The Australian Pipeliner

July 2005

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President’s Message

Already this year is shaping up as a very active one for the Australian gas pipeline industry.

Gas pipelines: subtle, safe and sensitive

Oleg Morozow, Ecos Consulting

“Gas pipelines are buried underground, out of sight and, it sometimes seems, out of mind.” (Cheryl Cartwright, APIA Chief Executive, Australian Financial Review, June 7).

APIA Convention & Exhibition 2005

The 37th Annual APIA Convention and Exhibition will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre from October 29 to November 1 2005.

Wanted: regulators with a light touch

On June 7, APIA Chief Executive Cheryl Cartwright had an opinion piece published in the Australian Financial Review, highlighting the potential effects a recently released report from the Prime Minister’s Exports and Infrastructure Taskforce may have on the pipeline industry. The Australian Pipeliner reprints it here for those who missed it.

Australian Pipeline Trust chief retires

This month, Australian Pipeline Trust Managing Director and former APIA President Jim McDonald will begin a well-deserved extended break, retiring from his role at the helm of Australia’s largest owner and operator of pipelines.

PNG-Queensland pipeline prospects firm

Developments relating to the proposed PNG-Queensland and Trans Territory pipelines have set off a busy period in the Australian pipeline industry.

The Roma to Brisbane Natural Gas Pipeline - 1969

Barry Wood and Roger Woodman

In this second installment of our look at Australia’s oil and gas pipeline history, we look at the construction of Australia’s first natural gas pipeline.

Casino onshore pipeline installation leaves nothing to chance

Santos is developing the Casino gas field, located approximately 30 km offshore southwest Victoria, with start-up of gas production expected early in 2006. A major milestone in the project was recently achieved with the completion of construction of the onshore section of the pipeline.

Gas flows through SESA pipeline

In May, Origin Energy announced that the new South East South Australia (SESA) pipeline had begun supplying natural gas to the local south east pipeline network around Mt Gambier, Penola and Millicent.

McConnell Dowell takes centre stage

It’s not every day that a project McConnell Dowell is involved in makes news around the world, but this was the case with the successful commissioning of the Baku – Tbilisi – Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline in Azerbaijan in May.

Coal Seam Gas in Australia: Exploring, Producing, Supplying

The Australian Coal Seam Gas industry is moving into a period of rapid development and expansion, as explorers move to take their projects to the next level through the production of sales gas and the subsequent fulfilment of supply contracts with a range of buyers.

APC present their newest addition

Can you imagine a self sufficient mobile camp with water purifier, sewerage system, laundry, generator, kitchen and toilets for 30 people all in one unit? Well APC did and they built it!

Success for Agility on Lane Cove River HDD project

An innovative solution to relocate a high-pressure gas pipeline from the Lane Cove River Bridge in Sydney has proved successful for Agility, minimising impacts to the community and environment.

DrillTec successfully completes Otway HDD project

DrillTec Australia recently completed the $A11.6 million HDD shore crossing on the Woodside-operated Otway Gas Project, located in south west Victoria.

Otway microtunnelling retraction

For the first time in the Southern Hemisphere, a microtunnelling retraction method was undertaken at the Otway Gas Project. Trenchless Australasia magazine reports.

Technology and innovation for the pipeline industry

CRC-Evans Pipeline International was founded in 1933 and today is the leading manufacturer of equipment and supplier of services for the pipeline construction industry.

SPY Portable Holiday Detector launched

Pipeline Inspection Company has recently released two next generation portable holiday detector models. These new SPY models 780 and 790 models feature numerous modifications to improve field operations and reduce operator fatigue.

Trenching saves time and money for Omani pipeline project

In the oil and gas rich Saudi Arabian peninsula, many different pipeline projects are underway at any one time. V2 Trenching Limited is helping to find more economical ways to complete these projects and their current activity centres on a new pipeline being constructed in Oman.

Excavators Australia: setting the pace

Excavators Australia owns and operates one of the largest fleets of excavators and hammers on the eastern seaboard with the latest in machinery and technology combining safety and environmental policies.

Resource Rentals bring Bayu-Undan closer to completion

Resource Equipment Rentals was recently engaged by Pipeline Services Limited (PSL) to provide equipment and personnel for the pre-commissioning, pigging, gauging and flooding of the 540 km, 26 inch Darwin to Bayu Undan gas pipeline.

Savcor commissions ICCP system

In May 2005, Savcor ART successfully commissioned an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system, designed and installed by themselves, for the protection of buried sections of the secondary cooling system pipelines at the $A330 million Replacement Research Reactor, Lucas Heights, NSW.

Innovative pipeline easement clearing solution

National Vegetation Management commenced operations in 2001, working solely as a land clearing contractor specialising in broad acre, high production mulching/grinding machines throughout Australia.