N E W S   R E L E A S E   from  FURMANITE  AUSTRALIA

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FAP/0706
14 May 2007

Specialist subsea expertise contract goes to Furmanite

Furmanite Australia, the technical services company geared to maximising asset uptime, is to undertake a project enabling a branch tie-in to a subsea oil and wet gas line, on-line, without interrupting production, under a contract awarded to the company by Apache Energy.

Furmanite is to undertake a subsea hot tap into the 12 inch line, operating at 86 bar to tie in the eight inch branch at 24 metres depth off the Varanus Island oil and gas processing facility on the North West Shelf, as part of a field extension project.

The process will involve drilling in to the line using a drilling machine, plus hot tap fitting and appropriately rated full-bore valve. A pilot drill is used to break through the pipe wall, and the pressure is contained by the valve. The drilling process continues to complete the cut, and the cutter and coupon (the disc produced by the process) are withdrawn into the void above the valve, enabling the branch connection to be tied in, with no disruption to production.

A number of factors make subsea hot tapping more complex, from practical issues such as visibility and use of hydraulic actuators for ease of installation, to considerations such as external water pressure and the need to keep the pressure balanced across the machine

Furmanite has extensive, proven hot tapping and line stopping expertise, which was further extended following the company’s acquisition of Flowserve GSG including Ipsco last year, with the capability to undertake subsea hot taps and line stops at depths to 300 metres. Its experience in the field includes what is believed to have been the world’s largest subsea hot tap on a 36 inch main sour gas line at 150 metres depth.

The project for Apache Energy is scheduled to take place in late September, and will take about two days to complete.“Subsea hot tapping is a highly specialised area in which Furmanite has considerable specialist expertise globally, but to date it has not been widely applied in Australia,” Furmanite WA business manager Martin Hurst said. “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract as an opportunity to demonstrate our capability.”

For further press information contact:

Sarah Manwaring-White, Keep in Touch Ltd,
Tel: +44 (0)1451 844 488  Email: sarah_mw@keepintouch.co.uk

Issued on behalf of Furmanite Australia
www.furmanite.co.uk