Oh yeah....thank god..... some exciting news!!!:bananasmi
Neptune wins major Asian contract for NEPSYS technology
Perth, Western Australia: Leading engineering services company, Neptune Marine
Services (ASX: NMS) has secured a major Asian contract for the NEPSYS dry
underwater welding technology.
The contract involves the installation of two sleeves to strengthen a jacket leg on a
platform located in 240 feet (80 metres) of water in the southern Gulf of Thailand. The
installation will increase the maximum topside load of the platform to incorporate new
accommodation facilities.
Neptune expects to mobilise for the offshore works during April following the completion
of comprehensive habitat design, fabrication and testing; welding procedure preparation;
international class approvals to ABS standards and welder qualification and testing.
On location, the NEPSYS technology will be applied to the underwater welding of the
two high strength EH36 steel sleeves at water depths of between 15 and 40 feet (4.6 -
12 metres). The NEPSYS welding phase of the project is expected to take approximately
two weeks to complete during which time Neptune will work in partnership with Mermaid
Marine Offshore Services as prime contractor to Chevron Thailand Exploration and
Production Ltd.
Neptune’s Managing Director and CEO, Christian Lange, said the contract recognised
the substantial cost savings and improvements over conventional maintenance practices
that the NEPSYS technology offered.
“The portability of the technology ensures it can achieve a permanent repair solution in
situ that is extremely cost effective, equal to dry weld standards and internationally class
approved,” he said.
“On projects such as this where topside loads are increased, critical structural
components on the jacket substructure sometimes require reinforcement and the
NEPSYS welding technology is perfectly suited to this purpose.”
Neptune’s extension into Asia reinforces the company’s strategy for global expansion of
the NEPSYS technology that includes a number of projects earmarked for completion in
the Gulf of Mexico.
“With more than 5000 platforms and associated pipelines, the Gulf of Mexico represents
a particularly lucrative market for the technology, as does the North Sea with its ageing
offshore infrastructure,” Mr Lange suggested.
“Our acquisition of the Aberdeen-based subsea and offshore engineering firm, Ross
Deeptech Initiatives Limited, will provide a strong foundation for additional expansion
into this market.”
The NEPSYS system
The ability of the NEPSYS system to consistently achieve superior quality welds is due
to the controlled habitat that fully encloses and isolates the heat affected zone from the
surrounding environment.
Inside the habitat, ideal welding conditions are maintained via the continuous delivery of
heated inert gas at a pressure above that of the ambient hydrostatic water pressure. The
process also results in the elimination of hydrogen from the weld area and prevents
quenching from the surrounding water to provide an even thermal distribution.
The flexibility of the system provides for habitats to be custom designed to suit difficult or
complex structures or applications.