April 23rd, 2010
We at Chemipetro supply a wide range of pipe fittings and flanges for the oil and gas industries. However, there are still many old, corroded flanges causing immense damage to marine and freshwater environments. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to identify the source, and thus fine the guilty company.
An exciting new invention by Saudi Aramco scientists looks set to change that. The state-owned company, which is the world’s largest oil-producer, has an R&D team who are constantly at the forefront of oil research. Now, they have developed a laser system that can identify and catalogue an oil leakage from its unique fluorescence spectrum fingerprint, in just a few nanoseconds.
Robust enough to withstand challenging field conditions, the multipurpose laser device is safe, transportable and easy to use. The company is now working on a helicopter version that will detect and identify water seepage from leaking pipe flanges – a considerable advancement on current methods, which involves personnel having to examine pipe fittings in often treacherous conditions.
The company say their fluorescence fingerprint identification method will quickly and easily identify the exact grade and commercial origin of each type of oil, and is a major advancement in environmental safety.
Badly corroded and poorly maintained flanges are totally avoidable. Often, they are due to mismanagement and overzealous budgeting, by companies who think they are beyond detection. Hopefully, Aramco’s new system will encourage these companies to get rid of their faulty pipe fittings, and install high quality flanges like those supplied by us at Chemipetro instead.
Tags: high quality flanges, industrial pipe flanges, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Flanges, pipe replacements
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February 18th, 2010
Despite the economic uncertainty and possible concern about lower energy use, companies like Transco are prospering. There is currently a project in the pipeline – excuse the pun – which will provide an additional 142,000 dekatherms of natural gas transportation capacity by November 2012.
This ambitious project, called the Transco Mid-Atlantic Connector pipeline expansion, will serve the growing demands of the region. It will interconnect with East Tennessee Natural Gas and deliver fuel as far North as Maryland, with extra connections at Columbia Gas Transmission, Dominion Transmission and Dominion Cove Point. This will involve a massive number of pipe fittings and flanges, in high quality alloys designed to withstand a range of environmental conditions. There is a high risk of failure in gas pipelines, both underwater and below ground, hence the pipe fittings used must be able to resist corrosion, pressure stresses and so on.
Transco is seemingly committed to finding ‘greener’ energy solutions and say there is a growing need for clean-burning natural gas – despite the numerous calls for alternative energy sources with less of a carbon footprint. It’s not hard to see why their case has admirers. Ecological solutions are still expensive to implement and the safety of other alternatives like nuclear power is disputed. Provided the pipe fittings are checked regularly, natural gas is safe and cheap to produce; it’s also a familiar and trusted product.
We at Chemipetro supply high-quality alloy pipe fittings and flanges to a range of energy industries, including natural gas. The Transco project is just one of a number of pipeline expansions planned across the globe.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, Flanges, high quality flanges, Pipe Fittings, Pipe Flanges
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February 16th, 2010
As long ago as the 1990s, the dangers of substandard flanges in the petrochemical industry were highlighted, with a series of accidents in the petrochemical sector. Among the causes of explosions and fires were mismatched pipe fittings, inferior alloys and poorly manufactured flanges.
The plants were often situated outside the most prosperous nations in the world, but affluent conglomerates (based in the US, Canada or Europe) were often involved in the resource allocation. What is more, these accidents continue today – and they’re not always happening outside the wealthy nations. In the US, there have been hundreds of accidents in the last decade, often attributable to poorly maintained pipe systems.
Some companies import poorly manufactured, low-quality alloy pipe fittings from developing countries where industrial standards are non-existent, and operate a Health and Safety system which ensures flanges are not replaced when they show signs of imminent failure. Although these plants may be often located offshore, or in developing nations, the current economic climate means there is a danger of these poorly manufactured, potentially dangerous pipe flanges finding their way into the UK. There is concern they will arrive disguised to look like an industry-level product.
The answer is, of course, to only buy ANSI (or similar) BS industry standard flanges in high quality alloy, from trusted suppliers such as us at Chemipetro. After fitting, perform regular safety checks to ensure there are no leaks or corroded areas around the welds or joins. That way, the only way your plant will get in the news will be due to industrial excellence.
Tags: alloy pipe fittings, Flanges, high quality flanges, Pipe Fittings
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