News

The US Department of Interior has proposed new rules for the design and operation of well control equipment offshore. The department has stated that these proposed new rules would incorporate the latest industry standards that establish minimum baseline requirements for the design, manufacture, repair and maintenance of blowout preventors (BOPs); require more controls over the maintenance and repair of BOPs; require that shear rams be designed to include a technology that allows the drill pipe to be centered during shearing operations; require more rigorous third-party certification of the shearing capability of BOPs; request comments on a potential long-term requirement that a technology be installed to allow all equipment in the hole to be severed; expand accumulator capacity for increased functionality; require real-time monitoring capability for deepwater and high-pressure/high-temperature drilling activities; establish criteria for the testing of subsea well containment equipment in the regulations; increase the reporting of failure data of BOP to OEMs by operators and drilling contractors; adopt criteria for safe drilling margins consistent with Department of Justice and Office of the Inspector General recommendations arising out of the Deepwater Horizon tragedy; require the use of accepted engineering principles and establishes general performance criteria for drilling and completion equipment; establish additional requirements for using ROVs to assist in closing the BOP stack; establish additional guidelines for cementing and the use of centralizers; make the testing frequency of BOPs used on workover operations the same as drilling operations; and, request comments on changing the test frequency for both workover and drilling BOPs from 14 days to 21 days.

The Pennsylvania-based Pelletron has developed a new diverter valve with a 30-degree diversion angle. The valve has a smooth pass-through design that is ideal for pellet and granular applications to retrofit existing pneumatic conveying lines or for integration into new pneumatic conveying systems.

German-based Gemü, which has offices across North and South America, has launched its new line of pressure control valves that are manufactured from plastic and require little maintenance. Pressure control valves control the upper pressure limits, lower the pressure or balance out pressure fluctuations.

The market Research Store has published its new report on the global valve industry called, Valve Markets in the World to 2019-Market Size, Development and Forecasts. The report includes historic market data from 2008 to 2014 and even a forecast until 2019.

ExxonMobil has announced that 155 third- to fifth-grade teachers from all over the USA have been chosen to attend the national 2015 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. The program is a week long, all-expenses paid, professional development for teachers that equips them with innovative ways to educate their students about science and math in efforts to inspire them in these critical subjects.

Lee products has launched its newest product a miniature medical grade stainless steel cartridge style corrosive resistant check valve specifically designed for installation into plastics with sufficient elongation like nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, acetal and PEEK.

Smith Flow Control (SFC) was formed in April 1985 by Malcolm Brown, Mike Smith and current managing director Mike D’Anzieri. The company now employs a total of 78 staff, mostly at its headquarters in Witham, Essex, but also has regional offices in Australia, China, India, the Netherlands and the United States.

Available in various sizes and outlet configurations, the Vac-U-Max gravity diverter valve features state-of-the-art pneumatic actuators and adjustable operating speeds. The unit allows for unrestricted material flow through open gates, with split-body design allowing for easy cleaning and service.

Rotork RHQ extreme duty rack and pinion hydraulic actuators are designed for the most challenging applications in industry, mining and offshore offering typical examples. The balanced design incorporating four power cylinders creates a very compact footprint and provides efficient power consumption across an economical range of eight model sizes.

SPX has launched its Novados double-acting diaphragm pump to meet the specific needs of the oil and gas market. It was specifically designed for offshore applications in the oil and gas industry to reduce the footprint and weight of a pumping installation.