The Australian Pipeliner

January 2012

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A few words with the 2012 APIA Board

The Annual APIA Convention saw new elections to the APIA Board, and changes to key positions. Here, some of the board members share with The Australian Pipeliner their experiences and thoughts on what future of the industry may hold.

Not-so-silent nights at APIA Christmas functions

‘Twas the month before Christmas, when all through the country, pipeliners began attending functions to celebrate the end of another successful year.

EPCRC/RSC dinner makes an impact

On 2 November 2011, Phil Venton presented at the Energy Pipelines Co-operative Resources Centre and Research and Standards Committee Seminar on ‘Lessons learnt from hydrostatic testing with partial emphasis on the impact of very small leaks’.

Regulation under discussion at WA lunch

On 14 September 2011, over 200 delegates at the APIA WA Chapter lunch heard from Western Australia’s Economic Regulation Authority Chairman Lyndon Rowe on energy regulation and its role.

Are you ready?: the Melbourne launch of the AS2885.3

Through a number of presentations held at the Melbourne Hilton on the Park on 16 November 2011, approximately 90 attendees were introduced to the recently revised AS2885.3.

VIC YPF tours coating plant, refinery and city gate

On 19 October 2011, the Victorian branch of the YPF conducted a tour of Petro Coating Systems’ factory in Bundoora, Shell’s refinery in Geelong, and SP AusNet’s Corio city gate.

A busy end to 2011 for the WA YPF

by Peter Kneale, Frank Daly, Richelle Glynn and Caitlin Bridgland, with help from the WA committee

Western Australia’s young pipeliners had a busy end to 2011 with a mix of social and professional events, focused on advancing their technical knowledge, industry awareness and networking opportunities.

Inaugural Queensland YPF CSG Tour

by Clinton Glanville, Kellogg Brown and Root

The 2011 inaugural Queensland YPF CSG Site Tour took 26 young pipeliners on an overnight visit to Chinchilla for dinner and drinks, followed by site visits, demonstrations and inspections the next day.

Bright future for Australia’s world-class pipelines

From 22–25 October 2011, delegates converged on the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in Sydney, New South Wales, for the APIA Convention, to learn how Australia’s world-class pipelines fit into the current “golden age of gas”.

Valuable contributors to the pipeline industry recognised

At this year’s APIA Convention and Exhibition in Sydney, the Awards Committee recognised outstanding efforts by individuals of the industry in the two award categories of Young Achievement, and Outstanding Contribution to the Industry.

How’s the serenity at Castle Cove Golf Course

Teams of pipeliners hit the Castle Cove Golf Course to enjoy a few chilled drinks and some light-hearted competition at the APIA Golf Day prior to the more formal proceedings of the APIA Convention.

APIA Safety Award a feather in Nacap’s cap

Nacap Australia has taken out the industry-wide APIA Safety Award for 2011, which was presented by Federal Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism Martin Ferguson to Nacap Australia General Manager Matthew O’Connell at the APIA Convention in Sydney.

YPF heats up APIA 2011

The strong young pipeliner presence at this year’s APIA Convention was no more evident than at the National YPF Convention Drinks, held at the Zeta Bar in the Hilton prior to the Welcome Dinner.

Managing liquids in CSG pipelines

by Jason Ward (WorleyParsons), Kieran Carrigan (WorleyParsons), and John Blain (Ninox Solutions Pty Ltd)

This article is an abridged version of Jason Ward and John Blain’s presentation to the 2011 APIA Convention, held in Sydney. With the rapid expansion of the CSG industry in Queensland, much attention is being given to strategies for managing liquids which condense in upstream pipeline infrastructure. Regular pigging has been the traditional method of dealing with this. However, gas sweeping could also be an effective method of controlling the build-up of liquids, and this article explores the issues that require careful investigation when considering such gas sweeping.

Legends of the pipeline industry: Martin Wettenhall

A two-tone pink and grey Pontiac cruised to a halt outside the stables, its wide tyres seeming to emphasise the crunch on the freshly raked gravel. Wearing a blue sports coat, a weather-beaten faced man emerged, struggled with some papers in the wind and introduced himself as Howard Edgely Hulme. This was Martin Wettenhall’s introduction to the pipeline industry in the late 1970s.

Worker on the line: Chris Wilson

The Australian Pipeliner chats with Mitchell Water Pipeline Crew Foreman Chris Wilson about his experiences, some of his mentors, and a few fond reflections on a 17-year involvement with the pipeline industry.

Project receives Golden Gecko Certificate

ATCO Gas Australia, in conjunction with KD.1 Pty Ltd, has been awarded the Golden Gecko Certificate of Merit for the Mandurah Gas Pipeline Project, as part of the 20th Anniversary Golden Gecko Awards for Environmental Excellence.

Fyfe facing increased demand

With an ever-expanding workforce and office network, integrated full-service consultancy Fyfe Pty Ltd is able to offer its long history of expertise to more people in more places.

Significant growth NationWide

NationWide Hire has teamed up with Omni Technical Solutions for the next stage of NationWide’s growth to support Australia’s many large-scale infrastructure projects that require off-road and project-specific fleet and equipment.

Montabert breaks through with new model

In keeping with the legacy of Montabert products, the new V4500 hydraulic breaker offers reliability and easy maintenance with an unequalled productivity to operating cost ratio.

Safer, faster and smarter lifters with Vacuworx

Vacuworx International, a global leader in manufacturing in-field vacuum lifting equipment, outlines three key reasons to use its products on your next pipeline project.

PM Piping branches out

After recently celebrating its second anniversary as an official Australian company, PM Piping has further committed to its presence in Australia by opening offices in Brisbane, and has also relocated its Western Australian office.

Seeking clarity on Queensland’s land access market: Flinders Group

A clear future of Queensland’s land access market has become top priority for Flinders Group with an independent Land Access Board, featuring seven experienced industry leaders, established in December 2011.

On-time success with Renfrey

Renfrey’s plant and skilled operators have assisted in installing the Wareena gas flowlines on time and under budget.

How to effectively market your business in the pipeline industry

The high penetration rates and heavy use of the internet in Australia has led to a proliferation of new types of marketing tools that are the perfect complement to traditional marketing.

Quest Integrity ‘Signals’ new software

Quest Integrity Group recently announced the availability of its new Signal Fitness-for-Service Version 4 software tool, developed to ensure the safety standards of fixed and rotating equipment.

A fresh outlook for one of Australia’s oldest natural gas pipelines

In April 2011, APA Group announced a $50 million capacity expansion project for one of Australia’s oldest natural gas pipelines, the Roma to Brisbane Pipeline, to meet the increased demand for gas by customers in Brisbane.

Electricity market mechanisms: not for gas

By Steve Davies, Apia Policy Adviser

Regardless of the opinions of outside observers and policy makers, gas is fundamentally different to electricity. Members of the pipeline industry need to ensure that this message is received and solutions are provided to halt policy that moves toward converging gas and electricity markets.

Kick off land access negotiations on the right foot

The Queensland Government has manually developed the Digital Cadastral Data Base for investigating land-related information for the state. Definium Surveyors’ Peter Hickey discusses the importance of improving the accuracy of the digital boundaries for this land access documentation.

Exciting developments in the pipeline for Western Australia

by Artemis Wilkinson

With numerous gas prospects located both onshore and offshore, and a number of significant development projects aimed at commercialising these resources proposed or in progress, Western Australia is in the midst of a gas pipeline boom. Here, The Australian Pipeliner looks at a selection of existing and proposed pipeline projects in Australia’s largest state.

Pipelines – watering a sun-burnt country

by Artemis Wilkinson and Stephanie Chan

Despite recent rain and flooding across Australia, water pipelines still play an important role in securing against drought. Here, The Australian Pipeliner looks at water pipeline developments over the past year.

Responding to drought in remote NSW: the Merri Abba Bore Pipeline

Following recent droughts and the drying up of its lake, for the town of Lake Cargelligo, located in remote central-west New South Wales, the construction of the Merri Abba Bore Pipeline project was identified as crucial to the town’s water supply.

The Highlands Source Project: new approaches for new challenges

Severe drought and an extended period of water restrictions have seen the innovative response of the Highlands Source Project, a major initiative to secure the city of Goulburn’s water supply.

Potable water for South East Queensland in flood, hail or shine

The Millennium Drought of 2001–09, which almost crippled South East Queensland’s water supply, saw the planning and implementation of the largest water infrastructure project in Australia since the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme.

Welding products showcase

The Australian Pipeliner takes a look at the latest welding products available to the pipeline industry in this product showcase.

Tackling the skills shortage head on

by Stephanie Chan

With large-scale LNG projects involving significant pipelines scheduled for completion over the next five years, Australia is facing a skills shortage with numerous jobs available, but not enough skilled workers to fill the positions. Here, The Australian Pipeliner looks at the demand and some of the initiatives that the pipeline industry is undertaking to address the issue.

Snapshot of the gas supply industry

At the request of EE-Oz Training Standards, the Industry Skills Council for the ElectroComms and EnergyUtilities sectors, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations conducted a survey of employers’ recruitment experiences for the gas supply industry in July 2011. With the results now in, the Department shares its findings with The Australian Pipeliner.

Trends in product transportation for future offshore oil and gas developments

The discovery of abundant oil and gas resources offshore have made both pipelines and floating, production, storage and offloading vessels attractive means of transporting gas to shore. Here, JP Kenny Pipeline Engineer Mark Redenbach discusses the two options, and where they fit in with the future of offshore oil and gas developments.

Sustainable planning and recycling onsite benefits JHL Civil

JHL Civil, a pipeline construction contractor working in the water industry, has had first-hand experience with reaping the rewards of eliminating waste on the construction site.

Holding back the pressure in the Philippines

By Gerald Misajon, Shell Philippines Exploration and Production, and Rolf Gunnar Lie, T.D. Williamson Asia Pacific Pty Ltd

When Shell Philippines Exploration and Production needed to replace a defective primary emergency shutdown valve on the Malampaya shallow water platform with minimal disruption, T.D. Williamson, Inc. provided the solution with its SmartPlug® pressure isolation technology.

Three reasons to attend FutureGas2012

Australia’s only whole-of-industry gas event is coming to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 27–29 March 2012. With a significant focus on emerging technologies, practices and opportunities, FutureGAS celebrates and highlights industry best practice.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT

There is nothing like the beginning of the year to encourage a fresh view of the world. Let’s face it, the world has gone a little crazy in the past couple of years and we are left wondering what will happen next. There are questions about international finance markets, the changing world economy leading to an economic powerhouse developing in Asia and Australia’s economic transition. Are we managing this transition to ensure our nation’s economic future or are we merely riding the current tide of change and prosperity? The world is particularly unpredictable, so how can Australia plan ahead? How can our industry plan ahead?

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The first thing I’d like to say in my first President’s report in The Australian Pipeliner is thank you!

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January 2012

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