Author Archives: Colene Woolcott

1. Penspen opens new country headquarters in Villahermosa, Mexico

   April 7, 2014 9:10 am Leave a Comment

   International oil and gas engineering group Penspen has opened a new headquarters in Villahermosa, Mexico. The office will expand on Penspen’s existing presence in Ciudad del Carmen, which currently undertakes a wide range of integrity, engineering and project management work including the maintenance of a large proportion of PEMEX’s oil and gas Facilities in the country.

   The Villahermosa office will enable Penspen to draw on its 15 year history in the country, setting up a new centre of technical excellence and doubling in size from 50 to 100 employees. It will also enable the company to broaden its activities in performance improvement of oil and gas infrastructure, as well as oil and gas operations and maintenance.

   The new headquarters will specialise in Asset Integrity Management, Asset Management, Onshore and Offshore Facilities Design, and Project Management. There will also be a particular emphasis on specialist training, as well as a new diploma in pipeline integrity and maintenance presented by Penspen engineers at Juárez Autonomous University of Tabasco. Penspen is also part of a unique collaboration with PEMEX and other key players to establish best practice standards across the region.

   Penspen’s Chief Executive, Peter O Sullivan, said:

   “As Mexico’s oil and gas industry opens up to further collaboration with international companies, there is increasing demand for Penspen’s services in the country and surrounding region. Our new centre of technical excellence in Villahermosa will allow us to meet this increasing demand, whilst continuing to provide the same responsive, high-calibre service to our existing clients.”

2. Penspen awarded feasibility study contract for regional pipeline in East Africa

   January 21, 2014 9:10 am Leave a Comment

   We are pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract to undertake a feasibility study for the Kampala-Kigali segment of the Eldoret-Kampala-Kigali pipeline. This project builds on Penspen’s history of pipeline work in the region which included the development of the Kenyan pipeline system in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

   An initiative of the Kenyan, Ugandan and Rwandan governments, the pipeline will deliver refined petroleum products from Kampala, Uganda to Kigali, Rwanda, eliminating the need for current tanker transportation methods. Upon completion in 2017, the Eldoret-Kampala-Kigali pipeline will offer economic and environmental benefits by safely and efficiently delivering petroleum products to some countries in East Africa and the Great Lakes Region. In addition, the pipeline will reduce transportation costs and promote business within the region.

   The pipeline is one of several projects of the Tripartite Initiative (between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda) that aims to accelerate regional development in the area through investment in infrastructure, trade and economic integration projects within the region. Other major projects lined up include the $3.5 billion Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali standard railway track and a regional power transmission line.

   Peter O’Sullivan, CEO of Penspen commented: “I am delighted that Penspen has been selected for this project. We are keen to contribute to the economic growth of this region through the development of oil and gas infrastructure, and we have a strong history of success in East Africa.”

   For further information, please contact:

   Jackie Spencer
   Corporate Communications Manager
   j.spencer@penspen.com

3. Our training courses now accredited by the Energy Institute

   December 4, 2013 9:10 am Leave a Comment

   Penspen has been accredited as an Approved Training Provider of the Energy Institute (EI) for its high quality of training provision in the global energy sector.

   With many years of experience in pipeline engineering, operations, maintenance and integrity training, Penspen has trained over 5000 people in over 30 countries globally. Our training curriculum includes public and in-house courses, university lectures, and postgraduate academic programmes.

   This accreditation is part of our commitment to consistently offering leading edge expertise to our clients. It builds on our existing reputation within the energy sector as a recognised training provider for continuing professional development, and augments our status as an Approved Training Partner with the Pipeline Industry Guild.

   As the leading chartered professional body for the energy industry, the Energy Institute supports individuals and companies in over 100 countries worldwide. It is licensed by the Engineering Council (UK) to offer Chartered, Incorporated and Engineering Technician status to engineers, the Science Council to award Chartered Scientist status, and also licensed by the Society for the Environment to award Chartered Environmentalist status.

   This accreditation brings many benefits to course attendees, including:

   • One year affiliate membership to the Energy Institute

   • Credit towards continuing professional development requirements

   • Independent quality assurance

   “I am delighted that the Energy Institute has accredited our courses,” said Peter O’Sullivan, CEO of Penspen. “This demonstrates the high quality of our training programmes and provides the confidence to those who undertake our courses that the training they receive is delivered to a widely accepted international standard.”

   For further information, please contact:

   Jackie Spencer
   Corporate Communications Manager
   j.spencer@penspen.com

4. Penspen celebrates outstanding safety record in Khafji

   October 10, 2013 9:10 am Leave a Comment

   This summer, Penspen’s Khafji Joint Operations project for Saudi Aramco and Kuwait Oil Company reached a significant milestone celebrating 3 million hours without lost time injury by personnel from the DAR/Penspen joint venture. With over 250 staff working on this project, significant time and effort is expended to ensure the safety of everyone visiting or working at the client site.

   “This is a tremendous achievement of which the team at Khafji should be very proud,” said Peter O’Sullivan, CEO. “Our highest priority when we work in the office or on site is the safety of our employees and the people they work with. Our health and safety policies and systems are designed to support this objective. By achieving such a significant milestone it is clear that the team at Khafji have embedded these within their working culture which we should all share as our ultimate goal. Congratulations to all of our people in Khafji who are making this happen!”

   Since the initial 6 year contract award in 2005 by Al Khafji Joint Operations (KJO, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Kuwait Oil Company), this Dar Al Handasah/Penspen Joint Venture has continued to offer exceptional service to the client resulting in the subsequent award of another 5 year contract in 2011. Throughout this time, Penspen has managed the successful completion of several large scale projects, including offshore platform and pipeline installation, onshore oil and gas and water treatment facilities, and work extending to all areas of the Khafj operation, located in northern Saudi Arabia on the border with Kuwait.

   By delivering high calibre engineering expertise and HSE performance, both in dedicated project teams and the Project Support Core Team, Penspen has established a solid reputation within KJO for offering reliable Project Management, Project Execution and Project Control services and these have contributed to the success of KJO projects.

   For further information, please contact:

   Jackie Spencer
   Corporate Communications Manager
   j.spencer@penspen.com

5. Penspen launches new Integrity Management Systems business

   September 25, 2013 9:11 am Leave a Comment

   Owing to a growing portfolio of work in the field of Integrity Management Systems (IMS), we are pleased to announce the launch of a specialised IMS business division within our Integrity stream.

   IMS offer an integrated approach to the proactive management of assets be they pipelines, terminals, pump stations or more complex facilities, throughout an asset’s life cycle. Penspen’s IMS provide a comprehensive set of arrangements whereby the asset owner’s objectives are established, monitored, measured and achieved throughout the design, procurement, construction, commissioning, operation, inspection, maintenance, repair and modification activities and are focussed towards ensuring the safety and reliability of an asset.

   Led by Dennis Keen, Business Manager, Penspen’s IMS team will be supported by Malcolm Toft, Chris Movley and Oliver Hodgson.

   “IMS has developed substantially over the last year or two, with facilities, slurry pipelines and offshore structures being added to our portfolio,” said Nigel Curson, Director, Penspen Integrity. This growth has generated much work for other parts of the business and solidified IMS as an important opportunity for Penspen. The expansion of our Integrity team reflects Penspen’s growing reputation as a first class provider of integrity services.”

6. Peter O’Sullivan appointed as new CEO of Penspen Group

   September 2, 2013 9:10 am Leave a Comment

   The Penspen Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter O’Sullivan as Group CEO effective today.

   Peter is a seasoned business leader with a strong track record in the oil and gas industry. He joins Penspen after 7 years as Chief Operating Officer at Caithness Petroleum where he was responsible for the development of its exploration and production assets in the UK, Morocco and the USA.

   Prior to Caithness Petroleum, Peter spent over 9 years as a consultant for clients in the energy industry working for global firms Booz & Co. and Accenture.

   “I am thrilled to be a part of the Penspen team,” said Peter. “With nearly 60 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, Penspen is well recognised for its technical leadership and engineering expertise. I am excited at the company’s prospects for the future and look forward to building on the success already achieved, whilst continuing to deliver first class engineering services for our clients.”
   Peter began his career as an oil and gas field engineer for Caterpillar. He holds a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University College Dublin, an MSc with distinction from the University of Edinburgh and an MBA from INSEAD.

   For further information, please contact:

   Jackie Spencer
   Corporate Communications Manager
   j.spencer@penspen.com

   Click here to download a PDF version of the news release.

7. Penspen partners with Northumbria University to launch MSc in Pipeline Integrity Management

   June 6, 2013 9:11 am Leave a Comment

   Penspen is pleased to announce the launch of a new Masters (MSc) programme in Pipeline Integrity Management at Northumbria University, UK. This is Penspen’s second MSc programme developed in partnership with Northumbria, the first being an MSc in Business with Pipeline Integrity Management.

   The Pipeline Integrity Management MSc programme is designed to equip engineers with both theoretical and practical pipeline engineering knowledge, and directly address the world-wide shortage of skilled pipeline engineers.

   MSc Graduates in Pipeline Integrity Management will be equipped with relevant skills to deal with the special problems facing pipelines: assessing pipeline damage, assessing risk, and corrosion problems, as well as general knowledge in pipeline engineering. Drawing on the expertise of industry experts at Penspen, students will receive a holistic view of pipeline integrity including the history, theory, and foundations of the technologies they will use.

   “This is a fantastic achievement by Penspen, and part of our Knowledge Management project, led by our Knowledge Manager, Michelle Unger,” said Dr. Phil Hopkins, Technical Director at Penspen. “Penspen has been recognised as a world class provider of training courses for many years, but we are now the leader in providing masters level education in pipeline engineering. Many of our clients are placing their staff on these courses, and the learning materials produced by this project are now being offered to our clients on a license basis, which offers a revenue stream to create more materials and programmes.”

   The Masters typically takes 36 months to complete and is available with January and September starts. Registration is now open for all courses beginning in September 2013. For more details, please click here.

   For further information, please contact:

   Jackie Spencer
   Corporate Communications Manager
   j.spencer@penspen.com

   Michelle Unger
   Knowledge and Training Manager
   T: 0191 238 2206
   m.unger@penspen.com

8. ADMA-OPCO becomes first gulf operator to join PDAM initiative

   April 22, 2013 9:11 am Leave a Comment

   Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) has become the first oil company in the Middle East to join the Pipeline Defect Assessment Manual (PDAM), a joint industry initiative that shares best practices on the assessment of defects in pipelines.

   PDAM presents the best currently available methods for the assessment of pipeline defects (such as corrosion, dents, gouges, weld defects, etc.), in a simple and easy-to-use manual. It is based on an extensive critical review of published methods and test data and is intended to assist pipeline engineers in effectively maintaining their pipelines.

   Initiated in 1999 by Penspen, the PDAM project continues today, with the next update due in 2014. Penspen produced the PDAM using its extensive knowledge of pipeline defect assessment, and continues to provide the project management.

   In addition to demonstrating their commitment to best practice standards and cutting edge-assessment techniques, sponsors of the PDAM initiative gain exclusive access to:

   • The Pipeline Defect Assessment Manual, a 473 page manual containing the detailed methods needed to assess a variety of defects in pipelines.
   • Sixteen pipeline defect assessment literature reviews, researched and written to provide a sound technical basis for the recommended methods in PDAM.
   • Thirty spreadsheets covering the methods in PDAM.
   • Thirty spreadsheets containing the full scale test data that form the basis of many recommended methods in PDAM.

   To date, the initiative has been sponsored by 21 major operators including Exxon, BP, Total and Shell. ADMA-OPCO’s decision to join the initiative marks a strategic step forward both for the PDAM group and for operators across the Gulf region.

   “ADMA-OPCO’s sponsorship of the Pipeline Defect Assessment Manual is excellent news, not only for them and those involved in the PDAM initiative, but for the wider oil and gas industry as a whole”, said Dr. Phil Hopkins, Technical Director, Penspen. “The more we can share and standardise best practice methods, the better we will become as an industry at assessing and addressing defects. Penspen is delighted to welcome ADMA-OPCO and we hope their membership of PDAM will inspire other operators in the Middle East.”

   “We are delighted that ADMA-OPCO has signed up to PDAM”, said Ibrahim Washash, Regional Manager – Middle East, Assets Integrity Management Services, Penspen. “I hope that other Gulf operators will follow suit once they realise the breadth and depth of expertise the joint industry group has developed in assessing pipeline defects.”

   “As a major Oil and Gas producer in the Gulf region, ADMA-OPCO realises the importance of asset sustainability and availability”, said Mr. Hassan Al Hamadi, Inspection Services Manager, ADMA-OPCO. “We believe that PDAM is a valuable initiative that effectively contributes to ensuring the integrity of our pipelines through practical pipeline technical assessments.”

   Click here for more information about PDAM.

9. Penspen confirms ‘diluted bitumen’ is no more corrosive than conventional crude

   February 28, 2013 9:11 am Leave a Comment

   Diluted bitumen in a crude oil transmission pipeline environment is no more corrosive than conventional crude, according to a recent report by Penspen Integrity.

   The report, Dilbit Corrosivity, commissioned by the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, sought to examine the corrosivity of diluted bitumen compared to conventional crude. Based on a detailed review of the potential corrosion mechanisms in crude oil pipelines, Penspen’s report draws on findings from laboratory tests performed to internationally recognized standards. These tests conclude that there is no marked difference in the corrosive nature of diluted bitumen compared to conventional crude oil. As such, the report states that pipelines carrying diluted bitumen are subject to no additional corrosion control measures beyond what is already standard practice.

   The crude oil transported in most pipelines is obtained from reservoirs many thousands of metres below the earth’s surface. This ‘conventional’ oil is high quality, and flows easily. Today, many countries are looking at more ‘unconventional’ sources of oil, such as ‘oil sands’, a mixture of sand, water, clay and bitumen, which can be mined as it is on or close to the earth’s surface. Bitumen is a ‘heavy’ crude oil that is too thick to be pumped, without first being diluted or heated. Canada has huge reserves of these oil sands.

   For over 20 years, this diluted bitumen product, known as ‘Dilbit’ or ‘Synbit’, has been transported by crude oil pipelines and subject to corrosion control measures equivalent to those for conventional crude. Despite this operational history, there has been little published work on the corrosive properties of Dilbit, spurring false speculation as to its corrosive impact on pipelines.

   “These findings are an important contribution to the debate surrounding diluted bitumen,” said David Eyre, Principal Consultant at Penspen. “Without any substantiating evidence to reinforce current standard practices in dealing with diluted bitumen, Canada’s oil and gas industry has been plagued with criticism in regards to their operations. After reviewing over 40 studies, I am happy to provide scientific facts that dispel some of the misleading speculation about Dilbit and Synbit. I hope that the conclusions provided in this report will provide reassurance that the integrity management techniques currently employed by Canada’s Oil and Gas industry are effective at mitigating any risks of corrosion by diluted bitumen.”

   The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association represents Canada’s transmission pipeline companies who operate approximately 110,000 kilometres of pipelines in Canada. In 2011, these energy highways moved approximately 1.2 billion barrels of liquid petroleum products and 5.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. CEPA members transport 97 per cent of Canada’s daily natural gas and onshore crude oil from producing regions to markets throughout North America.

   For more information on Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, please visit www.cepa.com