Jaime Kammerzell • Gulf of Mexico Editor
Energy Series chain
The Energy Series chain for the oil field is available from US Tsubaki, www.ustsubaki.com. This innovative chain series is precision engineered at the company's Holyoke, Massachusettes, facility for stronger, longer-lasting performance in both onshore and offshore drilling applications, the company says. The company designed the Energy Series chain to stand up to the challenges of oil field operations. Pins are stronger to hold tight under extreme vibration. Holes are smoother to eliminate fatigue cracks that can compromise chain strength. Link plates put more steel where needed to distribute loads evenly, extending the life of the chain. Z-cotter connecting links hold tight, yet allow easy assembly and disassembly in the field. The chain is available in sizes 80 through 240 and up to 10 strands wide.
Fiberglass reinforced plastic
Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) products from Fibergrate Composite Structures, www.fibergrate.com, resist the highly corrosive conditions encountered in offshore drilling and production operations, the company says. Resistant to the effects of saltwater, drilling fluids, acids, alkalis, and other chemical compounds, these products require almost no maintenance, enjoy longer service life, and offer lower overall life cycle costs than conventional metallics, the company says. Fibergrate's FRP product line includes molded and pultruded grating, pultruded handrail and ladder systems, pedestals, platforms, stairs, and a range of structural shapes.
Explosion-proof wireless I/O transmitter/receiver system
Adalet's XANT explosion-proof wireless I/O transmitter/receiver system, www.adalet.com, features a cast aluminum enclosure designed to house a transmitter and antenna. A receiver and antenna is included loose with the packaged system. The rugged, cast aluminum enclosure is impact resistant to UL requirements and includes a wire-sealing chamber, eliminating the need for a field installed poured sealing fitting. A second model, the N4ANT, is also available for any industrial or general purpose areas rated NEMA 4X where rugged protection is important. Both models provide a wireless solution to reduce installation labor costs and eliminate the need for conduit and wires in hazardous or other industrial locations, the company says.
Spill prevention management system
SpillGuard Technologies' GuardDog, www.sgtinc.com, is a spill prevention management system that protects fuel-loading facilities from spills, theft, and potential leaks. The GuardDog is fully compliant with the American Petroleum Institute's recommended practice 1004 that calls for an independent secondary shut-off control system. The GuardDog is designed to detect valve failures and to shut off delivery of product to the terminal. When a failure is detected, the GuardDog shuts down delivery pumps and closes main tank base valves to stop the flow of product to the entire facility. This leaves the loading operation in a safe mode until operation personnel can investigate the cause of failure and remedy the situation before resetting the GuardDog.
Lifeboat release mechanism
Survival Craft Inspectorate Ltd., www. survivalcraft.com, has released a new lifeboat release hook mechanism to improve the safety of seafarers. It is available for new or retrofit installations and a number of leading ship and offshore platform operators have already begun installing this equipment, the company says. The new SafeLaunch mechanism has been developed following a detailed study of existing lifeboat release systems that identified potential shortcomings in the safety of their design. The Survival Craft study identified three key areas for improvement. These included reducing the potential for accidental release, providing a visual indication of the release mechanism's security status, and eliminating the use of any materials that could be vulnerable to corrosion. The SafeLaunch system incorporates an improved release cam mechanism, which provides contact between engaged components.
Rotor-stator hydraulic motor elements
R&M Energy Systems, www.rmenergy.com, a unit of Robbins & Myers Inc., offers Moyno power sections – rotor-stator hydraulic motor elements for use with down-hole positive displacement motors. Moyno power sections include slim-hole, performance-extended, air-drill, and short-radius models, including many with oversize stators for hot-hole applications.
Horizontal pipe handling system
Friede & Goldman ([email protected]) engineers have invented a new pipe handling system that reduces owner/operator's operating costs, as well as construction costs, by allowing for increased efficiency of the pipe handling systems and by allowing for rig designs with smaller, lighter derrick and drill floor structures. The horizontal pipe handling system, designed for use on jackups with cantilevered drill floors, allows the rig to handle longer sections of tubulars, such as triples of drill pipe and doubles of casing up to 100 ft long. With the increased demand to drill in deeper waters, the newer jackup units require connecting these pipes together to lengths up to 120 ft. In addition, these tubulars must be dismantled and laid down in singles in the pipe racks before the jackup can relocate.
Large-diameter butterfly valves
Bray Controls, www.bray.com, has a new line of heavy duty, large-diameter, resilient seated butterfly valves. The Series 35/36 are full-flanged versions rated at 75 and 150 psi, respectively, and are available in 60-in., 66-in., and 72-in. sizes. These valves have high Cv ratings, minimum parts exposed to the line media, greater reliability, and a proven record of long service life, the company says. The Series 35/36 may be bolted to allow downstream flange removal or cross-bolted for maximum resistance to line stresses. The high strength disc casting is spherically machined, hand-polished to provide 360° concentric seating, bi-directional bubble-tight shut off, minimum torque, and longer seat life.
Integrated test valve assembly
The Swagelok, www.swagelok.com, integrated test valve assembly removes condensate and traps steam where steam heating systems and steam traps are used. Monitoring steam trap performance can help reduce costs related to steam and energy loss, reduced heating capacity, and equipment damage, the company says. The integrated test valve assembly consists of two stainless steel Swagelok 63 series general purpose ball valves for isolation and testing and a sturdy CF3M Swagelok two-bolt universal mount that offers easy installation of a steam trap. Valves feature oval quarter-turn handles available in locking, non-locking, and latch-locking models and a variety of end connections.
