Author Archives: Colene Woolcott

  1. International Women in Engineering Day 2018 Emma Curry

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    Growing up around Newcastle, I’ve always been aware of the large engineering presence. I’ve always been fascinated seeing how engineering works – “how does a piece of metal weighing several tonnes float in the sea?”

    • How did you start your career?

    I was 6 months into a 2-year part time masters at university when I got offered my first role in oil and gas. The company at that time was as small independent engineering firm. My experience there saw me work on a variety of different projects, alongside a number of different clients; one of which remains a firm friend nowadays.

    • What advice would you give to women looking to work in engineering?

    The best advice I can give to women looking to work within engineering is: if you want to do it, do it. Whilst oil and gas is a predominately male environment, it has never felt like it. I certainly don’t feel that there is the big divide that the media portrays there to be.

    • What does your role involve and what do you enjoy most about working for Penspen?

    I am a Senior Engineer within Asset Integrity. Despite working in the oil and gas industry for over 12 years, I have only been with Penspen for 3 months. One great thing about Penspen is the large variation of work. When I first joined Penspen I was greeted with the phrase “Welcome to the team” – one of those generic greetings. It turns out it’s not a generic greeting…I was made to feel at home straight away and everyone is so supportive – it really is one big team. I can’t thank all of the Newcastle team enough for going out of their way and making me feel so welcome. I feel as a company Penspen do not discriminate against women. I feel at Penspen they look at your ability as an engineer, rather than your gender”.

  2. International Women in Engineering Day 2018 Jacqueline Hunt

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    My Job

    As a Senior Process Engineer I have a number of responsibilities. My primary role is the design and specification of various

    As a Senior Process Engineer I have a number of responsibilities. My primary role is the design and specification of various process systems for onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities and pipelines. A lot of what I do is centred around safety. As a team of chartered engineers we have a duty to ensure we have considered all the potential hazards associated with our process and minimised the risks.

    As well as large detailed design projects, I lead smaller assignments and conceptual studies. Every project I encounter is different and I work hard to expand my knowledge to ensure I am always competent in my role. As a senior engineer, I also contribute to the development of the department by producing technical guidelines and calculation templates for others to use and identifying training opportunities.

    The best parts of my job are the problem-solving aspects – exploring ideas with my colleagues and working towards a solution. I enjoy working as a team, both within the Process department and across a whole project. I feel a sense of achievement seeing a design evolve from concept to commissioning and operation.

    The role of an engineer stretches beyond technical work. Process engineers at all levels must be able to handle challenging clients and learn to juggle workloads and ever-changing priorities. By taking on a lead role, I am responsible for balancing the need for technical excellence with the demands of the clients’ schedules. I have to assess the competency of my team and provide guidance and supervision to junior members.

    Career Highlights

    I am most proud of the contribution I made to the design of the Knarr FPSO gas dehydration module, as I progressed from having no prior knowledge of the process to being the Lead Process Engineer on the job. The unit was successfully commissioned by the Bristol Process team and is in now in operation.

    The Western Isles FPSO was a huge undertaking for the company and as a result, the process engineering teams in Bristol and Singapore swelled to around 20 engineers. I had a key role in designing the gas compression train. I ensured my team produced high quality work to a tight schedule and liaised with vendors and the client on important aspects of the design.

    The Future

    My plan for the future is to develop my role as a Lead Engineer. With solid grounding in engineering principles I can move between industries and take opportunities to expand my knowledge and capabilities.

  3. Early Production Facilities

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    Maximising recovery in the modern oil and gas industry means maximising financial returns as quickly as possible. One way to do this is through early production facilities (EPFs), which provide operators with a flexible, relatively low cost solution for bringing discoveries on stream in rapid time and opportunities for early cash flow generation with a minimal outlay in capex and opex.

    EPFs can deliver fast track real time insight into initial well, reservoir or infrastructure performance, generating income and assisting field evaluations in advance of the deployment of more expensive and longer-term systems. Furthermore, because of the relatively small financial commitment required, they can be well suited to the exploitation of smaller, marginal or remote reserves which may be economically too risky to run with a more costly permanent production facility.

    Penspen’s EPF engineering and construction management capabilities cover a wide range of services designed to help operators move hydrocarbons from the wellhead to the export pipeline as quickly as possible. That can be through highly efficient gas compression and dehydration systems, crude oil treatment, stabilisation, metering and pumping or through production water treatment to injection wells. It also includes all the necessary support systems including power generation services, fuel gas systems, instrument air, control systems, fire and gas systems and the miscellaneous  utilities that can be part of the EPF process.

    A major international oil and gas service company selected Penspen to provide detailed engineering support for the planning and construction of a gas, oil and water processing facility in the Middle East. The production facility includes gas, oil, and water separation, oil export, gas treatment, effluent water treatment and disposal, sulphur recovery and associated systems.

    The customer required a partner that could deliver multi disciplinary detailed engineering expertise, including PDMS and 3D modelling. Penspen engineering team, out of our Abu Dhabi office, successfully supported the client by providing the necessary detailed engineering and PDMS 3D modelling within a tight and challenging tight frame.

    Following the success of this project, we were chosen to carry out a similar scope of work for another Middle East production facility. The facility also includes gas, oil and water separation, oil processing, oil export, gas treatment, effluent water treatment and disposal, a sulphur recovery unit and associated systems.

    Penspen have the capability and experience to deliver fast, cost-effective solutions that bridge the gap between discovery and profitable production.

  4. ADNOC In-Country Value (ICV) Certification

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    Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) have recently launched the In-Country Value (ICV) strategy, which aims to strengthen relationships with the UAE’s private sector. Businesses must now complete an ICV assessment as part of their partnership with ADNOC, which will form part of the tender evaluations and award process.

    Introduced in February 2018, the new strategy is procurement led and designed to increase ADNOC’s ICV contribution. In order to do this, they will be focusing on the selection of local suppliers, the development of UAE nationals and the localisation of critical functionalities in the oil and gas industry.

    ADNOC will undertake a series of strategic initiatives as the ICV strategy continues to develop. These will include:

    • Strategic identification of suppliers and long-term collaboration
    • Developing of key procurement categories for small and medium sized local companies
    • Sharing future CAPEX and OPEX spending plans to encourage investment in the UAE
    • Focused training programs facilitated for Emiratis, increasing the employability of the local workforce

    Penspen welcomes the implementation of ADNOC’s ICV strategy and the value it will bring to the UAE oil and gas industry, as well as to the country.

    Through our Abu Dhabi office, we have provided onshore and offshore engineering and project management services to the UAE oil and gas industry for over 40 years. We have successfully completed more than 250 projects during this time.

    We have helped our clients to develop new energy assets and rehabilitate existing brownfield assets through customised engineering solutions. As a multi-discipline company, we combine quality and technical excellence with agility, providing the full range of services over the complete lifecycle of a project.

    With an engineering workforce of over 200 personnel based in our Abu Dhabi offices, we offer detailed engineering and project management services. Our areas of expertise include conceptual and feasibility studies, basic and FEED, detailed design, operability and risk assessment. We also provide project management and procurement services, as well as engineering support to EPC contractors.

  5. Penspen awarded PIMS extension for Chilean mine

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    Penspen, a leading global provider of engineering and project management services to the energy industry, has been awarded a nine-month contract extension to provide pipeline integrity management systems (PIMS) for Chile’s Minera Los Pelambres copper mine, the fifth largest in the world, by Antofagasta Minerals.

    Penspen was first employed to work on the project – located at 3,600m above sea level in the Andes Mountains and 200km north of Santiago de Chile – in 2010, when it conducted a gap analysis. Two years later, it developed a PIMS, corrosion management system, risk assessment and risk based inspection (RBI) and began providing specialist training for operations and maintenance staff at the mine. In 2014, Penspen implemented its PIMS and corrosion management system. It also introduced emergency plans, technical notes, a RBI update and provided in-line inspection support.

    With this latest contract extension, Penspen will continue with the implementation of the PIMS and will provide additional technical assistance.

    The work undertaken by Penspen will minimise the probability and consequences of failure to the 320km pipeline, which transports fluids from the mine.

    Penspen’s Carl Mook, ‎EVP Americas, said: “This contract extension win marks the continuation of a great partnership between Antofagasta Minerals and Penspen.

    This is a really interesting project due to its mountain location and the different geological and technical challenges that may arise. I am delighted that Penspen can both continue to support the project with our PIMS, and provide staff at the mine with the requisite training to ensure the continued health and longevity of the pipelines.”

    Ignacio Rivera, Penspen’s General Manager Asset Integrity, Chile, added:

    “I am immensely proud of the work which Penspen’s mining team has undertaken. It is because of their exceptional work ethic and dedication that we have secured this extension to the contract.”

    The Minera Los Pelambres project was the first mining-related venture for Penspen, but the company has since undertaken a number of mining projects across Chile and Peru, as more businesses realise the potential of using pipelines to transport minerals and associated products.

     

  6. Penspen forms an alliance with Crestech Engineering Ltd

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    Penspen, a leading provider of engineering and project management services to the energy industry, announces that it has signed a strategic alliance agreement with Nigerian engineering firm Crestech.

     

    The partnership will enable the two businesses to provide engineering, project management and asset integrity services and operation and maintenance services for oil, gas and energy assets in Nigeria. This project will combine Penspen’s global expertise with Crestech’s strong domestic reputation.

     

    Penspen has been active in Sub-Saharan Africa since 1972 and carried out a number of strategic projects in Nigeria including the Escravos – Lagos Gas Transmission System and Nigeria’s National Petroleum Products Pipelines and Depots. Over the past 12 months, Penspen has been working on a number of vital regional projects including the West Africa Gas System project for ECOWAS.

     

    Crestech currently offers engineering and project management services to oil & gas companies and other energy assets across Nigeria and West Africa.

     

    Penspen’s Vice President Europe & Africa, Neale Carter, said: “We are very pleased to be joining forces with Crestech to bring new opportunities to the Nigerian market. We see this alliance as the ideal way to further build on our presence in Nigeria.

     

    “The skill sets of the two companies are very complimentary; Penspen can offer services across an entire project lifecycle, from engineering design to asset management and integrity, and covering the full range of offshore production facilities, from subsea production systems to oil and gas transportation networks, as well as expertise in offshore engineering for floating production units, platforms and subsea structures. Crestech, meanwhile, have excellent local market knowledge and experience. We look forward to exploring many new possibilities together”.

     

    The Managing Director of Crestech, Peter Tabiowo, adds: “Crestech is delighted with this joint alliance with Penspen to further enhance and consolidate our expertise in the network of crude oil, multi-products, gas pipeline, depots/terminals as well as the onshore, offshore and deep water platforms in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. This alliance will undoubtedly bring the requisite technical skills gaps locally and eventually reduce costs of engineering projects in the industry in the very near future.”

     

    ENDS

     

     

     

    For more information please contact:

     

    Jo Roberts | Marketing Communications Manager

    Penspen Ltd | 3 Water Lane, Richmond upon Thames, Surrey. TW9 1TJ

    T +44 (0) 208 334 2700 | D +44 (0) 208 334 2815

    W www.penspen.com | E j.roberts@penspen.com

     

  7. Seasons Greetings from Penspen

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    We would like to wish all of our clients, suppliers, partners, friends and supporters a very happy Christmas and a successful 2017.

  8. Penspen collaborates with the industry to enhance standards for pipeline integrity

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    Penspen, a leading global provider of engineering, asset management and integrity services to the energy industry, is pleased to announce the launch of its Pipeline Defect Assessment Manual (PDAM), second edition. This 456-page best-practice guide is a collaborative industry venture, involving a number of leading oil and gas companies, which collates expert advice and guidance for pipeline engineers.

     

    The PDAM project commenced in 1999 and was originally developed to address the industry need to have a single document that contained definitive advice to assist pipeline engineers in maintaining pipeline integrity. Since its creation, the manual has become widely recognised as leading reference material in the pipeline industry and as a result the content has been embedded into the standard procedures of many of its sponsors.

     

    The manual contains the detailed methods needed to assess a variety of defects commonly found in pipelines. The best available methods are presented in a simple and easy to reference manner. The pipeline defect assessment literature reviews are written and peer reviewed by internationally recognised experts within the pipeline integrity industry to provide a sound technical basis for the recommended methods contained within PDAM.

     

    The updates in this second edition include the following:

     

    • A new chapter on fatigue assessment guidance.
    • A new literature review of mechanical damage, fatigue, weld defects, cracking, fracture propagation and subsea integrity issues and associated assessment methods.
    • A general update of the manual to improve guidance clarity and additional worked examples.

     

    Nigel Curson, EVP Technical Excellence, Penspen, said:

     

    “We have put a lot of work into ensuring that this guide contains the go-to reference material for assessing pipeline defects. Many of our sponsors have saved a considerable amount of time, effort and money by referencing PDAM, which has in many instances enabled them to avoid unnecessary and costly damage repairs.

    It’s a collaboration which works and which benefits everyone involved.”

     

    PDAM membership currently stands at 33 international sponsors comprising operators, regulatory bodies, consultancies and inspection companies. The project continues to be updated and developed as more sponsors join. Sponsors are able to dictate the direction of the manual in order to address their current pipeline integrity topics and concerns.

     

    Current sponsors include: ADMA-OPCO, Atteris, BG Group, BP plc, Canadian Natural Resources International, Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA, Chevron Energy Technology Company, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Corporation, China Petroleum Pipeline Inspection Technologies, Compania Operadora de Gas del Amazonas, DNV GL, Equity Engineering, ExxonMobil, Engie, HSE, MACAW, Mero, FGSZ Ltd, National Grid, Open Grid Europe, Petrobras, PII Pipeline Solutions, PGN, Promigas, , Saipem UK, Samarco, SASOL, Shell,, SNAM Rete Gas SpA, Statoil ASA, Toho Gas Company Ltd, Total and Woodside Energy Ltd.

     

    To find out more, please visit www.penspen.com/capabilities/services/software-tools/pdam

     

    ENDS

  9. Penspen awarded Detailed Engineering Services contract for works on ADCO’s Bab and Asab fields

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    Penspen, a leading global provider of engineering and project management services to the energy industry, has signed an agreement with Matrix Construction to provide modification works at Bab and Asab fields, located west of Abu Dhabi. The fields are owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations Ltd (ADCO).

     

    Earlier this year, ADCO commissioned a project to upgrade the facilities at the fields, in order to improve reliability, integrity and performance. Penspen has been sub-contracted the detailed engineering works by Matrix Construction, the EPC contractor.

     

    The works on Bab and Asab fields comprise of planned modifications and improvements on non-associated gas facilities.

     

    Penspen previously carried out the FEED work for this project and is therefore well positioned to deliver a highly successful outcome.

     

    Chafic Mansour, Project Manager at Matrix Construction, says: “We chose to work with Penspen because they presented a highly competent team to us, with a strong mix of skills which will complement our requirements, particularly in the Instrument and Control arena. What’s more, since Penspen had already completed excellent work on the FEED, we had confidence that they were the best team for the job.”

     

    Michael Simm, EVP Middle East and APAC, Penspen, adds: “We have worked on a number of ADCO projects and I’m delighted to be working with Matrix Construction in helping to upgrade the instrumentation and controls performance of these two key fields.”