Building a reputation for innovation and responsiveness
Just one year on from establishing a new entity in Australia, pipeline technology specialist STATS Group is looking forward to a bright future after securing a frame agreement with some of the region’s largest tier one operators.
A wider market understanding of the company’s patented BISEP double block and bleed isolation technology has laid the foundations for growth which is being realised in terms of contract wins and formal long-term strategic relationships.
STATS has been engaged on a large variety of Australasia projects since 2017 when it made its market entry with the hot tap isolation of a 10-inch LPG pipeline in Victoria on behalf of a major operator, using its double block and bleed BISEP tool.
Building on a reputation for innovation and responsiveness, in 2020 STATS was awarded a long-term call-off contract by Santos to cover its assets in Queensland and South Australia, including pipelines and facilities in the Cooper Basin, Port Bonython and GNLG upstream and downstream operations in Gladstone.
Last year STATS expertise was in demand when the company was commissioned to complete two 12-inch BISEP intervention projects in Darwin, four 14-inch BISEP workscopes in Perth, and in Victoria’s Bass Strait. The company provided a range of hot tapping and remote isolation services on an offshore platform.
Encouraged by positive client support and multi-billion-dollar investment programs in Australia’s energy and infrastructure sectors by government and private investors, last November STATS announced plans to set up a Perth-registered business which will invest up to $2 million on in-country infrastructure, including workshop and storage capabilities and equipment.
The vision is paying off with increasing numbers of oil and gas operators and contractors opting to commission STATS on pipeline intervention projects and in addition to Santos, frame agreements are in place with a significant number of major gas distribution companies.
“As one of the youngest players in the Australian pipeline intervention market we focused on demonstrating to clients the advantages of our block and bleed technology versus more traditional products,” says Gareth Campbell, STATS Group’s Regional Manager for Asia Pacific.
“We are finding that once our BISEPs have been used in a shutdown or maintenance scenario, it changes an operators’ perception of how isolation projects can be executed, and that is reflected in the significant uptick in activity we are currently enjoying.”
STATS’ global approach to expanding its geographic presence is to establish a strong local infrastructure with a permanent portfolio of equipment – and personnel – instead of shipping in and out assets as contracts dictate.
“We are well-placed in terms of the range of equipment we have in-country to service existing contracts and to take on new work, but will continually add to that to mirror expected growth,” says Campbell.
“As part of a well-established international group, we can call on the resource and experience of our colleagues in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and in some cases Abu Dhabi if needed, but self-sufficiency is the objective.
“We are committed to a long-term strategy of increasing our market share in Australia’s pipeline sector, and further capital expenditure in the years ahead and the ongoing recruitment of key personnel, sends out a strong signal that the youngsters have a lot to offer clients and the sector.”
For more information, visit STATS Group.
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This article is featured in the November edition of The Australian Pipeliner.