In Pipe Tek’s 10th year in business, The Australian Pipeliner spoke with co-founders Myles Brannelly and Taddam Farrant about their shared passion for pipelines, a leap of faith and the challenges of establishing the company as a leading turnkey pipeline contractor.
How do you define ‘pipeline people’? The answer to that question is no doubt entirely objective; however, two people that embody the ideology are Pipe Tek co-founders, and current managing director and coo, Myles Brannelly and Taddam Farrant.
Pipelines are in their blood. Brannelly grew up around the industry through his family’s business Tank Calibrators, established in 1953, which he eventually took over in 2000.
Farrant got his start in pipelines labouring with AJ Lucas, filling sandbags and throwing skids. He went on to work on some of the country’s major pipeline and energy projects, including the Eastern Goldfields Pipeline, the Curtis Island QCLNG, and extensive work in the Cooper Basin on behalf of Santos.
The two men eventually met on a pipeline testing and pigging project in 2014 when Brannelly was working for himself and Farrant for a construction company.
Pipeline passion
They quickly bonded and identified a shared passion for pipelines. It didn’t take long before the pair identified a gap in the market when it came to testing and commissioning.
Backed by their years of cumulative experience, they established a plan to fill that space and haven’t looked back since. And now, in the blink of an eye, they are celebrating 10 years since they backed themselves, went out on their own and established Pipe Tek.
“It might be a cliché, but it really does feel like yesterday that we decided we were going to go for it,” said Brannelly.
“Time does fly when you’re having fun, but there have been some tough and challenging times along the way and it hasn’t been easy.”
Farrant said the early days of the business were tough. Pipe Tek was coming in and disrupting the way things had been done for – in some cases – decades.
“Being the new kid on the block was challenging in a lot of ways,” he said.
“While we have always been passionate about the industry, there are a lot of organisations that just default to doing what they’ve always done. Trying to change the way people think and promoting a more efficient way of testing, cleaning, and commissioning has been a challenge.
“We’ve been able to cut through and overcome this legacy mindset. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of key industry people along the way.”
Backyard business
The early days of Pipe Tek were ‘no frills’. Initially based out of Brannelly’s family home in Brisbane, where Farrant was also living at the time.
They scrounged together enough to purchase a ute, trailer and some gear to get going and split responsibilities for running the business between the two of them. Anyone that has crossed paths with the two men knows they are unconventional, and the concept for the business was no different.
“There was no ‘real’ business plan written down,” said Farrant.
“It was just two mates trying to change the world. We had a conversation around what was missing and what we thought we could bring [to the industry], which was a turnkey solution.
“Rather than going out to different vendors, we wanted to put a company on the market that gave clients a one-stop-shop for integrity and maintenance.”
Brannelly echoed the same sentiment.
“We always talk about Pipe Tek being a family and it’s easy to see why that mindset is embedded and part of the company’s DNA,” he said.
“The fact Taddam (Farrant) was living with my young family at the time meant we were all in, living and breathing the business.”
Leap of faith
After the first few years in operation, Pipe Tek grew and resources naturally expanded. The company invested in more plant and equipment, technology and moved out of Brannelly’s family home, setting up a lay down yard near Brisbane airport.
In 2019, they wanted to align themselves with industry leaders, and identified an opportunity to secure a partnership which they believed would give them a point of difference, and take Pipe Tek to the next level.
“Enduro Pipelines Services reputation really does precede them,” said Brannelly.
“The company is recognised and respected around the world for manufacturing and designing the world’s most technologically advanced pipeline cleaning and inspection equipment. It didn’t have a presence in Australia or anywhere else in the world, so we decided to reach out and see if we could do business.”
But Enduro – based in Oklahoma, US – was a tough nut to crack.
“As an established pipeline integrity product manufacturer with a focus on quality, Enduro is particular about who they partnered with,” said Farrant.
“We sent emails and didn’t get a response. We knew they were going to be exhibiting at a pipeline inspection show in Houston, US, so Myles [Brannelly] and I took a leap of faith and flew there.”
Without any indication Enduro would be open to a partnership, Brannelly and Farrant booked flights for the 14,000km journey from Brisbane to Houston.
On the first day of the event they introduced themselves to Enduro’s CEO Dwayne O. Laymon.
“We said: ‘We want to promote it. We think it’s the best. And we want to keep Pipe Tek associated with quality, so Enduro was the only fit for us,” said Farrant.
Laymon was receptive to the pitch and over the course of the next couple of days, an exclusive partnership was negotiated, making Pipe Tek one of a handful of companies to represent Enduro products outside of the US.
Brannelly said the partnership with Enduro has been everything they expected and more.
“In the more than six years since that initial meeting we have been welcomed into the Enduro family with open arms,” said Brannelly.
“Dwayne (Laymon) and his team have offered unwavering support, advice and direction.”
In addition to a full suite of pipeline products, like pig tracking and analysis tools, Pipe Tek stocks an extensive range of Enduro cleaning pigs, in a range of diameters, at the company’s headquarters in Brisbane. These can be supplied to asset owners running their own integrity and maintenance crews, or Pipe Tek can utilise the equipment itself and be contracted to complete cleaning, inspection and testing works.
New horizons
Despite the economic challenges facing most of the country and world during the pandemic, Pipe Tek was able to continue to grow during this period. In addition to working on major gas pipeline projects, the company diversified into other markets including water, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and more recently resources.
Over the past 10 years Pipe Tek has contributed to more than 100 pipeline projects, working directly or indirectly for companies like Chevron, Ventia, Downer, Ampol, BHP, Origin, Viva, APA, Jemena and dozens more.
To capitalise on opportunities in mining and resources Pipe Tek has established a footprint in WA, giving it the capabilities to service all of the country.
“We predict there will be a lot of work for Pipe Tek in the region servicing the gas and LNG sector, as well as demand from the resources and mining sector,” said Brannelly.
He said the company’s strategy will be to continue positioning itself as more than a contractor.
“Mining environments are some of the most challenging; remote locations, harsh conditions and tight schedules are the norm. What sets Pipe Tek apart is our ability to deliver highly specialised services with flexibility and efficiency.
“We’re not just a contractor; we’re a partner that works closely with clients to tailor solutions to their infrastructure and operational needs.”
For Brannelly and Farrant, who both admit they wear their hearts on their sleeves, Pipe Tek’s journey so far has been a personal one.
“We’re proud of the journey so far – from a small start-up to a trusted name in pipeline integrity,” said Farrant.
“It’s been built on the back of strong relationships, quality work and a team that genuinely cares about what we do. We’re excited about what the future holds for the business and the challenges that lay ahead.”
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This feature also appears in the September edition of The Australian Pipeliner.