Norway: Quickflange Develops New Subsea Pipeline Repair Solution

Quickflange, one of the industry’s leading providers of high performance pipe connection systems with thousands of topside applications worldwide, launched its new subsea pipeline repair solution – the Quickflange Subsea.

The new solution, which has been designed to bring low impact, robust and cost effective flange-to-pipe connections to subsea operations, will be available for delivery immediately and will be applicable for pipeline sizes of up to 12” with larger sizes to follow.

The Quickflange Subsea can be utilised in a number of subsea scenarios, such as emergency and contingency pipeline spool repair, but also applications in pipe lay, decommissioning, and modification. While the Quickflange Subsea is a global solution, key target markets include offshore Brazil, Asia Pacific and the North Sea.

“For too long, the mechanical connector market has been characterised by high subsea intervention costs, long lead times and complex and expensive solutions. No longer!” said Quickflange CEO, Rune Haddeland.

“With the Quickflange Subsea, operators will be able to enjoy, for the first time, low impact, flexible and cost effective subsea pipeline repairs that are also highly reliable and robust. Quickflange is delighted to be launching this revolutionary new solution today and look forward to making as big an impact subsea as we have already done topside.”

The Quickflange Subsea can easily be slid onto the pipe with a hydraulic tool then used to activate the flange. This results in a mechanically robust flange-to-pipe connection and a less onerous installation compared to other more cumbersome mechanical systems. Key benefits of the Quickflange Subsea include:

• Simplicity & Flexibility. The Quickflange Subsea is simple to install and activate. As it is up to 60% shorter than other pipe-end connectors, it is easier to handle with straightforward diver operations and no specialist diver training required. The solution can be used on multiple pipe ranges with the installation being fully retrievable and reusable, thereby being ideal for emergency repair and contingency repair systems.

• Significant Cost Savings. Thanks to the simplicity of the concept, the Quickflange Subsea also delivers significant cost savings in regard to subsea repair time, subsea operations, diver and support vessel costs. This includes reduces lead and delivery times and faster implementation with a reduction in required diver time and less required pipe preparation, such as coating removal and deburial. The Quickflange Subsea also comes with flexible rental options and installation tooling to reduce CAPEX.

• Finally, the Quickflange Subsea comes with Maximum Reliability & Robustness. There are no moving parts, grips or other components, ensuring that less can go wrong. Third party testing has demonstrated that the solution is equivalent to welded weld-neck flanges in terms of pressure retention and load resistance with the assembled joint being stronger than the flange itself

The introduction of the Quickflange Subsea to market follows an extensive testing programme with the Norwegian Research Council, the University of Agder, the National Hyperbaric Centre in Aberdeen and Brazilian operator, Petrobras.

Quickflange AS is one of the industry’s leading providers of total pipeline and piping solutions to the oil & gas sector and has deployed its topside piping solutions in over 2,900 activations worldwide in regions, such as the UK, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Brazil, the Middle East and Australia. Quickflange counts BP, BG Group, ConocoPhillips and Exxon among its customers.

Quickflange has offices in Stavanger, Aberdeen and Dubai, and has a technology centre in Tvedestrand, Norway, where the research and product development, production and assembly of all the Quickflange tools take place.

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Press Release, May 20, 2013