The Australian Pipeliner

October 2007

President’s Message

In this, my final report for APIA as President, I would like to thank the APIA members and Board for their support and enthusiasm.

It’s that time of year. Spring is in the air, which means three important things: footy season is over; Christmas is just around the corner; and – most importantly – the APIA Convention is here again!

AS2885.I seminars set a high standard

During 2007 APIA has run a series of seminars devoted to updating the industry on the changes to AS2885.1, the industry’s standard for design and construction of petroleum pipelines.

Young pipeliners take the stage in Brisbane

Chris Jones, BlueScope Steel

Peter Barnett (GHD) and I were presented with a fantastic opportunity to speak at the APIA dinner in Brisbane on 25 July. While we both struggled to finish our main meal on the night, due to nerves, we were pleased we accepted the opportunity and have benefited from the experience.

WA Chapter presents star studded dinner

On 22 June, the Western Australian Chapter of APIA returned to the Parmelia Hilton in Perth for the annual WA-focused seminar, followed by the annual dinner dance.

APIA dinner a record breaker

The number of attendees at the APIA Adelaide dinner on 22 August broke the South Australian record – over 120 members and guests were in attendance to hear a briefing by BHP Billiton Corporate Affairs Manager Richard Yeeles.

WMPP focus at Melbourne Dinner

Barry Clugston, chairman of Victoria’s GWMWater, addressed the members and guests at the Melbourne dinner on 12 September.

Macfarlane addresses APIA

APIA’s work with the Federal Government – and some State Governments – was the “catalyst” for improvement in proposed new energy legislation, according to the Federal Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Hon. Ian Macfarlane MP, who addressed the Melbourne APIA lunch in June.

Young industry members gather for Gas Speak 2007

Each year the Australian Gas Industry Trust (AGIT) convenes the annual Gas Speak Colloquium. Gas Speak provides an opportunity for younger members of the gas industry to develop their communication skills and industry awareness as well as providing networking opportunities.

Pipeliner’s industry knowledge to be available online

Ted Metcalfe

Sometimes it’s difficult to determine whether the younger generation learns from the older ones, or if it’s the other way around. Information technology and knowledge transfer are firmly established as components of the internet world and those who use the available tools to best advantage are most often the younger employees.

APIA 2007 National Convention

Royal Pines Resort 20-23 October

2007: The year in review

Australia’s pipeline industry has continued its boom over the past twelve months. Many eagerly anticipated projects have moved or are about to move in to the construction stage, setting the scene for continuing growth. Against this backdrop is the industry’s continued involvement in new high growth areas of water and coal seam gas. Combined with ongoing changes at the ownership and corporate level, it’s a year that few will forget.

Future Focus

Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. Niels Bohr (1885 - 1962) With so much happening on in the pipeline industry it is easy to focus on current projects without looking forward in to the future. The Australian Pipeliner has compiled this special report looking at possible future trends for the pipeline industry.

Pipeline Pedigree

While pipelining in Australia is still a comparatively young industry, it has since its inception had a strong ‘family involvement’. The Australian Pipeliner recently spoke to a number of first and second generation pipeliners to look at their experiences and how they had shaped each other’s involvement and development within the pipeline industry. The responses were wide-ranging and covered pipeliners in all sectors of the industry, from engineering to construction to suppliers.

Meeting infrastructure challenges – an interview with Alan Freer

For the APIA Convention edition, The Australian Pipeliner spoke to Alan Freer about his experiences in the pipeline industry and what he sees for the future of the industry as a whole.

Carter Johnson

Carter Johnson was a foundation member of APIA’s predecessor, The Australian Pipe Line Contractors Association (APLCA). He also built some of Australia’s earliest pipelines including the ethane pipeline across Port Phillip Bay. The Australian Pipeliner was pleased to have the chance to interview Carter when he was in Melbourne last March.

Brooklyn to Corio Gas Pipeline: 1970 - 1971

Barry Wood

The Victorian Minister for Fuel and Power, the Hon. J.C.M. Balfour MLA announced on 19 August 1970 that the Victorian Pipelines Commission (VPC) had accepted a tender by Australian Pipeline Construction (APC) for construction of a 32 mile natural gas pipeline to Geelong.

East Coast Pipelines and Vermeer sprint ahead

The recently founded East Coast Pipeline Racing Team (EPR) is gearing up for the 2007/2008 Sprintcar Speedway Season and has announced that, with a sponsorship agreement in place with Vermeer, it intends to establish itself as a first class team, competing at meets Australia-wide.

Bredero Shaw introduces Yellow Jacket XL

Bredero Shaw Australia has expanded its range of anti-corrosion coatings to better service the Australian onshore oil and gas market.

Socotherm Group secures Vietnam contract, expands Australian activities

APC Socotherm continues to expand on its Australian activities by applying world-wide coating technologies in Australia for the first time.

Boddingtons, a decade of developments

As Boddingtons celebrates ten years in Australia, The Australian Pipeliner caught up with Boddington’s Managing Director Campbell MacKintosh to discuss the company’s history, its role in protecting assets and the future.

Furmanite expands service

When twelve block valve stations suffering from corrosion needed to be removed and replaced along a 200 km section of a large diameter main crude export line carrying 900,000 barrels a day, hot tapping and line stopping techniques enable this to be achieved with no disruption to operation.

Fyfe opens a new office

To cater for the increase in demand for Fyfe’s services, the company has opened a new office on Flinders Street in Adelaide. This means Fyfe now has two offices in Adelaide – a head office on Fullarton Road and the new engineering office on Flinders Street. Fyfe and its affiliated companies now have offices at six locations in Australia including two in Adelaide and one in each of Brisbane, Roma, Moomba and Ballera. The new Adelaide office will service the company’s remote field offices at Roma and Ballera in Queensland and Moomba in South Australia.

Hard Metal Industries, since 1999

Hard Metal Industries has been active in Australia, in Tungsten Carbide and PCD wear tools, drilling tools and hard facing consumables since 1999.

National Vegetation Management clearing the way forward

National Vegetation Management continues to expand its fleet as its innovative vegetation clearing techniques and investment in the latest technology are proving to deliver substantial benefits and cost savings to customers.

Romea Consulting - training Australia’s A-List

Romea is a specialist pipeline training organisation with clients that operate and maintain over 60 per cent of the total length of oil and gas pipelines in Australia.

PCS has field joints covered

Petro Coating Systems (PCS) has grown to become the leading supplier of field joint coatings on major Australian pipeline projects.

Busy year for NationWide Hire

The calendar year of 2007 has been a busy time for NationWide Hire, with its ever-growing fleet complemented by more innovations in project specific fleets for its clients in the pipeline, mining and construction industries.

Tinker & Rasor Model APS portable holiday detector

Since the Model APS high voltage holiday detector was introduced more than a year ago, Tinker & Rasor and its distributors around the world have found the feedback from customers to be tremendous. The portable, ‘stick-type’, Model APS holiday detector is used to electrically inspect coatings on pipelines and other structures for holidays.

Resource Equipment Rentals - pumped for performance!

Resource Equipment Rentals was established in 2003 to offer an extensive range of specialist and general pumping equipment and associated services to the pipeline pre-commissioning and testing industry.

CNC completes first 18 months of operation

The last year and a half have seen CNC Project Management start from scratch and develop into a successful multi-disciplined project facilitation firm with some good runs on the board.

Vitreous enamel signs –ideal for the pipeline industry

Everyone in the pipeline industry is acutely aware of the consequences of physical damage to pipelines. Signs are an extremely effective way of warning contractors of the proximity of buried pipelines, although as is too often the case, signs can become illegible only a few months after installation.

EliTE vacuum pipe lifter lives up

The Schoenbeck company, with 35 years experience, has successfully designed, engineered and installed specialised machinery for many industrial sectors around the world.

Isolation and ruggedness no problem for outback business

General Trade Industries has grown considerably in recent years and now has contracts with a number of companies. Origin Energy, Beach Petroleum, IOR Energy, Innamincka Petroleum, Walter Diversified Services and the Environmental Protection Agency are all clients that feature in General Trade Industries’ portfolio.

APP - Australia’s largest pig maker

Advanced Polymer Products has established itself as the largest Australian manufacturer of pipeline pigs following the acquisition earlier this year of various assets from the Liquidator of IPP Industries Pty Ltd.

Always on the move with Australian Portable Camps

With five fully operational camps in Western Australia for the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline alone it has been a very busy year so far for Australian Portable Camps.

Warren King & Company - researching, developing and growing

Warren King & Company is an Australian-based business at the forefront of the pipeline industry. With nearly 100 years of combined experience and a team of dedicated professionals providing surveying, drafting and GIS Services, the company offers a complete solution to all kinds of pipeline projects.

PPI: reputation for quality and service

PPI Corporation – an Australian-owned private company – has been producing polyethylene (PE) pipe in Brisbane for nearly 30 years and in that time has earned a reputation for producing quality products.

Quality in sealing technology

Industrial Gaskets was established in 1985 and is now a nationally recognised manufacturer and supplier of quality gaskets, sealing products and die-cut components.

The APIA method of designing against penetration

By Philip Venton, Venton & Associates, and Gianluca Mannucci, Centro Sviluppo, Materiali S.p.A (CSM)

The 1997 revision of the Australian Pipeline Standard for pipeline design and construction (AS 2885.1) introduced a requirement that pipelines must be designed to resist external interference using a combination of physical and procedural methods. While the principles remain the same, the 2007 revision has developed the understanding of the force applied by excavator threats, and introduced improved requirements that reflect this.

WMPP one year in - a progress report

The Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project (WMPP) is one of Australia’s largest water infrastructure projects, replacing 17,500 km of open earthen channels with 8,800 km of pressurised pipeline. The pipeline will generate average annual water savings of 103,000 megalitres, previously lost to productive use through seepage and evaporation.

DBGNP Stage 5A Expansion - nearly half way there!

The Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP) Stage 5A expansion is progressing well – on track and within budget – with over half of the project completed as at the end of August 2007.

UEA completes boring project on teh Gold Coast

UEA was recently engaged by Abigroup and Gold Coast Water to undertake the Coomera River bore for the Pumps and Pipes recycled water project, Gold Coast, Queensland, based on the company’s proposed work method statement and track record of completing difficult bores.

World first robot protects trench workers

An innovative apparatus called the SafetyBox Robot is saving time and boosting safety for pipe laying crews on the Western Pipeline Alliance, one of five alliances constructing the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project, Australia’s largest recycled water project.

Mitchell delivers on Tungamah

Goulburn-Murray Water’s Tungamah Pipeline Project, completed in December 2006, replaced 520 kilometres of leaky earthen channels with 360 kilometres of pipelines, linking the entire Tungamah domestic and stock system between Shepparton and Yarrawonga in Victoria.

Epic Energy commits to construction on QSN Link

Enter your details here to subscribe to the free The Australian Pipeliner Update.

The Australian Pipeliner

October 2007

Pipeline Map of Australia

Top News Articles

Top Magazine Articles

Follow Us on Twitter!

Something to tell us?

Media Kit