INN

OV

AT

ION

S

•

AP

RIL

-JU

NE

20

14

Look around at one of the technologies you interact with – your cellphone, tablet, touchscreen monitor. Now ask yourself where it came from – not guessing which country in which it was manufactured, but how it actually came into being. Who dreamt it up? Or what drove its creation? Chances are, the origin of several of your gadgets, or at least their respective components, can be traced back to one world altering event – the global military conflict of the early 1940s.

Although many of the technological advancements of that time were directly related to combat efforts, such as developments in heavy weaponry, aircraft and naval vessels, there were many less overtly celebrated breakthroughs in supporting fields like electronics, communications and industrial technology – including … momentous advancements in the transportation of hydrocarbons.

Consider the first subsea pipeline, constructed in the UK in 1942. This engineering feat was a test of the Allied ability to run pipelines in the English Channel, which ultimately supported troops following the Normandy landing in 1944. Although the energy industry didn’t take immediate advantage of this technology, the inevitable advance toward commercial subsea development had begun.

Around this same time, T.D. Williamson was recruited into the pipeline business – via what became a pigging project – to support the war effort. As a result of the immediate and intense international need for more oil and gas, TDW experienced its first era of accelerated onshore research and development growth.

For the next 60 years, TDW focused on solving the increasingly complex challenges of onshore operators, developing a portfolio that covers nearly every aspect of pipeline service. But near the turn of the millennium, increasing offshore demand for equivalent expertise and services compelled TDW to look to the sea.

Already a global company, with manufacturing facilities and service centers throughout the world, TDW was well positioned to meet offshore operators where they were. Of particular value were its strategic hubs in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea. From these hubs TDW began engineering a new wave of offshore pipeline solutions, helping operators manage risk, optimize throughput and extend asset life.

So, the next time you pore over a platform’s Piping and

BY MIKE BENJAMINSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT –

MARKETING & TECHNOLOGY, T.D. WILLIAMSON

E X E C U T I V E O U T L O O K

From the Land, to the Sea

INN

OV

AT

ION

S •

AP

RIL

-JU

NE

20

14

Instrumentation Diagram (PID), isolate a dropped object zone during construction, or plan the replacement of an emergency shutdown valve, you’ll know where that technology was born, and what drove its existence. You’ll also know that TDW will be right there with you, continuing to invest

in processes and technologies to help manage and reduce risk in offshore operations, effectively helping you reach farther, wider and progressively deeper.

And that’s what this issue of Innovations™ magazine is about. We hope you find great value in it and enjoy the experience.