with very challenging dune-field terrain with minimal infrastructure.

Made possible by using the SpiderPlow Trenchless Technology, the pipe was laid simultaneously with a fiber optic communications cable for the entire route.

The past year has seen Lean Field Developments consolidate its steel pipeline expertise, as well as increase its activity in the CSG sector, with numerous projects across the country benefitting from its services.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Developing the fields

A. LFD was contracted to lay the largest diameter composite pipeline in Australia.

B. The SpiderPlows on the job in the Cooper Basin.

B

A

APGA Exhibitor

# 92 & 123

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Based in Denver, Duffield Construction was a family-run company for more than 23 years

and will now be integrated into the Murphy Pipe and Civil Group (MPC).

Announcing the acquisition, MPC President David Kinsella said he is looking forward to building on the solid reputation that Duffield Construction already have in the American industry.

“I see dual benefits for the American pipeline construction and cable instillation industry through the successful integration of our two companies,” said Mr Kinsella.

“Murphy Pipe and Civil can now tap into Duffield Construction’s extensive experience and solid American reputation, and at the same time, start to introduce the portfolio of innovative pipeline construction and cable installation solutions that we have developed and implemented in Australia.”

Duffield Construction founder John Duffield will remain with MPC and help build the company further as its Business Development Manager.

Already making waves in the American industry, Mr Kinsella said MPC’s new take

on plough installation has gained traction, with the company winning two contracts to install 435 km of cable and water mains across North Dakota.

“Murphy Pipe and Civil secured a contract with Western Area Water Supply Authority to install 160 miles (257 km) of residential water main and all associated infrastructure and tie-ins to trunk mains and, more recently, another contract with Midcontinent Communications to install 106 miles (170 km) of fibre optic cable,” said Mr Kinsella.

Still calls Australia home Regularly showcasing its services at the

annual APGA Convention and Exhibition, 2015 will be no different for the company.

Built on innovation across all areas of construction, particularly steel and high-density polyethylene pipeline networks, MPC will be featuring its

unique and efficient construction methodologies as well as its field-proven range of purpose-built equipment at the 2015 APGA Exhibition, including its fleet of revolutionary Spiderploughs.

A proud member of APGA since 2007, MPC believes the Association plays a pivotal role in the continued development of the pipeline industry in the areas of safety, efficiency, best practice and compliance.

While MPC continues to grow within Australia, working on large-scale pipeline projects in the resources sector, 2016 will see the company broadening its reach internationally, where it believes it can gain leverage via the portfolio of successful projects and proven capabilities developed in Australia.

For more information on Murphy Pipe and Civil’s services visit www.mpcgroup.com.au

MPC heads to the StatesMurphy Pipe and Civil has continued its industry-wide expansion following the successful acquisition of an American pipeline construction and cable installation company.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

MPC’s US President David Kinsella (left) shakes on the Australian company’s successful acquisition of John Duffield’s Denver-based company Duffield Constructions.

APGA Exhibitor

# 66 & 67

International Pipeline Services Pty Ltd Comprehensive set up to suit your requirements

SERVICES• Pipelayers• Vacuum Pipe Lifters • Challenger Tow Tractors • Welding Tractors • Pipe Bending Machines

• Hydraulic Bending Mandrels & Bending Sets

• Internal & External Pipe Welding Clamps

• Pipe Roller Cradles and more…

Australian distributor for the range of ELiTE Vacuum Pipe Lifters.Call Justin Sciortino on +61 423 539 989 for more information about what we can do for you. www.int-pipe-serv.com | [email protected]

We provide a wide range of specialised pipeline construction equipment for hire and sale

The performance and reliability you expect from the biggest names in the business.

HANDCRAFTING THE FINEST IN UNDERGROUND

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Maxi-Rig Directional Drills • Auger Boring Machines • Product Tooling & Accessories • Mud Pump & Cleaning SystemsMid-Size Directional Drills • Chain Trenchers • Wheel Trenchers • Rock Saws • Road Miners

americanaugers.com • trencor.com

AMERICAN AUGERS DD-110

TRENCOR T1060

Charles Machine Works Companies© 2015 American Augers, Inc.

AA Dual Product 2015 ad AP.indd 1 8/20/15 3:49 PM


Formed after the sale of Petro Coating Systems to Denso (Australia) in March 2015, Crest is

now a highly respected manufacturer and specialist distributor of advanced anti-corrosion and protective pipeline coating systems.

Crest is the exclusive Australian distributor for the ‘Seal-For-Life’ Polyken (butyl multilayer tapes), Covalence (heat shrink sleeves) and Powercrete (liquid epoxies) pipeline coating systems, along with the DEEPWATER Nu-Bolt and I-Rod anti-corrosive pipe supports.

Crest has recently moved into a new purpose-built facility in Epping, Melbourne, after signing an exclusive manufacturing and distribution license with Cormix International for its range of concrete construction chemicals and waterproofing systems.

The agreement allows Crest to provide a more comprehensive and diverse range of systems, including specialised epoxy grouts (low – exothermic/deep pour) for the many new compressor station foundations under construction within the Australian CSG industry.

With a fresh team of dedicated and experienced people providing a real point of difference, Crest offers a diverse spread of product solutions for both new infrastructure and the repair of existing infrastructure.

Crest’s collective industry experience of more than 150 years of unwavering business ethics and its dedication to clients is a combination that keeps customers returning.

With sales and continued growth now exceeding $10 million, Crest is well placed to provide dependable coating and construction solutions to its pipeline and CSG infrastructure.

Be sure to see what Crest’s products and services can offer your company by visiting its stand at the APGA 2015 Convention and Exhibition in the Gold Coast from 17–20 October.

To find out more about Crest Coatings’ products and services visit www.crestcoatings.com.au

Crest Coatings (Australia) Pty Ltd is the freshest face in Australia’s pipeline coating industry, providing product solutions across an expansive array of infrastructure.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Crest confirms coatings ability

Crest’s new purpose-built facility in Epping, Melbourne.

Crest Coatings (Australia) Pty Ltd

CREST HAS RECENTLY MOVED INTO A NEW PURPOSE-BUILT FACILITY IN EPPING, MELBOURNE, AFTER SIGNING AN EXCLUSIVE MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION LICENSE WITH CORMIX INTERNATIONAL FOR ITS RANGE OF CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS AND WATERPROOFING SYSTEMS.

APGA Exhibitor

# 9

AATS EQUIPMENTPIPELINE

This is what experience looks likePOWER: The Maats bending machine program ranges from 16 to 60 inch. The robust and reliable Maats

bending machines have the capacity to bend pipes up to 1 inch wall thickness x100 of the maximum loadable

pipe-size. The Maats bending machines are the strongest available in the market.

OPERATION: The layout of the machines is simple, operating the machine is easy.

Machine settings can be easily controlled and if required easily adjusted.

MAINTENANCE: Built with mainly Liebherr components, all major parts have a

proven track record as components build on heavy duty construction machinery.

Service, maintenance and the odd repair is easy. Service and spare parts can be

easily obtained from your local Liebherr dealer, anywhere in the world.

Maats Pipeline Equipment • Breukersweg 4 • P.O. Box 165 • 7470 AD Goor (Holland)Tel.: +31 (0)547 26 00 00 • Fax: +31 (0)547-26 10 00 • [email protected] • www.maats.com

BENDING HISTORY

Bending_history_A4_29-8-2013.ind1 1 29-8-2013 14:48:44


EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Denso’s new Bore-Wrap (Scar-Guard) product range, which will be on display at the

2015 APGA Exhibition, are designed to protect field joint coatings from abrasion stresses and scarring of directional drilling, boring and horizontal directional drilling (HDD).

The Bore-Wrap products are comprised of patented fibreglass fabric carrier impregnated and coated with a water-activated resin.

Denso’s Bore-Wrap has a number of uses, including:

• Abrasion-resistant over-coating for HDD, drilling and boring applications;

• Coating protection for pre-approved coatings such as epoxies, shrink sleeves and cold or hot applied tapes;

• Sacrificial outer laminate in rocky environments; and,

• Minimising the need for spot repairs after pull-back and provides long-term protection of underlying field joint coatings.

Denso will be showcasing a selection of other products at the 2015 APGA Convention and Exhibition, including:

• Tapes;• Brush and spray-applied liquid

coatings;• Mastics; and,• Primers and sealants.These products are based on materials

such as petrolatum, butyl rubber, bitumen, plastics and epoxy resins.

Delegates will have the opportunity to view Denso’s applications, allowing for a better appreciation of what the company can offer in the market.

Denso Australia has been manufacturing and providing anti-corrosion and sealing products for above– and below–ground

works for more than 54 years to the Australian market.

Denso has been a long-standing member of the APGA, and continues to service and support the association.

Denso is proud to manufacture 80 per cent of its products in Australia and recycle materials to produce products such as Denso mastic.

The company has also been endorsed by the ‘Australian Made’ campaign with 32 products officially registered.

Denso’s focus going forward is to continue to be innovative, and to develop high quality products to meet market expectations and Australian standards.

For more information on Denso’s products and services visit www.densoaustralia.com.au

More [w]raps for DensoA long standing member of the APGA Denso will showcase new products as well as old favourites at the 2015 APGA Convention and Exhibition.

Denso’s pipe coating products ensure against corrosion and sealing issues.

DENSO IS PROUD TO MANUFACTURE 80 PER CENT OF ITS PRODUCTS IN AUSTRALIA AND RECYCLE MATERIALS TO PRODUCE PRODUCTS SUCH AS DENSO MASTIC.

APGA Exhibitor

# 70 & 81

Make ISCO your single source! Besides being the industry’s leading distributor of HDPE pipe, we’re your connection to a full line of fusion equipment, extrusion welders, electrofusion products, tooling and more. We provide custom fabrication across many applications – delivering complete systems to the field, saving time and budget. We also sell and rent top quality McElroy® fusion equipment. We’re one call away for everything you need, including service and spare parts support. And, if you need in-the-field training and support, we offer that too.

PROVIDING tOtal PIPING sOlutIONs!P

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McConnell Dowell’s teams collaborate with its clients, partners and stakeholders to

deliver engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) solutions for complex projects.

Providing services to clients in the oil and gas, petrochemical, water, resources, power, transport, building and social infrastructure sectors, McConnell Dowell’s specialist construction skills include pipelines and horizontal directional drilling, mechanical, marine, civil, tunnelling, rail and building works.

The company’s pipeline project highlights include the successful completion of Australia’s largest gas pipeline infrastructure, including three large-scale 1,066.8 mm (42 inch) diameter major pipeline EPC contracts in Queensland and the safe and efficient delivery of flowline projects in central Australia.

Looking internationally, in Thailand McConnell Dowell has been successful in delivering the Fourth Transmission Pipeline Stage 2.

The major gas facilities and civil works associated with these pipelines, as well as the construction of the Roma Hub major gas processing facility in Queensland, demonstrate the broad capability of the organisation to undertake complex major capital construction works.

Bringing focus and expertise to safety, environmental and stakeholder management, McConnell Dowell operates across diverse geographical regions.

Its projects are often constructed in challenging environments, extreme weather conditions and through extreme terrain, including cross-country pipelines throughout Australasia, the Middle East, South East Asia and the Pacific, through swampy mud flats, desert sands, acid

sulphate soils, sandstone and hard rock formations while crossing challenging waterways or transport hubs.

This ensures client requirements are met and long-term interests are served with sustainable solutions.

McConnell Dowell operates an extensive network of permanent offices across Australia, Asia, the Middle East, New Zealand and the Pacific.

In addition, the company operates fabrication and plant yard facilities in

Thailand, Dubai, and Batam, Indonesia as well as collaborating with its Aveng group sister companies in Africa.

McConnell Dowell will have a booth at the 2015 APGA Convention and Exhibition. Be sure to drop by to discuss how the company can assist you to develop and deliver your next project.

For more information, contact your local McConnell Dowell office, email [email protected] or visit www.mcconnelldowell.com

Endowed with experienceMcConnell Dowell is a creative construction company, focused on building better communities through safe, smart and efficient infrastructure.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

McConnell Dowell’s crews lowering in a section of the Australia Pacific LNG pipeline.

BRINGING FOCUS AND EXPERTISE TO SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT, MCCONNELL DOWELL OPERATES ACROSS DIVERSE GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS.

APGA Exhibitor

# 117


The Acoustic Resonance Technology (ART) technique for in-line inspection (ILI) provides the ability

to perform high resolution, direct measurement in a natural gas environment.

The key to ART lies in using the pressurised natural gas in the pipeline as an ultrasonic coupling medium.

A sending transducer transmits a broadband acoustic signal towards the metal structure, including pipelines.

The signal then spreads in the structure, exciting half-wave resonances, and the structure’s response signal is then detected by the receiving transducer.

Analysis of the frequency content of this response signal gives the resonance peak frequencies, from which the base resonance frequency – and ultimately the structure’s thickness – can be estimated.

During post-processing, multiple measurements can be combined to estimate the size and depth of flaws, such as wall loss, in the metal structure.

The system’s accuracy, and the repeatability of its measurements, make it an ideal tool to inform reliable integrity decisions.

Superior scanningIn addition to precise inspections on

natural gas pipelines, ART is capable of measuring multiple data sets in a single run.

Wall-thickness data is collected, even on heat-affected zones and bends, as well as inertial mapping unit data and internal wall-mapping – all in a single run.

The tool stores the full raw-signal data from each sensor for post-processing.

The benefits of this storage is that with future advances in processing and with increased feature databases available, it will be possible to reprocess

the data with even more advanced algorithms prior to a re-inspection 5–10 years after the initial inspection.

This will allow the true comparison of all data sets, on a one-to-one basis, and will enable users to make highly accurate corrosion growth estimates.

The ART scan tool has practically no wall thickness limitation and full resolution is maintained, with the technology having accurately mapped pipewall thicknesses of up to 85 mm.

Its on-board calliper function is among the best in the industry, with none of the drawbacks of less accurate mechanical systems.

An additional benefit, not seen on other ILI wall measurement tools, is its capability

to report on coating loss and damage.The ART scan tool can also be

configured in a bi-directional single module format making it a solution to many operators’ unpiggable pipelines.

CRA-lined pipelines are another area where the technology differentiates itself from the competition, as the scanner can see through the CRA lining and report on any potential disbondment.

Halfwave now offers scanning for 406–711 mm diameter pipelines.

The company’s next step will be to complete even smaller diameters, which will be brought to market in early 2016.

To find out more about Halfwave’s products and services visit www.halfwave.com

Acoustic Resonance Technology, developed by Norway-based organisation Halfwave, is an innovative new method for in-line inspection.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

The ART of innovation

Halfwave’s ART is the latest innovative method for in-line inspection.

THE KEY TO ART LIES IN USING THE PRESSURISED NATURAL GAS IN THE PIPELINE AS AN ULTRASONIC COUPLING MEDIUM.

APGA Exhibitor

# 46


By following these top five tips below, you can ensure that your future pipeline installations will

withstand the test of time.

1. Specifications Ensure that you are choosing the correct

spacer for your particular installation and project specifications.

This appears to be a straightforward consideration, however, often spacers that ‘only just’ comply with project specifications are used due to cost requirements or more suitable products not being available.

Your pipe casing type should also be considered when choosing a spacer system.

Metallic spacers have a track record of damaging plastic casings such as fibreglass or glass-reinforced plastics (GRP) casings and can greatly reduce the lifespan of the pipeline installation.

Finding a single spacing product that is versatile and flexible to suit a range of diameters and casing materials could mean that only one product is required for the entire job.

This in turn will save on time, money and your contractor’s patience.

2. Standards There is currently no Australian

standard for spacers used in pipelines, however ensuring that your pipe centralisation method complies with board and authority best practices is encouraged for successful pipeline installation.

Water authorities such as the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) provide a list of codes available for purchase that will guide you toward complying with industry good practices.

3. Durability The durability of a spacer is just as

important as the durability of the pipe, casing and other equipment.

For projects such as waterflood or produced water injection wells, in most cases, the water being re-injected is highly corrosive. Because of this, it is essential that inert spacers are considered.

Strength of the spacer also becomes more important as the size of the pipe increases, therefore ensuring that you choose a centralising system that supports the weight of your pipe is crucial to overall pipeline success.

4. Speed Experiencing delays during pipeline

construction is never desirable, and setbacks during pipe centralisation can slow down overall installation of the pipe.

When choosing a spacer or centraliser system, aim for one that can be easily packaged, transported and reassembled onsite.

Delivery and time costs can be large, so be sure to check the packaging and delivery options of your spacer system to avoid delays either on-site or during transportation.

5. Technical support When using different products and

equipment on a pipeline project, it is worth considering the availability of technical support for each.

The designers of the spacer and centraliser units at kwik-ZIP have shown how effective it is for clients to work with a supplier that is Australian owned and based, according to kwik-ZIP Managing Director Jason Linaker.

“As kwik-ZIP is Australian owned, clients and contractors are given the ability to directly contact the manufacturer to provide assistance and support throughout installation,” said Mr Linaker.

For more information on kwik-ZIP’s products and services visit www.kwikzip.com

Centralising a pipe correctly can save time and money, as well as prolong the life and overall success of a pipeline installation.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES

Five tips for centralising pipe

kwik-ZIP’s pipe spacers will ensure the integrity of your pipeline.

APGA Exhibitor

# 30

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FastFusion_Pipeliner_June_06022015.pdf 1 3/06/2015 11:27 am


The new technology complements Mipela’s other x-info products, the x-info connect, x-info webconnect

and x-info maps.x-info aware is the mobile field-force

data capture application that enables the automation of the user’s daily assigned or ad hoc tasks and integrates them into back-end systems.

x-info aware has been built for the energy and infrastructure mobile workforce, enabling them to locate where they are, view their own data, and record what is happening wherever they may be.

Eliminating the need for paper filing, storage or maintenance, the x-info aware works with any data on any device at any given location to improve:

• Operations – overall efficiency will be achieved through improving data quality that will reduce cost

immediately by eliminating manual paper based systems and the associated double handling of data;

• Data quality – because the data is validated at point of observation, thus eliminating transcribing errors;

• Workflow – electronic data will be available at point of entry, to be fed into back-end systems in real time to speed up business the process;

• Audit – all data is automatically date and time stamped, and links photographs with GPS. It records and supports proof of service, processes and accountability; and,

• Workforce morale – users are provided with instant feedback and validation that their work is necessary and utilised, this frees them up to do other work.

Mipela’s x-info range can make data

collection and analysis a much more streamlined process: x-info connect manages your work; x-info webconnect shares your work; x-info maps visualises your work; and now x-info aware will capture your work. Together, as part of x-info suite, they collaborate to enable and streamline your work.

Mipela GeoSolutions has had a passion for connecting people with information since 1997, when it was providing geographical information system services.

This was later enhanced by the vision to develop a suite of software products to exchange information within an enterprise around the following four functions: capture, manage, visualise and delivery of data.

For more information on Mipela GeoSolution’s products and services visit www.mipela.com.au

Mipela GeoSolutions, known for connecting people with information, introduces the latest addition to the x-info suite of products – the ‘x-info aware’.

EXHIBITOR PROFILES COMPANY NEWS

Mipela launches x-info aware

This is particularly true when pipelines cross multiple local, state and federal government

jurisdictions that are subject to different regulatory regimes and requirements.

The annual and five-yearly AS2885 Safety Management Study (Part 2) is an integral process to ensure the ongoing compliance activities are undertaken for risk identification and assessment of risks associated with pipelines.

Sentanil Systems’s AS2885 Pipeline Risk Management System (RMS) database has recently been updated to benefit operators, consulting engineers and constructors who need a simple way to gather, store, display and report on information pertaining to design, safety and operational risks are capable of causing loss of pipeline integrity. Typical activities include:

• Location analysis – location classes are automatically linked from the geographic information system (GIS), or from previous risk assessments, and verified in the workshop. The database also allows for sub-classes;

• Generation of radiation contour buffers;

• Threats identified – crossing data is linked from the GIS, together with the associated crossing photos, imagery, landholder boundaries, signage, cathodic protection (CP), encroachments, and other threats;

• External interference protection – AS2885 stipulates a minimum number of physical and procedural protective measures required for each location type that can be stored in a standard library for

simple management and update;• Other threats – threats and

mitigation measures can be pre-populated from previous risk assessments, or can be done from scratch, and then verified in the workshop. The more pre-population done the better;

• Failure analysis;• Risk evaluation;• Reports and outstanding actions;

and,• Filing – numerous types of

important data.Sentanil Systems can show you a

simple way to identify, protect, report to manage your next AS2885 Safety Management Study.

For more information visit www.sentanil.com

With the significant increase in onshore and offshore pipeline systems in recent years, traversing remote regions, as well as transporting gas in a cost-effective, safe and responsible manner to consumers, is not a simple task.

Sentanil’s AS 2885 study updated

APGA Exhibitor

# 75


The latest technology to come out of Schoenbeck’s German facility is the anti-object drop (AoD) safe

lifting system, which makes no compromises with safety and is an industry-leader in vacuum handling technology.

Schoenbeck’s EliTE range of vacuum pipe lifter attachments are fully self-contained and specially designed for the rigours of pipeline construction sites today.

Acknowledged as one of the safest pipe handler’s around the world, the range comes fitted with operator indicators, alarms, sirens, vacuum pressure gauges as well as Schoenbeck’s state-of-the-art safe-lifting AoD system.

AoD is a world first in pipeline vacuum lifter attachments, reducing the human

error risks associated with accidentally releasing a load during a lift.

The mechanical and electrical safety feature automatically activates once the load has been lifted, with an electronic signal sent to the lifter which shuts down the pipe release function until the load is safely lowered.

This is further supported by a twin button load release function requiring the operator to press two buttons at the same time to release the load.

The AoD system comes standard on the ELiTE 12TD and 12TD/CD2 models along with the ELiTE Lite model, with all models able to be tailored to suit client’s requirements.

International Pipeline Services’ (IPS) also aim to provide the pipeline construction industry with a range of

specialised plant and equipment for both the hire and sales market.

IPS’s range includes:• Vacuum pipe-lifting equipment;• High-powered tow tractors;• Small pipelayers;• Pipe-bending machines;• Bending mandrels; • Internal and external welding

clamps; and,• Pipe roller cradles.Be sure to visit IPS’s stand at the 2015

APGA Convention and Exhibition at the Gold Coast this October to see the latest on offer in the world of vacuum pipe lifting technology and our other range of specialised equipment.

To find out more about IPS’s products and services visit www.int-pipe-serv.com

International Pipeline Services, along with its international machinery partner Schoenbeck from Germany, are offering the latest in pipe-lifting technology.

COMPANY NEWS

Lifting expectations: IPS delivers on vacuum pipe lifters

The AoD System fitted to the one of the 12T models.


With experienced pipeline inspectors and land liaison officers, Infield Impact supplies

personnel and expertise to manage the various challenges faced on pipeline projects.

Pipeline inspectionInfield Impact is currently providing

experienced pipeline inspectors to a large pipeline operator working in both New South Wales and Victoria. These inspectors ensure compliance to the agreed work methodology associated with third party works interfacing with the owner’s pipelines.

Once third-party works are notified to the asset owner, the need for a safety management study (SMS) is triggered and Infield Impact’s inspectors attend the studies and are involved with the process from the safety management study to the actual inspection of works on-site.

A highly experienced group with over 15 years in the pipeline industry, all of Infield’s pipeline inspectors have worked for contractors and asset owners, and understand how projects work and how to ensure the best project outcomes.

Landholder liaisonIn recent times, Infield Impact worked

on landholder liaison for APA Group’s recently constructed Victorian Northern Interconnect Expansion (VNIE) Pipeline Looping Project, contributing to the successful completion of the project.

Infield Impact’s Land Liaison personnel

understand the commercial drivers behind agribusiness and the gas pipeline industry, and can maintain rapport while liaising with affected landholders and other statutory organisations.

Moving forwardMoving toward 2016 and beyond,

Infield Impact is looking to expand its work in pipeline inspection and land access for operating pipelines and greenfield sites.

Infield Impact is working with engineering company ASF Projects providing a streamlined service from the safety management study, project

management and execution, design review and pipeline inspection.

Pipeline operators and project managers looking for a team to undertake third party asset management for a new or operating pipeline need to look no further than Infield Impact.

To find out more about Infield Impacts pipeline inspection and land liaison services visit www.infieldimpact.com or call Director Michael Dunn on 1300 INFIELD (1300 463 435).

If you are interested in joining the team as an experienced pipeline inspector or land liaison, contact Michael Dunn to discuss.

Infield Impacting on pipeline inspectionProviding pipeline inspection services and land liaison personnel, Infield Impact has been making a name for itself in the Australian pipeline industry over the last 12 months.

Infield Impact offers pipeline inspection and land holder liaison services on projects such as APA Group’s VNIE Project.

INFIELD IMPACT IS CURRENTLY PROVIDING EXPERIENCED PIPELINE INSPECTORS TO A LARGE PIPELINE OPERATOR WORKING IN BOTH NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA.

COMPANY NEWS

WESTERN AUSTRALIA BRANCH

Unit 3 / 6 Geelong Court | Bibra Lake, WA 6163

Mobile + 61 407 193 797

Fax + 61 8 9331 2275

HEAD OFFICE

35 Sunridge Farm Rd| Forrest Glen, Qld 4556

Phone + 61 7 5478 6366

Mobile + 61 438 924 799

www.pipelinexray.com.au


Not only will Piping Specialty Supply Services Pty Ltd (PSSS) focus on its traditional

pipeline clients, but the company’s products will now be used in the broader piping applications of pipeline construction, maintenance, fabrication, facilities and plant construction, on-site machining and shutdown sectors.

New premisesIn other news, in October 2015 will see

PSSS move into larger premises from where the company can further increase its focus on quality product and service delivery to its client base.

The PSSS team continues to grow its reputation as a ‘go-to’ supplier for its ever-increasing client base. ‘No’ is not in the vocabulary!

The company’s product range for sale and rental now includes:

• Pipe cutting and beveling tools;• Pipe handling machinery;• External welding clamps;• Internal welding clamps;• Flange management equipment;• On-site portable machining tools;• Pipeline pigs and pigging

equipment; • Pipeline plant and machinery; • Instrumentation and quality

control; and,• Consumables.PSSS certainly needs the larger premises

to ensure it keeps the best product range available, and the best possible product selection for its clients.

For further information contact Managing Director John Wilton on 0400 794 097 or email [email protected]

Pipeline Specialty Supply Services has changed its name to Piping Specialty Supply Services Pty Ltd – a minor change you might think, but one that better reflects the company’s broadening product range.

Pipeline Specialty Supply Services goes on the move

PSSS’ new premises will help service its broadening customer base.

COMPANY NEWS

ART Scan™ PipeLine Inspection Solutions A Game Changer for ILI

The Halfwave ART Scan™ internal pipeline inspection solution performs direct ultrasonic wall loss measurements in gas pipelines. The solution provides wall loss measurements in bends and HAZ areas, making it a natural inspection choice for accurately assessing gas pipelines with minimum operational disruption. The tool also provides highly accurate internal mapping of geometry and the internal surface of the pipeline in a single inspection run.

The deliverables from the inspection is a POF/API 1163 compliant report with viewer software, engineering and after inspection support to operators.

Applications Product ART

Direct W.T measurement Liquid

Direct W.T measurement Gas

W.T measurement through bends Liquid

W.T measurement through bends Gas

High W.T measurement capabilities Liquid

High W.T measurement capabilities Gas

High precision caliper Liquid

High precision caliper Gas

Single sample, dual I.D & W.T Measurement Liquid

Single sample, dual I.D & W.T Measurement Gas

www.halfwave.comHalfwave AS | Fjordveien 1 | NO-1363, Høvik | Norway | Phone: + 47 95 81 86 80 | Email: [email protected]

Halfwave_TAP_July15_FP.indd 1 15/06/2015 12:01 pm


For almost 50 years, Canusa-CPS has been a leading developer and manufacturer of specialty pipeline

coatings for the sealing and corrosion protection of pipeline joints and other substrates.

As a division of ShawCor Ltd., the renowned global energy services company that specialises in technology-based products and services for the pipeline and petrochemical sectors, Canusa-CPS is in an enviable position to draw on the proprietary technological innovations prepared by ShawCor’s extensive research facilities throughout the world, and offer this to the Australian industry.

The extensive range of products offered by Canusa-CPS, coupled with its links to ShawCor, has seen the company extend supply partnerships with organisations such as ExxonMobil, APA Group, Santos, DBNGP and Ausnet Services.

Proven performance of Canusa HBE-95 High Build Epoxy

The Canusa HBE-95 High Build Epoxy has a unique track record in the Australian pipeline industry with a longevity which

leaves the competition in its wake.Independent third-party testing has

conclusively demonstrated that Canusa HBE-95 Epoxy will withstand the rigours of hydrotesting in accordance with the 0.8 design factor permitted by the latest revision of AS2885.

The Canusa HBE-95 Epoxy does the job time after time, bringing peace of mind to asset owners who put long-term performance ahead of price.

Project case historiesCanusa-CPS has supplied its leading

products to several major Australia pipeline projects in recent years.

The VNIE ProjectOne of the Australian pipeline industry’s

biggest projects in 2015, APA Group’s Victorian Northern Interconnect Expansion Project, saw Canusa-CPS once again supply its unique spray-applied HBE-95 coating to the project.

The Canusa-CPS team also lent in-field support to the NACAP crew working on the project, who pioneered in-field spray application of the Canusa product.

Upstream LNG networksOnce again in partnership with

construction contractor Nacap, Canusa-CPS supplied its Canusa HBE-95 High Build epoxy product to the Australia Pacific LNG Project’s vast upstream network.

On the project, NACAP adapted its pioneering in-field spray application of the Canusa HBE-95 High Build Epoxy to coat hot induction bends, field joints and appurtenances.

Both McConnell Dowell and Downer also selected Canusa HBE-HT High Build Epoxy for in-field joint coating on the GLNG upstream networks.

All crews were specifically trained and accredited by experienced Canusa technicians to ensure that PQT and project kick-off went ahead without a hitch.

All joint coating was independently tested by DNV Singapore for full conformance with AS4822 prior to project sign-off.

For more information on Canusa-CPS’s suite of products, contact David Anderson at [email protected] or visit www.canusacps.com

A raft of recent pipeline industry work for Canusa-CPS has further cemented its reputation as a leading supplier of speciality pipeline coatings for the Australian industry.

Major industry contracts cement Canusa’s reputation

COMPANY NEWS

Canusa-CPS supplied its unique spray-applied HBE-95 coating to APA Group’s Victorian Northern Interconnect Expansion Project.


Technical support solutions both on-line and on-site has also expanded over the last year, with

the addition of a full-time gas turbine field engineer.

Online forumsTo celebrate a two-year business

milestone, AJ-Stack Solutions (AJSS) launched a new online training program and is currently running the program with two companies in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Along with the online content, the program incorporated two online learning webinars and each student has a nominated technical tutor and mentor from the AJSS technical team of consultants.

In July 2015, AJSS ran its first online gas turbine safety webinar for the remote site teams at Energy Developments Ltd. Participant feedback has been very positive and the plan now is to use the same media to present technical forums.

Additionally, since 2014, the AJSS website has been successfully hosting a comprehensive online technical question and answer forum for its contractual customers. As part of a new marketing initiative to share knowledge and seek engagement, AJSS recently added an easy to use complimentary ‘question and answer’ industry forum, where clients can easily access the AJSS team’s expertise with the click of a button.

It is hoped that this knowledge will also support the complement the APGA Young Pipeliners Forum (YPF) mentoring program.

Overseas operationsAJSS has also been active overseas,

particularly in Australia’s northern neighbour, and regional gas powerhouse, PNG.

In April 2015, an agreement was signed between GMT Automation Ltd Managing Director Michael Lihai and Arthur Stack, which sees a partnership agreement to tender for various rotating equipment and technical training projects in PNG.

GMT Automation Limited is a 100 per cent nationally owned engineering company based in Port Moresby.

AJSS has also been involved in providing contractual support to two of the major gold companies in PNG, Barrick Gold and Ok Tedi Gold Mine.

Moving houseAs AJSS continues to support customers

with innovative and cost-effective

solutions, the need for more office extra space and the requirement to have a workshop and warehouse available for in-house customer solutions has become critical.

Since last year AJSS has been sharing an office in South Melbourne with Instech Group, during which time Instech and AJSS have completed a number of small projects together.

In early September, Instech Group Director Paul Roberts and Arthur Stack signed a new five-year agreement for a shared 533 sq m office, workshop and warehouse lease at 7 Arnold Street, Cheltenham.

The new facility will allow both companies to further develop their ability to deliver joint services to the industry.

For more information on AJ-Stack Solutions’s services to the pipeline industry visit www.ajss.com.au

AJSS grows with the marketWith a focus on providing value through flexibility, responsiveness and professional delivery, over the past two years the AJ-Stack Solutions team, led by Principal Director Arthur Stack, has significantly grown its business in the areas of technical audits, technical training and condition monitoring.

COMPANY NEWS

From left: AJSS Director Arthur Stack, Ray Taylor and Instech Group Director Paul Roberts signing the lease on the new office.

When a long, tall or heavy product is delivered by WWL, it’s not just another handover. It’s the last in a series of tailor-made solutions designed to perfection. It’s about providing the right vessels and specially designed equipment to enable smooth transitions between land and ocean. And it’s about combining decades’ worth of handling expertise with a truly global network. Whether you need reliable shipping from A to B or door-to-door solutions, we work with you to create value at every handover.

Through this approach we help our customers reduce transport risks and increase delivery precision. Find out more about how we can create value together at bit.ly/WWLcases

CREATING VALUE AT EVERY POINT OF TRANSFER


Specialising in pigging and air scouring for the maintenance of any pipeline, Clearflow is well positioned to offer

expertise and professional methodology of procedures with any service.

Pigging solutionsWith 20 years of pigging pipeline

knowledge, Clearflow provides solutions to complex pipeline cleaning problems, including:

• Commissioning pipelines for new gas plants before positioning and connection to the plant;

• Removing heavy-carbon baked-on scale of heater exchange pipeline with multiple 180 degree bends;

• Removing sand, mussel and sea shell from pipelines 30 m below the sea surface running 1000 m offshore; and,

• Removing built up sludge from seepage pits and pipelines deep underground in traffic tunnels crisscrossing city limits.

Clearflow approaches each of its projects separately to ensure that tailor-made solutions always work as effectively as possible, ensuring client and consumer satisfaction.

ServicesRefurbishing the internal bore of all

pipelines is complex, however, with years

of experience, Clearflow’s services include:

• Removal of scale and debris build-up;

• De-watering, bore polishing, dust removal and dew-point achievability;

• Removal of bacterial bio-film and security of water quality standards;

• Eliminate dirty water problems and complaints;

• Value-add service to clients;• Confirm mapping information and

records;• Consult on design and/or

improvements to water reticulation systems, water flows and pressure readings;

• Water testing/sampling with recorded results;

• Flow and pressure readings; and,• Solve complex cleaning issues

associated with most pipeline assets.

Industry experienceWith its knowledge of pipeline

maintenance, Clearflow Australia has built a large client base across the nation and brings its knowledge, experience and professionalism to various clients across industries, including:

• Councils, water authorities and government departments;

• Mining and gas companies;• Plants and construction sites;• Project, civil and consulting

engineers; and,• Industrial, commercial and

everything associated with a pipeline asset.

The mobilisation of Clearflow’s crew and equipment means that the company can service clients Australia-wide.

Clearflow is committed to producing the desired results effectively and economically, in the best interests of its clients.

For more information on Clearflow Australia’s services visit www.clearflow.com.au

One of Australia’s most prominent pipeline maintenance companies, Clearflow has been servicing the Australian pipeline industry over 20 years, and with companies located nationally and internationally, this experience adds up to over 60 years of industry knowledge.

COMPANY NEWS

Clearflow offers the advantage of experience

A Clearflow team member fitting a pig trap.

Event Owners Host IGU Member Supporting Association

www.lng18.org

The world’s largest global LNG event

Register before 4 November 2015 and save

You are invited to join the

18th International Conference & Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG 18) in Perth, capital of Australia’s largest state Western Australia and the foundation of Australia’s LNG industry.

� LNG 18 features the largest number and highest level of LNG industry leaders worldwide as plenary speakers

� For the first time the CEOs from Shell, Chevron and Woodside will jointly open the plenary program on “The Transformation of Global Gas”

� Australia is developing the fastest growing LNG projects worldwide and is on track to become the largest LNG exporter in the world by 2020

� LNG 18 will showcase current world-firsts of FLNG, subsea technology and coal seam gas to LNG

� The Conference offers a cost-effective program for delegates with all lunches and social functions included in the registration fee

� Networking will be unprecedented with high level representatives from over 95 countries and 750 companies

� Technical visits are offered to the newest LNG projects around Australia

Why you should attend LNG 18

ARIN-007 - LNG18 Full Page 01_v08.indd 1 30/07/2015 12:52:47 PM


C.R. Kennedy, one of Australia’s largest importers and distributors of surveying equipment, has installed

automatic guidance systems on earthmoving equipment all over the country.

In an industry first, the company has placed a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) on an articulated bucket wheel trencher, for use in northern Victoria where Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW) is well advanced with its $2 billion G-MW Connections Project to improve the region’s irrigation network.

Many open channels are being replaced with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, and new control systems will allow irrigators to log-in by mobile phone to order the volumes they require.

Rubicon Water is supplying the control systems, and Rubicon subsidiary Retic Water, is currently laying 230 km of 500 mm HDPE pipe west of Echuca.

Using an articulated Trencor T1360 bucket wheel trencher, with a tractor at the front towing a bucket wheel behind, Retic looked to increase its pipe laying speed and efficiency.

Traditionally, a bucket wheel trencher’s operator steers the machine by eyeballing sighting poles placed ahead of the machine, while a surveyor walks alongside the machine continually checking the trench level and telling the operator to go up or down.

GNSS control of a trencher’s steering is yet to be mastered by anyone; however, C.R. Kennedy has already raised Retic Water’s productivity enormously with a GNSS system that has sped up and improved the accuracy of trench depth control.

Field testedC.R. Kennedy’s first initiative was to

source the correction data from SmartNetAus, a national network of GNSS reference stations that offers the necessary +/-25 mm tolerance on height.

With positioning corrections available 24/7, the trencher’s operator doesn’t spend time setting up the base station.

On the machine itself, two Leica CGA60GNSS antennas have been fitted laterally across the width of the bucket wheel’s frame. One provides information on the bucket wheel’s position, while the two antennas combined give the orientation of the machine, its direction of travel and trench cross fall.

As the wheel digs deeper, the frame rises, thereby tilting the masts, so a Leica SP14 tilt sensor has also been fitted, to provide corrections related to the machine’s geometry.

A Leica iCON Total Station was used to map that geometry, while the brains of the whole package is a Leica iCG82 GNSS Receiver. It has a circuit board for each antenna and is tied into the existing hydraulic control system that raises and lowers the bucket wheel.

The connection has been done in such a way that the automated system works independently of the original system while still giving the operator manual control for override if needed.

The iCG82 computes the position of the cutting edge, applies the satellite

corrections provided by SmartNetAus and sends the data to a screen in the cabin, where the operator gets a real time, 3D view of the bucket’s position in relation to the trench design depth at that chainage.

Retic Water is now able to consistently achieve a tolerance of +/-25 mm on its trench level and more frequently +/-15 mm.

The operator still uses the tried and true sighting poles for steering but can refer to his screen to confirm the machine is on the pipe’s centreline.

Through the on-board iCON Telematics service, the operator can record in real time the position and depth of the cutting edge and send the recorded data back to the project office at the end of each shift for quality assessment by the survey team.

Retic Water is working on several fronts of the project simultaneously and is swapping the GNSS system between the trencher and several excavators.

It’s early days yet, but according to Retic Water Survey Manager Will Spence, using C.R. Kennedy’s system on the excavators is improving productivity by a massive 50 per cent.

The trencher is working so accurately that the three excavators previously required for support are now free for other work.

C.R. Kennedy has offices with service centres in most Australian capital cities. For more information on C.R. Kennedy’s products and services visit www.crkennedy.com.au

Bucket wheel trenchers are notoriously difficult to guide using a global navigation satellite system. However, by using such systems with a bit of lateral thinking, C.R. Kennedy now has a Victorian contractor’s trencher working extremely efficiently.

Fine tuning bucket wheel trenching

COMPANY NEWS

By using a global navigation satellite systems on bucket wheel trenchers diggers have been freed for other work.


COMPANY NEWS

The Loresco SC-3 is a surface modified, blended, and sized carbon backfill with surfactants.

Utilising a modified industrial standard method for testing permeability (API RP-27), the Loresco type SC-3 will mitigate fluid interchange between aquifers.

Firstly, a high quality base carbon with desired characteristics is selected, followed by the carbon being calcined to a minimum temperature of 1250°C under exacting and controlled standards, which results in semi-graphitised carbon particles with excellent conductivity.

Then, to further improve bulk conductivity, the surfaces of the individual particles are modified to enhance the contact conductance.

This breakthrough in surface alteration ensures maximum electronic current transfer with positive anode contact.

Finally, a specially formulated surfactant is added to reduce particle surface tension for compact settling under water.

The Loresco SC-3 has a bulk density of 34 kg/cf, and the fixed carbon content is

greater than 99.35 per cent by weight. The bulk density and high fixed

carbon content, coupled with the assured low resistivity medium, allows for longer groundbed life at a lower operating cost.

The Loresco SC-3 is the recommended product for high current installations, specifically the Loresco SC-3 Super-Conducting Premium Earth Contact Backfill.

Base materials are calcined under ISO 9002 quality control, and surfactants are added to assist pumping and settling, with no de-dusting oils used during the manufacture of base particles.

This product is available through Savcor Products Australia Pty Ltd in Australia and New Zealand.

For more information please contact your local Savcor Products Australia representative on 1800 SAVCOR or visit www.savcorproducts.com.au

Specifically developed for cathodic protection applications using an exclusive multi-step process, the Loresco type SC-3 is a dust-free product and, according to EPA extraction tests, is extremely pure and complies with regulations that govern buried products.

COMPANY NEWS

Cathodic protection gets a dust-up

Australian Well Servicing (AWS) has rolled out the first of its seven radically redesigned well servicing

rigs which is set to change the landscape of the traditional well servicing sector in Australia’s coal seam gas industry.

AWS Executive General Manager Doug Henderson said key to the company’s successful foray into the well servicing marketplace will be its committed focus on cost and time savings for clients via a ‘clean sheet’ approach to flushby and workover solutions.

“AWS has developed a unique suite of well servicing solutions that set us apart, and will hopefully attract the interest of industry stakeholders looking for that valuable balance between increased safety and optimum efficiency,” said Mr Henderson.

“Our redesigned rigs achieve this critical need for market differentiation by performing all the same flushby and workover operations required, but in the process deliver massive efficiency gains for clients.

“Our rig’s flushby set up time is only 30 minutes from arrival, which is up to ten times faster than conventional rig set up times – meaning we can get in, out and onto the next well pad much quicker.

“We also gain cost and time reductions en-route to well sites because all our rigs are road legal and ready to roll to any location without the need for escorts or permits.

“Our unique multi-positioning catwalk platform system on our rigs also means our crews can quickly set up and operate in small or crowded lease pads without having to remove existing wellhead infrastructure.”

Mr Henderson said the AWS service offering was comprehensive and he was confident it would find a solid foothold in the marketplace.

“Like anything new, it will take time for the industry to embrace the new well servicing rigs we have developed.

“However, with all resource

developers now increasingly looking across their operations for increased efficiencies, I am confident those stakeholders will see the value in what we have to offer and AWS will find its place in the market.”

For more information, please visit www.wellservicing.com.au

A new player has entered Australia’s well servicing sector, and is armed with redesigned rigs, time-saving technology and system innovations that promise to deliver increased efficiencies.

Redesigned rigs ready to roll out

Ready to roll and ready to deliver efficiencies – AWS’ new fleet of drill rigs are road legal and can be set up for workover and flushby operations in 30 minutes.

Madein

Germany

PD 45/33 RP PD 100/50 RP PD X-3.000 HD

PD 250/90 RPPD 400/120 RP

PD 600/180 RP

PD 30/18 RP-CU

Prime Pipe Pusher

PD 150/90 RP-C MDD

Drill rods

Reaming tools

The whole world of HDD Technology

PRIME DRILLING GmbH · Ludwig-Erhard-Str. 4 · D-57482 Wenden-Gerlingen · Phone +49(0)2762 930 96-0 · www.prime-drilling.de

We are distributed in Australia by: TT Asia Pacific Pty Ltd. · 6 Devlan Street · Mansfield Qld 4122 · Phone: +61 (0) 7 3420 5455 · www.tt-asiapacific.com

PD-Anz185x125_AsiaPazific_17April14.indd 1 16.04.14 16:18


However, Adelaide-based specialist crushing and compaction manufacturer, Broons, has found

a novel use for a machine it has been producing for well over 30 years.

The Broons Square Impact Roller has proven ideal for overcoming this problem.

Originally intended for the compaction of deep fill, the Square Impact Roller’s low-frequency high-amplitude impact blow can compactly back-fill trenches over 1 m in depth, with minimal risk to damaging the pipe.

With a 1.3 m wide compaction module, it is suitable for the majority of trenches in use.

Gone are the days of track rolling the back-fill with a grader and returning later to top it up after settling further. This is often a poor use of an expensive machine, and the results are unacceptable.

By using a Broons Square Impact Roller the trench can be slightly overfilled and the back-fill pushed in and compacted as it straddles the trench during operation.

The unit is so effective it only works a handful of hours every day, and one major Australian pipeline contractor has already added three machines to its fleet.

The Broons Impact Roller can be towed with a 240 hp agricultural tractor or rubber-tracked unit, is simple to use and low on maintenance.

Broons offers machines for both sale and rental from its extensive Australia-wide fleet.

Broons’ experienced technical staff can be contacted on +61 8 8268 1988 or by emailing [email protected]

For further information and advice on the Broons Impact Roller or to download a brochure visit www.broons.com/impact

Trench compaction is a problem faced by pipeline contractors every day, and there currently isn’t a perfect solution to the issue.

Compaction problem solved

COMPANY NEWS

A. The Broons Square Impact Roller in action.

B. The results speak for themselves.

A

B

COMPANY NEWS

This year Momentum Engineering was selected as a Top 20 Emerging Gas Company in Australia by

Gas Today magazine.Momentum Engineering celebrated its

10 year anniversary in June 2015 and continues to be a national leader in providing multi-discipline engineering and management services for compressor station, gas processing, gas storage and pipeline projects throughout Australia. Some of the projects Momentum Engineering have been involved on include:

• Michelago Compressor Station Project – Enerflex (under construction);

• East Gippsland Compressor Station Project – Enerflex (under construction);

• Winchelsea Compressor Station – APA Group (completed);

• Moomba Gas Conditioning and Compression Station – Epic Energy (completed);

• Ungani Gas and Liquids Facility Upgrade – Buru Energy (completed); and,

• Offshore and Onshore Engineering Services – Woodside (ongoing).

Momentum’s lean delivery approach ensures its customers receive the most cost-effective solution for its projects without compromise to safety and quality.

Its services include engineering and design, procurement support, construction and commissioning support as well as management services.

Momentum’s personnel have experience throughout Australia and across all types of oil and gas production and processing facilities, both onshore and offshore.

For more information, please visit the new website www.momeng.com.au

Momentum Engineering is an independent, Australian-owned and operated company that is quality assured and provides engineering consulting and project management services to the energy and resource sector.

Momentum taking you forward

The Winchelsea Compressor Station design-model view of the filtration compression and cooling facilities.


COMPANY NEWS

Formally opened on 22 July by ZNX General Manager Kevin McGrath, one of ZNX’s clients, Multinet Gas,

was impressed by the new facility. “This facility is amazing,” said Multinet

Gas Contractor Performance Manager Stephen Walton.

“ZNX has shown they are truly committed to driving a culture of safety.”

The official ribbon-cutting to open the facility was preceded by a presentation from ZNX’s Health Safety, Environment and Quality Manager Anita Green, as well as a simulation exercise where trained ZNX gas workers showcased the new facilities.

Ms Green explained that the risks surrounding confined spaces were very real and that fatalities in confined spaces occur all too frequently.

“Typically, training has always been very theoretical, rather than practical, and a key factor in an emergency is not knowing how people will respond emotionally, especially in claustrophobic, often dark, settings,” said Ms Green.

“Having practical training in a confined space can help the workers be prepared physically and emotionally so they can think clearly and don’t just react in a crisis or high risk situation.”

The equipment used in the simulation exercise was ZNX’s fit for purpose tripod, which has an optional fourth leg that can be added for increased stability on uneven ground.

It also has the added benefit of being able to lift a worker to above-ground height, rather than to the traditional waist-high level.

ZNX Gas Systems Operations worker John Granat has been working in the field for over 12 years and is considered a ‘confined space specialist’.

Descending up to 20 pits a day in the course of his job, Mr Granat describes the confined space simulation space as “an exact replica of what’s in the field and the best training facilities in the industry”.

United Energy and Multinet Gas Health Safety and Environment Work Practices Manager Daniel Santos, also commented: “the installations are of the highest standards that I have personally seen in many years throughout different

industries, and the quality of the simulation scenarios was simply outstanding.”

For more information on ZNX’s products and services visit www.zinfra.com.au

In what is one of the first of its kind in Victoria, ZNX Network Services Victoria has invested in a confined space simulation training environment, designed to increase the safe practices of the its workforce and drive business efficiencies by keeping training on site.

ZNX builds unique confined space training facility

ZNX Systems Operations worker Denio Cervetti winches his colleague, John Granat, to safety to demonstrate a confined space rescue exercise using the new on-site training facilities at Burwood.

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Queensland CSG construction continuesMurphy Pipe and Civil crews have been hard at work in the Surat

Basin, constructing a 46 km, 600 mm steel pipeline that will transport coal seam gas to the Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) Project.

The trunk pipeline is the longest in QGC’s Surat Basin development areas, and once complete later this year will connect the Matilda-John, Lauren and Kate field compressor stations to the Jordan Central Processing Plant.

The work is in addition to ongoing installation of gas and water gathering pipelines to connect new wells to existing processing networks in the Surat Basin.

The QCLNG project involves a 340 km, 1,066.8 mm export pipeline – operated and owned by APA Group (Wallumbilla Gladstone Pipeline) – from Wandoan in the Surat Basin to north east of Gladstone, as well as the two-train LNG processing plant and export terminal, on Curtis Island, which has an initial production capacity of approximately 8.5 MMt/a.

APA Group acquired the pipeline in June 2015 for approximately $5.9 billion.

Read more about Murphy Pipe and Civil’s work in the Surat Basin on page 165.

In August, BG Group had started up and loaded its first LNG from the second production train at the project and, by early September, Train 2 at the project continued to progress through the start-up phase.

In January 2015, BG Group subsidiary, QGC, completed a world first with the QCLNG project, exporting LNG produced from CSG. At plateau production, expected during 2016, QCLNG will have an output of around 8 MMt/a of LNG.

Milestone for QLD LNG shipments In early September, Queensland had shipped more than

$1 billion in LNG exports in the six months since shipments commenced, according to Treasurer Curtis Pitt.

With a number of major Queensland projects set for first LNG exports before the end of the year, The Australian Pipeliner provides an overview of ongoing and recently commissioned pipeline projects in the Sunshine State.

Sunny days for Queensland pipelines

REGION REVIEW: QUEENSLAND REGION REVIEW: QUEENSLAND

Queensland – a state with a gas vision

Key statistics from 2015

» Queensland LNG exports are projected to hit $15 billion by 2016-17

» Queensland LNG industry exported $1.14 billion worth of gas from January to July 2015

» The Queensland Curtis LNG Project began production in December 2014. It has one producing LNG train and a second train due to start production in late 2015.

» Each train from the Queensland Curtis LNG Project has a capacity of 4.25 million tonnes per annum.

» APA Group acquired the Queensland Curtis LNG Pipeline for $US355 million ($A498 million)

» Almost 30,000 people, including contractors are now working in Queensland’s natural gas industry.

Sources: APPEA, Queensland Government Department of Mines and Energy.

Pipelaying on the Queensland Gas Pipeline.


REGION REVIEW: QUEENSLAND

Mr Pitt said according to official Australian Bureau of Statistics data, the value of Queensland’s overall merchandise exports is also accelerating.

“Growth over the year was driven by the ramp up of LNG exports, which commenced in January 2015, along with increases in the value of meat and coal exports,” Mr Pitt said.

“LNG is one of Queensland’s great economic success stories, one that will continue to shape the state economy in coming decades.

“LNG exports are projected to hit $15 billion by 2016–17, earning the state valuable export dollars and annual royalties while supporting thousands of jobs.”

Queensland’s LNG industry exported $1.14 billion worth of gas up to July 2015, following the first shipment from the QCLNG Project in January 2015.

Santos GLNG exports imminentLNG exports from the $20.5 billion, 7.8 MMt/a GLNG Project

LNG facility on Curtis Island, Queensland, are expected to commence later this year.

As at early September, the project is nearly 95 per cent complete and on track for first LNG around the end of the third calendar quarter of 2015. First gas has also been brought into Train 1 at the project, marking a key milestone in the commissioning process.

Existing supply contracts include agreements with Petronas and KOGAS, each for 3.5 MMt/a of LNG.

The project is a joint venture between Santos (30 per cent)

and PETRONAS (27.5 per cent), Total (27.5 per cent) and KOGAS (15 per cent).

The project includes an API 5L X70 PSL2-grade 420 km, 1,050 mm diameter gas transmission pipeline linking a compression station at Santos’ Fairview, Bowen and Roma CSG fields in the Surat Basin to the liquefaction plant. Construction on this pipeline began in September 2012 by construction contractor Saipem Australia, with first gas reaching Curtis Island in March 2015.

Initial production is expected to be 3-4 MMt/a, with a potential maximum production of 10 MMt/a of LNG, while total gas supply of approximately 1,200 TJ/d will be required for the two LNG trains.

In March 2015, the project passed one million safe work hours.

APLNG exports expected by end of 2015The Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) Project is set for start-up

in the second half of the 2015 calendar year.A joint venture between Origin Energy, ConocoPhillips and

Sinopec, APLNG is a two-train CSG-to-LNG project utilising Origin’s Queensland CSG reserves and resources. APLNG has more than 17,000 sq km of CSG acreage in the Surat and Bowen basins, and an additional 18,000 sq km in the emerging Galilee Basin.

This will provide the potential CSG production capacity required to feed the LNG facility for decades.

The project includes a 530 km, 900–1,050 mm API 5L externally-coated gas transmission pipeline from the Surat and Bowen basins to the LNG processing site located at


A. The three LNG facilities on Curtis Island, Gladstone will allow Australia to become the largest exporter of LNG in the world.

B. The GLNG pipeline project traversed various terrains to reach Curtis Island.

C. Santos GLNG’s final three modules arriving on site at Curtis Island in April 2015.

A

B

C

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Laird Point on Curtis Island, Gladstone. The pipeline has a capacity of 1,560 TJ/d. Beginning east of Wandoan at the junction of the two lateral pipelines, the main pipeline extends 362 km to the north, veering east during the latter stages, with a marine crossing at The Narrows to arrive at the LNG facility.

Two lateral pipelines connect the Condabri and Woleebee developments to the main pipeline and are 44 km and 38 km in length, and 914.4 mm and 762 mm in diameter, respectively. In addition, there are four other associated pipelines, namely the Eurombah Lateral; the Fairview Spring Gully Pipeline; the Spring Gully Taloona Pipeline; and the Orana to Talinga CSG Water Pipeline.

Origin is the upstream CSG operator and is responsible for construction and operation of the project’s gas fields and main gas transmission pipeline. ConocoPhillips will be the downstream LNG operator and is responsible for the construction and operation of the project’s LNG facility.

Several LNG sales and purchase agreements have so far been made for the project. In February 2012, Sinopec increased its existing purchase commitment from 4.3 to 7.6 MMt/a. In July 2012, APLNG and Kansai Electric signed an agreement for the sale of 1 MMt/a of LNG every year for the next 20 years.

First LNG is expected in the second half of 2015, with LNG from the second train expected in early 2016.

SWQ Project expansion reaches completionConstruction contractor McConnell Dowell has completed

works on the South West Queensland Gas Development Project.McConnell Dowell was awarded the contract to undertake

pipeline and flowline works as part of the project in January 2015, which comprises installation of eight flowlines ranging from 150–250 mm in diameter.

Total pipeline length is 120 km across the eight lines, with the shortest line at 1 km and longest at 41 km.

The project will enable this gas to be captured and moved through the existing network to the Ballera plant for processing.

Read our in-depth coverage of the South West Queensland Gas Development Project on page 160.

Arrow Bowen Pipeline to complete FEED by end of yearArrow Energy’s proposed Arrow Bowen Pipeline’s (ABP)

environmental impact statement was approved by the Queensland Government in May, and front-end engineering and design (FEED) is expected to be completed by late 2015.

The project will involve the construction of a buried high-pressure steel pipeline to transport coal seam gas from the Bowen Basin to a gas hub 22 km north west of Gladstone, Queensland.

Arrow awarded the FEED contract to engineering services firm WorleyParsons.

The pipeline corridor has been selected, with the exact pipeline route within the corridor being refined in response to landholder requirements, cultural heritage, engineering, and environmental constraints and government feedback.

Queensland Gas Pipeline gets an upgradeJemena has completed its $40 million upgrade project on the

Queensland Gas Pipeline.Jemena announced the expansion project in February 2015 and

began construction in June.The 627 km, 324 mm diameter Queensland Gas Pipeline and

Rockhampton branch line transports gas received at the Wallumbilla gas hub from the Surat and Cooper basins in south central Queensland, to large industrial gas users in the Rockhampton and Gladstone areas, and has been a vital cog in Queensland’s gas network since it was constructed in 1991.

The works saw the capacity of the QGP increased by seven per cent, which means the pipeline is now capable of delivering up to 10 TJ/d of additional firm capacity.

NORGAS Project remains on the cardsAPA Group entered into an agreement with Armour Energy in

June 2013 to investigate the development of pipeline infrastructure to connect unconventional gas fields in the Northern Territory to eastern Australian gas markets.

Armour Energy Heads of Agreement, which is non-binding, will facilitate development of Armour’s Northern Area Gas Scheme (NORGAS) Project, and will involve construction of a new 350 km link from Burketown to the Carpentaria Gas Pipeline in Mount Isa. The project holds potential for up to 330 PJ per annum to be transported to markets in Mount Isa, Sydney and Queensland

The Armour resource (near Burketown, on the Gulf of Carpentaria) is approximately 350 km from the closest point on the east coast gas grid (Mount Isa).

APA has said that the development of the infrastructure and commercialisation of the resource will only be possible if a significant level of resource can be proven.

ARROW ENERGY’S PROPOSED ARROW BOWEN PIPELINE’S (ABP) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT IN MAY, AND FRONT-END ENGINEERING AND DESIGN (FEED) IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY LATE 2015.

Pipeline construction of upstream networks throughout the Surat Basin continues to support contracted LNG exports from Gladstone.


The South West Queensland Gas Development Project is significant for Santos and its joint venture partners Beach Energy and Origin Energy in the Cooper Basin. It is the

first stage in the development of the region north of Coonaberry, which has been regarded as stranded gas.

It will also enable delivery of these gas reserves to the Ballera processing facility and further development of this region. This field development involves connection of seven gas wells. These well include four wells in the Durham Downs, including Durham Downs North, and three more wells located to the north of Coonaberry.

McConnell Dowell comes on boardIn late January 2015, McConnell Dowell was awarded a

contract to undertake pipeline and flowline works as part of the South West Queensland Gas Development Project. At the time of print, the project was on track for a mid-September 2015 completion.

The project comprises installation of eight flowlines ranging from 150 to 250 mm in diameter. Total pipeline length is 120 km across the eight lines, with the shortest line at 1 km and longest at 41 km.

The project will enable this gas to be captured and moved through the existing network to the Ballera plant for processing.

Aside from some wet weather disruptions, Project Manager of the SWQP expansion, Stephen Kneen, said project performance and progress has been positive throughout the duration of the project.

“The South West Queensland project has come together very smoothly and continues the strong working relationship between Santos and McConnell Dowell over the last couple of years, which has included completed projects such as the Mereenie flowlines, the Moomba to Big Lake Fuel Gas Pipeline and the Tirrawarra flowlines.”

McConnell Dowell also ensured all stages of construction were conducted in full compliance with AS2885.

The McConnell Dowell team has been busy working on a project that will open up increased gas supplies for the Sunshine State, enabling previously stranded gas to be captured and moved on to Ballera for processing.

A stranded asset no more


Working together for pipeline successAt peak, the project involved a workforce of 100 people,

including subcontractors, and Mr Kneen said this project was notable for the communal atmosphere and close bonds that were formed over the length of the project.

“The whole project team came together and worked really well with each other and in conjunction with Santos site representatives. Everyone gelled together really well, and we hope this great relationship with Santos continues well into the future.”

“The client-contractor relationship has been collaborative and highly productive throughout the entire project,” he said.

“The workforce came together really well. With employees drawn from all over Australia, everyone banded together effectively. Great friends were made and good working relationships were maintained across project staff, workers, sub-contractors, catering and cleaning staff.”

The bulk of the work has been self-performed by McConnell Dowell, however some non-destructive testing work, pipe haulage, cleaning, catering and camp supplies was awarded to various subcontractors.

At the time of publication, the project had been completed lost time injury free and achieved industry benchmark standards with a welding repair rate of 0.07 per cent.

Local suppliers, local staffWith the Ballera Gas Plant located approximately 1,200 km

west of Brisbane, the project is exceptionally remote. As such, McConnell Dowell made a concerted effort to engage Queensland-based personnel.

The project used Queensland suppliers where possible, and 70 per cent of project employees were drawn from southern Queensland.

The project also directly engaged Indigenous employees involved in pipeline construction in addition to Indigenous workers engaged by Santos for cultural heritage inspection.

Mitigating impactThe works were conducted in potentially culturally sensitive

areas with Cultural Heritage monitoring staff on-site for all ground-breaking activities.

In the Eromanga area of southwest Queensland, dinosaur bones had been previously discovered in areas of the pipelines alignments. McConnell Dowell worked with monitors from the Outback Gondwana Foundation in the clearing, grading and trenching stages of the project to carefully monitor the area, where no additional bones were unearthed.

In late January 2015, McConnell Dowell was awarded a contract to undertake pipeline and flowline works for the South West Queensland Gas Development Project.

IN THE EROMANGA AREA OF SOUTHWEST QUEENSLAND, DINOSAUR BONES HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DISCOVERED IN AREAS OF THE PIPELINES ALIGNMENTS.


Concurrent with the changes to the SWQP, work was underway to provide bi-directional capability on the 112 km Berwyndale Wallumbilla Pipeline.

The bi-directional capabilities on both pipelines were commissioned when the call came in December 2014 to flow gas eastward to fill the first LNG shipment from Gladstone.

Servicing the regionTo support these physical changes, APA has developed three new

services to help facilitate trade at Wallumbilla and support the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) Gas Supply Hub:

• In-pipe trades service – allowing shippers to trade gas within the pipeline through virtual delivery and receipt points. This service facilitates the gas trading process between shippers and allows shippers to also trade at the Wallumbilla Gas Supply Hub;

• Capacity trading service – allowing for the trade of firm operational pipeline capacity between parties. This service simplifies the capacity trading process and overcomes administrative and confidentiality barriers that can arise in respect of bare capacity transfers; and,

• Short-term flexible services.These services are available on pipelines interconnecting with

the Wallumbilla Gas Supply Hub, as well as other major pipelines in the APA portfolio.

To further simplify shipment of gas across multiple assets, APA now also offers a single Gas Transportation Agreement encompassing a variety of services for delivery across its east coast grid.

Shippers are now able to contract with a single APA entity to

receipt and deliver gas to various markets and facilities in Queensland, NSW and Victoria in a single transaction, allowing significant flexibility to manage their portfolios.

Single trading zone and operations centreAPA is working with industry and the AEMO to develop hub

services to facilitate the transition to a single trading zone at the Wallumbilla Gas Supply Hub.

These services primarily involve the compression and redirection of gas around the Wallumbilla compound to facilitate transfer of gas between the various pipelines that meet at Wallumbilla.

Currently the Gas Supply Hub is operating as three separate pricing nodes, through the provision of hub services these pricing nodes can be consolidated into a single price point, which will potentially increase the pool of buyers and sellers and lead to more efficient market outcomes.

APA’s new Integrated Operations Centre (IOC) is also helping to facilitate operations at Wallumbilla. The Brisbane-based IOC is presently controlling APA’s pipelines that intersect at Wallumbilla, as well as the 840 km Carpentaria Gas Pipeline in western Queensland and pipelines in NSW and the Northern Territory.

Ultimately it will control APA’s national transmission portfolio. In centralising control at a single location, APA has brought together key business disciplines critical for end-to-end customer service delivery and improved integration of the operations, commercial and engineering disciplines in key decision processes.

This will enable APA to provide customers with the seamless and reliable services they are looking for.

The hub’s significance has been heightened by the development of the CSG-to-LNG export projects at Gladstone – projects that were barely thought of a decade ago. Responding to

these changes, APA Group has invested in infrastructure and systems to facilitate the movement of gas, particularly through the Wallumbilla hub.

Network connectionsThe east coast gas market is now served by a grid of

interconnected pipelines linking numerous basins to demand centres, allowing for a multitude of supply options.

At the same time, the once-in-a-generation investments in the LNG facilities and the emergence of CSG in Queensland has changed how shippers use these pipelines, which has required a new round of transmission investment to facilitate the changing market needs.

The most recent of these was the completion of works to facilitate bi-directional flow on APA’s 440 km Roma Brisbane Pipeline (RBP).

These changes allow gas to be receipted midway along the RBP to be directed either west to Wallumbilla or east to Brisbane. Gas flowing back to Wallumbilla can then be supplied to a number of demand centres, including the LNG export projects as well as to southern markets.

On the other side of the hub, APA has invested to expand capacity and provide bi-directional operation of the 937 km South West Queensland Pipeline (SWQP), again to meet the changing needs of shippers resulting from LNG and CSG developments.

The work involved the installation of new compressor stations at both Moomba and Wallumbilla and significant additional pipework within existing and expanded compounds at both sites. At Wallumbilla, it included construction of the new Compressor Station No. 3, along with brownfield tie-in works to the Wallumbilla Meter Station and Compressor Stations No. 1 and 2.

The SWQP now has an easternhaul capacity of approximately 340 TJ and a westernhaul capacity of around 404 TJ, with a maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 14.9 MPa.

This provides pathways for Queensland CSG to compete with conventional gas from the Cooper, Otway and Gippsland basins for supply into the New South Wales (NSW), South Australian and Victorian markets, as well as allowing these conventional gas sources to augment CSG supplies for LNG export in the short – to medium – term.

A lot of change has happened in Australia’s east coast gas market over the past four years, and many of those changes have centred on Wallumbilla, the small rural town 436 km west of Brisbane that would be largely unknown if not for its status as a gas trading hub.

APA introduces the Wallumbilla evolution


Wallumbilla Hub Timeline March 2010: APA acquires the 112 km Berwyndale Wallumbilla Pipeline from AGL Energy, underpinned by a long-term Gas Transportation Agreement. September 2012: Roma Brisbane Pipeline expansion completed, increasing capacity by 10 per cent. December 2012: APA announces the development of expanded compression capacity and associated services at Wallumbilla, underpinned by a Gas Transportation Agreement with GLNG Operations Pty Ltd (GLNG). December 2012: APA acquires Epic Energy pipelines, including the South West Queensland Pipeline and associated compression facilities at Wallumbilla.December 2014: APA Completes re-configuration of the South West Queensland Pipeline and Berwyndale Wallumbilla Pipeline for bi-directional operation. March 2015: Wallumbilla Compressor Station No. 3 commissioned.April 2015: Integrated Operations Centre (IOC) opens. Currently, the IOC is controlling the SWQP, RBP, CGP and BWP in Queensland, as well as the AGP in NT and MSP in NSW.June 2015: APA finalises acquisition of the Wallumbilla Gladstone Pipeline (formerly the QCLNG Pipeline).July 2015: Roma Brisbane Pipeline reverse flow commissioned, allowing APA to meet the increasing market demand to flow gas in a westerly direction from the Surat Basin to Wallumbilla, and from there to Gladstone and Curtis Island.

The new Wallumbilla Compressor Station No. 3, pictured while under construction.


The Murphy Pipe and Civil (MPC) team, made up of experienced crews of welders, engineers and machinery operators, will spend the next three months constructing

the 600 mm steel pipeline.The team is also contracted to install 46 km of fibre-optic and

high-voltage cable.When complete, the large-scale pipeline will connect QGC

Field Compressor Stations with Central Processing Plants. MPC Project Manager Joanne Nash said crews had made

significant headway on the pipeline project, with all clear and grade and pipe stringing along the route now complete, welding crews fully mobilised and working at optimum productivity.

“Our crews have made great progress on this pipeline project and are well on target to meet their construction deadline in October,” said Ms Nash.

Ms Nash said a key driver behind crews achieving such impressive construction productivity on the project, was their prior experience constructing 276 km of similar pipeline for the Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) Project in 2014.

“Many of our crew have also worked on the first stage of QGC’s steel trunkline network, so they are well-versed with the terrain and ground conditions that they will encounter along this particular pipeline route,” explained Ms Nash.

A 225-strong team of Murphy Pipe and Civil pipeliners and cable installation specialists is again present in the Surat Basin, this time to construct a 46 km steel pipeline to transport coal seam gas for the Queensland Curtis LNG Project.

CSG construction continues seamlessly


Queensland Curtis LNG Project Crew size: 225 (welders, engineers, machinery operators, project administration support, cable installation specialists)

Pipe size: 600 mm steel

Project route: 46 km

Pipe length: 18 m

Fibre optic cable installed: 46 km

High voltage installed: 44 km

Pipeline welding schedule: June-July 2015

Construction completion target: October 2015

Commissioned: mid-December 2015

The 46 km steel pipeline will transport CSG for use on the QCLNG Project.



“MPC been working in the Surat Basin CSG fields for more than five years, on steel pipelines and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipelines for QGC’s gathering network, and this has enabled us to significantly streamline our pipeline construction operations, through lessons learned and also introducing new innovations,” she said.

Project Superintendent Doug Wood said he was pleased with the rate of construction to date, but what was more pleasing, was the crews’ major focus on working safely.

“Our entire project workforce has intensified its safety focus to ensure everyone goes home from work in the same way they turned up,” said Mr Wood.

“I think evidence of this safety commitment having a positive effect on our crews can be seen in our most recent safety outcome, which saw us recently achieve 100,000 hours without a single injury.

“This strong and unified approach to looking after each other, whether in a trench or machine, in a project office, or just on your way home, is working well.

“It has created a workplace culture that encourages and appreciates people ‘speaking up’ if they see something that may be unsafe, and I think this culture will help us achieve our 200,000 hour Zero Harm target in the coming months.”

The QCLNG project involves a 340 km, 1,066.8 mm export pipeline – operated and owned by APA Group (Wallumbilla Gladstone Pipeline) – from Wandoan in the Surat Basin to northeast of Gladstone, as well as the two-train LNG processing plant and export terminal, on Curtis Island, which has an initial production capacity of approximately 8.5 MMt/a.

As of August 2015, BG Group had started-up and loaded its

first LNG from the second production train at the project. “The start-up of QCLNG’s second LNG train is another

important operational milestone delivered in line with our plan,” BG Group Chief Executive Helge Lund said in August 2015.

“The completion of our upstream infrastructure and the two LNG trains are achievements of which BG Group, particularly our team in Australia, can be proud. We have already shipped more than 1.5 MMt of LNG from Queensland, and Train 2 will add significant further volumes and flexibility to our LNG shipping and marketing portfolio.”

BG holds a 93.75 per cent stake across the two-train development, with Chinese state oil and gas producer CNOOC holding a 50 per cent interest in the first train and Japan’s Tokyo Gas holding a 2.5 per cent interest in the second train.

Upstream works continueMPC’s work on the 46 km steel pipeline is in addition to

ongoing installation of gas and water gathering pipelines in the Surat Basin, to connect new wells to QGC’s existing processing networks.

Such works include:• Vegetation clearing and grading for new gathering pipeline

easements;• Pipe stringing and welding;• Pipe trenching, pipeline laying and backfilling, including

some road crossings;• Strength and leak testing of completed pipelines; and,• Rehabilitation of construction sites and pipeline

easements.

A. The welding crews are fully mobilised and operating at optimum capacity.

B. Hundreds of kilometres of HDPE pipe form the gathering system for the QCLNG Project.

C. MPC’s crews ensure the integrity of the pipe.

D. MPC has been constructing pipelines in the Surat Basin’s CSG fields for one year.

A

B

D

C

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Getting his start in the transport industry in 2002 with a truck hire firm that hired into the gas pipeline industry, Mr Kealy has an extensive knowledge of what it takes to

supply various industries with the vehicles they need.Mr Kealy has been involved on many major projects across the

country since his career in the industry started, including the SEA Gas Pipeline, the Moranbah to Townsville gas pipeline, all stages of the Dampier Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline projects, the QSN 3 Gas Project and all gas gathering projects in Queensland, and the upcoming Longford to Long Island Point replacement pipeline. Mr Kealy believes that knowing the industry inside out is key to surviving in today’s climate.

“I think the industry has got so competitive over the last few years that people didn’t really know what they were talking about, or lost the vision of quality in the product,” said Mr Kealy.

“You need to be able to keep up quality in the product and know the industry well.

“The world got too used to an over-supply of projects in the industry, and so the quality of service went down.

“We kept our quality high and met the industry needs, but had to do it at a reduced rate at the same time.”

Reflecting on the changes during his time in the industry, particularly in terms of transport services, Mr Kealy cites vehicle maintenance in remote areas, safety and regulation changes as the biggest challenges faced by ATHC.

“The industry is always changing, every site is different,” said Mr Kealy.

“You have your big companies such as Santos, QGC and Origin Energy – they each have their own safety requirements for their sites so we build a truck that meets all of their safety requirements as a standard.

“The biggest challenge for us is supplying vehicles that will fit all their safety requirements, not just the one set of site-specific rules. We’ve got to meet probably 10 or 15 different site-specific rules.”

Despite the challenges that have to faced, Mr Kealy believes that members of the closely-connected pipeline industry are out to look after one another.

With the recent boom in gas and pipeline projects now slowing down, Mr Kealy says you can now walk into a job and see at least 20 to 30 people that you know, rather than walking into new project and only recognising a couple of faces.

“I think it’s a long-term friendship and relationship-based industry where you’ve got to really prove what you can do to perform well and get the jobs, as well as having a well-known name in the industry.

“Whether it was associated with previous hire firms I worked for or what I’m involved in today, it’s the personal name that sticks, not the company.”

ATHC has been a member of the APGA since the company’s inception in 2012.

Mr Kealy has been involved in the Association since 2004 when he was a Project Manager with NationWide Hire.

Citing the importance of being connected with APGA, Mr Kealy says it is a great way to make a name for yourself in the industry – so much so that ATHC last year upgraded its membership with APGA to that of a Lead Member.

“We heavily promote that we’re a lead member of APGA, we follow its updates – not that they have many rules and regulations for policy on truck hire – but you still need to be aware of any changes in the industry and what everybody else is doing rather than just truck hire,” said Mr Kealy.

Passing on advice to the younger generation entering the industry, Mr Kealy echoed his earlier sentiments on making sure that you provide the highest-quality available, whether it be products or services.

“It’s all about having a good quality product, as well as looking after the customer while being on call 24/7.

“It’s not an industry that works from nine-to-five on weekdays; it’s an industry that works basically every single day of the year.”

When he can find the time for activities outside work, Mr Kealy is a keen fisherman.

However, he adds that his golf game isn’t too shabby either.

Founder and owner of one of the biggest up-and-coming companies in construction transportation, Australian Truck Hire Company, Kevin Kealy has been involved in Australia’s tight-knit pipeline industry for over a decade.

Queensland pipeline personality: Kevin Kealy


“IT’S NOT AN INDUSTRY THAT WORKS FROM NINE-TO-FIVE ON WEEKDAYS; IT’S AN INDUSTRY THAT WORKS BASICALLY EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR.”– Australian Truck Hire Company founder and owner, Kevin Kealy.

Kevin Kealy is the founder and owner of Australian Truck Hire Company.

THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015 THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015www.pipeliner.com.au www.pipeliner.com.au

FEATURE

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MAJOR PROJECTS

The Gorgon Project is developing the Gorgon and Jansz-Io gas fields through a subsea gas-gathering system feeding an onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on Barrow

Island, Western Australia. Once operational, the plant will produce 15.6 million tonnes

per annum of LNG. The gas fields will also feed the domestic gas plant, with the capacity to supply 300 terajoules of gas per day to Western Australia.

LNG will be offloaded via a 2.1 km loading jetty for transport to international markets, while the domestic gas will be piped to the Western Australian mainland.

Preliminary stagesThe Jansz-Io development consists of three pipelines and a

control umbilical that connects the subsea infrastructure installed at two drill centres to the LNG plant on Barrow Island.

The three pipelines are a 30/34 inch production pipeline, an 8 inch mono ethylene glycol (MEG) pipeline and a 6 inch utility pipeline. The two drill centres are connected to a central manifold with 4.5 km, 24 inch corrosion resistant alloy (CRA) clad infield production flowlines and associated MEG and utility pipelines.

The Jansz-Io field is located approximately 130 km northwest of Barrow Island in 1,350 m of water and will be brought on stream first. Extremes in gas flow conditions, water depth, distance and the natural environment tested the practical limits of pipeline design and construction.

Weighing up the optionsWork commenced in 2004 to evaluate the range of alternatives

for the joint development of the Gorgon and Jansz-Io fields. When evaluating alternatives for the pipeline routes, it was critical to draw on innovative engineering solutions to ensure efficient field depletion and minimise the initial installation cost, as well as the ongoing cost of maintaining the pipelines over the estimated 50-year life of the Gorgon Project.

This was particularly challenging when selecting the route from

the Jansz-Io field. Early identification of a large area of debris adjacent to the field led to the development of two main routes – an easier but longer route heading south from the field and a shorter but more challenging northern route.

After a comprehensive decision analysis process, the northern route was selected. However, this route required crossing an underwater escarpment (scarp) at the edge of the continental shelf, where water depths vary from around 500 m down to 750 m. While this route was more cost-effective, it required the resolution of an evolving suite of significant engineering challenges, including the design and construction of a subsea pipeline with a free span of 270 m

Work beginsThe first scope of the Jansz-Io development, commencing in

2010, was the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for the shore crossing on the west coast of Barrow Island, where the pipelines come ashore. The scarp crossing seabed excavation, which was undertaken to limit pipeline stresses, commenced in the first half of 2011.

Both the shore crossing and scarp seabed excavation had to be completed before the main pipelay commenced at the end of 2011 with the MEG and utility pipelines, along with the shallower sections of the production pipelines. The pipelay continued in 2013 with the deeper sections of the production pipelines across the scarp and the infield pipelines.

Engineering innovationIn 2013, work to install the three pipelines across the scarp was

successfully completed, incident and injury free. This innovative solution was key to the development of the Gorgon Project and marked the end of a program that spanned nearly nine years of engineering design, site investigations, geotechnical modelling and construction activities.

“The Jansz-Io is one of the most challenging subsea developments in the world due to the combination of depth, tie back distance, pipeline routing, 50-year design life and high

As part of the Chevron-operated Gorgon Project in Western Australia, the Jansz-Io subsea pipeline development tested the limits of design and construction. The pipeline, which accesses the remote offshore Jansz-Io field, is an impressive 130 km and involved more than 80 contractors and suppliers, and an estimated 1,000 employees.

Engineering pipeline innovation in the West


MAJOR PROJECTSMAJOR PROJECTS

A. The deepwater pipe lay vessel in operation on the Jansz-Io Subsea Pipeline.

B. The Jansz-Io pipeline engineering team being awarded the Australian Engineering Excellence Award by Engineers Australia.

C. Schematic representation of the pipeline crossing.

D. A map showing the location of Chevron’s Jansz-Io subsea pipeline scarp crossing.

A

C

D

B

reliability requirements of the LNG development,” said Gorgon Upstream Facilities Project Manager Milton Bruce.

“Typically allowable span lengths for subsea pipelines are in the order of 40 m, however the steepness of the seabed profiles at the scarp crossing resulted in pipeline free spans up to 270 m in length,” said Mr Bruce.

Construction on a massive scaleA total of 87 different contractors and suppliers have been

employed for different scopes including:• Geotechnical, geophysical and bathymetric survey;• Subsea equipment and structures;• HDD of the shore crossing at Barrow Island;• Seabed excavation of trenches for pipelines at the scarp

crossing; • Pipeline installation;• Umbilical installation;• Rock supply for stabilisation of pipelines; and,• Rock installation for stabilisation of pipelines.The engineering process has provided significant skill transfer

and employment opportunities. Many others have been engaged by consultants during the

development and implementation phases, with estimates in excess of 1,000 people involved in a wide range of activities such as:

• Geotechical surveys and analysis; • Geophysical site investigations; • Seabed trenching/excavation; • Pipelay including welding, NDE and pipe measurement; and, • Support activities such as materials supply, logistics,

catering, etc.

Creating a culture of safety“Like all our activities, the Jansz-Io pipeline scope focused on

incident and injury free activities which resulted in a positive working environment across all levels of the contractor organisations,” said Mr Bruce.

“Safety is a core value and an integral part of the culture at Chevron. We believe that incidents and injuries are preventable and ensure this belief is manifested throughout our operations.”

“One of the key elements in the management of safety across the Gorgon Project is the commitment to an incident and injury free work culture – during concept selection, engineering design and right through to execution. This was achieved through a cultural campaign designed to bring all personnel into alignment with Chevron values that ‘we do it safely or not at all’ and belief that ‘there is always time to do it right’.”

Specific examples of measures undertaken to develop a strong safety culture on this scope include:

• Vessel pre-mobilisation: Chevron personnel met vessels at their point of departure to develop a cohesive and supportive team structure from the vessel leadership down through the construction and vessel crews.

• Pipe-handling: A vessel with automated pipe-handling technology was selected for use during pipe-loading from supply vessels as well as on-board movements.

This technology led to a reduction in exposure to common pipe handling risks such as:

• Dropped pipe during crane operations;• Impacts during movement of pipe to the firing line

on-board; and,

• Reduction in the requirement for manual handling of pipe and associated equipment.

Australia-focusedThroughout the execution of the development, Chevron

maintained a focus on using local suppliers and cultivating Australian industries.

The earliest use of a local supplier was with the Engineering Procurement Contracting Management contractor, Gorgon Upstream Joint Venture, which was established in Perth and has successfully led to:

• Employment of a large number of Australian engineers and designers (more than 400 at its peak);

• Development of Australian-proven technology;• A means of transferring engineering technology and

systems to Australian companies; and, • Participation opportunities for Australian engineers and

other disciplines in overseas engineering, fabrication and manufacturing locations, including the opportunities to seek alliances and undertake skills transfers.

Execution contractors have established significant technical centres in Perth to support long term operations such as the Jandakot facility, which will support the Gorgon subsea equipment for the life of the fields.

Regional business supported major construction and procurement packages in the areas of:

• Fabrication services (spool piece fabrication and small subsea structures);

• Support services for offshore construction vessels (e.g. victualling);

• Labour and equipment requirements for activities such as rock quarrying and haulage; and,

• Labour, services and materials associated with supply base activities.

Australian companies and research institutions have been involved since the start of the concept select phase, through Front end Engineering and Design (FEED) and, finally, execution of the work.

Local contractors were involved with: • Engineering design; • Collection and analysis of metocean data; • Geophysical and geotechnical site surveys; • Construction activities;• Environmental surveys and monitoring; and, • Health and safety.

Overcoming challengesAny project the size and scale of Gorgon will inevitably come

with significant challenges. The Jansz-Io pipeline scope was one area that had to overcome

a series of engineering challenges through FEED, detailed design and execution phases, including:

• Large-diameter pipeline: application of a 30 inch production pipeline at Jansz-Io water depths was at the limit of existing technology for linepipe supply and pipeline installation. Coupling this with the requirement to cross such extreme seabed terrain, exacerbated design and installation challenges made this section of pipeline unique in the world of offshore oil and gas infrastructure.

• Long design life and high reliability requirements: The



reliability of the subsea pipelines is critical to ensure a design life of 50 years that was specified, to provide the gas feed to the three 5.2 MTPA LNG trains on Barrow Island. The need for very high reliability led to the provision of an instrumented pipeline fatigue monitoring system to be used during operation and assure long term fitness-for-service.

• Severe environment: Remote deep water, geo-hazard risk, exposed site location and severe seabed slopes all significantly increased the challenges associated with site investigation, pipeline design, trench construction and pipeline installation. Integration of the geophysical, geotechnical, palaeontology and pipeline engineering disciplines to validate whether the northern route was safe with respect to geo-hazard risk, led to a complex and unique design outcome. Novel site investigation methods needed to be applied. The trench excavation methods used had never been applied in such an environment for such a large volume to be removed in this water depth to the accuracy necessary to support the design assumptions. Unique pipeline installation contingency procedures were developed and had to be applied during installation when weather conditions deteriorated.

• Complex pipeline loading regime: The predicted multi-phase pipeline flow regime, including fines and liquid slugging with significant inclined flow, together with external vortex induced vibration and complex pipeline-soil interaction issues, drove the requirement to

develop a state-of-the-art pipeline finite element structural response model. This model is unique in the manner that slug loads are formulated and in the way pipe-soil interaction has been calibrated to match actual as-built data.

• Linepipe and weld design: The requirement for Steel Catenary Riser quality fatigue performance resulted in the first ever S-lay installed pipeline section meeting BS7608 Class C/2 weld quality requirements for this pipe diameter and wall thickness. Key elements supporting this achievement included manufacture of linepipe with very tight (<2.0 mm) out-of-roundness specification, development and qualification of welding procedures suited to the offshore construction environment, development and qualification of Non Destructive Examination (NDE) methods pushing the boundary of current technologies including development of an internal weld inspection tool capable of high-accuracy measurement of the internal weld profile.

Innovation at seaThe contractors in collaboration with the Gorgon Upstream

team have faced several key challenges and made a large contribution to the Jansz-Io development success by developing solutions including:

• Engineering contractor development of ‘free span design’. After confirming the geotechnical stability of the route, focus shifted to addressing the steepness of the seabed profile at the preferred scarp crossing location. This

required both flow assurance and pipeline structural engineering focus to provide assurance that well fluids could be reliably transported through the scarp route section and that pipeline free spans up to 270 m in length could be engineered.

• Static structural design of the very long pipeline free spans addressed pipeline bending control and the requirement for seabed excavation to generate suitable pipeline profiles, for both installation and operational conditions. Fatigue design addressed liquid-slug induced pipeline motions and vortex induced vibration due to seabed currents, including consideration of multiple pipelines interacting in close proximity. The free span design process was complex with multiple interactions. The major assurance item for pipeline span integrity was fatigue design.

Scarp trenching by seabed excavation contractorIn order to limit pipeline stresses at the edge of the scarp, it was

proposed that a trench with a specific seabed profile was prepared. Such an excavation in 650 m water depth, with such severe seabed slopes and within such tight tolerances, had never been executed before, according to Chevron.

One of the primary drivers was that the edge of the scarp, if left unmodified, would pose a sharp transition for the span of the pipeline, causing point loads and potentially local buckling of the pipelines. The construction of the trench focused on creating a profile replicating the curvature of the stinger on a pipelay vessel.

Weld procedure development by pipeline installation contractor: a weld procedure development and proof testing plan was initiated by the project and performed by the pipeline installation contractor. Multiple weld procedures were developed and small scale tests performed to understand the feasibility of achieving the required design fatigue performance.

Actual pipe joints and production welds were tested at The Welding Institute in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and demonstrated required fatigue performance, a significant achievement for this pipe diameter and wall thickness.

The fatigue performance of the welds was critical to the success of the project. Through the course of the project a total of 30 full scale fatigue test were performed between initial proof testing and final verification testing. The magnitude of the testing was significantly greater than the industry bench mark of 6 to 12 welds, typically tested for verification of fatigue performance.

An award-winning featThe Jansz-Io pipeline was recently awarded the national

Australian Engineering Excellence Award by Engineers Australia.The awards celebrate engineering excellence, including

environmental innovation, critical social infrastructure and major resource projects. One of more than 35 award entries, Chevron’s award recognises the Gorgon Project’s Jansz-lo subsea pipeline and scarp crossing, which required a high level of innovation and design and technological advancements to resolve a host of engineering challenges.

Contact the team at Russell Fraser Sales to request a quote today: Tel: 02 9545 4433 Fax: 02 9545 4218 Email: [email protected] Web: www.rfsales.com.au

Visit us on Stand #63 at the APGA Convention & Exhibition Gold Coast, 17-20 October 2015

Pipeline Integrity Assessment

• 30 micron accuracy with Handyscan700 3D Laser Scanner• Corrosion, Mechanical & Strain based analysis • ASME B31G & B31.8 compliant

Pipecheck – Surface Inspection Reinvented


The pipeline will support the future of the mines with the transition to gas expected to reduce production costs and fuel price volatility and improve safety and reliability of

delivery through reduced reliance on road transport.In July 2014, AngloGold Ashanti Australia Ltd signed a gas

transportation agreement with APA for the transportation of natural gas to each of the mines via the new Eastern Goldfield Pipeline.

The pipeline will connect to the existing 85 km Murrin Murrin lateral and extend the Goldfields gas system to almost 1,800 km.

The gas will be used for local power generation, displacing diesel and LNG transported by road, with the power stations at both mines modified to run on 100 per cent natural gas, while retaining diesel backup capability.

APA will transport gas a total distance of 1,500 km to the mines through three of its interconnected pipelines – the Goldfields Gas Pipeline, the Murrin Murrin Lateral and the new Eastern Goldfields Pipeline (see map on page 179).

Tropicana is located at the end of the new pipeline, 330 km east-northeast of Kalgoorlie-Boulder on the western edge of Western Australia’s Great Victoria Desert.

AngloGold Ashanti manages the mine and shares ownership in a 70/30 joint venture with Independence Group NL. AngloGold Ashanti also manages and owns the Sunrise Dam mine.

Eastern Goldfields Pipeline ProjectLength: 293.2 kmOutside diameter: 219.1 mmInitial design capacity: 15 TJ/dMaximum design capacity: 35 TJ/dDesign pressure: 10.2 MPaTechnical design life: 40 yearsPipe steel grade: X42Joint type: weldedPipe lengths: nominally 18 mNumber of pipe lengths: approximately 16,500Number of mainline valves: 2

Construction by APA Group of the 293 km Eastern Goldfields Gas Pipeline to the Sunrise Dam and Tropicana Gold Mines in Western Australia remains on schedule, with delivery of first gas expected by 1 January 2016.

A pipeline rises in the East

MAJOR PROJECTS MAJOR PROJECTS

AJ Lucas’ bucket wheel ditching machine in action.


contractor, Spiecapag Lucas, was able to achieve a construction rate of around 6 km per day, considerably higher than the planned 4.5 km per day.

That, combined with a weld repair rate of less than 0.9 per cent, has resulted in a quality build within the anticipated timeframe.

Commissioning activities are expected to be completed before the end of December 2015, well in time to start delivering gas to AngloGold Ashanti and other potential customers in the region.

“From an economic and safety perspective, we believe the pipeline provides a better overall energy solution for the region long-term,” said APA Group Executive Transmission Rob Wheals.

Construction also provided a short-term boost to the local economy with companies from the Goldfields region providing accommodation, cultural heritage monitoring, logistical solutions for temporary sites, vehicle hire and maintenance, food and potable water supplies and building materials.


Yarraloola

Perth

GOLDFIELDSGAS PIPELINE

GOLDFIELDSGAS PIPELINE MURRIN

MURRINLATERAL

EASTERNGOLDFIELDS

PIPELINE

MurrinMurrin

Leonora

SunriseDam

Tropicana

APA natural gas pipelines (including investments)

Other natural gas pipelines

Gas production

Mining projects operating or under development

Proposed or potential mining projects

Gas storage

Energy developmentThe construction of the pipeline was well supported by

AngloGold Ashanti and state government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) for the numerous approvals required leading up to the granting of the ‘Consent to Construct’.

Consent was granted in accordance with the project schedule, allowing construction to proceed as planned.

Efforts applied to the upfront activities and approvals got the project off on a positive footing, a mood which was subsequently maintained by the construction team, contributing to the success of the project.

“Construction activities commenced on 1 March 2015 immediately following receipt of the Consent to Construct and the pipe was welded and in the ground before the end of July,” said APA Program Director Barrie Sturgeon.

“The focus is now on pipeline hydro static testing, rehabilitation activities and installation of the aboveground facilities.”

Approximately 16,500 lengths of line pipe were required, transported by sea in three shipments from China.

From the Fremantle Port, the pipe was transferred by rail to Kalgoorlie, then by road (mostly unsealed) to the three nominated laydown areas, strategically located along the pipeline route. More than 350,000 km were clocked up by the road transport company in delivering the pipe to the laydown areas.

While the original schedule showed completion of pipe-laying and backfill activities by mid-August, the pipeline construction

The padding machine shading pipe post lowering in.

Timeline: Eastern Goldfields July 2014: APA announces the development of the new pipeline on the back of two new long-term gas transportation agreements with AngloGold Ashanti Australia Ltd. Pipeline Licence application lodged.October 2014: Contract executed between APA and Spiecapag Lucas JV to provide pipeline construction activities, including trenching, welding, lowering, backfill, rehabilitation and hydro-static testing of the new pipeline.January 2015: Pipeline Licence STP-PLA-0025 granted by the Department of Mines and Petroleum.February 2015: Consent to Construct granted by the Department of Mines and Petroleum.March 2015: Pipeline construction commences.May 2015: Valmec contracted to provide construction activities for the above-ground facilities.July 2015: Pipe fully welded, lowered and backfilled.August 2015: Gas skids required for the above-ground facilities delivered to site.

THE PIPELINE WILL SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF THE MINES WITH THE TRANSITION TO GAS EXPECTED TO REDUCE PRODUCTION COSTS AND FUEL PRICE VOLATILITY AND IMPROVE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF DELIVERY THROUGH REDUCED RELIANCE ON ROAD TRANSPORT.


Owned by QSuper and operated by Epic Energy, the 859 km, 559 mm diameter Moomba Adelaide Pipeline System (MAPS) was commissioned in 1969 and includes 326 km

of lateral pipelines.The changing east coast market presented an opportunity for the

MAPS pipeline to be reconfigured to allow bi-directional flow.

Bi-directional workEpic Energy contracted engineering consultancy and project

delivery company LogiCamms to carry out the works in July 2014, with commissioning on the last site completed on 25 June 2015 on budget and three weeks ahead of schedule.

The final engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) scope consisted of two new custody transfer metering stations, a new pipeline connection, and modification to existing ancillary equipment along the pipeline system.

The work was split across a significant number of sites along the MAPS all monitored and controlled by additional key instruments.

Changes to the east coast gas grid and proposed new pipeline infrastructure in the Northern Territory has meant that one of Australia’s oldest pipeline systems, the Moomba Adelaide Pipeline System, has recently completed works to modernise and make its flow bi-directional.

An old pipeline becomes new

MAJOR PROJECTS MAJOR PROJECTS

Moomba Adelaide Pipeline System Project name: Moomba Adelaide Pipeline System (bi-directional flow)Client: Epic EnergyProject size: 858 km (not including laterals), 559 mm diameter steel pipeConstruction contractor: LogiCammsStart and end date: July 2014 – June 2015

The head of the Moomba to Adelaide Pipeline at the Moomba facility.

The changing east coast market presented an opportunity for the MAPS pipeline to be reconfigured to allow bi-directional flow.


MAJOR PROJECTS

The goods were then shipped throughout South Australia through Jeff Rowe Transport.

Epic Energy, as the client, was focused on ensuring direct access to the team with direct responsibility for delivery of the project and so the Adelaide office connection was of significant importance.

Safety and AS2885Safety assessments were carried out throughout the project

from the first day to the last activity. These included:• Design reviews;• Safety management studies; • Hazard and operability studies; • Hazard identification studies;• Layout reviews; • Construction risk assessment workshops; and,• Special workshops for perceived high risk activities e.g. the

first fill of mercaptans (an odorant – a particularly unpleasant substance).

The initial proposal included a risk assessment which was regularly updated throughout the project with Epic Energy’s direct involvement.

The construction safety management plans were prescriptive with the usual permit, take-five and travel management systems.

Commissioning and first gas were controlled through a rigorous handover and quality assurance procedure.

The commitment to safety was aligned between LogiCamms and Epic Energy and the results of zero injuries of any kind was a very rewarding outcome.

The works on MAPS strictly adhered to the AS2885 guidelines, with the Safety Management Process in particular, along with all of the design principals.

LogiCamms is contributing to the code’s further development by being actively involved in the AS2885 Standards Committee.

MAJOR PROJECTS

Epic Energy Chief Executive Officer Clive D’Cruz says the work will enable the system to provide for its customers in a more proactive manner.

“As the east coast gas market is undergoing a fundamental change, the need to provide flexibility to customers is growing in importance,” said Mr D’Cruz.

“This was the main driver for the MAPS pipeline becoming bi-directional.”

LogiCamms had around 130 employees involved in the works, with a core team of 20 present from start to finish.

Project challenges The project had to overcome a number of design challenges,

namely having two gas supplies into MAPS with different gas compositions, adding odourisation to MAPS, and ensuring that every facility was reconfigured to allow both southern-haul and northern-haul flow.

The control system presented particular challenges, with the team having to interrogate the code to determine how to carry out the modifications to meet the required set-point outputs.

This work was carried out in LogiCamms’ South Australia office by working closely with Epic Energy to overcome the challenges.

The logistics of so many sites spread throughout South Australia was also a challenge, with contractors and engineers from New Zealand, Queensland and South Australia working on two to three different sites on any given week, particularly during the pre-commissioning stage.

In response to these challenges, LogiCamms developed a number of new innovative standard packages to support the works.

A particular challenge was the lack of power at the small waterbath heater sites, where a solar-powered remote ignition system was created, which involved workshop trials to prove the system would work.

Another innovation feature enabled LogiCamms to remove all field fit welds from a number of station modifications with 100 per cent certainty.

This involved recycling the removed pipework that was creating the tie-ins and incorporating it into the new pipework, such that any discrepancies would cancel out.

As a result they fit perfectly the first time with no modifications.

Skidding into placeLogiCamms’ New Zealand office in New Plymouth has a

25-year track record of making packaged equipment for the both Australian and New Zealand projects, and provided the skids for the MAPS works.

At the time of determining the fabrication strategy, LogiCamms decided that the nature of the project, with significant different implementation sites, meant that the work could be broken down into a number of smaller packages and contracted separately throughout New Zealand.

The fabrication scope was split across a number of fabricators to mitigate the risk of relying on one fabricator for what was a schedule critical project, however in the end all suppliers came to the table with successful delivery of scopes.

Logistics for the skids was managed from Logicamms’ Adelaide office, which determined the strategy and directly engaged its partner Ellery Freight to execute the trans-Tasman logistics.

A. The Moomba delivery metering station skids.

B. The start of the Moomba Adelaide Pipeline.

A B

“AS THE EAST COAST GAS MARKET IS UNDERGOING A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE THE NEED TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY TO CUSTOMERS IS GROWING IN IMPORTANCE.”– Epic Energy Chief Executive Officer Clive D’Cruz

AUS 1800 225 [email protected] www.enerpac.com.au

ENERPACPNEUMATIC TORQUEWRENCHESSAFETY MEETS PRODUCTIVITY • Durable & robust design • Reliable performance • Extensive service & support network


MAJOR PROJECTS

A number of projects in the eastern states, recently commissioned to expand network capacities in order to respond to this predicted shortfall, are nearing

completion.Among such projects is the expansion of the Jemena-operated

797 km, 168–610 mm diameter Eastern Gas Pipeline (EGP), which transports gas from Victoria’s offshore Gippsland Basin to Sydney, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and regional New South Wales (NSW).

The project will see Jemena expand the EGP by 20 per cent and install two new midline compressor stations in East Gippsland and Michelago, and construct additional delivery facilities.

Jemena is expecting the $150 million expansion project to be completed by the start of 2016.

The EGP, constructed by a joint venture between Transfield Willbros and Macmahon in 2000, is a vital link in the east coast gas market, transporting more than half the gas consumed in NSW.

The expansion will allow the transportation of at least an additional 22 PJ of gas per annum into NSW.

New GTA announcedA Gas Transportation Agreement (GTA), commencing in 2016,

to support the expansion was signed in May 2015 between Jemena and AGL Energy Limited, which has purchased capacity on the EGP for the next 15 years.

The EGP also feeds into Jemena’s distribution network which delivers natural gas to more than 1.2 million homes and businesses across Sydney and regional NSW, a fact not lost on Jemena Managing Director Paul Adams who identifies NSW as a critical market for the company.

Mr Adams said that the GTA has deepened Jemena’s longstanding partnership with AGL, and brings much-needed additional gas into the state.

“Demand for gas in NSW remains strong, despite some potentially challenging conditions in the short term. Expanding the EGP now means we’ll be ready to move more gas into the market and help offset projected supply and price pressure for customers,” said Mr Adams.

“With the EGP primed to deliver more gas into NSW at a competitive price, we are also proposing to lower our distribution charges for the majority of our customers by 40 per cent in real terms over the next five years, encouraging them to continue to utilise gas while the market adjusts to new economic conditions.”

Mr Adams added that Jemena has invested approximately $180 million in gas transmission assets over the past few years, aimed at increasing capacity and developing new delivery points to offer its customers reliable gas transportation and storage options.

“We’re focused on continually expanding and improving our transmission infrastructure so we can make the most of opportunities from onshore gas development and gas exports,” said Mr Adams.

“Gas production, consumption and exports are all forecast to grow over the next two decades, which means there are real prospects to expand the existing transportation network and build new infrastructure to link new gas developments to established markets.”

Commissioned in 2000, the EGP has undergone recent expansions which saw the addition of a midline compressor station near Mila, NSW and the installation of a fourth compressor at Longford in Victoria.

Growing gas demand in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory over the coming years has had several industry groups, government bodies and consulting firms predicting a gas shortfall that could seriously affect Australia’s east coast.

Securing east coast gas

MAJOR PROJECTS

The project, which was approved in July 2014, is unique in the sense that it will involve an onshore drilling program to extract gas from offshore gas reservoirs using

extended reach drilling.The project will also involve exploring the Speculant gas

prospect, a titled fault block structure covering 7 sq km immediately north of the Halladale and Black Watch fields off the Otway coast.

Situated 5 km offshore in Victoria’s Otway Basin, approximately 30 km east of Warrnambool, the gas reservoirs are located within a lease that is 100 per cent owned by Origin.

The development of the gas reservoirs will involve:• Drilling two to four wells, subject to regulatory

approvals;• Drilling from a land base into offshore reservoirs using

deviated/horizontal drilling technology; and,• Constructing two short sections of pipeline which

will be connected to the existing Croft gas pipeline, allowing gas to be transported to an existing gas processing plant.

Speculant-1 succeeds, new pipeline plannedCommencing in September 2014, the drilling program

underway on the offshore gas well, Speculant-1, has resulted in the discovery of commercial quantities of gas.

The discovery of this gas prompted the development of a new gas pipeline to bring the gas to market.

Originally, the onshore pipeline proposal included three sections:1. A section from the well site at Nirranda South to the

existing Croft well site;2. A section from the Croft well site to the Heytesbury

gathering facility (within the existing pipeline easement); and,

3. A section from Heytesbury to the Otway Gas Plant.As a result of these findings at Speculant-1, Origin re-assessed

the scope of the pipeline project for gas transport, which now requires the installation of a new pipeline between the well site at Nirranda South and the Otway Gas Plant.

The same trench for the new pipeline will also accommodate the new carbon steel 50 mm diameter mono-ethylene glycol line and fibre-optic communications lines.

Pipeline works are expected to commence in late 2015.

Land access and community engagementOrigin’s land access team is currently meeting with landowners

along the pipeline route to discuss these changes, as well as answering questions about land access, construction, instillation and rehabilitation of land that may be disturbed during construction.

Origin is also dedicated to supporting the local communities in the region, and recently announced a commitment of up to $55,000 to support the Nullawarre Rural Fire Brigade’s application to the Victorian Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP), which could see the town get a second fire fighting tanker.

Origin Energy has flagged the potential construction of two new pipeline sections in western Victoria, which will form part of the new Halladale and Speculant Natural Gas Development Project.

New pipelines set for Victoria’s western coastline

A map of the Eastern Gas Pipeline. The new sections of pipeline in relation to the existing Croft pipeline.



be relinquished where there is no future or continuing use of the easement, with the land owner then providing a release for the complete abandonment.

The pipeline operator must continue to maintain records, which includes abandonment drawings, that identify and locate sections of abandoned pipeline and these records must be made publicly available.

In Queensland, under the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 the pipeline is taken to be personal property despite having become part of the land and this continues to apply at the end of the petroleum tenure.

The pipeline can be sold, but if it is not, the pipeline operator continues to own it as personal property.

What issues may arise?If we consider the scenario where a pipeline is abandoned: the

petroleum tenement and environmental authority are surrendered; the ownership of abandoned pipeline is retained by the pipeline owner/operator.

Also, sections of the pipeline are abandoned in the ground in consultation with the stakeholders, and the easement is surrendered due to the absence of continuing use for the easement.

We must also consider the following during the post-abandonment phase:

• The means of ensuring that signage of pipeline locations is retained;

• The mechanism to ensure continued land access for ongoing monitoring;

• The location and maintenance of records regarding the residual pipeline equipment;

• The means of dealing with unforeseen contaminates found after abandonment; and,

• The means of dealing with a change in land use, such as a new development or house is to be put over a pipeline or the creation of a road over an abandoned pipeline.

It is a requirement of AS2885.3 that signage associated with the pipeline is removed on completion of the post-abandonment maintenance period.

However, a pipeline owner must consider what the risk may be if there is a change in use of the land in the future by a new landowner that includes excavation.

The pipeline owner must also consider whether they retain any authority to retain signage over the pipeline land after abandonment.

If the abandoned pipeline complies with the abandonment plan and the provisions of AS2885.3, then the easement would have been relinquished if it has no future or continuing use.

The pipeline operator must consider its ongoing monitoring requirements and its residual risk alongside any rights it may have at general law to continue to access the abandoned pipeline.

The pipeline owner must also consider that the landowner may wish to have the easement discharged as early as possible if the pipeline easement affects the value of the land, in which case the termination rights under the easement will be very important.

If the easement is no longer registered on the land title system, it is less clear how to record the location of the abandoned pipeline in such a manner as to draw it to the attention of the public.

The registration of a discharge of a right of way or easement would rid the title of the registration and the existence of the abandoned pipeline may not come to the attention of a purchaser through its review of the land titles system.

Such knowledge may rely on disclosure by the vendor, which may become particularly relevant where the land has changed hands a few times and, in particular, the change of use that may come from the change in ownership of the land.

The abandoned pipeline will have met the obligations for its abandonment under the plan and the regulator will have been satisfied that any risk to public safety and environmental protection has been managed and controlled.

In the event of an unforeseen environmental incident, if the previous regulatory regime has been removed, the pipeline owner must consider its position at general law.

One of the issues that has arisen in the US is the change in use of land, where once rural areas where pipelines were located become urbanised.

Such change in use of the land will mean that the public records and any restrictions required on the future use of the land will become very important.

Plan early to reduce riskIt is appropriate for any pipeline operator to consider a

post-abandonment mitigation strategy early, and most likely while considering operational land access issues.

Pipeline operators and land owners that breach their responsibilities can face prosecution and ultimately significant fines. Navigating the complex legal landscape can be a difficult process so seeking professional legal assistance from the outset is vital.

Paul Bradley is a Partner at commercial law firm Cowell Clarke, heading the firm’s Energy Resource and

Environment practice.

We have seen some examples of this recently, and early consideration of post abandonment requirements by a pipeline operator can help to avoid some potentially

complex legal issues.

Learning from overseas experienceThe US has identified that it has some issues with regard to the

exact locations and extent of abandoned pipelines. An American Planning Association (AICP) article ‘What to do

about aging and abandoned energy infrastructure’ by Tom Burns, notes that “Records (easement agreements, deeds, quitclaims) and maps associated with abandoned pipelines are unorganised, fragmented, or simply lost, exacerbated by ownership changes, mergers, and acquisitions in the US energy community.”

In the light of this, it is important to have a clear picture of the regulatory environment during post-abandonment of pipelines in Australia.

Pipelines are constructed and operated pursuant to legislation designed for the purpose of protecting public safety and the environment, among other things.

A regulatory body exercises powers under the relevant legislative regime.

Abandonment can change the legal control and responsibility and may lead to the termination of that regulatory oversight.

An abandonment plan is adopted to ensure that risk of an undesirable future event related to a pipeline abandoned in place from the perspective of public safety and environmental protection are managed and controlled.

Existing rules and regulationsThere is a host of rules and responsibilities facing the pipeline

owner and land owner when it comes to pipeline decommission.AS2885.3 – 2012, Pipelines – Gas and Liquid Petroleum Part 3:

Operation and Maintenance provides the rules for decommissioning a pipeline.

This standard has been adopted in Queensland by the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 (QLD) and associated regulations.

AS2885.3 provides that when a pipeline is to be abandoned, an abandonment plan, including an environmental rehabilitation plan, shall be compiled.

The pipeline must be disconnected from all sources of hydrocarbons and purged of all hydrocarbons and vapour with a non-flammable fluid, and any aboveground sections of the pipeline must be removed.

With regard to any sections of the pipeline that are below ground, a complete segment analysis is undertaken with continuous stakeholder discussion in order to determine whether to abandon in-place in such a way to ensure that ground subsidence and the risk of contamination of the soil groundwater is minimised or abandoning by removal.

In accordance with AS2885.3, all fences and equipment must be removed as must all signage associated with the pipeline on completion of any post-abandonment maintenance period.

The easement that the pipeline operator has over the land will

Australia’s transition away from refineries to a reliance on imported crude oil and petroleum will lead to decommissioning associated infrastructure, including pipelines.

Pipeline abandonment: what you need to knowBy Paul Bradley, Partner, Cowell Clarke Commercial Lawyers

Paul Bradley.

IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR ANY PIPELINE OPERATOR TO CONSIDER A POST-ABANDONMENT MITIGATION STRATEGY EARLY, AND MOST LIKELY WHILE CONSIDERING OPERATIONAL LAND ACCESS ISSUES.


QUIZZES AND PUZZLES

Across5. The RBP runs from Roma to where?8. What was Melbourne originally going to be called?10. What does the ‘m’ stand for in Einstein’s formula e=mc2

12. What is the surname of the APGA Chief Executive?15. Who operates the Eastern Gas Pipeline?16. Which company is the operator of the Ichthys Project?18. Shane Warne was briefly engaged to Liz ...?20. The current pope is Pope ...?21. What does the A stand for in the MAPS?23. Was Australia’s first pipeline water or natural gas?24. What is the nickname of FMG owner Andrew Forrest?26. What is the surname of current EPCRC Chairman?27. What was the surname of the APGA President in 1998-99?28. What is the surname of the outgoing APGA President?

Down1. What does the C stand for in QCLNG?2. What is the capital of Tasmania?3. Who constructed the GLNG export pipeline?4. Where was the 1969 Convention held?6. Where does the DBNGP begin?7. What does the P stand for in ALARP?9. What does the T stand for in SANTOS?11. What is the surname of the Prime Minister of Australia?13. Who won the 2014 AFL grand final?14. Which company constructed stages 2-5 of the VNIE Project?17. What is the surname of The Australian Pipeliner founder?19. Who won the 1980 AFL grand final?21. What is the name of the main pipeline that runs through the NT?22. How many sides to a pentagon?25. What was the nickname of Gina Rinehart’s father?

The Australian Pipeliner Quiz Can you guess the pipeline?

QUIZZES AND PUZZLES

1 Can you name this pipeline? If you can, send your answer to The Australian Pipeliner Assistant Editor Stuart Scudamore at [email protected] for your chance to win a free Pipeline Industry Legends of Australia book, valued at $99 RRP.A hint for the less eagle-eyed pipeliners out there: It’s located in Victoria.

Successfully complete The Australian Pipeliner Quiz for your chance to win a free 2015 Major Pipelines Map of Australia valued at $300 RRP. Send your complete quiz to The Australian Pipeliner, GPO Box 4967, Melbourne VIC 3001.

2

4

3

7

9

8

6

10

15

141312

16

11

18

20

17

21

23

27

25 26

28

24

22

19

Results of this crossword will be published in the February 2016 edition of The Australian Pipeliner.

This new ‘guess the pipeline’ feature will appear in every edition of The Australian

Pipeliner, so keep your eyes peeled for answers, prize-winners and other pick-the-

pipeline pictures in future!

5

Want to advertise in this new regular feature in The Australian Pipeliner?Contact Sales Director Julie McConachy at [email protected] to discuss exposure opportunities.

PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OF AUSTRALIAPIPELINE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OF AUSTRALIA

F

E

B

A. A Spiecapag Lucas JV machine operator on the construction site of APA Group’s Eastern Goldfields Pipeline.

B. Nacap General Superintendent Jack Walsh discusses logistics out on-site with a staff member.

C. The McConnell Dowell team at the completion of the construction of the Amadeus Gas Pipeline in 1986.

Behind the sign are Peter Anderson (blue shirt), John Bristow (centre), and Mark Twycross.

Photography courtesy of McConnell Dowell Constructors.

D

A

C


D. Murphy Pipe and Civil welder Mervyn Zehander working on a 46 km trunkline in the Surat Basin, Queensland.

E. McConnell Dowell workers on the Amadeus Gas Pipeline. From left: Supervisor Shaun Edyvean; Project Manager Grant Kruger; Operator/Labourer Graeme Davies; Operator/Labourer Michael Wherret; Operator/Labourer Phil Turco; and, Blaster/Painter Aaron Jennings.

F. The Australian Pipeliner Editor Sally Commins and Assistant Editor Stuart Scudamore interview Nacap welders Michael Walters and Peter Marks while on a site visit to the Victorian Northern Interconnect Expansion project in May 2015.

G. Definium co-director and surveyor Neil Severns carrying out surveying work near Chinchilla, Queensland.

G

#throwbackFrom the archives

THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015www.pipeliner.com.au 191

Want to advertise in this new regular feature in The Australian Pipeliner?Contact Sales Director Julie McConachy at [email protected] to discuss exposure opportunities.


NEWS IN BRIEFNEWS IN BRIEF

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WorleyParsons awarded Sole FEED contract, new pipeline proposed

WorleyParsons subsidiary, Intecsea, has been awarded the offshore subsea front-end engineering and design contract for the Sole Gas Project in Victoria.

The Sole Gas Project entered the FEED phase in May 2015, and is expected to comprise a single vertical subsea well and pipeline to the Orbost Gas Plant, which is connected to Jemena’s 797 km, 450 mm Eastern Gas Pipeline.

A Santos spokesperson told The Australian Pipeliner that the tender process for the onshore FEED contractor is still in progress.

The Sole gas field is located in VIC/RL3, offshore Victoria approximately 62 km from the Orbost Gas Plant, onshore Victoria.

The VIC/RL3 joint venture, comprising Cooper Energy and Santos, is scheduled to reach a final investment decision (FID) for the project in the September quarter of 2016.

The field has been assessed by Cooper Energy as containing a 2C contingent gas resource of 211 PJ1 (100 per cent joint venture volume) of which Cooper Energy’s share is 105.5 PJ.

Cooper Energy recently signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) with glass manufacturer O-I Australia, defining the key terms for the sale of gas from the project, the first such agreement from the Sole gas field.

The HoA sets out the key commercial terms for the supply of gas of 1 PJ/a for the lesser of eight years, or the life of the field, from Cooper Energy’s share of Sole production.

New NT offshore pipeline flagged for the TerritoryA major new offshore gas project is being considered by

ConocoPhillips to feed its Darwin LNG Project in the Northern Territory, once supplies have run out.

ConocoPhillips Vice President Exploration and Development Frank Krieger singled out the Caldita-Barossa gas field in the Timor Sea or the Poseidon gas field in the Browse Basin as potential backfill options for the project.

Darwin LNG’s current source, the offshore Bayu-Undan gas field in the Timor Sea, is expected to run out in 2022–23.

“In terms of our global portfolio the price to build a brownfield LNG train in Darwin just really isn’t competitive at the moment, so we’ll need to see significant cost deflation to drive us to want to do that or to have it compete in our portfolio,” Mr Krieger said.

The development of a new field would require either a 250 km pipeline from Caldita-Barossa, or a 640 km pipeline from Poseidon, to tie-in to the existing 500 km Bayu-Undan Pipeline.

ConocoPhillips is the operator of the Darwin LNG Project, alongside joint venture partners Santos, INPEX, Eni and Tokyo Gas.

Ichthys pipeline set for 2015 completion

INPEX’s 889 km, 1,050 mm diameter gas export pipeline for the Ichthys LNG Project remains set for completion before the end of 2015.

Three subsea manifolds for the project were recently installed on the seabed off the north west coast of Australia, bringing the total to four.

When operational, five manifolds will co-mingle production from the subsea wellheads, distributing to the project’s central processing facility via 457 mm flowlines and flexible risers.

At the time of publication, the Ichthys LNG Project was around 74 per cent complete, with commercial production scheduled to begin in 2016. The project is a joint venture between INPEX, major partner Total and the Australian subsidiaries of Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas.

Pipe manufacturing underway for next stage of Vic–NSW expansion

The first shipment of pipe for the next stage of loopings on APA Group’s Victorian Northern Interconnect Expansion (VNIE) Project is due in Melbourne by mid-October.

An APA Group spokesperson told PPO News that pipe manufacturing for loopings 6-9 is currently underway, with construction scheduled to commence in early 2016.

At the time of publication, the construction contract for stages 6-9 of the project was expected to be tendered by APA Group in late September.

The expansion project will require looping on both the Moomba to Sydney Pipeline and the Victorian Transmission System, at a cost of approximately $85 million.

As a result of the expansion, daily capacity of the Victoria – NSW Interconnect is expected to increase by 30 TJ/d.

Esso to replace Gippsland pipelineAfter months of speculation, ExxonMobil Australia subsidiary, Esso

Australia, is set to replace its 187 km Longford Gas Conditioning Plant to Long Island Point Plant Pipeline in Victoria.

The pipeline will allow the continued safe delivery of crude oil and condensate, and ensure the delivery of natural gas from the offshore Gippsland Basin to domestic consumers. Pending regulatory approval, the construction of the replacement pipeline is expected to begin in late 2015.

“With an approximate project cost of $400 million, the replacement pipeline represents another significant investment in the continuation of our Gippsland operations, which have provided crude oil, condensate, LPG and natural gas to the Australia market since operations began in 1969,” ExxonMobil Australia Chairman Richard Owen said.

Mr Owen said it is anticipated that, at its peak, the project will generate approximately 500 jobs, as well as deliver additional indirect employment opportunities.

The new pipeline will replace the existing 700 mm pipeline, which was constructed in 1969 and underwent a partial replacement in 1980 but is approaching the end of its operational life.

The pipeline has been fully funded by Esso and its Gippsland Basin Joint Venture partner BHP Billiton.

FMG keeps second Pilbara gas pipeline option openA new gas pipeline in Western Australia’s Pilbara is still on the cards for

Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), although there are no immediate plans for development.

A possible second pipeline, following the completion of the 270 km Fortescue River Gas Pipeline in May 2015, was raised by FMG Development Director Peter Meurs at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association 2015 Conference, also in May, flagging a potential pipeline extension to the Chichester hub.

However, an FMG spokesperson today told PPO News that while there are currently no plans to extend the pipeline due to the company’s current restrictions on spending, it remains an option for the resources major. The Fortescue River Gas Pipeline was the longest gas pipeline built in WA in the past ten years, aiming to reduce the company’s diesel use from about 750 MMl/a to 580 MMl/a.

The Fortescue River Gas Pipeline.

Longford oil and gas plants.A schematic of the proposed Sole pipeline.

Pipe delivery on the VNIE project.

THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015www.pipeliner.com.au 195THE AUSTRALIAN PIPELINER | OCTOBER 2015 www.pipeliner.com.au194

WORLD WRAPWORLD WRAP

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e-newsletter at www.pipelinesinternational.com

India, Nepal ink petroleum pipeline dealThe Nepal-India petroleum pipeline project is set to take off with the signing of an

MoU for construction of the Amlekhgunj-Raxaul petroleum product pipeline. India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan recently met with Nepal’s Minister of Commerce and Supplies Shri Sunil Bahadur Thapa in Kathmandu,

where the two ministers discussed bilateral cooperation in the petroleum sector. The 41 km pipeline (2 km in India and 39 km in Nepal), which will initially supply petrol, diesel and kerosene, will be constructed by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) at a cost of

approximately $US30 million from its own budget, and will be built from Raxaul on the India-Nepal border to Amlekhgunj in south-eastern Nepal. It will take IOC

30 months to complete the project after receipt of necessary statutory clearances from the Government of Nepal. India exports approximately $US1 billion worth of petroleum products annually to Nepal, with the bulk of this volume to be transported through this

pipeline, which will be the first transnational petroleum pipeline in South Asia.

Russia signs intergovernmental agreement for North-South gas pipeline

Russia’s government has approved a draft agreement between the Government of the Russian

Federation and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for cooperation in the

North-South Gas Pipeline Project. The agreement outlines conditions for the construction of

the North-South Gas Pipeline, with Russian participation, in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,

from the city of Karachi to the city of Lahore. Implementation of the agreement will be overseen

and coordinated by the Russian Ministry of Energy and the Pakistani Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources. The project will involve

the maximum possible use of Russian technology, materials, equipment and products, as well as the participation of Russian research, design and construction organisations, the Russian

government said in a statement, while the Pakistani side will ensure the rights for the use of land

plots, for carrying out surveys, and work related to ascertaining the route for the pipeline. The agreement is valid for 25 years and subject to

automatic extension for five-year terms.

Polarled pipeline first to cross Arctic CircleThe Statoil-operated Polarled gas pipeline construction project has reported crossing 66 degrees and 33 minutes north of the equator, becoming the first pipeline to take Norwegian gas infrastructure across the Arctic Circle, opening a new gas highway from the Norwegian Sea to Europe.

The 482 km, 36 inch diameter pipeline will run from Nyhamna in western Norway to the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea. The world’s largest pipelaying vessel, Solitaire from Allseas, is carrying out the job and is advancing slowly, 24.4 m at a time, every sixth minute or so, around the clock. Polarled will also be the deepest pipeline on the Norwegian continental shelf – by the Aasta Hansteen field the water depth is 1,260 m.

According to Statoil, it will be the first time a 36 inch pipe is laid in such deep waters anywhere in the world. At start-up the gas from Aasta Hansteen will be the only gas passing through Polarled, but the pipeline has capacity for more gas. The pipeline will have a capacity of 2.4 Bcf/d. The contract is

valued at approximately $US4 million and is expected to run until the end of the pipeline installation, in the third quarter of 2015.

Canadian study finds pipeline transport safer than railTransporting oil and gas by pipeline in Canada is significantly safer than moving it by rail, a new study released by independent, non-partisan

Canadian public policy think-tank the Fraser Institute has concluded. The Institute used newly compiled data from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board and Transport Canada to conduct the study, Safety in the Transportation of Oil and Gas: Pipelines or Rail?, which finds that the rate of occurrences

(incidents or accidents) per million barrels of oil transported is more than 4.5 times higher for rail than it is for pipelines for the period 2003-2013. Between 2003 and 2013 — because of larger transport volumes — pipelines did experience more occurrences compared to rail (1,226 versus 296). But, according to the TSB, the vast majority (99 per cent) of those incidents or accidents did not damage the environment. Specifically, 73 per cent

of pipeline occurrences resulted in spills of less than 1 cubic metre, while 16 per cent didn’t cause any spill whatsoever. More importantly, most occurrences (83 per cent) didn’t happen in transit, they happened in facilities (i.e. compressor stations, processing plants, and terminals) which are

more likely to have secondary containment mechanisms and procedures.

Kenya, Uganda settle on pipeline routeKenya and Uganda have agreed on the route of a crude oil export pipeline expected to transport oil from Uganda to Lamu on Kenya’s northern coast.

The agreement was reached during Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta’s recent state visit to Uganda, where he signed several bilateral agreements

with President Yoweri Museveni. A joint presidential statement was issued following the visit, which stated: “The two heads of state agreed on

the use of the northern route, that is Hoima – Lokichar – Lamu for the development of the crude oil pipeline.” The statement said

the implementation of the pipeline route would be subject to Kenya guaranteeing the security on its side of the pipeline, the financing of the project, and a transit fee not higher than would be payable on any other

alternative route. Joseph Njoroge, Kenya’s petroleum and energy minister, said in June that once a decision on the route was made, the pipeline’s

construction could be completed by about 2018 or 2019.

First gas delivery to Tanzanian pipelineEast Africa–focused oil and gas company Wentworth Resources has announced the first gas delivery from its Mnazi Bay Concession in

southern Tanzania to the country’s new transnational pipeline. Two wells are now producing, with the three remaining wells expected to be put

in production in the coming months. Initial production volumes will be used for commissioning purposes and to fill the pipeline, with production

rates expected to increase to 70 MMcf/d by October 2015 and 80 MMcf/d by the end of 2015. The Mnazi Bay joint venture

partners have agreed payment security terms with Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), the buyer of the gas, and various

other parties.

ONEOK enters Permian-to-Mexico pipeline venture

ONEOK Partners has entered into a 50-50 joint venture with a subsidiary of Fermaca Infrastructure, a Mexico City-based natural gas infrastructure company, to construct a pipeline that would transport natural gas from the Permian Basin in

West Texas to Mexico. The $US450 million Roadrunner Gas Transmission Pipeline Project extends from ONEOK Partners’ WesTex Transmission natural gas pipeline system at Coyanosa, Texas, west to a new international border crossing connection at the US-Mexico border near San Elizario, Texas, where it will connect with Fermaca’s Tarahumara Gas Pipeline. The project includes approximately 320 km of 30 inch pipeline designed

to transport up to 640 MMcf/d of natural gas, with up to 570 MMcf/d to be transported to Mexico’s growing markets. ONEOK Partners will manage the construction of the project and will be the operator of the pipeline upon completion. The first phase of the pipeline project for 170 MMcf/d of available capacity is expected to be completed by the first quarter 2016. The second phase, which will increase the pipeline’s available capacity to 570 MMcf/d, is expected to be completed in the first quarter 2017, while the final phase should be finished in

2019, increasing capacity to 640 MMcf/d.


Taking place on 8-11 February at the Marriott Westchase Hotel in Houston, Texas, USA, the event will once again draw engineering management and field operating

personnel from both transmission and distribution companies concerned with improved operations and integrity management.

Early submissions are encouraged, as the program has filled up quickly in past years.

Take advantage of this extraordinary professional opportunity and send your proposal for a presentation at the conference. Proposals should include an abstract accompanied by the author’s and co-author’s complete contact information and affiliation.

Program Advisory Committee• Dr. Tom Bubenik, DNVGL;• Lorna Harron, Enbridge Pipelines (invited);• Matt Hastings, Williams;• Everett Johnson, Marathon;• BJ Lowe, Clarion Technical Conferences;• Jim Marr, TCPL (invited);• Roland Palmer-Jones, MACAW Engineering;• Steve Rapp, Spectra (invited);• Jerry Rau, RCP;• Terry Shamblin, EQT Midstream;• John Tiratsoo, Tiratsoo Technical;• Fred Williams, Shell; and,• George Williamson, BP

Following the success of the first two events, Tiratsoo Technical (a division of Great Southern Press) and Clarion Technical Conferences are proud to announce that, with

the support of Saudi Aramco, and in association with Global Webb Energy Consultants, the third international conference and exhibition on Pipeline Operations & Management Middle East will take place from 11–14 April 2016.

Taking place at the prestigious Gulf Convention Centre in Manama, Bahrain, the 2016 event will be held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza, Minister of Energy, Kingdom of Bahrain.

Industry comes together in BahrainThis major multi-track conference will bring together experts

to discuss some of the latest technologies and concepts for maintaining and operating oil and gas pipelines in the most efficient, cost-effective, and professional manner.

Book your exhibition spaceDon’t miss this great opportunity to showcase your company at

this prestigious event that will give you unparalleled access to decision-makers in the global and Middle East pipeline industry – book your exhibition space now.

Abstracts are now being accepted for 2016’s Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Management Conference (PPIM), the pipeline industry’s only forum devoted exclusively to pigging for maintenance and inspection, as well as pipeline integrity evaluation and repair.

Are you looking to showcase your products and services to pipeline professionals from the Middle East and global industry? Exhibition spaces are selling fast for the Pipeline Operations & Management Middle East 2016 event.

MAGAZINE BRIEFS

Call for papers open for 28th pipeline integrity event

Gain global exposure at Middle East pipeline event

CONFERENCES

Please submit your proposal online at www.jes-tt-events.com

Final abstracts deadline: 29 October 2015

Get ready for 2016, book your space now!For more information visit www.clarion.org or contact

BJ Lowe at [email protected]

Few reports in the next 12 months will be read with more interest (and in some quarters concern) than the commentary on east coast gas markets from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.

The window for submissions to the ACCC review, initiated by the Abbott government, closed in July and its report is expected next April – in a federal election year where energy policy will be a significant focus of political argument.

In a speech on the inquiry in mid-2015 (which received little media attention but will have been closely read by gas supply and use stakeholders) ACCC chairman, Rod Sims observed wryly that this is a “fascinating time” for the gas industry - one that has become enmeshed in “contradictory views as to its future”.

Sims acknowledged that there is “inquiry fatigue” in the sector and he set his organisation’s own challenge by commenting that the many preceding reviews “have not been able to assess meaningfully the conflicting claims about prevailing conditions or the extent and practice of supply negotiations or even actual prices available in the market.”

To ensure the integrity of its pipeline system Nord Stream is conducting an external survey of the pipeline through the Baltic Sea. The geophysical and visual data recorded by the remotely operated vehicle is analysed to detect any changes in the exterior condition or stability of the twin high-pressure gas pipelines.

The Nord Stream pipeline system was laid through the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany along a route optimised for minimum length, minimum environmental impacts, and best geophysical properties for stability. The system comprises twin 1224 km long, 48 inch diameter, pipelines, and was constructed from 100,000 pipe segments per line, each weighing 24 tonnes with concrete weight coating.

Nord Stream puts a strong focus on security, efficiency, and integrity of the system during operations. In order to maintain the integrity of the system, a pipeline integrity-management system was established that defines a comprehensive maintenance philosophy, part of which are the external and internal inspection surveys that are conducted periodically to gather data on the pipelines’ exterior and help experts assess their integrity.

Trenchless Australasia speaks to ISTT Immediate Past Chairman Dr Samuel Ariaratnam about challenges and opportunities faced by today’s drillers – from the explosive danger of cross bores to trenchless becoming the default installation method of the future.

A passionate ambassador for the trenchless industry, Dr Samuel Ariaratnam is the Immediate Past Chairman of the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT), a Professor, a Construction Engineering Program Chair at Arizona State University, and is on the Executive Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ new Utility Engineering and Surveying Institute.

Dr Ariaratnam’s current research interests and focus areas reflect his diverse resume. One initiative he is particularly involved with in North America is the important and extremely dangerous issue of cross bores.

“Cross bores involve sewer laterals or assets that are connected to buildings or houses and are typically non-metallic and very difficult to locate,” he told Trenchless Australasia.

ACCC inquiry must cut through the contradiction

Insights into pipe selection

Nord Stream’s offshore inspection survey

As seen in Gas Today

As seen in Pipelines International

As seen in Trenchless Australasia

To read more or subscribe to Gas Today, visit gastoday.com.au

To read more or subscribe to Pipelines International, visit pipelinesinternational.com

To read more or subscribe to Trenchless Australasia, visit trenchless-australasia.com

Winter 2015 / issue 32

ESAA’s SHAUN COLEThe market’s changing; what lies ahead for our domestic demand?Page 48

Winter 2015 / issue 32

HIGHANDHow history is beingmade at Wheatstone

Grant KingWhy Australia will become the world’s LNG super powerPage 32

Reg NelsonThe man who brought Beach back from the deadPage 34

MIGHTYPage 68

HIGHANDMIGHTY

GAS_Winter_15_Cover_spread.indd 1 3/06/2015 8:33 am

JUNE 2015ISSUE 24

PIPELINE CLEANING USING SWISS PRECISION

PIPELINES IN ASIA: WHAT’S AHEAD

NORD STREAM’SWAVESMAKING

OFFSHOREREPAIR STRATEGY

PIN_JUNE15_Cover_Letter.indd 1 15/05/2015 4:11 pm

ISSUE 45 | SEPTEMBER 2015

The offcial publication of the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology.

78Dr Sam talks HDD

16Your offi cial No-Dig Down Under 2015 show guide

DOWNUNDERGOLD COAST2015

Under coast countryand


APGA MEMBERSHIP

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORSBTB (Australia) Pty LtdCloughCoe Drilling Pty LtdComdain InfrastructureConsolidated Contracting Company

Australia Pty LtdDecmil Australia Pty LtdDunstans Construction Group Pty LtdEast Coast Pipeline Pty LtdEnerflex Process Pty LtdEnscope Pty LtdGD Engineering, Construction

& ServicesGEM Industrial ServicesHowell Davies Welding Pty LtdLean Field DevelopmentsLeighton Contractors Pty LtdLend Lease Services Pty LtdLucas Engineering & Construction

Pty LimitedMcConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust)

Pty LtdMears Group IncMichels CorporationMiller Pipe & CivilMitchell Water Australia Pty LtdMonadelphous KTMoody Civil & Pipe Pty LtdMurphy Pipe and Civil ConstructionsNacap Australia Pty LtdNational Australian PipelinesOttoway Engineering Pty LtdPetroserv InternationalPIHA Pty LtdPipe & Valve Eng. Pty LtdPipeline Plant Hire Pty LtdPipemech Pty LtdProSpec Projects Pty LtdQuanta Services AustraliaReay Services GroupSpeciality Services QldSpie Capag Australia Pty LtdStreicher Australia Pty LtdThe Newham GroupToowoomba Trenching & EarthmovingTrushape Engineering Pty LtdUEA Pty LtdUnderground Services Australia Pty LtdValmec Pty LtdWDS Limited

ENGINEERING/PROJECT MANAGERSA J Stack Solutions Pty LtdAmec Foster Wheeler Australia Pty LtdAtteris Pty LtdBechtel Australia Pty LtdCapital Project Services Pty LtdEngineering Consultants New Zealand

LimitedFreyssinet AustraliaFyfeG&S Engineering Services Pty LtdGHD Pty LtdGPA Engineering Pty LtdHatch Pty LtdImatech Energy TechnologiesJohn Beever Australia Pty LtdKellogg Brown & Root Pty LtdMomentum EngineeringOSDPlexal GroupPowerflo Solutions AustraliaSunlion Piping Engineering Co., LtdWorleyParsons

MANUFACTURERS/DISTRIBUTORS OF EQUIPMENT OR MATERIALSAarbro Steel Trading Pty LtdAccutherm International Pty LtdAdtech FRP Pty LtdAmerican Augers & TrencorAnode Engineering Pty LtdAnti Corrosion Technology Pty LtdAustralian Pipeline ValveAustralian Portable CampsBao Australia Pty LtdBOC LimitedBredero Shaw Australia Pty LtdC.G. Industrial Specialties (Australia)

Pty LtdCameronCanusa CPSCapital Steel (Int) Pty LtdCarboline CoatingsCBMM Technology Suisse S.ACRC-Evans B.V.Crest Coatings (Australia) Pty LtdDEHN & SÖHNE GmbH & Co.KGDenso (Australia) Pty LtdDiamond Key International Pty LtdDulux GroupEdgen Murray Australia Pty LtdEEW Asia Pacific SteelFast Fusion, LLCFEGASFlexpipe SystemsFPKGarlock Pty LimitedGasco Pty LtdGeorg Fischer Piping SystemsGlobal Pipe (Australia) Pty LtdGlobal Supply Line Pty LtdG-TechHard Metal IndustriesHeath Pipeline Services Pty LtdHefei Ziking Steel Pipe IncHerrenknecht AGHigh Country Fusion Pty LtdInductabend Pty LtdIntelliGas GroupInternational Pipeline Services Pty LtdiPipe ServicesIplex Pipelines Australia Pty LtdJFE Steel CorporationJindal Saw LimitedKETO Pump Technology ServicesLaneWorkSafe Pty LtdLaurini Officine Meccaniche SrlLincoln Electric Company (Australia)

Pty LtdMAATS Pipeline EquipmentMarubeni-Itochu Tubulars Oceania

Pty LtdMcElroy AustraliaMining Camps Australia Pty LtdMRC GlobalNOV Fiber Glass SystemsNovafast International Pty LimitedOrrcon SteelOzzie’s Pipeline Padder IncPinard Enterprises Pty LimitedPipeline Accessory Equipment Pty LtdPipeline Actuation and ControlPipeline Inspection Company LtdPipeLine Machinery International LPPM Piping Australia Pty LtdPosition PartnersPressure Systems Pty LtdRichmondRMG Atlas Pty LtdRMT Valvomeccanica s.r.l.

Russell Fraser SalesSchmolz-Bickenbach Australia Pty LtdSchoenbeck GmbH & Co. KGScott & Ensoll Pty LtdSecuratrakSerimax Australia Pty LtdShawCor Australia Pty LtdSick Pty LtdSideline Specialty Equipment, LLCSMENCO Pty LtdSolar Turbines AustraliaSumitomo Australia Pty LtdTapex Pty LimitedTESI SPAThermal Electric ElementsTremco Pipeline Equipment Pty LtdUnited Pumps AustraliaVacuworx AustraliaValve Distributors Pty LtdValve Technology Australia Pty LimitedVermeer Sales & Service (Qld) Pty LtdVinidex Pty LtdWelding Industries of AustraliaWelspun Corp LimitedWorldpoly Pty LtdWorldwide Machinery Pipeline

DivisionWugang (Australia) Pty LtdZezt Pty Ltd

PIPELINE OWNERS/OPERATORSAPA GroupArrow Energy Pty LtdAusNet ServicesAustralian Gas Networks LimitedBrookfield Infrastructure GroupCaltex Australia Petroleum Pty LtdDBPEnergy Infrastructure Management

Pty LtdEpic Energy SA Pty LtdEsperance Pipeline CompanyEsso Australia Pty LtdGas Pipelines Victoria Pty LtdGORODOK Pty LtdHalfwave ASJemenaMultinet GasOrigin Energy LimitedPapuan Oil Search LimitedPower and Water CorporationQenos Pty LtdQGCQuadrant Energy Pty LtdQueensland Pipeline Pty LtdRefining NZSantosSouth East Australia Gas Pty LtdTas Gas NetworksVector Gas LimitedViva Energy Australia LtdWestSide CorporationWiri Oil Services LimitedWoodside Energy Ltd

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS/ REGULATORSDepartment of LandsDepartment of State DevelopmentEnergy Safe VictoriaEnvironment and Sustainable

Development Directorate

ADVISERS/ CONSULTANTSACIL Allen ConsultingAurecon Australasia Pty LtdAustralasian Safety Environment

Australian Pipelines and Gas Association Membership

APGA would particularly like to acknowledge the generous support of its Owner Members » APA Group » DBP » Epic Energy SA

Pty Ltd » Jemena » South East

Australia Gas Pty Ltd

Honorary Life MembersKen BarkerD C Core*David CurryKeith FitzgeraldLeigh FletcherRobert GrationAndrew LukasMax KimberTony MarlettaStuart McDonaldJim McDonaldAllan NewhamStephen OhlPhillip Venton *Deceased

APGA MEMBERSHIP

Training & ConsultantsCarter Newell LawyersChris Harvey ConsultingClayton UtzCNC Project Management Pty LtdCore Group LtdDNV GL Oil & GasEnergyQuest Pty LtdGrant Bowley Consulting Pty LtdIDM PartnersKD.1 Pty LtdLand Access & Management Services

Pty LtdMaloney Field ServicesMBS EnvironmentalMonarc EnvironmentalPipeline Engineering ConsultantsPlant & Platform Consultants LtdProject Consultancy Services Pty LtdRhead Group Pty LtdRLMSStockton Drilling ServicesTMS ConsultingTwycross and Partners Pty LtdURS Australia Pty LtdWKC Spatial

SERVICE PROVIDERS360 Logistics Pty LtdAlfa Test Pty LtdApplus RTD Pty LtdAPTS Pty LtdAustralian Hydrotesting Pty LtdAustralian Quality & Superintendence

Pty LtdAustralian Truck Hire Company

Pty LtdAXS Hydro Pty LtdBaker Hughes Australia Pty LtdBrooks Hire Services Pty LtdCADS SurveyContract Resources LtdCorrosion Control Engineering Pty LtdCrane Trucks R Us Pty LtdDefinium Pty LtdDowner Utilities Australia Pty LtdEngineering Education AustraliaEngineering Training AustraliaEPCM Consultants Pty LtdERIAS Group Pty LtdFugro Spatial Solutions Pty LtdFurmanite Australia Pty LtdGameco Pty LtdGreat Southern Press

ISCO Australia Pty LtdITI InternationalKevesther Pty LtdLandPartners LimitedLogiCammsMears Integrity SolutionsMipela GeoSolutionsMonkey Media EnterprisesNationWide HireNeil Mansell Transport Pty LtdNixon Communications Pty LtdOAQ 4X4 HireOceaneering AustraliaPeter Norman Personnel Pty LtdPII Pipeline SolutionsPIPEd Pty LtdPipeline Specialty Supply Services Pty

LtdQube Energy Pty LtdQuest Integrity GroupRenfrey Plant Hire ServicesRomea TrainingROSEN Asia PacificSavcor Products Australia Pty LtdT D Williamson Australia Pty LtdThe Cat Rental Store (William Adams)Thrifty Car Rental

UPT Pty LtdUT Quality AustraliaWasco Energy GroupZinfra Pty Ltd

ENERGY DISTRIBUTORATCO Gas Australia

OTHER INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONPipeline Research Council

International, Inc

APGA would also like to acknowledge the strong support of its Lead Members » Australian Truck Hire Company Pty Ltd » CNC Project Management Pty Ltd » Consolidated Contracting Company Australia Pty Ltd » Energy Infrastructure Management Pty Ltd » Esso Australia Pty Ltd » Fyfe » Herrenknecht AG » Lucas Engineering & Construction Pty Limited » McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd » Monadelphous KT » Murphy Pipe and Civil Constructions

» Nacap Australia Pty Ltd » NationWide Hire » OSD » QGC » Quanta Services Australia » ShawCor Australia Pty Ltd » Solar Turbines Australia » Spie Capag Australia Pty Ltd » WDS Limited

Individual MembersPeter BagleyJohn BarkerPaul BeukelmanJohn BlainGarth BorgeltDavid BradleyGeoff BrownKen CameronChris CarterMark CoatesAndrew CookMark CooperGeoff CopeColin CropleyPatrick Durack

Stephen DykesLawrence EarleJohn FlemingKenneth FlowersGeoff GardinerGraeme GentlesTony GreenIan GrimmerGraeme GummowLynndon HarnellGraeme HogarthKasper JakobsenBarbara JinksSteven LiddellJohn Lott

Cameron MacDiarmidCampbell MacKintoshMarie MalaxosPaul MaloneyJason MansfieldBrian MartinWendy MathiesonBruce McDonoughPeter McLennanDan MorganMick MurphyGarry O’MeallyGiulio PinzoneJohn PiperSteve Polglase

Ray ReevesAlex ShowersBob TealeAllan TerrillPeter ThomasJenny ThompsonGraeme ThorntonJasper TielandPeter TuftHoward WrightKen Wyllie


APGA MEMBERSHIP

FULL MEMBERSHIP (1) Category Applied for (please tick)

OWNER MEMBER(2)(3)

LEAD MEMBER(4)

CORPORATE MEMBER

ORGANISATION NAME: ABN:

POSTAL ADDRESS:

SUBURB: STATE: POSTCODE:

STREET ADDRESS:


PHONE: FAX:

WEBSITE:

APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVE (5)

NAME:

POSITION:

PHONE: FAX:

MOBILE: EMAIL:

ORGANISATION CHIEF EXECUTIVE (if different from above):

NAME: TITLE:

APGA POINT OF CONTACT – for distribution of APGA information within your organisation (if different from Appointed Representative)

NAME: POSITION:

POSTAL ADDRESS:


PHONE: FAX:

MOBILE: EMAIL:

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN ORGANISATION: 1-5 6-25 26-50 >51

ORGANISATION’S INTEREST IN THE PIPELINE INDUSTRY

(must tick ONE ONLY. If more than one applies, please tick the one most applicable to your business):

Adviser/Consultant Construction Contractor Energy Distributor

Engineering/Project Manager Pipeline Owner/Operator Service Provider

Manufacturer/Distributor of Equipment or Materials Government Department/Regulator

Other Industry Association (Please Specify)

SECTOR

Please indicate which of the following industry sectors you are primarily working in (please tick ONLY ONE box)

Gas Water Oil Slurry

We hereby apply for Full Membership of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association in the Category and Interest Group indicated above and agree to abide by the Association’s Constitution and any By-laws set from time to time. We attach our payment for the appropriate portion of the first year’s subscription.

SIGNED: DATE:

NOTE (1) Upon payment of the relevant fees, an organisation may hold more than one category of full membership.

(2) The appointed representative of an Owner Member should be the Chief Executive.

(3) All Owner Members are entitled to nominate up to ten Employee Members without additional subscription.

(4) All Lead members are entitled to nominate up to three Employee Members without additional subscription.

(5) All correspondence will be sent to the appointed representative, who will hold the member’s voting rights. A member’s appointed representative may be changed at any time by advising the Association’s Secretary in writing.

APGA MEMBERSHIP

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP/EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP(1) EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP

APPLICANT’S NAME:

ORGANISATION: POSITION:

POSTAL ADDRESS:


STREET ADDRESS:


PHONE: FAX:

MOBILE: EMAIL:

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION: I hereby apply for Individual Membership of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association and agree to abide by the Company’s Constitution and any By-laws set from time to time. Payment for the appropriate portion of the first year’s subscription is attached. NOTE (1): Open to any individual consultant with an interest in the pipeline or gas industries. This membership category is designed to accommodate the one-man consultants working within the pipeline and gas industries and will not be open to consulting organisations consisting of more than one person. Employees of a company will not be accepted as an Individual Member of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association unless the company employing that person is a Full Member of APGA.

EMPLOYEE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION: (Open to employees of full members of APGA) I hereby apply for Employee Membership of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association and agree to abide by the Association’s Constitution and any By-laws set from time to time. Payment for the appropriate portion of the first year’s subscription is attached.

SIGNED: DATE:

SUBSCRIPTION RATES (2015/2016 Membership year 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016)

AUSTRALIA

Membership year 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016

OWNERApplicable to owners only - fee upon application

LEAD$9,860(incl. GST)

CORPORATE1-5 Employees AUD $2,0806-25 Employees AUD $277026-50 Employees AUD $3,490>50 Employees AUD $4,350(incl. GST)

INDIVIDUAL$560(incl. GST)

EMPLOYEE$210(incl. GST)

New members joining after 1 October 2014 please contact APGA to discuss the appropriate pro-rata subscription rate. (All applications received after 15 May 2015 will be issued with an invoice for the 2015/16 membership year.)

ALL PRICES QUOTED FOR AUSTRALIAN MEMBERS INCLUDE 10% GST.

INTERNATIONAL

Membership year 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016

OWNERApplicable to owners only - fee upon application

LEADAUD $8,980

CORPORATE1-5 Employees AUD $1,9106-25 Employees AUD $2,54026-50 Employes AUD $3,180>51 Employees AUD $3,960(incl. GST)

INDIVIDUALAUD $520

EMPLOYEEAUD $190

New members joining after 1 October 2015 please contact APGA to discuss the appropriate pro-rata subscription rate. (All applications received after 15 May 2016 will be issued with an invoice for the 2016/17 membership year.)

ALL PRICES ARE IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS. A TAX INVOICE WILL BE ISSUED.

PAYMENT

EFT Bank Westpac Banking Corporation, Swift/ABA/Routing# WPACAU2S. IBAN No. 032729162756. BSB: 032-729. Account No: 16-2756.

I enclose my cheque made payable to The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association, or APGA.

Please debit my credit card (please tick) Amex Visa MasterCard Diners

CARD NUMBER: EXPIRY DATE: TOTAL AMOUNT AUD$

CARDHOLDER’S NAME: SIGNATURE:

Please return completed form with payment to: AUSTRALIAN PIPELINES AND GAS ASSOCIATION (ABN: 29 098 754 324)

PO BOX 5416, KINGSTON ACT 2604 | PHONE: (02) 6273 0577 | FAX: (02) 6273 0588

EMAIL: [email protected] | WEBSITE: www.apga.org.au


APGA EVENTS AND CONFERENCES

CORPORATE MEMBERS

Construction ContractorsPipe & Valve Eng. Pty Ltd (Dermot O’Dwyer)

Engineering/Project ManagerFreyssinet Australia (Tom Wenzel)

Manufacturer of Equipment or MaterialInternational Pipeline Services Pty Ltd (Justin Sciortino)

Advisor/ConsultantAustralasian Safety Environment Training & Consultants (Noel Stone)

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSTony GreenJasper Tieland

Queensland Gas Conference and Exhibition

www.queenslandgasconference.com.au24-25 November 2015Brisbane, Australia

Australian Domestic Gas Outlook

www.questevents.com.au8-11 March 2016Sydney, Australia

LNG 18 Conference and Exhibition

www.lng18.org12-15 April 2016Perth, Australia

APPEA Conference

www.appea.com.au5-8 June 2016Brisbane, Australia

Exhibitions and Conferences

APGA Meetings 2015-2016

APGA New Membership Approvals

What’s on

Sat 17 – Tue 20 OctoberAPGA ConventionGold Coast

Wed 18 NovemberEPCRC/RSC SeminarSydney

Thur 19 NovemberRSC MeetingSydney

Fri 20 NovemberNew Zealand Golf Day & Christmas DrinksNew Plymouth, New Zealand

Fri 27 NovemberWA Christmas LunchPerth

Fri 4 DecemberMelbourne Christmas LunchMelbourne

Wed 9 DecemberBoard Meeting (PM)Sydney

Wed 9 DecemberSydney Christmas Drinks Sydney

Fri 11 DecemberBrisbane Christmas LunchBrisbane

Thur 17 DecemberAdelaide Christmas LunchAdelaide

Wed 11 Feb 2016WA Golf/DinnerPerth

Wed 18 Feb 2016Board Meeting (afternoon)Brisbane

ADVERTISERS AND FEATURES

A J Stack Solutions Pty Ltd 108Aarbro Steel Trading Pty Ltd 56Adtech FRP Pty Ltd 100American Augers 121AMS Instrumentation & Calibration

Pty Ltd 68Anode Engineering Pty Ltd 28Astron Plastics Group 76Australian Fusion Welding 61Australian Truck Hire Company

Pty Ltd 71Australian Urethane Systems Pty Ltd 40AWS 35AXS Pty Ltd 97, 137Bredero Shaw 11Broons Hire (SA) Pty Ltd 161C.R. Kennedy 175Canusa CPS 55Consolidated Contracting Company

Australia Pty Ltd 25Crest Coatings (Australia) Pty Ltd 19Denso (Australia) Pty Ltd 69DMI International 151Dunstans Construction Group Pty Ltd 9East Coast Pipeline Pty Ltd 13Electrix 49Electro80 - Division of Automation

Partners Pty Ltd 157Enduro Pipeline Services 26Energy Infrastructure Management

Pty Ltd 31Enerpac 183Erciyas Steel Pipe Co. 127Fast Fusion, LLC 131FPK (Ferret Industries) 29Fyfe Pty Ltd 147Global Road Technology International

Limited 39

GPA Engineering Pty Ltd 113Halfwave 139Heath Pipeline Services Pty Ltd 87High Country Fusion 77Howell Davies Welding Pty Ltd 27Hydrostatic Testing of Pipelines Book 153Inductabend Pty Ltd 30Infield Impact Pty Ltd. 22International Pipeline Services Ltd 120Iplex Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd 115ISCO Industries, LLC. 125ITI International 45ITS PipeTech 51Kwik-Zip 105Laurini 135Lean Field Developments 2-3LNG 18 145LogiCamms 75Lonestar Automated Welding 72Lott Field Services Pty Ltd 112Maats B.V. 123McConnell Dowell IFCMcelroy Manufacturing Inc 80Mipela GeoSolutions 132Mitchell Water Australia Pty ltd 1Momentum Engineering 110Monadelphous Group Limited 47Murphy Pipe and Civil 23Nacap Australia Pty Ltd 17NDT Global GmbH & Co. KG 41OSD Limited 102Ottoway Engineering Pty Ltd 117Peter Norman Personnel Pty Ltd 106Pinard Enterprises Pty Ltd 21Pipe & Valve Eng 103Pipeline Inspection 67PipeLine Machinery International 53Pipeline, Plant and Offshore IBC

Pipeline Plant Hire 81Pipeline Specialty Supply Services

Pty Ltd 141Position Partners 118Pressure & Safety Systems 57Pressure Systems Pty Ltd 109Prime Drilling GmbH 148Qenos Pty Ltd 111Qube Energy 37Quest Integrity Group 107Richmond Wheels and Castors 93RMT Valvomeccanica s.r.l. 166Rosen Technology And Research

Center Gmbh 43Russell Fraser Sales Pty Ltd 174Savcor Products Australia Pty Ltd 134Sentanil Systems 133Schoenbeck GmbH & Co. KG 32Simon National Carriers 16SpieCapag Lucas 89Stockton Drilling Services 86Tapex 33TD Williamson, Inc. 91Thrifty Car Rentals 95Tremco Pipeline Equipment 4-5UPT Pty Ltd 59Vacuworx International 65Valmec 159Vermeer Sales & Service OBCVIETZ GmbH 129Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics 143Wasco Energy Group of Companies 79WDS 63Worldwide Machinery 101Zinfra Pty Ltd 73

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chief Peter Botten


THE LAST WORD

I grew up in the western Melbourne suburb of Footscray in the 1950s. During the Second World War, Footscray became what Birmingham became in England, with the large-scale construction of explosives and ammunition factories during the war. However, it was a lovely place to grow up – plenty of open spaces, sporting grounds, and everybody was patriotic toward the local football team, the Footscray Football Club.

I played a lot of sport when I was younger, and was a big supporter of the Western Bulldogs. I am thrilled, but also very surprised, about how well the club has gone in 2015, particularly after having such a difficult time in the last few years. I also played a lot of park cricket when I was younger. I love the game – I must have 600-700 books at home in the library on cricket. Some go back to 1896! I played up until I was 58, that’s how thoroughly I enjoyed it.

My first pipeline industry job was with the Defence Standards Laboratories (DSL) was in 1954. This was a great introduction to the pipeline industry firstly because I was studying metallurgy at the time, but also because it was DSL who started industrial radiography within Australia, both in Melbourne and in Sydney. I was fortunate enough to be in the Melbourne laboratories when they were using radioactive isotopes and x-ray machines, and doing a lot of the commercial work.

My favourite pipeline to work on was the Kiewa No. 1 Penstock in the Bogong High Plains in 1957. It was an 8–11 foot diameter penstock water pipeline, which brought power to the State Electricity Commission. It had a lot of highlights, but also some near misses, including occupational hazards such as crowbars tumbling down the pipe! X-ray Engineering Company was employed to do x-ray and inspection, and while we weren’t on the pipeline all the time, we worked on it over a period of three years, from around 1957 to 1959, until it was finally finished.

The most challenging pipeline I worked on was Gas & Fuel Corp’s Longford to Dandenong gas pipeline. At the time I was working for ETRS, and it was the first time that an internal x-ray crawler was used in Australia. We discovered extensive cracking in the Japanese pipe – they eventually came out and finally believed us. That all had to be repaired out in Dandenong in the stack piles. There was also small union problems, but nothing too major that affected the construction.

It was fascinating to be involved in the development of Victoria’s pipeline network in the 1950s. At the time we were doing a lot of minor pipelines, however it was during this period that we started work on larger pipelines. I was involved with

Gas & Fuel Corp’s Lurgi plant in Morwell, which supplied gas to Melbourne through the Lurgi gas pipeline. That was interesting, because before that I was only involved in four and six inch pipelines in Victoria. It was particularly interesting from a metallurgical perspective, because we were still using metallurgical handbooks dating from 1933!

I have been involved in the pipeline industry’s association since it was born in 1968. The Association has gone through many changes over the years – but all of them have been good!

The people I most admire in the pipeline industry go way back. These include people like Stuart McDonald, who helped start McConnell Dowell and was an Association president for several years. I also highly respect David Curry, an ex-BHP man, who was President for a couple of years. David brought something to the Association that was very professional. Others I admired were Grahame Campbell, who was President for three years, Gas & Fuel’s Graham Witty, who served on the executive committee for 16 years and then 13 years as Treasurer, along with Bruce Andrews and Ashley Kellett. Jim McDonald also certainly stood out as an excellent President. These people were all very good to look up to.

I am very proud to have three sons, all of whom have worked in the industry at some stage. Dale has worked for Esso, Woodside, INPEX, and early on at ETRS with me. He now works in Trinidad for an Atlantic LNG company. Steven was a gopher but, it must have assisted him to gain his PhD in Philosophy and a black belt in karate. As a 17-year-old, Robert learnt how to drive on an early Esso pipeline. He is now an environmental engineer.

The thing I most enjoy about working in the pipeline industry has been the people. They are a marvellous group of people who you establish great relationships and camaraderie whenever or where ever you meet. The industry is also very varied, and it has led me from the technical side of the industry to the marketing side, and finally getting involved in the Association.

One piece of advice I would tell to young people is that it’s a remarkable industry. It has so many variances of work scopes that you can get involved in, and there are still a lot more pipelines to be built in Australia, so it’s a great industry to get involved with and stay in.

BOB GRATION, NDT SPECIALIST, 61 YEARS IN PIPELINE INDUSTRY

What I know about pipelines

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NEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR AUSTRALIA’S GAS INDUSTRY

AUTUMN 2014 / issue 27

20 56 64MARITIME UNION STALEMATEAMMA’s Steve Knott explains the current standstill

unlocking supply chainFinding hidden savings in your operations

upskilling the industryImproving competency and expanding the workforce

AN EXPLORER’S DREAMSUPER COOPER

CONFERENCE EDITION

WINTER 2014 / issue 28

20 32 36APPEA IR REFORMSDavid Byers outlines blueprint for industry growth

Australian Global GasInterview with IGU President Jérôme Ferrier

50 YEARS YOUNGExxon celebrates Gippsland Basin Joint Venture

WITH GLNGSKY HIGH

SPRING 2014 / issue 29

12 40 72FEDERAL DEREGULATION AGENDAJosh Frydenberg discusses his plans for cutting red tape

BARROW ISLAND MILESTONEChevron marks 50 years since first oil at Barrow Island

APA RESPONDS TO MARKETThe reconfiguration of the SWQP

AN INTERVIEW WITH

RICHARD COTTEE

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