Duct tales

Adam Wynne Hughes details the achievements and priorities of The International Pipeline and Offshore Contractors Association.

“We must manage people involved at all levels on the job, and nurture good human relations with communities of different beliefs and cultures all along the pipeline route”
-Adam Wynne Hughes

The business challenges involved in the execution of mammoth pipeline projects worldwide are numerous and complex. In this complicated world, relationships are all-important – among clients, contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers, and of course, governments and local communities impacted by pipeline construction.

The International Pipeline and Offshore Contractors Association (IPLOCA) exists to support and foster these relationships, provide a forum for sharing ideas and to engage all members of the pipeline supply chain while promoting the highest standards in the pipeline industry and maximising use of new technologies.

Headquartered in Geneva, IPLOCA currently boasts 106 corporate members – key international pipeline and offshore contracting companies as well as their subcontractors – and 115 associate members who represent the manufacturers and suppliers of vital products, equipment and services to the pipeline industry. It also has four academic members.

The association membership is truly global, composed of companies in Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, UAE, UK, and USA.

Pipeline innovation

Pipe laying methodology has changed little in the last 40 years, despite technological advancements in almost every other field, but members of the association are working together to seek opportunities for improvement that will benefit the entire industry.
To this end, a First Edition of Onshore Pipelines: The Road to Success made its debut in September 2009 at the association’s 43rd Annual Convention in San Francisco, the result of a multi-company collaboration under the IPLOCA umbrella. Some 45 companies participated, including Bredero Shaw, Caterpillar, CCC Group, Entrepose, Fluor, Gulf Interstate Engineering, Heerema, Land & Marine, Rosen, Saipem, Serimax, Spiecapag, Tekfen, Technip, NACAP, Volvo, Willbros, BP, Chevron, ENI, Petrobras and others.

Around 100 individuals attended meetings and workshops and contributed their time and expertise to the production of this document, which describes state-of-the-art project development and proposes new execution practices and equipment for onshore pipeline projects. The 372-page document, now available online at the IPLOCA website, presents in considerable detail onshore pipeline construction phases from front end loading through contract development, analysis and management of risks, to project execution. A two-day meeting in March 2010 in Geneva addressed development of the Second Edition of Onshore Pipelines: The Road to Success.

Advances in pipeline technology are actively encouraged by the association, not only via the Novel Construction Initiative but also under the more general umbrella of New Technologies. To this end an award, sponsored by BP, is given every other year at the IPLOCA Annual Convention

Safety first

Health, Safety and Environmental Management are of paramount importance to IPLOCA members. Each year the individual member companies provide their Health and Safety statistics to the association and these are made available in aggregate to the members who can monitor their progress in relation to the industry at large.

Environmental management – complicated because the physical circumstances of projects vary so much – is similarly at the forefront in discussions and monitoring. Each year IPLOCA grants awards in Health and Safety (sponsored by Chevron) and every two years makes awards in Environmental Management (sponsored by Shell), also presented at the Annual Convention. Clearly, standardisation of process will make for better familiarity, greater application and therefore better results all round, and IPLOCA is working to facilitate this as part of its own agenda.

The human factor

Yet perhaps the most serious challenge for the pipeline construction industry remains the lack of manpower. IPLOCA, along with many industry members, is seeking solutions in this area and through the working of its Training Committee is embarking on specialist seminars, while polling its members around the world for their needs and feedback. Most recently, IPLOCA has organised a training seminar designed specifically for pipeline managers on “Communication Skills in an Intercultural Environment”

“The pipeline construction industry remains a great challenge,” said Ibrahim Zakem, Managing Director of Zakhem International Construction Limited in Kenya. “We must manage people involved at all levels on the job, and nurture good human relations with communities of different beliefs and cultures all along the pipeline route. Our pipeline engineers are always there to foresee any problems and resolve them in a timely way through training programs, fostering good relations with the people directly involved irrespective of their ethnicity, creed or culture. We have appointed a team of experts on permanent basis to plan and resolve the problems that may confront us on ongoing or future pipeline projects.”

IPLOCA is proud to represent and serve its membership base worldwide for the benefit of the industry at large. Dialogue and collaboration under the IPLOCA umbrella can do much to move the industry forward at a time of unprecedented demand for water, oil and gas.

For more information visit www.iploca.com.

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IPLOCA: the facts
Founded: 1966 in Paris
Member Companies: 106
Associate Member Companies: 115
Countries Represented: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA.

2009-2010 Leadership   
President: Adam Wynne Hughes, Land & Marine Project Engineering, UK
First Vice President: Karl Trauner, Habau, Austria
Second Vice President: Osman Birgili, Tekfen Construction, Turkey
Treasurer: Phil Bond, Pipeline Induction Heat, UK
Immediate Past President: Bruno de La Roussière, Entrepose, France

2010: key priorities

• Value to Members and recognition of IPLOCA by key oil & gas stakeholders
• Health, Safety & Environment: To promote the common interest of members & foster a high level safety culture across the industry
• New Technologies: To stimulate industry-wide technology, processes, & contractual relationships for pipeline projects
• One-on-one engagement of members around the world through increased number of local and Regional meetings in local languages
• Increased involvement with training and professional organizations to facilitate and publicise careers in pipeline construction