The Australian Pipeliner

October 2009

President’s Message

Welcome to the 2009 Cairns Convention edition of The Australian Pipeliner. This is my last President’s Message, and as we look forward to another great Convention it is also a time to reflect on another eventful year.

Chief Executive’s Report

What an amazing and brilliant achievement! Ashley has already mentioned it and there’s a story in The Australian Pipeliner about the new Energy Pipelines Co-operative Research Centre (CRC).

Licence to thrill: WA Seminar and Dinner Dance

Sponsored by WestNet and DBP, the WA Seminar and Dinner Dance was held on 26 June, at the Parmelia Hilton.

Queensland at the crossroads at Brisbane dinner

The APIA Brisbane Dinner held on 30 July saw another huge turnout, with Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Officer Michael Roche’s address, ‘Queensland at the crossroads’, highlighting just why the state is attracting so many members of the pipeline industry.

APIA dines in Darwin

The first Australian Pipeline Industry Association dinner to be held in Darwin was a great success.

CO2 pipelines in Melbourne

Pipeliners took time out of their busy schedules to attend the APIA Melbourne lunch, held at Hilton on the Park on 4 June.

A taste of desal at Adelaide

Desalination was the hot topic at the Dinner, held at the Adelaide Hilton on 27 August.

Pipeline Research JTM: successo!

Hosted by the European Pipeline Research Group, the 17th Biennial Joint Technical Meeting on Pipeline Research was held between 11–15 May 2009 at the Starhotel Rosa in Milan, Italy.

YPF goes to Europe

Five lucky young pipeline engineers completed the trip of a lifetime in May 2009 that took in the week-long 17th Biennial Joint Technical Meeting on Pipeline Research in Milan, Italy.

Moomba exploration for YPF

On 28 August, a group of young pipeliners headed to the centre of Australia to visit Santos’ oil and gas facilities at Moomba, in the Cooper Basin, South Australia.

From steel to earth: Queensland YPF tour

Young pipeliners ‘saw it all’ – from pipe making to pipelaying – during the YPF Queensland Tour on 30 and 31 July.

Vic YPF: site-seeing at Sugarloaf

On 23 July, a group of young pipeliners boarded a bus bound for Yea to visit the Sugarloaf Pipeline project. Sponsored by Sargent, and Pipe and Civil, the tour of the project demonstrated a wide range of pipeline construction activities.

Incoming transmission from Mick McCormack

Mick McCormack has been head of APA Group since 2005. He joined APA in 2000 after it was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange by his previous company AGL, where he had spent 13 years in a range of senior management positions. Here, Mick tells The Australian Pipeliner about his time within the industry and future plans for APA.

Robertson: boom time in QLD

Many companies are proposing large-scale LNG projects to be located in Gladstone, Queensland. A large amount of infrastructure is needed to transport the feed stock coal seam gas to Gladstone, mooting exciting times for the pipeline industry. The Australian Pipeliner caught up with Queensland Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Stephen Robertson to talk about the future of gas within the state.

Managing risk: ensuring a safe pipeline system for Australia

By Lyndsie Mewett

Risk management strategies are an integral part of designing, constructing, operating and maintaining pipelines. Here The Australian Pipeliner talks to pipeline construction companies, steel and pipe makers, operators and consultants about what they see as being the most important aspects of managing risk in regard to pipeline safety.

Energy Pipelines CRC to lead industry research

The Australian pipeline industry can celebrate a remarkable achievement, with the Federal Government’s recent approval of Australia’s first dedicated co-operative research centre for pipelines.

Dial, then dig to protect lives and assets

New safety guidelines to prevent damage to essential underground services and increase worker safety have been launched by the Victorian Government.

Surveys and statistics: number crunching with the ABS

Ever wondered where statistics on the energy sector come from? The Australian Bureau of Statistics is set to conduct its latest energy survey, to be completed by businesses in late October. The Australian Pipeliner speaks to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Director for the Centre of Environment and Energy Statistics Graeme Brown for a behind-the-scenes glimpse on how the nation’s energy statistics are compiled.

IGU research finalised for WGC2009

The International Gas Union’s Working Committee 3 research triennium on gas transmission issues concluded recently at a final meeting in Melaka, Malaysia. GHD Business Development Manager Oil & Gas Barbara Jinks attended the meeting.

Pipeline research groups collaborate

In May, the bi-annual joint technical meeting between the Australian Pipeline Industry Association Research and Standards Committee, the Pipeline Research Council International and the European Pipeline Research Group was held with great results.

Green review: revising the APIA Code of Environmental Practice

By Dan Morgan, McConnell Dowell

The Australian Pipeline Industry Association’s Code of Environmental Practice is leading the way in assisting environmental management, thanks to regular reviews and updates to the code. Federal Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Water Greg Hunt launched the completed review at the APIA Melbourne dinner in March.

Quality control in fauna monitoring

Fauna officers Steve Wilson and Gerry Swan recently relocated 10,150 native animals that had found their way into the open trenches cut during the construction of five pipeline projects across Queensland. Here, they explain the importance of correct fauna handling procedures.

Building Victoria’s first natural gas pipeline: Dutson to Dandenong 1968

By Barry Wood

The discovery of natural gas in the Barracouta field in Bass Strait, located offshore Victoria in February 1965 heralded the start of major natural gas transmission pipeline construction in Victoria. A commercial quantity of natural gas on Melbourne’s doorstep was in marked contrast to other gas finds in remote parts of Australia, and increased the rate of the industry’s development.

Brian Trevena

By Barry Wood

Brian Trevena started his working life in the automotive industry, but after completing his part time degree in Mechanical Engineering he moved to the gas industry as a Junior Engineer with the Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria in 1960.

APC sets up camp around Australia

Australian Portable Camps is experiencing rapid growth, building on its success in the pipeline industry to move into others. Editor of The Australian Pipeliner Scott Pearce recently visited Australian Portable Camps and spoke to well-known founder and Managing Director Frank Martino about the company and its plans.

Vermeer provides Jemena with drilling capability

Jemena has recently purchased a 330,000 pound horizontal directional drilling rig from Vermeer, and plans to utilise it immediately. Jemena Horizontal Directional Drilling Manager David Warner explains how the drilling equipment available on the market today has transformed the quality of its projects.

OSD Pipelines redefines service offering

Engineering, operations and training services provider OSD Pipelines has recently redefined its onshore pipeline and facility services that it offers to the pipeline industry.

UEA gravitates to success

Hunter Water Corporation awarded a contract to UEA in early 2009 to design and construct approximately 510 m of gravity sewer mains at a maximum depth of 26 m below the crest of the hills located in the Glenrock State Recreation Area in Kahibah, 7 km southwest of Newcastle.

Vermeer: working in Texas

As a general superintendent for the pipeline contractor Driver Pipeline Company based in Dallas, Texas, Mark Wright currently oversees the installation of more than 213 km of natural gas lines. Using Vermeer’s track trencher units has meant that the company can keep on top of the work at hand.

PipeLine Machinery International: one dealer, one focus

The increased demand for oil and natural gas around the world has caused the pipeline industry to boom exponentially. Caterpillar subsidiary Cat Global Pipeline services the Australian market through PipeLine Machinery International, a global customer support solution that has ‘one dealer, one focus’ in mind.

PCS on the rise

Petro Coating Systems has had an incredibly busy year to date, diversifying its business and experiencing planning growth.

Reliable sizing and monitoring of corrosion in pipelines

By Ralf Ahlbrink, Physicist, and Thomas Beuker, Product Line Manager Inspection and Testing, Rosen

Corrosion affecting the inside of pipelines constitutes a major risk for pipeline integrity. To optimise the process of monitoring shallow internal corrosion, Rosen has developed a new shallow internal corrosion tool incorporating eddy current technology.

Isuzu FVZ 1400 makes 300 for NationWide

Taking off-road truck rental by storm, NationWide Hire added its 300th truck to its fleet earlier this year.

Boddingtons: the complete range in pipeline protection products

Boddingtons Australia can protect pipelines from third party damage with its comprehensive range of plastic warning tapes and extruded meshes.

Inspecting pipes with Olympus

Olympus Australia is a leading supplier of inspection maintenance systems to the Australian market and continues to support the pipeline industry with the introduction of the WeldROVER motorised scanner.

New equipment from Maats and Liebherr

This year has been busy for Maats Pipeline Equipment and Liebherr Australia, with the companies releasing three new machines to the pipeline industry.

Ditch Witch trenches with Tesmec

Tesmec USA Inc., based in Texas, manufactures a line of trenchers that have been cutting through reinforced concrete and solid rock for more than 20 years. Ditch Witch supplies the Australian market with Tesmec products.

Digital radiography for girth weld inspection

Applus RTD provides a wide range of advanced non-destructive testing and inspection services, assuring the pipeline industry with quality, safe and reliable technical installation during pipeline construction.

CRC Evans welds a winner

CRC Evans Automatic Welding has introduced the P625, the latest dual-torch external automatic welding machine for small diameter offshore and spoolbase applications, which aims to increase productivity for offshore jobs.

King of the pipelines

After working as a staff surveyor on the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline, located in Western Australia, from 1980 until its commissioning in 1984, Warren King started his surveying company from home in 1985. Since then, Warren King & Company has surveyed more than 14,000 km of pipelines across Australia.

HDD solutions with MacDow

This year, McConnell Dowell has expanded its range of equipment – adding a new American Augers DD625 horizontal directional drilling rig to its fleet. The drilling rig has been proving its worth on projects in Western Australia.

Romea develops AS2885 courses

Responding to customer requests, Romea Training has developed a series of competency-based training courses based on the Australian Standard AS2885 Pipelines – Gas and Liquid Petroleum.

Gas industry to drive future for Fyfe

Engineering and surveying company Fyfe is excited about the potential opportunities for project involvement in Australia’s bourgeoning gas industry.

Savcor extends services to pipeline owners

Savcor Group’s acquisition of the Pacific Lining Solutions business has further expanded its range of services to the pipeline industry.

SICK Australia goes with the flow

For more than 25 years, SICK Australia has developed pioneering ultrasound technology to measure gas flow. Launched in 2003, the FLOWSIC600 is an ultrasonic natural gas flow meter, and its market acceptance has exceeded SICK’s expectations.

Aerial surveillance improves pipeline protection

Jemena Gas Networks has been employing a detailed aerial surveillance system – using in-house mapping and GPS software – to patrol its gas pipelines.

Enhancing safety and efficiency on pipeline projects with Fastwave

Fastwave has developed a Vehicle Speed and Safety Monitoring System designed to enhance the safety and efficiency of pipeline construction and maintenance teams operating in remote parts of the world.

New South Wales: the new frontier

By Mandy Wong

The New South Wales energy industry is entering its most exciting phase to date. As new coal seam gas resources are discovered and developed in southern Queensland, and the Gunnedah and Gloucester basins in northern New South Wales, a significant proportion of New South Wales’ future gas supply is expected to be sourced from these regions. The state’s pipeline industry is on target to reap the benefits of this boom.

Gas and electricity don’t mix

By Steve Davies, APIA Policy Adviser

The Australian Government is looking to converge the operating frameworks for the gas and electricity markets. APIA Policy Adviser Steve Davies outlines the importance of having separate systems of regulation for the two industries.

Compressing in the east and west: APA increases capacity

APA Group has recently completed the construction of compressor stations in remote locations on the Goldfields and Carpentaria gas pipelines, overcoming the challenges by committing to strict safety and environmental management plans.

Enerflex compresses in the west

Enerflex as contractor has completed the construction of the Ned’s Creek Compressor Station to increase the capacity of the Goldfields Gas Pipeline. The Australian Pipeliner caught up with Project Manager Mike Roberts to find out all about the project.

Goldfields Gas Pipeline gains Momentum

Momentum Engineering recently completed engineering and design support for the APA Group on the Goldfields Gas Pipeline expansion in Western Australia.

Pipe and Civil: safety and productivity on the Sugarloaf Pipeline

Pipe and Civil has been completing works on the Sugarloaf Pipeline Project, part of the Victorian Government’s plan to drought proof and provide adequate future water supplies for Melbourne.

APIA and Sargent visit the DBNGP expansion

After five years in the chair as Business Manager at the Australian Pipeline Industry Association, Steve Dobbie has finally spent a day on a pipeline spread, visiting the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline Stage 5B Expansion in Western Australia.

Epic looping in the works at SWQP

Following the successful expansion of the South West Queensland Pipeline with the construction of the 180 km QSN Link early this year, Epic Energy is continuing its push for further expansion of the SWQP.

WMPP sets construction benchmark

By Roger de Maid, Commercial Manager, Mitchell Water Australia

The Wimmera and Mallee districts of western Victoria are among the country’s prime agricultural areas, and for decades have relied on water supplied to the many small communities and thousands of rural properties by way of a system of open earthen channels. The construction of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project is set to change this.

Glenelg to Adelaide: watering the Park Lands

The $75 million Glenelg to Adelaide Park Lands Recycled Water Project, funded by the South Australian and Federal governments, will provide a sustainable long-term solution for watering the Park Lands and will reduce Adelaide’s dependence on other water sources, including the Murray River.

Cape Preston gets gas

OSD Pipelines and KT Pipelines have been contracted to complete gas pipelines for the Sino Iron Project, located near Cape Preston in Western Australia. Once complete, the project will be the largest magnetite mining and processing operation in Australia.

AJ Lucas delivering Southern Seawater pipeline

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October 2009

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