Each mine site has thousands, if not tens of thousands, of metres of pipeline that is vital to operations, safety and efficiency. With this in mind, Pipe Tek, one of Australia’s leading pipeline integrity specialists, has developed a new strategy to support the mining sector, including the addition of a new team and location in Western Australia.
Established in 1953 as Tank Calibrators, Pipe Tek provides turnkey integrity and maintenance solutions for Australia’s energy, water, defence and resources sectors. The company is 100 per cent Australian-owned, and has the skills, expertise and technology to undertake effective and efficient integrity, maintenance, and repair solutions for all pipeline assets.
Pipe Tek has warehouses located across Australia, including a fleet of specialised equipment to carry out its services, such as custom-built vehicles, cleaning pigs, and inline inspection tools. These tools are supplied direct from Oklahoma, United States, as part of an exclusive global partnership with Enduro Pipeline Services, which is considered to be the leading manufacturer of pipeline integrity equipment in the world.
Pipe Tek personnel are fully trained to run Enduro’s tools so that overseas technicians aren’t required, saving time and money, while also providing access to world-class technology and custom engineering support.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Pipe Tek’s roots are in the gas pipeline sector, with Co-founders Myles Brannelly and Taddam Farrant having experience in a number of roles, including working on the tools, digging trenches for pipeline construction in some of the most isolated parts of Australia. With the country, and world, in the midst of an energy transition, and as we move towards more green sources of fuel and renewable energy, there is less new gas pipeline infrastructure being constructed.
Hydrogen is a natural and logical transitionable opportunity for many contractors involved in gas pipelines; however, with some of the most ambitious pipeline constructions now being associated with mining projects and developments, Brannelly – who is now Managing Director of Pipe Tek – says that the sector presents new and exciting opportunities for the company.
‘One of the largest and longest pipelines constructed in the past few years was the raw water and slurry pipelines associated with Fortescue’s Iron Bridge in Western Australia,’ he says.
‘While it might not be front of mind, pipelines play a significant role in mining and resources. According to the data, there’s more than 350 mining developments in Australia. With pipeline infrastructure in place at all these locations, this means that there’s a lot of pipe that needs to be in service to ensure operations aren’t impacted.
‘Obviously, the transmission of water is integral to not only operations, but also the quality of life for crews on site. A number of mine sites also have dedicated gas pipelines for energy. You can imagine the impact this could have on the bottom line if these are not operating to capacity.’
That’s where Pipe Tek can step in to support. The company can clean, inspect, diagnose and repair pipelines of all diameters, returning the assets close to their original condition.
‘Like any element of a supply chain, pipelines are living and breathing assets,’ says Brannelly. ‘Each metre is unique depending on what it’s been constructed from, how it’s been installed, and the conditions it exists under.
‘There are so many variables that contribute to a pipeline’s performance. Our capability is to deliver a full turnkey solution to the end user, ensuring that the pipeline returns to operating as close to its designed capacity for as long as possible.’
THE INSPECTION PROCESS
Pipe Tek’s service usually begins by giving the pipeline a good old-fashioned clean.
‘You’d be stunned by some of the things recovered as part of a pipeline cleaning schedule, especially if a pipeline hasn’t been cleaned correctly after it’s been constructed,’ says Brannelly. ‘There might be tools, clothes – basically, any debris you can think of, we’ve seen it come out of a pipeline.’
Cleaning takes place using tools known as ‘pigs’, which have been customised to the exact diameter of the pipeline.
Once cleaning has been completed, Pipe Tek can send pigs fitted with intelligent technology through the pipeline, gathering data on each internal millimetre of asset. This process is called inline inspection (ILI).
The data gathered during this process includes any anomalies in the pipe, sections that might have corroded, leaks and pittings. All of the data is gathered, and a pipeline inspection report listing all the findings is produced. If there are any emergency issues that need to be actioned as soon as possible, a bespoke solution or an integrity management plan can be developed.
Brannelly says that it’s at this stage that Pipe Tek’s capabilities as a turnkey supplier gives it a point of difference.
‘A lot of pipeline integrity companies just specialise in one or two steps in this process. Our competitors might just handle the ILI and subcontract the cleaning, as well as the rehabilitation and repair.
‘We handle the whole process from start to finish, including our team rehabilitating and repairing any issues identified during ILI,’ he says.
EXPANDING INTO NEW MARKETS
Having identified demand for its services in mining and resources, Pipe Tek has established a base in Perth and recruited a crew to service the state. The company now has the capabilities to quickly and easily work on pipelines across the country, as well as in Papua New Guinea and the Asia-Pacific region, from its headquarters in Brisbane.
In addition, the entry into the Western Australia market capitalises on the state’s established gas and liquefied natural gas market, as well the emerging hydrogen space.
All of Pipe Tek’s highly trained personnel deliver exceptional quality services to NATA, ISO and Australian Gas Association standards. Brannelly says that the company is now one of a handful of NATA-accredited companies operating in Western Australia.
For more information, visit pipetek.com.au or call 1300 PIPE TEK.
