N E W S R E L E A S E
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July 7, 2004
Furmanite Introduces New Product to Oil and Gas Customers
SmartShim™ Solves the Problem of Wellhead Movement in Offshore Drilling; Achieves Outstanding Results for Shell Expro
Houston, TEXAS (July 7, 2004) - Furmanite, the world’s first and largest industrial specialty maintenance service company, announced today the introduction of SmartShim™TM to its North American customer base - a revolutionary new product that significantly reduces excessive wellhead movement caused by wave action on casing conductors.
"Furmanite’s customers around the world are already reaping tremendous benefits by using this truly effective and state-of-the-art conductor analysis and chocking solution," says Gary Gardner, President of Furmanite America. "We’re looking forward to providing our customers here at home a way to ensure their offshore sites remain productive, powerful and profitable."
Furmanite and its European project management supplier, AMEC, introduced the SmartShim™ (patent pending) to the oil and gas industry in 2002, and are now able to provide North American customers with a full-service solution - from on-site measurement, design and Finite Element Analysis (FEA), to manufacture and on-site casting of the chocks. Oversees, this alliance and the SmartShim™ Solution have consistently delivered exceptional results. One such success story is the recent initiative on the Shell Expro platform ‘Nelson’ located in the North Sea. This job was the largest SmartShim™ installation undertaken to date.
"The problem of extreme wellhead movement is recognized throughout the oil and gas industry," says Ken Brown, senior mechanical engineer at Shell. "There is no doubt that when serious damage does occur, the safety implications and costs of shutdown and replacement are significant. The SmartShim™ solution and accompanying FEA seems to provide an innovative and reliable alternative. We’re truly delighted with results to date."
Following extensive FEA by AMEC, it became apparent that the SmartShim™ was needed at the Nelson offshore site. Furmanite technicians installed the SmartShim™ on eleven 26-inch conductors, each at elevations of 46 feet and 75 feet. Overall, Furmanite installed approximately 90 chocks at the site.
"The Shell initiative is certainly the most comprehensive use of our chocking service to date," says Graham McKay, business manager at Furmanite. "Through the combination of accurate analysis and installation of the cast-in-situ SmartShim™ chocks, we’ve been able to achieve significant reduction in wave-induced wellhead movement at the Nelson site, as well as a corresponding increase in fatigue life of flow lines."
A Solution unlike any Other
Traditional repair methods such as solid rubber, wood or plastic chocks are extremely unreliable - breaking, falling out or unable to be properly inserted at all. But the SmartShim™ is unlike any other repair method. It overcomes the potential danger posed by the damaging effects of wave action on conductor tubes with a solution that is tailored on-site for each specific application.
The SmartShim™ is designed to achieve the resilience required to hold the conductor firmly in place, prevent damage in the guides, and provide sufficient absorption qualities necessary to avoid further shock damage. Each SmartShim™ is fitted on-site to the exact required dimensions, eliminating all difficulties related to fitting or staying in place.
The result of utilizing the SmartShim™ technology is a tailored chock that fits perfectly, stays in place, and meets the wear resistance strength and ‘elasticity’ requirements needed to provide an ideal, long-lasting solution.
About Furmanite
2004 represents 75 years of Furmanite serving as ‘the’ worldwide expert in the field of on-site and on-line plant and pipeline maintenance for a variety of industries - chemical and petrochemical, oil and gas, power generation, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, and national defense. Their broad array of specialty services and patented technology are critical to the operation and financial success of some of the world’s largest process manufacturers and energy producers and suppliers including Shell, ExxonMobil, Sun Oil, Dominion, Exelon, Cinergy, Entergy and Reliant. Furmanite has more than 40 offices on five continents. Its website is www.furmanite.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Sales and Product Information
Karen Hollas
Furmanite America
1-800-444-5572
khollas@furmaniteusa.com
Elizabeth Peichel
Furmanite/Immedia Communications
972-312-8344
Peichel@comcast.net