Category Archives: New Products

SECC showcases emergency breakaways at ONS 2012, Stand B288

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Subsea connector specialist SECC Oil & Gas will showcase a range of self-sealing emergency disconnect solutions at ONS, alongside its Norwegian distributor Norwegian Hose Supply.

SECC’s stand will feature its two-inch Hot Make Hot Break and Mid-Line Valved breakaways, both of which are based on a unique pressure-balanced, full-bore, external check valve design to instantly seal under full working pressure in a drive off emergency, removing the risk of pollution and protecting offshore personnel and equipment.
The company will also demonstrate a range of high-performance hot stabs and unveil its new seal change-out tool, which has been shortlisted for the ONS 2012 Innovation Awards. The ground-breaking change-out tool was designed to transform the Hot Make Hot Break connector into a permanent solution by enabling operators to replace its elastomer seals subsea.

British-based SECC shares a stand with Norwegian Hose Supply, the distributor and technical support partner it appointed earlier this year to serve customers in the Norwegain market.

“SECC’s connectors are extremely relevant in the Norwegian market where managing pollution risk is the number one concern and operators are looking for proven, DNV-qualified, high specification emergency breakaways,” says Roar Riseth, sales manager at Norwegian Hose Supply, the hoses, valves and studs specialist which forms part of Norwegian Oilfield Supply and the Hitec Products Group.

“Major investment in vessel-operated stimulation projects, which are the ideal application for this technology, is also fuelling demand from oil companies in our region.”

Hot Make Hot Break subsea connector achieves PR2 rating

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SECC has achieved API 6A PR2 certification for its Hot Make Hot Break connector. The API 6A PR2 testing is designed to test the connectors ability to withstand extremes of temperature and pressure as well as simulate operational conditions by undergoing a series of pressure cycling tests. The certification work was performed by DNV on the connectors as part of a project to install them permanently onto a subsea manifold in the North Sea. This milestone, along with the recent certification to ISO 9001 with DNV, demonstrates SECC’s commitment to assuring the quality and reliability of its products.

New subsea disconnects approach brings cost and environment benefits

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British engineering designers have taken a new approach to subsea emergency breakaway technology, bringing offshore operators cost savings and environmental benefits.

Emergency disconnections most often become necessary when a vessel loses dynamic positioning or the downline hose becomes obstructed, and conventional methods can compromise staff safety, increase costs, and bring the risk of unwanted spillages.

SECC Oil & Gas – a subsidiary of the Self Energising Coupling Company – addresses these issues with the Hot Make Hot Break dry break coupling system, which was patented in 2006 and is now being used for the first time in the North Sea.

Well Ops, one of the Helix group of companies, has incorporated the SECC disconnect system as part of its new subsea intervention lubricator (SIL) package on the Well Enhancer, which recently entered service to provide subsea operators with both open water and riser-based intervention services.

What distinguishes the SECC system is the use of pressure-balanced technology to ensure all connectors remain balanced at any pressure and any depth. This protects subsea equipment by dispensing with guillotines and uncontrolled subsea and surface disconnections in an emergency.

Instead, pressure lines can be quickly disconnected — manually or automatically — under full working pressure, and because the break is 100% dry there is virtually no spillage risk and no hazards posed to personnel.

Reconnection is quick and straightforward, and can be completed at depths of 10,000 ft or greater via ROV without the need to de-pressurise or de-water the high-pressure hose line. This offers significant safety benefits as well as cost savings through both reduced downtime and fewer hours worked.

Key applications for the SECC Hot Make Hot Break system and its range of mid-hose breakaway coupling and connectors include pumping and injection lines, vessel hoses, umbilicals and down lines. Among others are:

  • Intervention
  • Gas and water injection
  • Chemical injection
  • Choke and kill
  • Pipeline Testing
  • Stab connections
  • Hot flow.

Matthew Readman of SECC Oil & Gas, and the inventor of the technology, said:

“It is no longer essential for the reconnection to be made manually as the technology is specifically designed to be operated by ROV and this brings significant savings in vessel costs. The approach is also much safer, meaning fewer personnel are placed at risk during the emergency disconnect process.”