Pipeline repair clamps off to the Caspian Sea

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jun 6, 2006

Furmanite International has been awarded a contract to supply subsea pipeline repair clamps for ACG and Shah Deniz subsea lines in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea.

Furmanite International, the specialist technical services company geared to maximising asset uptime, has been awarded a second substantial contract by the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) and BP Exploration (Shah Deniz) both operated by BP, to supply subsea pipeline repair clamps for ACG and Shah Deniz subsea lines in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea.

This follows a similar contract won by Furmanite last year.

Under the contract Furmanite will supply high pressure pipeline repair clamps, all meeting the stringent technical requirements for subsea application.

The package will provide contingency measures for the new Shah Deniz and Azeri in-field lines, including oil, gas, condensate, and water injection lines in diameters from 4 to 26in, should repairs or modifications to the lines be required.

The high pressure repair clamps being provided are engineered to accommodate design pressures ranging from up to 520bar for the 16 and 18in water injection lines and over 200bar for the 4, 6 and 12in lines, to 70bar for the 14in lines.

They include Furmanite's specialist cross-asset clamp design, developed to accommodate variations in nominal outside diameters and out-of-roundness that could otherwise prove problematic, given the varying pipe schedules that exist in the field, making the clamps a viable and high value contingency measure should the need for repair arise.

Based on the FurmaSeal concept (specifically engineered for rapid and economical on-line pressure leak repair), the scaleable cross-asset clamps deploy a system of interchangeable inserts and seals, enabling a pipe outside diameter variation of more than 30mm to be accommodated.

An exact fit on a high pressure line is crucial to maintain the seal and avoid extrusion.

Commenting on this second contract win Furmanite Business Development Manager Mike Tucker said: "We are delighted to be able to provide this subsea pipeline contingency package for AIOC, operated by BP, with whom we have a proven track record demonstrating our understanding of their requirements and our ability to respond quickly and effectively".

"This, coupled with our on-the-ground presence and commitment to Azerbaijan, plus our full design capability, has put us in an optimum position to provide this package for the Caspian region".

This contract follows a similar one last year, under which Furmanite supplied pipeline contingency repair equipment for the 185km 30in oil pipeline and 28in gas pipeline between Central Azeri and Sangachal Terminal, and the 18in in-field gas pipeline between the Central Azeri and Chirag platforms.

Furmanite has a strong presence in the Caspian, with an office in Baku complete with warehouse and fully equipped workshop facilities, giving it an enviable engineering resource in the region.

With a workforce of ex-pat engineers based in Baku and supported by Azeri personnel trained in Furmanite technologies, the company provides its full breadth of engineering services in the region, where it has successfully undertaken numerous projects.