Inductabend is delivering flexible, cost-efficient induction bends to large-scale pipeline operators around Australia.
As Australia taps new sources of domestic gas from areas like the Surat and Beetaloo basins, the nation’s pipeline infrastructure will need to expand in order to move this resource effectively.
Whether it’s used to connect new wells to larger projects or to join production facilities to the energy grid, pipeline infrastructure is constantly being built or altered to accommodate new energy projects.
That’s why it’s critical for asset owners to have a partner like Inductabend.
The family-owned and operated Inductabend has backed the pipeline industry since 1992 with induction bending services, all made and delivered from Australian soil. This eliminates the challenges that can be associated with sourcing pipeline bends from overseas, such as lengthy lead times, quality assurance, and after-sales support.
Inductabend’s pre-qualified stock program takes this homefield advantage and elevates it to new heights, giving pipeline operators access to readily available bends with the specific angles, radius and tangent lengths to suit their pipeline projects.
In any induction bending service, a test bend – called a qualification bend – must be made from the mother pipe intended for use. Samples are then cut from this bend and rigorously tested to ensure it is fit for purpose. The strict quality standards associated with gas pipes mean this can be an arduous and expensive process – but Inductabend can remove this step altogether.
“We stock a range of X52 PSL2 pipe from reputable Korean mills. We purchase a full run [heat] of pipe at a time so each pipe for that size has the same chemistry,” Inductabend Business Development Manager Nathan Crouch told The Australian Pipeliner.
“This way, we’re able to qualify the pipe by making just one qualification bend for an entire batch [heat].
“Inductabend performs and pays for the qualification up front, and then any customer is free to utilise that pipe to make bends customised to their specific project needs.”
This initiative drastically lowers cost and lead-times for pipe bends. Inductabend currently holds pre-qualified stock of standard X52 PSL2 HFW pipe in diameter nominals 100, 150, 200 and 300, suitable for 5D–10D radii bends. Clients can request to add other pipe sizes be carried by Inductabend to suit their pipelines too.
The company can also work with its repeat customers to create a generic inspection test plan (ITP), to which all respective bends can be made.
“This way, customers don’t have to go through quality and assurance checks every time they make a small order,” Crouch said.
“When they order bends from our pre-qualified stock program, we can make bends to their generic ITP, without having to recreate the ITP each time.”
Multiple major oil and gas companies have been reaping the benefits of Inductabend’s pre-qualified stock program for years.
“The large companies we work with operate in a dynamic environment,” Crouch said. “They regularly add new assets to their networks and perform maintenance.”
“Our prequalified program allows them to undertake these activities without any compromise to the optimal alignment and quality. They simply let us know the geometry of the bends they require and we make the bends to their tailored quality assurance requirements all within a couple of weeks.”
In one instance, Inductabend was even able to manufacture an urgent bend for a customer within 48 hours of the initial inquiry, significantly reducing the duration of an unplanned shutdown.
While Inductabend brings a lot to the table, it’s adaptability, speed and cost-effectiveness, as well as the satisfaction that comes with supporting Australian business, that keeps clients coming back.
“Our customers appreciate the consistency we provide,” Crouch said. “They get their high-quality bends quickly and economically, every time.”
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This feature also appears in the September edition of The Australian Pipeliner.