Composites repair technologies for Algeria

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 9, 2005

Furmanite has won a substantial three-year contract to supply leak sealing and composite repair services to the In Salah Gas (ISG) project in Algeria.

Furmanite has won a substantial three-year contract to supply leak sealing and composite repair services to the In Salah Gas (ISG) project in Algeria.

Under the contract, awarded by joint venture operator BP/Sonatrach/Statoil last month, Furmanite will provide design, management and implementation of specialist engineered temporary and permanent repairs to pipework, pipelines, vessels, flanges and flow control devices to maintain the safety, reliability and economic performance of the In Salah Gas project.

Furmanite will be delivering its under pressure leak-sealing and composites repair technologies on a call-off basis as required to meet these needs, including a 24/7 service to cover any emergency work.

The substantial contract applies across all the In Salah Gas project facilities, including the production facilities at Krechba, Teg and Reg fields, the Hassi R'Mel compression facility, and the interfield pipeline systems and main 460km, 48in-diameter export pipeline.

"Our range of services are geared to helping operators minimise downtime and keep their assets earning, and this is what we will be offering the In Salah Gas project", says Furmanite business development manager Mike Tucker.

"Whether designing and installing a temporary leak-sealing clamp or a undertaking a permanent repair using composites technology, these services can be applied online while production continues, avoiding unscheduled shutdown and representing potentially massive savings".

"Equally importantly, the quality we offer means we also deliver technical assurance and reliability - particularly critical given the challenging desert environment".

Commenting on the contract award In Salah Gas integrity engineer Andrew Wade said: "To date our focus has been on achieving an inherently safe, modern and efficient design with minimum emissions and discharges".

"Our focus is now on the operational organisations and systems".

"Maintaining the safety, reliability and economic performance of the ISG project is critical, and to this end we are implementing a comprehensive integrity and maintenance management programme".

"Being able to call on Furmanite's specialist expertise as required to help ensure mechanical integrity or to address issues such as corrosion is part of this programme".

In Salah Gas is a joint venture between Algerian State Oil Company Sonatrach, BP and Statoil.

The gas gathering project covers fields covering some 23,000km2 located in the Algerian Sahara, with reserves of around 200 billion cubic metres of dry gas.

The $1.8 billion Phase 1 project comprises four gas production and compression sites, with associated processing, pipeline and support infrastructure, and became operational last year producing 9 billion cubic metres a year into existing Algerian gas networks for export to markets in southern Europe.

CO2 from the produced gas is separated and re-injected into deep wells to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment.