HYLOK UK INSTRUMENTATION VALVES AND FITTINGS

Experts from the oil and gas industry have shown their support for a new ‘skills strategy’ that aims at boosting the number of people employed in the sector over the coming years. Opito, a skills body for energy, recently released a report that indicated as many as 40,000 people need to be recruited within the next two decades to meet targets regarding the UK continental shelf (UKCS). This will allow Britain to achieve its production, exports…

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It may be a challenging time for the oil and gas industry and Hy Lok distributors as the number of new North Sea explorations is at a 45 year low, however, the industry has proven its resilience by improving its efficiency for the fifth year in a row, according to the BBC. Despite these explorations falling below 100 per year for the first time since 1974, sitting at just 94, efficiency of oil and…

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A new report from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), UKCS Production Efficiency in 2017, has just revealed that the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) production efficiency (PE) has increased for the fifth year in a row, peaking at 74 per cent. The report compares actual production to the theoretical maximum economic potential of the fields and their infrastructure compares to previous years. A one per cent improvement has been seen on 2016, helping to contribute a…

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Hy Lok valves will be crucial to ensuring that the aims of the latest Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are met. OPEC met in Austria last week to decide on the next year of activities and goals for the petroleum industries in each of the participating countries. • Headline findings were that Saudi Arabia and Russia have managed to persuade the group to allow them to produce more petroleum products, which means that we…

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Equinor, along with its partners Lundin and Spirit Energy, has announced that it’s struck oil in the PL 167 licence in the North Sea. The new discovery is a well called Lille Prinsen that is estimated to hold 15 to 35 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent. The firm explained that this discovery is located north-west of the Johan Sverdrup field, and approximately 200km west of Stavanger. Equinor’s senior vice president of exploration Norway & UK Nicholas…

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Last week, the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) published its annual report on employment figures in the renewable energy and alternative fuel sector. Data from countries around the world showed that 10.3 million people worked in the renewable energy sector, more than half a million more than in 2016 (+ 5.3%) according to the latest estimates. Even though there was not an equal distribution across continents, with the six largest renewable energy countries (China, Brazil,…

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The oil and gas industry is planning to establish 16 high impact wells during 2018, Westwood Global Energy Group is estimating. According to the organisation, these wells will release around 3.7 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in waters owned by the UK and Norway. The majority of these wells will be in the Barents Sea in emerging or frontier areas. Others will be situated in the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea, with the research noting…

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The strength of the oil and gas industry is essential for the entire UK economy, not just the north-east of Scotland, MP Colin Clark recently stated. The Gordon, Aberdeenshire, MP secured a parliamentary debate on the subject earlier this week to discuss the importance on the sector and ways to give it a much-needed boost after a few years of difficulties. Writing in Energy Voice, he said: “The industry has shown great resilience through the downturn, and…

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The manufacturing sector in the UK accounts for 23 per cent of the economy, new research has revealed, with 48 per cent of exports manufactured goods. A new study, carried out by the Manufacturing Technologies Association, has found that manufacturers also make up nearly 70 per cent of all spend in research and development investment in the UK. James Selka, CEO of the organisation, noted that the industry has succeeded in creating a “wealth that is irreplaceable”…

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Chevron Lummus Global LLC (CLG) and Saudi Aramco have officially started their Luberef II Yanbu Refinery Expansion Project. Hydrocarbon Engineering reported on the scheme, whereby CLG is bringing its hydroprocessing technologies to the expansion, which will work alongside technology developed by Saudi Aramco to enable the production of premium Group II and Group III base oils. This is a significant step for Saudi Aramco, which until now has only been able to produce Group I base…

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Norwegian oil and gas giant Statoil has announced its plans to change its name to Equinor to reflect its shift to adopt more of a low-carbon energy strategy. The proposal was announced last week and will be suggested to shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on May 15th. It already has the support of the government, which approves of the formation of the name and what it stands for. Indeed, Equinor was chosen due to ‘equi’ signifying…

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Environmentalists have been raising concerns about the oil and gas industry for some time, but this has not dampened demand for the sector, with consumption levels still high. Raconteur.net has reported there is continued optimism for the market, due to a rise in energy demand across the world and a growing global population. International Energy Agency (IEA) chief economist Laszlo Varro said: “When you tell a story about the future, unavoidably you make assumptions. Over…

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Energy group DEA has revealed that it intends to plough more investment into developing oil fields in Egypt, Reuters reported. The firm, which has been operating in the country since 1974, plans to invest almost $500 million (£361 million) over the next three years. The money will be used to develop the oil fields it’s already working on - the West Delta, Desouk and Gulf of Suez fields. DEA partners with BP in the West Nile Delta…

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Guvnor has been given provisional permission to make alterations to its fuel upgrading unit at its refinery in Rotterdam, with the company’s aim to have a facility that enables it to turn high-sulphur fuel into other forms of diesel. Reuters reported on the plans, after the news agency saw a document relating to the proposed changes. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is set to bring new rules into force in 2020 to reduce sulphur emissions from…

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Hy Lok valve purchasers will be interested to hear the latest in the Scotland Fracking ban saga. We reported last year that the Scottish Government had agreed to ban fracking there. This was following significant public pressure to stop the practice. A consultation was run by the Government to gather views on the issue, and ultimately decided to ban fracking last summer, following a moratorium since 2015. This was a blow for the energy industry in…

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The Trump administration has unveiled plans to open up a significant proportion of the country’s offshore waters to oil and gas drilling. Under the proposals announced by secretary for the interior Ryan Zinke, more than 90 per cent of the US’s offshore waters could lose their protection and be opened up for drilling operations for fossil fuels in the future. This would cover areas in the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska…

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Rosneft and BP have announced that they are going to work together to develop subsoil resources in the area of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YaNAO) in northern Russia. This falls under the Kharampurskoe and Festivalnoye licence blocks of this region, where there are total geological reserves of over 880 bcm of gas. The two companies will focus on two deposits - the Cenomanian deposit and the Turonian deposit. The former hosts traditional gas reserves and will be developed,…

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The Forties pipeline system run by Ineos, which delivers approximately one-third of the UK’s oil in the North Sea, has been shutdown to allow the firm to carry out repair works on what it describes as “a hairline crack” in the pipeline. INEOS revealed that it had discovered the crack during a routine inspection on 6 December, when a small amount of oil seepage was noticed. Despite reducing the pressure in the pipeline, the crack extended…

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Former first minister for Scotland Alex Salmond has called for an oil fund to be established, to ensure that the people in the UK benefit from any rising oil prices, rather than private companies. According to Energy Voice, the politician said that the UK needs to “get control of the resource” if it is to provide the biggest benefits to the country’s population. Mr Salmond made his comments at the Renewables After Brexit conference in Dundee,…

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Construction companies may need to put in more orders for their hy lok valves, if the Government’s aims to improve the construction industry are successful. In a white paper released this week, the Government has pledged to Build a Britain Fit for the Future. This includes promises to invest in R&D, as well as sustainable technologies and innovations. There are four main ‘challenge areas’ The Government has identified: Artificial Intelligence; Future of Mobility; Ageing Society…

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In the Autumn Budget, chancellor Philip Hammond announced that owners of mature producing fields would be able to pass on tax histories to buyers when selling assets, a move that has been roundly welcomed by firms working in the North Sea. Professional services company EY, for example, said it could potentially have a huge impact on the industry, with head of oil and gas tax Derek Leith explaining that the announcement represents “an unprecedented change to…

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Cuadrilla, which has faced a lot of opposition from local campaigners, is set to submit a new planning application to West Sussex County Council to allow it to flow test and monitor its site in Lower Stumble, Balcombe. The company has previously been granted permission for this activity, back in May 2014, although the planning permission has now expired. CEO of Cuadrilla Francis Egan explained that the company had been unable to carry out the exploration works…

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Ethylene and methanol are set to drive an anticipated boom for the global petrochemicals industry. This is according to a fresh market report titled 'Global Petrochemicals Capacity and Capital Expenditure Outlook: Ethylene And Methanol Spearhead The Petrochemicals Industry Expansion'. The report covers all aspects of growth catalysts including industrial trends, worldwide analysis and other data such as rate of expansion, market shares and the effect of growth. It sets out that the global capacity for…

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The Wood Group has won a five-year maintenance contract with oil giant Total for its Lindsey Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire. It will involve delivering onshore maintenance services for the refinery, with chief executive of the firm Robin Watson explaining that the company’s “commitment to safety”, as well as its extensive experience in the offshore oil sector, helped it win the contract. “Our extensive capabilities in offshore maintenance gained from over two decades of working with Total…

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The importance of safe practices, training and regular maintenance of instrumentation equipment has been emphasised by a number of reports in recent weeks, following a serious fire caused by a broken plug valve. According to reports, a fire broke out at the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge refinery in Louisiana, USA, in November last year when a plug valve malfunctioned, causing a massive fire that injured four workers, highlighting the need for proper training. The incident occurred during maintenance…

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A new report from the University of Edinburgh has revealed that the oil industries in Scotland and the rest of the UK are now entering their final ten years of production – which could mean that the UK will soon have to import all the oil and gas it requires. The study looked into output from offshore fields and estimated that almost ten per cent of the country’s original recoverable oil and gas remains – around…

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UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) has been granted a 12-month extension to its license by West Sussex County Council, giving it the opportunity to continue its operations to test drill for oil deposits at Woodbarn Farm. The BBC revealed that councillors reached a unanimous decision, but raised a number of conditions for the firm. Chair of the planning committee at West Sussex County Council Councillor Duncan Crow said that the firm has 12 months to carry out…

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McCain - a brand that’s best known for its oven chips - is investing £100 million in its North Yorkshire production facility, which will see the site in Scarborough get a full renewal. The company has been based at the location for nearly 50 years and this particular facility is one of its most successful. Scarborough Borough Council approved the plans for the work recently and councillors gathered with McCain GB bosses for the ground-breaking ceremony…

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RRS Sir David Attenborough, the new polar research ship that’s intended to replace the current polar fleet here in the UK, is nearing completion, with the rearmost portion of the stern now being moved from the production yard to Birkenhead, where the rest of the hull is being constructed. According to the BBC, it will take about a week for the 900-tonne section to be moved from Tyneside and make its way around the country. The…

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There has been a great deal of controversy around fracking in the UK, with many people concerned about what the practice will mean for the environment and their local area. Cuadrilla is one of the firms that has been granted a licence to carry out fracking activities in the country and has faced protests from many over its work. However, it has recently highlighted the economic benefit of its activity for Lancashire, the Blackpool Gazette reported. According…

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The Department for International Trade (DIT) has announced that it will be taking steps to reduce high tariffs on UK exports like Scotch whisky in a bid to boost overseas trade. Tariffs can be imposed on exports by trading partners and they can be especially high in some markets, which can put businesses off from taking advantage of demand from overseas for UK products. Officials from the DIT are now looking to see how trade agreements in…

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Ineos, one of the biggest petrochemical manufacturing companies in the world, is threatening the National Trust with legal action over the conducting of seismic surveys at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. According to the BBC, plans to look for shale gas in Sherwood Forest and its surrounds have been somewhat controversial because of environmental issues surrounding extraction (or fracking) and the increase in fossil fuel use. Ineos has said that the Trust has blocked any contact from them…

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Businesses in the food and drink sector looking to expand into new markets in the near future might want to consider the likes of India, China and the UAE, which have all been identified as being the top three markets for companies in this sector. New research from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has found that global food exports are on the rise, climbing by seven per cent annually between 2006 and 2015. In the…

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Even when you are placing your next order for pneumatic valves you need to be aware that not all machinery will last forever, and one day you will need to decommission your equipment. A best practice guide has been released by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). It is called the ISPE Good Practice Guide: Decommissioning of Pharmaceutical Equipment and Facilities. The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) is the world’s largest not-for-profit association…

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Food and drink exports in Scotland have climbed by more than 11 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, with £1.2 billion worth exported in the first three months of the year – up by £124 million on 2016. The latest report from Scotland Food and Drink has just revealed that Scottish salmon and whisky were at the top of the export chart for the period, with the EU still the country’s biggest regional export…

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Demand for valve and fitting solutions looks set to increase in the second half of the year, with the latest manufacturing outlook survey from EEF revealing that there is confidence that the sector will see further expansion as the year goes on. Export markets look particularly favourable for manufacturers, whose views have been becoming increasingly positive over the last 12 months. European market demand looks especially buoyant, with 61 per cent of companies reporting an uptick. A…

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BP has announced that it has started oil production in the Quad 204 project, which is located in the North Sea in the west of Shetland. The oil giant plans to take advantage of the significant reserves still remaining in this area, even after nearly two decades of production. New facilities and equipment will allow BP and its co-venturers to begin a continuous drilling programme of up to 20 wells, accessing the estimated 450 million barrels remaining…

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Intelligent Energy, a company that works to deliver clean energy solutions for the automotive, distributed energy, diesel replacement and aerial drone markets, has launched a new programme to drive the mass manufacture of fuel cell stacks for the automotive sector. Teaming up with CEA Tech-Liten, a pan-European industry group has now been set up to facilitate the commercialisation of fuel cells for this particular market. The €3.5 million programme will make creating a strong platform…

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TIS Hydraulics receives major distribution manifold order from Halliburton TIS Hydraulics Ltd., the Aberdeen-based instrumentation and fluid power company, was recently approached by oilfield services and product provider, Halliburton, to design a 10-valve medium pressure distribution manifold for an ongoing project that Halliburton is working on in Houston, Texas US. The manifolds were required to comprise a key part the project, therefore very specific and critical deadlines for delivery had to be met. TIS Hydraulics, which has…

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