Hose specialists address drilling, FPSO needs

Bassi Offshore is a floating and submarine hose manufacturer which designs and supplies tailored solutions for mooring buoy systems and floating units. Its products are designed to comply with OCIMF standards, the QS ISO 9001 standard, and ISO/TS 29001 (API QI).

MIB Italiana has more than 40 years' experience in the production of quick connect/disconnect coupler (QC/DC) systems and emergency release systems (ERS) for petrochemical and liquefied gases, from ambient to cryogenic temperatures. It is also involved in the development of solutions for offshore LNG transfer.

The three companies' joint activities and strategic direction are decided by a special coordinating board, said Luisa Biasiolo of IVG's marketing department.

"Although originally starting from a very similar or related client base, the group are now able to approach these projects in a far more coordinated and effective manner, offering not only full technical and commercial project management, but also eliminating interface issues, limits of responsibility and at the same time optimizing costs and solutions," an MIB company official added.

There is also a focus on new product development. IVG, for example, has an R&D team of 14 specialists, and a further group of 10 involved in developing machines and tools to design new products. One current priority to develop products for hydraulic fracturing.

For the offshore market IVG has launched recently the Offshore PL Splitfire, a rubber hose for fire-fighting systems. The hose meets the standards of EN ISO 15540:99 which requires fire resistance to 800°C (1,472°F) for 30 minutes and is also MED-approved (European Directive 96/98/EC Module B). It is currently available in 3-in., 4-in., and 6-in sizes (7.6, 10, and 15 cm).

Bassi's latest offering is the Admiral line of offshore hoses (API 17K certificate pending), which come in diameters from 8-20-in. (20-51 cm) and up to 40 bar (580 psi) working pressure. The prototype has been certified by DNV after a series of fatigue tests. According to Bassi, the product exceeds the recommended OCIMF standards. So far deliveries have been made to APL/Statoil for two projects offshore Norway.

In October, IVG supplied a package of hoses to the Saipem drilling rigScarabeo 6 comprising the PL Fuel LL drilling mud and oil suction and delivery hose, the PL Abrasive LL, an abrasive material suction and discharge hose, and the PL Potable LL table water suction and delivery hose. In the same month it also delivered the PL Chem Floating hose – a self-floating hose for delivering chemical products to the wellhead – to Apache Corp. in Australia. IVG is the only company which makes this product, according to Biasiolo.

Recent deliveries by Bassi include: a 12-in. (30.5 cm) double carcass hose and a 12-in. single carcass hose to Total for a CALM buoy application in Italy; a 16-in. (40.6-cm) double carcass and 8-in. (20.3-cm) single carcass hose for a Vietsovpetro FPSO in Vietnam – this was a joint delivery with IVG; a 12-in. single carcass hose for Bumi Armada'sPerkasa FPSO off Nigeria; a 20-in. (51-cm) double carcass hose to APL for Petrobras's Papa Terra field off Brazil; and a 16-in. hose-string for Petrofac for a Malaysian FPSO project.

Recently MIB delivered QC/DC systems to FES/Helix Energy'sPhoenix FPSO, Scana/FPSOcean's Deep Producer 1 and 2 FPSOs, Truong Son JV/Modec's Song Doc FPSO in Vietnam, Nortech's East Fortune FPSO and to Petrofac's Malaysian FPSO project, to work in combination with Bassi's above-mentioned hose-string.

Meanwhile IVG opened a sales office in Houston which in December will be joined by a warehouse.

"We decided on this move because in recent years there has been an explosion in demand from the US market, and it was necessary for us to be close to our customers," said Biasiolo. The new branch is headed by Paolo Valente, also the US agent for Bassi and MIB products.