Keywords
Citation
(1999), "New facility in Hartlepool", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 46 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.1999.12846fab.010
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
New facility in Hartlepool
New facility in Hartlepool
Keywords: British Steel, Pipelines, Insulators
At the recent offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas British Steel Tubes & Pipes and US pipe insulation specialist Perma-Pipe Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MFRI Inc., signed a Memorandum of Understanding to start-up a new facility at the British Steel Hartlepool Pipe Mill complex.
The company informs us that the plant will produce high efficiency polyurethane foam (PUF) insulated pipe-in-pipe, primarily for subsea applications, in lengths of up to 24 metres. "By forming an alliance with Perma-Pipe we will open up the benefits of proven technology from the US to the North Sea market. And, with the facility on the Hartlepool site, where we already make line pipe and coated line pipe, we can produce more economically and ship directly from the Hartlepool deep water port", says Ray Prince, manager of British Steel's Project Line Pipe team.
David Unger, chairman, president and chief executive officer of MFRI, said, "We are pleased with this vote of confidence in Perma-Pipe by one of the world's leading steel companies, and look forward to demonstrating the value of our technologies at another international site".
As well as manufacturing injected PUF pipe-in-pipe, plans are in place to bring the Perma-Pipe developed PROTherm system to the plant. It is thought that the technology using spray on polyurethane insulation will open up new possibilities for functionally optimised and engineered solutions in the North Sea oil and gas market. PROtherm was introduced in the Gulf of Mexico in 1998 where some 75 miles of insulated pipe were manufactured and delivered to a major international oil operator.
The excellent properties claimed of Perma-Pipe's PUF mean a pipeline insulation of 0.7W/m2K can be economically specified.
Through its specialist TSSL (Tubular Supply Services Limited) team British Steel reports that it is able to offer a total solution package including integrated system design management and engineering consultancy. In addition TSSL will co-ordinate material procurement, pipe-in-pipe manufacture, bend and spool fabrication, anti-corrosion coating, qualification testing and delivery.