Photo of the Edvard Grieg platform: Aker BP

Nordic Steel and Aker BP have together realized an idea and solved a practical HSE problem. The result has been equipment used for preparation, cleaning and degassing of the pump and pipe system on the platform.

The equipment in question is so-called manifold equipment. A manifold is a mechanical hub that distributes, collects or directs fluid between several different pipes or channels.

This equipment is used when the pump and pipe system on the platform needs to be cleaned of hazardous substances that no one should be exposed to. The new equipment contributes to safer work operations offshore when facilities are to be made ready for work.

The manifold equipment is a critical part of the solution, because it makes it possible to control liquid and gas flows during preparation, cleaning and degassing.

Tailoring as needed

Nordic Steel solved a need at Aker BP. The equipment that was produced by Nordic Steel for Aker BP consists of manifold equipment, pump units and drip trays, among other things.

Realizing a product from the idea stage to a fixed, finished result is a completely normal, everyday way of working at Nordic Steel. The company's hallmark is custom-made products, or tailoring. Often a project starts with an idea, just like at Aker BP.

– We create products that are not off-the-shelf. Together with our customers, we create solutions that are best suited to their needs. Projects like this one with Aker BP suit us very well, says Thor Gunnar Halvorsrød, senior project manager at Nordic Steel.

The most used equipment on the platform

The equipment is used in organized operations for preparation, cleaning and gas release. When the equipment is connected, the necessary pressure and leak tests are carried out before work begins. The operation itself is controlled via manifold equipment, which collects, distributes and controls the flow of gas and liquid.

The equipment helps to safeguard health, safety and the environment by simplifying work and ensuring that everyone involved in preparation, cleaning and degassing is not exposed to hydrocarbons or other hazardous substances. This results in safer and more controlled work operations.

Facts about the manifold and the equipment produced

• A manifold is a mechanical junction that distributes, collects or directs liquids and gases between several different pipes or channels.
• The manifold system acts as a central distribution or collection system to control the flow of fluid in a piping system.
• The manifold equipment is used as part of a controlled operation for emptying, washing and degassing. This can be done as CLC (Closed Loop Cleaning), where the equipment is cleaned and degassed without releasing the contents to the open air.
• The pumps are small and compact, and with standardized connections they can be connected directly to relevant equipment. They contribute to a more controlled and closed handling of liquids, and reduce the need for solutions that can cause unnecessary exposure to aerosols or gases hazardous to health.
• The drip trays are designed to improve safety when handling IBCs (liquid tanks) and chemicals. They make it possible to place the IBC and pump within the same collection solution, which reduces the need for additional collection trays. The trays have a high edge that protects against punctures and leaks, a hose passage, a collection capacity equivalent to a full IBC, solid wheels for moving, as well as a drop and drain valve in the bottom with a standard connection. Any spillage can then be drained via a hose or pumped away in a controlled manner.

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