Circor International Snaps Up Pipeline Engineering

Following a signing ceremony in London on September 28, 2009, Pipeline Engineering, a global leader in pipeline pigging products and services, has become a member of Circor International. Circor is a major NYSE quoted (CIR) engineering group with sales of c$800m, providing valves and other highly engineered products and subsystems that control the flow of gas and liquids safely and efficiently in the energy, aerospace, and industrial markets.

Working closely with Circor's subsidiary Sagebrush Pipeline Equipment Company in Tulsa, a leading US supplier of Pipeline Traps and Metering systems, the two companies will be in a position to provide a truly global complementary product offering and related services, building on the strength of Pipelines Engineering's leading position in Europe, The Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific along with Sagebrushes leading position in North America.

Pipeline Engineering over the last ten years has seen significant growth in the provision of pigging equipment and services to the international oil and gas pipeline industry and today, with a turnover of c$30m and regional offices and representatives around the world, it is considered the leading company in its sector. By joining up with Sagebrush, it will give the Company the opportunity of introducing its products, particularly its specialist cleaning pigs, end closures and pig signallers along with its specialist pigging services to the North and South American markets.

Similarly, it gives Sagebrush the opportunity to market their skid mounted metering systems and other products to a global market through Pipelines Engineering's distribution network.

Willy Watson, the managing director of Pipeline Engineering, believes that this new partnership will be the next major step in Pipeline Engineering's successful growth in the global pipeline market.

Further background on Pipeline Engineering

Pipeline Engineering, the leading supplier of engineered solutions to the pipeline pigging and flow assurance market, is celebrating its 40th year of service to the global oil and gas pipeline industry.

Started in 1969 by Ken Hemingway, the Company was acquired by the Bullough Group in 1984. In 1997 the Company was bought by Willy Watson, the current managing director, and a colleague of his, Kit Maunsell, who remained as a non-executive director until the recent acquisition by Circor International. The MBI in 1997 was supported by Quester Venture Capital who were subsequently bought out in 2001 by the management and a number of small private investors. Since then the Company has grown on average 25% year on year reaching a turnover in 2009 of £20m, to become the leading supplier of utility pigging equipment to the global market outside the USA.

In 2004, PE started its Engineered Solutions business unit which focuses on providing solutions to unique pigging problems whether they are the design of special subsea pigging systems for deepwater flow lines or the cleaning of difficult pipelines. The units major advantage over the competition is that it has the facilities to design, prototype, carry out proving trials and manufacture all on one site, supported by a qualified team of offshore service engineers, ready to deploy tools in the field. Run by Dave Bacon, who had previously worked for Halliburton on North Sea pipelines, this side of the operation has proved a great success and been involved in some very challenging and exciting subsea projects for major operators around the world.

Pipeline Engineering, based in North Yorkshire, England, has in recent years become truly global with offices in Houston, Aberdeen, Abu Dhabi, Spain, Singapore and Brisbane, Australia, and representatives in over 30 other countries. In 2006 the Company build a purpose built new manufacturing facility and headquarters with state of the art production equipment with the aim of improving efficiencies, quality and delivery. Since then the Company has achieved ISO/TS 29001, a unique quality standard for the oil and gas equipment supply industry, ASME "U" and "U2" Certificates of Authorisation, National Board "R" Certificate of Authorisation and ISO14001. In addition the Company meets the EU PED directive through implementation of a quality system, approved by Lloyds Register, to permit Pipeline Engineering to affix the CE mark.

More recently the Company set up local service centers in Aberdeen and Abu Dhabi where it is able to provide a comprehensive pigging service. This includes the supply of Pipeline pigs and pigging spares, holding of stock for customers, pig refurbishment, pig trap and end closure inspection and a pipeline cleaning service, supported by an offshore qualified service team. The Company has already signed up a number of long term frame agreements to support customer’s pipeline pigging requirements.

Over the years PE has invested in R&D to keep ahead of the market. Innovative products it has brought to the market in the last few years include the multi-diameter "paddle" pig, the automatic multiple pig launching (AMPL) system, a system for locating blockages and leaks in pipelines (Acoustek), and a welding pig for subsea tie-ins and a pig for slow flowing lines.
 


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