International challenges on the agenda in Melbourne

Sponsored by GHD and Nacap, the Melbourne APIA Dinner was held on 3 June 2010, and drew a large crowd of
150 attendees – the largest APIA dinner crowd that Melbourne has ever seen.

Solar Turbines’ Graham Benjamin addressed the crowd, talking about his experiences and the challenges involved in working on projects overseas, in countries such as China, the United States of America, Bolivia, Brazil and Germany.

In the US, Solar Turbines supplied nine compressor stations to the recently completed 2,735 km Rockies Express Pipeline, which runs from Colorado to eastern Ohio. The majority of the pipeline route passes through mountainous terrain, which brought about logistical challenges for the supply of the compressor stations.

In South America, Solar Turbines supplied 12 compressor stations for the 3,150 km Bolivia – Brazil Natural Gas Pipeline. The pipeline was constructed through varying terrain such as ravines, forests and swamplands, and required many different construction techniques.

Mr Benjamin said that Solar Turbines had also provided compressor stations for a pipeline in Germany. He noted that this project was interesting because sections of the pipeline were located in an urban area, requiring the construction of special enclosures around the compressor stations to reduce noise.

In addition, Solar Turbines has gas gathering equipment situated in a remote area on the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border. The equipment is used on the Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan Pipeline, which interconnects with China’s West East Gas Pipeline.

Concluding his presentation, Mr Benjamin said that it is important for the industry and original equipment manufacturers to collaboratively address the challenges of remote worksites, and lack of skill and qualified manpower for the operation of compressor stations and other pipeline equipment.

Speed Mentoring with Vic YPF
Before the Melbourne Dinner, the Victorian Young Pipeliners Forum (YPF) held a speed mentoring event, sponsored by WorleyParsons.
APIA board member Geoff Feurtado kicked off proceedings by speaking about what mentoring means to him, and how helpful it can be for career development. The speed networking then began, with young pipeliners paired with more experienced people, rotating every five minutes in order to get a number of different perspectives on mentoring.
The event was a success, and the Victorian YPF is considering a more formalised mentoring program in the future.

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