West African Ventures awards SGS NDT contract for Escravos gas project in Nigeria
13/06/2012
SGS has announced that it has been awarded a non-destructive testing services contract by West African Ventures (WAV) for the Escravos Gas Project (EGP-3) in Nigeria. Signed on 11 February 2012, SGS will provide non-destructive testing of welds using X-ray pipeline crawlers, ultrasonic testing (UT) and magnetic particle testing services.Located within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria,
100 km southeast of the capital city Lagos, EGP-3 is one of the largest projects ever to be undertaken in Nigeria, with the goal of harnessing the gas-rich resources of the Escravos field. Onstream start is predicted for the end of the year, with the completed gas project anticipated to harvest an additional 395 million cubic feet of gas per day.The Escravos Gas-to-Liquid Project (EGTL) will utilise part of the EGP-3 gas output as a feedstock, with both projects forming a joint venture project between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL). Signed in 2001, the Escravos Gas-to-Liquid Project aims to upgrade approximately 325 MMcf/d of gas into approaching 33,200 barrels of high-quality diesel, naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas.
SGS will work on the project for one month from April 2012 and for another month towards the end of 2012 or early in 2013. Chosen for its experience and extensive expertise in non-destructive testing (NDT) services, SGS will contribute to the safe and efficient operation of project equipment and assets by detecting defects before damage can occur, while also ensuring compliance with international standards.
SGS will employ two methods: ultrasonic testing, which uses sound waves of short wavelength at high frequencies in order to detect flaws and corrosion as well as measure the thickness of material, and magnetic particle testing, to detect cracks on or just below the surface of ferrous materials, furnishing users with a quick and reliable technique for finding the location of surface cracks.
Awarded the contract by West African Ventures, an enterprise that delivers offshore, inshore and onshore services to the oil industry, SGS experts will perform non-destructive testing of welds with the help of X-ray pipeline crawlers, as well as ultrasonic testing (UT) and magnetic particle testing of
15 km of pipe where required. West African Ventures, experts in pipe-laying, construction, platform maintenance, installation and fabrication services to Nigeria’s oil & gas industries, selected SGS due to its long experience in providing third-party testing and inspection services for both onshore and offshore pipeline projects.
In employing SGS, West African Ventures can be certain that the Escravos Gas Project will benefit from the monitoring of pipe integrity, the detection of defects and irregularities before the occurrence of severe damage or regulatory non-compliance, as well as safe and reliable facility operation. SGS will ensure the top quality of the pipe being laid for this historically important gas project, with eleven SGS staff onboard the pipelay vessel JASCON 34, covering a 24-hour shift seven days a week.
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