In this feature we explore the impact that Vijay Kamate, Lead Subsea & Pipeline Engineer, in the Pipelines team, had on px Group’s inspection work on the FUKA and SIRGE North Sea offshore Pipelines. Vijay’s suggestion of using a Fast ROV helped to deliver a 22% (~£300K) saving against the project’s original budget and collected high specification inspection data.
Project
px Group undertook a major subsea pipeline inspection project, beginning in July 2020 which consisted of nearly 700km of inspection work of the FUKA and SIRGE pipelines and associated subsea structures.
The FUKA pipeline transports gas from the Northern North Sea to the St Fergus Gas Terminal, while the SIRGE pipeline runs from the Shetland Gas Plant on Shetland to a tie-in with the FUKA pipeline. Both pipelines are vital to the transportation and supply of gas to mainland UK, with the FUKA pipeline meeting ~12% of the UK’s gas demand.
The project was px Group’s first major ROV campaign it had managed since the transition of the St Fergus Gas Terminal and associated offshore pipelines.
Vijay’s impact
Vijay has been working on pipeline inspections since 2016 and knew that these projects can be lengthy and costly if not run efficiently.
Projects such as these usually have two survey vessel stages: the initial using ROTV to scan the entire line, followed by a spot dive ROV on areas of concern. Vijay identified the potential to use new technology, the Fast ROV, on the project to save time and cost using only one vessel while not compromising on the quality of the inspection data.
Vijay went away and talked to his peers in the industry about the reliability and quality of the Fast ROV. Hearing positive feedback and being confident himself, he then discussed the idea with the team leader, Sean Gleeson, who quickly agreed it could be a viable solution for the project. In a matter of days, Vijay drew up a techno-commercial business case for the use of the technology on the project, which would enable the team to get through and process the inspection through one vessel approach instead of two vessel approach.
On seeing Vijay’s compelling business case, Sean and the project leads took the proposal to the client who agreed that using the Fast ROV would be the best option for the project.
Results
Thanks to Vijay and the rest of the Pipelines team, px Group delivered the pipelines inspection safely and on time, with a huge 22% saving (~£300K) while generating high specification inspection data for the entire length of the subsea pipelines.
Furthermore, the team were able to cut down the time spent on the project, resulting in a quicker delivery for the client, as well as CO2 emissions associated with the project.
Sean Gleeson, Pipelines & Projects Manager, Midstream and Pipelines, who leads the Pipelines team, said: “Vijay’s impact really is px Group in action. We foster a flexible, agile environment where everyone – no matter the level of seniority – is encouraged to put their hand up to be heard. We work hard to have such an environment as it brings clear, tangible benefits to our people, to our clients and to px Group.”
“Vijay is testament to the px Group values. Not only has he had the biggest single impact on the results of this project, which was delivered successfully, safely and considerably under budget, but he’s instigated a change in the way we’ll look at projects like these in the future. Well done Vijay.”
Vijay Kamate comments: “It’s vitally important that we’re using the latest technology to do our best for the client. Our owner-operator approach ensures that if there’s savings to be made, without compromising quality of the results or the safety of the project/subsea pipelines, we’ll find them.
