®

A quarterly publication of T.D. Williamson July-September 2013

Quality runs deep.

Remote operation enables subsea access, reduces diver dependency and speeds execution.

Compact and lightweight for easy handling in adverse conditions.

Scan with your smartphone for a demonstration.

Quality runs deep.

STAVANGER, NORWAY: +47 51 44 32 40

HOUSTON, USA: +1 832 448 7200

ABERDEEN, UK: +44 1224 627666

SINGAPORE: +65 6364 8520

To learn more about the Subsea 1200RC Tapping Machine or our

entire line of Offshore Service solutions, contact your nearest

TDW representative or visit www.tdwilliamson.com.

Performs from shallow depths down to 3,000 meters (9,842 feet).

Topside laptop control ensures total visibility for optimal accuracy and efficiency.

with the Subsea 1200RC Tapping Machine from TDW.

® Registered trademark of T.D. Wil l iamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. ™ Trademark of T.D. Wil l iamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. © Copyright 2012 All rights reserved. T.D. Williamson, Inc.

1200RC Tapping_Tech Ad_ENG_Oct_OS.indd 1 8/31/12 11:07 AM

®Registered trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. ™ Trademark of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. © Copyright 2013. All rights reserved by T.D. Williamson, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed in the United States of America.

Powerful Disruption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 TDW’s Engineering Development Program is moving the world forward,

one class of brilliant engineers at a time.

Vol. V, No. 3 – July - September 2013

Innovations™ magazine is a quarterly publication produced by the Marketing Communications Group of T.D. Williamson.

Editor-in-Chief Jim Myers Morgan

Managing Editor Waylon Summers

Art Director Joe Antonacci

Design Production Keith Watkins

Digital Production Jim Greenway

Ward Mankin

Contributors

Bruce Binkley Chuck Harris

Bill Herring George Lim

Sharon Roe Laura Sanchez

Julie Simmons Don Thompson

Anne Valentin

Photographer Scott MillerProactive Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 President and CEO Bruce Binkley describes TDW’s transformative shift

in how it relates to the market.

Safety Matters: A Near Miss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Addressing safety hazards through near-miss reporting.

Faces & Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Looking at TDW events and projects from around the globe.

Cover Story: Crisis...It’s Coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 TDW provides comprehensive assessment, planning, tools and execution

to mitigate damage in advance of pipeline failure.

Five Questions: SpirALL® EMAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 TDW’s unique Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer defect detection technology.

TDW on Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Find out where and when you can see TDW technology in person.

T.D. WilliamsonNorth and South America: 918-447-5500

Europe/Africa/Middle East: 32-67-28-36-11

Asia/Pacific: 65-6364-8520

Offshore Services: 832-448-7200

E-mail: info@tdwilliamson.com

Web: www.tdwilliamson.com

Want to share your perspective on anything

in our magazine?

Send us an e-mail:

Innovations@tdwilliamson.com

Follow TDW:

®

For a complimentary subscription to Innovations™ magazine, send your name, title, company and mailing address to Innovations@tdwilliamson.com.

About the cover… Emergency Pipeline Repair Systems (EPRS) provide operators with a comprehensive customized toolbox for enhancing emergency preparedness.

Contents

Quality runs deep.

Remote operation enables subsea access, reduces diver dependency and speeds execution.

Compact and lightweight for easy handling in adverse conditions.

Scan with your smartphone for a demonstration.

Quality runs deep.

STAVANGER, NORWAY: +47 51 44 32 40

HOUSTON, USA: +1 832 448 7200

ABERDEEN, UK: +44 1224 627666

SINGAPORE: +65 6364 8520

To learn more about the Subsea 1200RC Tapping Machine or our

entire line of Offshore Service solutions, contact your nearest

TDW representative or visit www.tdwilliamson.com.

Performs from shallow depths down to 3,000 meters (9,842 feet).

Topside laptop control ensures total visibility for optimal accuracy and efficiency.

with the Subsea 1200RC Tapping Machine from TDW.

® Registered trademark of T.D. Wil l iamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. ™ Trademark of T.D. Wil l iamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. © Copyright 2012 All rights reserved. T.D. Williamson, Inc.

1200RC Tapping_Tech Ad_ENG_Oct_OS.indd 1 8/31/12 11:07 AM

The storied history of TDW is shared by all of our employees, but I feel very fortunate to be part of this particular chapter. For 26 years I have watched our exceptional people rise to meet the increasing challenges of the market. They have envisioned and engineered countless customer solutions, undeterred by the complexity of the need, remoteness of the location or difficulty of the geography. I am humbled by their capacity for listening to our customers’ needs and am inspired by the fearlessness of their thought leadership. I am proud of who we are and what we do.

Our chapter, however, has not been without its challenges. The industry has grown increasingly global and exponentially more complex. TDW has had to become more agile, evolve and reassess the value we bring to our customers. Again, it’s the employees of TDW who never cease to amaze me with their initiative, integrity and interdependence.

Through the commitment of our people, TDW has shifted in how we view our customers and ourselves. We have moved from reacting to customer needs, to proactively engaging them as partners in progress. We have grown from providing solutions to existing challenges, to anticipating the direction and future needs of the market.

This shift has been nothing short of transformative. TDW now provides customers with technologies and methodologies that are eliminating shutdowns, redefining integrity data and removing man from machine. Our people are energizing the industry, changing the way it thinks and propelling it forward.

One of the best examples of this shift from a reactive to a proactive approach is how TDW is helping customers develop their Emergency Pipeline Repair Systems. I encourage you to read more about this holistic solution to emergency preparedness in our cover story, “Crisis … It’s Coming,” beginning on page 8. Enjoy the articles and information in this issue of Innovations™ magazine and know that TDW is out there right now, working for your future.

Until next time,

4

by Bruce Binkley, President and Chief Executive Officer

Innovations | July-September 2013

Our people are energizing the industry, changing the way it thinks and propelling it forward.

Proactive Thinking

by Bill Herring, TDW HSE Corporate Manager

Safety MattersAddressing safety hazards through near-miss reporting.

A Near Miss

5

What’s for dinner? SEND. You look up from that oh-so-important text and you see that you have crossed over, ever so slightly, into oncoming traffic. There is a vehicle coming right at you. With a quick tug of the wheel you correct your course and whip back into your lane. BEEBAAHBOO. Your eagerly anticipated response has arrived. You look down to read, Whatever you’re bringing home.

In this scenario, it’s safe to say you had a near-miss. Had you looked up a moment later or not corrected quick enough, you would likely

have been involved in a collision. It’s also safe to say that, since you returned to your previous behavior only moments after your near-miss, you clearly learned

nothing from it. You, nor the other people sharing the road, can afford this kind of behavior. TDW views near-misses in a similar light.

A Near-Miss Incident is defined by TDW as – a non-injury incident that, had circumstances been slightly different, would have resulted in an injury to personnel, damage to equipment or the environment.

It seems that, at first blush, a near-miss is a great thing, a gift even. Nothing happened, no one got hurt, nothing is broken. But what about next time?

TDW’s HSE managers use these unfortunate opportunities to identify safety concerns that are often unanticipated or otherwise go unseen. In fact, the reporting of a near-miss incident is equally important to that of an actual injury incident. Once a hazard is identified, it can be addressed to reduce the likelihood of that particular incident escalating from a near-miss to a didn’t-miss.

The metrics for assessing near-miss reporting are almost always skewed, as there are far fewer reports than estimates indicate. Due to this disparity, HSE managers have devoted much time and effort to educating employees on the value of near-miss reporting, with special emphasis on incorporating these reporting practices into TDW’s safety culture.

Through a combined effort from HSE managers and TDW personnel, the near-miss reporting efforts are helping prevent future incidents. This effort also acts as an audit, ensuring the effectiveness of TDW’s safety policies, operating procedures and training. l

Once a hazard is identified, it can be

addressed to reduce the likelihood of

that particular incident escalating from

a near-miss to a didn’t-miss.

2

1

6

Innovations | July-September 2013

1. Louisiana / Faster Doesn’t Mean BetterWithout TDW’s active speed control technology, Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP, would have experienced a 14-hour window of significantly reduced throughput during a recent inline inspection, with the end result being a drastic loss of revenues for both the company and its customers. Instead, Boardwalk was able to meet all of its project goals with no negative trickledown. Boardwalk stated that they will continue to seek advanced technology from TDW, as its flows and products are ever changing, and given its need to maintain the highest system integrity and compliance.

2. Mexico / Double-Double IsolationTDW recently carried out a 48-inch STOPPLE® line isolation on a high-pressure gas pipeline in Jalapa, Mexico – the largest ever STOPPLE® job in Latin America. The line runs through a major population center and is responsible for providing gas to millions of customers. The operator’s primary objective was to ensure the highest level of safety while the line was prepped for a tie-in. TDW utilized a double-double isolation setup, utilizing four STOPPLE® plugs, two on each side of the work area, to create maximum safety and to avoid interrupting flow via a gas bypass.

4. Stavanger / Isolation Frame AgreementTDW announced that it has signed a frame agreement with Centrica Storage Ltd. (CSL) to provide pipeline isolation services with its SmartPlug® tool. The tool makes it possible to safely isolate pressure in an active pipeline and maintain production while necessary maintenance is carried out. This tool and method allows operators to realize significant benefits in the form of reduced downtime and associated costs. The five-year agreement effectively extends the previous agreement between TDW and CSL, which the two companies entered into in 2010.

3. Wales / Multiple Dataset Inline InspectionThe Pembroke Refinery – operated by Valero Energy, Ltd. – is one of the largest and most complex refineries in Western Europe, with a total throughput capacity of 270,000 barrels per day. With such high volume and an inability to experience downtime, it is imperative to Valero that it maintains its network at the highest standards. To do this, they require constant comprehensive assessments of their assets. Valero recently contracted TDW to conduct an integrity inspection utilizing multiple datasets (MDS) on a single platform. TDW’s MDS tool, including SpirALL® MFL technology, allowed Valero to effectively accomplish its risk mitigation goal with just one inspection tool.

75

63

4

Looking at TDW events and projects from around the globe.

7

7. Kazakhstan / Customer EventHeld in Atyrau, Kazakhstan, TDW’s most recent customer event hosted guests from 13 oil and gas companies operating within the country. The presentations focused on the safety and cost benefits associated with TDW’s line intervention and temporary isolation methods. The session on Emergency Pipeline Repair Systems was of great interest to attendees. It covered how TDW proactively assists operators in mitigating the impact of emergency situations (See Cover Story, page 8). But it was the live demonstration of TDW’s STOPPLE® Train and LOCK-O-RING® technologies that was most exciting. During the equipment manipulation, the presenters addressed a deluge of great questions.

6. Moscow / Record Number of Hot TapsA major gas operator contracted TDW to provide a record 39 hot taps to facilitate several new tie-ins. Due to the importance of the line, a shutdown was unacceptable for both the client and its European customers. Through TDW technology, expertise and global coordination, the operator was able to perform the tie-in preparation without disruption to its European markets, reinforcing its reputation as a reliable strategic energy partner. In addition, the operator’s safety reputation was enhanced as the operation was completed without the environmental damage inherent in the gas evacuation of traditional interventions.

5. Budapest / DS Pipeline Performance SummitTDW hosted the Distribution System Pipeline Performance Summit in Budapest. The three day event brought together guests of distribution companies from seven countries in Central Europe. The summit was themed as a “best-practice sharing event.” It served to establish common goals regarding compliance, conformity, pipeline integrity and leak-tight assets. Following the presentations, attendees were able to share best practices, exchange business ideas and discuss how TDW can help further meet their needs.

A phone call is made. Initial reports indicate a possible rupture in your line. The extent of the damage is unknown. You consult your official “Emergency Response Plan” and put your teams to work on locating the affected area and assessing the damage. A passing transport vessel has drug its anchor across one of your major lines. You then contact emergency responders and put your environmental and public relations teams into action. Everyone is working around the clock to get a handle on the situation, while trying to qualify and quantify the damage.

As you wait for a specialized contractor to arrive on-scene for a more thorough assessment and detailed solution, you learn that the potential rupture, although it has now been temporarily addressed, is actually a catastrophic event. The machinery needed to properly isolate the line and more thoroughly protect against further leakage isn’t currently available, but can be expedited, at significant cost, to arrive in about three weeks. The line will need to be shut down in the meantime. The tools and replacement parts required to repair the line are custom and will take about three months to have manufactured. As for waiting, time will fly by as your company navigates the environmental, political, regulatory, financial and social fallout happening, internationally, in real-time. In your calm moments, you start to question the value of that official “Emergency Response Plan,” which now seems more like a vague synopsis of “Emergency Suggestions.”

Unfortunately, this offshore scenario is neither antiquated nor unique. However, with increasing regulation, several recent catastrophic pipeline events and greater understanding of the

long-term effects of those events, offshore operators are beginning to embrace proactive Emergency Pipeline Repair Systems (EPRS) as the most responsible and economical approach to mitigating risk and maintaining their assets.

WHAT IS EPRS?At its simplest, a fully implemented EPRS is a highly customized emergency pipeline repair solution, allowing pipelines to be operated in an advanced state of emergency preparedness, minimizing downtime and impact following a damage event. Functioning as an integral risk reduction measure, EPRS doesn’t actually reduce the probability of failure, but rather the consequences.

Prior to damage or failure events, such as an anchor drag and rupture, the operator and EPRS provider have collaborated in creating comprehensive risk and anticipated damage assessments, procured the appropriate repair/replacement material and equipment, and developed a plan to fully mobilize an exacting solution when needed. This EPRS scenario optimally positions the operator to reduce event response lead times, better protect the environment, decrease operational downtime, diminish liability, protect the corporate image and reputation, and proactively engage social media on their terms.

HOW DOES EPRS WORK?“Reducing the consequences of failure” is an easy sentence to write. It belies the myriad challenges and solution complexities. Creating a comprehensive and customized EPRS is no small task.

A typical day off the west coast of Australia. All is well in the world … until an alarm is sounded.

CRISIS...IT’S COMINGTDW provides proactive comprehensive assessment, planning, tools and

execution to mitigate damage in advance of pipeline failure.

THE COVER STORY

8

by George Lim

Innovations | July-September 2013

And although we could discuss both onshore and offshore EPRS, the onshore operators and providers have made great strides in understanding their common failure mechanisms and adopting repair solutions. This being so, we will explore EPRS as it applies to the more costly, complex and much less institutionalized offshore market.

In the offshore sector, pipelines are being constructed in increasingly deeper waters and they are spanning greater distances, transporting product to once-distant markets. This ever-expanding matrix presents operators with a changing and challenging set of risk profiles, very different from onshore. For instance, applying a standard risk priority index (RPI) methodology in the Gulf of Mexico reveals that the most frequent cause of failure (corrosion) is not necessarily the most risky (anchor drag). This example demonstrates that in creating an offshore EPRS, exacting attention must be given to assessing potential and likely damage, ranking the risk, and devising

correlative repair scenarios – all unique to a specific operator’s specific assets in a specific locale.

There is little room for error in committing to such massive emergency repair operations, particularly when involving costly marine spreads, high technology remote-controlled subsea devices, expert engineering and project management. The relevant anticipated risks must be known, the likelihood of damage events must be understood, and the tools made ready must succinctly match the emergency. To be successful within such narrow parameters TDW’s EPRS adheres to a process of Assess, Procure, Mobilize and Execute.

Assess The first and most important phase in formulating an offshore EPRS is to perform an EPRS Study. The study will analyze the operator’s critical pipeline infrastructure, help communicate the potential risks involved, and assist in integrating the information

9

A S S E S S

Assess Damage

Develop Repair

Plan

Materials

Contracts

Resources

All to-site

Organization

Repair

Re-commission

Restore Flow

P R O C U R E

COSTLY EXTENSIVE DOWNTIME

IN PLACE BEFORE INCIDENT SHORTDOWNTIME

M O B I L I Z E E X E C U T E

A S S E S S

Assess PotentialDamage

Develop RepairScenarios

EssentialMaterials

FrameAgreements,Resources

MaintainReadiness

EquipmentWorkshop,

Readiness Drills

P R O C U R E M O B I L I Z E

Repair

Re-commission

Restore Flow

E X E C U T E

Reactive Approach: Emergency

Proactive Approach: EPRS

CatastrophicFailure

CatastrophicFailure

10

Innovations | July-September 2013

into the operator’s existing Pipeline Integrity Management (PIM) plan. The PIM ensures that the pipeline network is able to perform the intended function for its design life through managing known risks.

Typical offshore risks are corrosion, anchor drag, dry buckle, impact, and internal blockages (paraffin and scale). The consequences of the damages fall into two categories. The first is unexpected catastrophic failure, which requires immediate action and typically results in line shutdown. The second is monitored integrity risk, where the repair is planned in advance and the line remains live.

With the infrastructure and risk assessment information in hand, the EPRS provider and operator will prepare specific repair scenarios for the likely risks in each of the two damage categories. For offshore pipelines these scenarios can include simple integrity risk solutions, such as installing a structural clamp to address pin hole leaks or piggable dents, or chemical injection to remove wax or hydrates. If the damage falls into the catastrophic category, such as a non-piggable dent or rupture, the repair scenarios are much more complex and would likely include pipeline isolation (Hot tapping, STOPPLE® Plugging, or SmartPlug® isolation)

The BUY NOW of EPRS

Most offshore EPRS equipment and resources aren’t simply off-the-shelf items that can be quickly mobilized in case of an emergency. With so many risks, which EPRS items are an operator’s must-haves? It certainly isn’t necessary that every item in each group be acquired in advance. The following list is a general guideline for the decision-making process:

Conduct EPRS Study:

• Identify critical pipelines and establish risk priorities

• Establish key repair scenarios

To Save Time:

• Frame agreements for aerial/subsea surveys to locate damage

• Pre-order critical long lead materials (e.g., line pipe, clamps, fittings)

To Save Cost:

• Frame agreements for marine spread and equipment

To Save Pipeline Inventory:

• Isolation equipment (e.g., hot tap & plugging, SmartPlug® System)

• Decommissioning / re-commissioning spread

and some combination of decommissioning, damaged pipeline removal, flange installation, tie-in and re-commissioning.

By the end of the assessment phase all parties will have a clear course of action for the anticipated emergency scenarios. The operator will also have a balanced strategy to safely and efficiently return pipeline flow.

Procure Following the strategic EPRS process, the second phase is procurement, which is also the second half of the EPRS Study. This is where, for each of the formalized repair scenarios, the correct material, equipment spreads and necessary resources are identified, added to the operator’s “shopping list” and procured – purchased, put on retainer, etc.

The first questions asked are, “What is required? Is the correct equipment readily available? Are the technicians competent to proceed? Where along the pipeline route should critical pieces of equipment be placed? What engineering support is required to carry out the correct applications?”

A master document is prepared for each field operating unit. This document consists of a matrix of all the operator’s critical pipelines, current capacity to respond to a damage event, and the response and repair elements that are lacking. From each master document, a detailed list of equipment is prepared for each repair scenario. This list must be exhaustive, as a single missing component can render the entire equipment package unusable when an emergency arises. This is where the experience and expertise of knowledgeable EPRS providers is necessary.

Mobilize The third phase is mobilization, but not in terms of action, rather the plan for action. The operator and EPRS provider will establish an ideal base location from which all components procured in the previous phase will mobilize. The operator can either establish their own fully-equipped and stocked service center or use a local service center owned and operated by the EPRS provider or club. The centers must be equipped with laydown areas, overhead cranes, ample lighting and a welding bay.

Proper maintenance of EPRS equipment is critical. A specialized and regimented maintenance program will include restoration and certification of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) equipment, detailed diagnostics, validation of equipment performance, guaranteed labor and parts, and proper maintenance of records.

SmartPlug® System

Pressure Isolation & Monitoring

SmartPlug® System

Pressure Isolation & Monitoring

STOPPLE® Train System

Plugging Technology

ExecuteWe have assessed, procured and are prepared to mobilize. In the fourth phase we execute. Now, what does emergency response really look like?

EPRS arrangements are most often multiyear operation and maintenance contracts. This coverage can include set mobilization times, repair methodologies, detailed work plans per contingency, job safety analysis, equipment maintenance, fully auditable services and fixed fees to maintain a “state of readiness.”

Combined with long-term partnerships with local contractors and vendors, this EPRS arrangement is especially beneficial for those operators that don’t have a large internal organization to support their regular operational or EPRS requirements. For instance, a critical asset, such as a single long transmission system, containing multiple upstream and downstream units, may not have the comprehensive support system needed to properly manage it.

A NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESSDeciding to invest in, and implement, an EPRS is certainly a considerable undertaking – given that it involves anticipating events that may never occur and shouldering a significant front-end investment – however, when comparing the upfront cost and proactive benefits with the well documented outcome of operators who were not well prepared, offshore EPRS simply becomes a necessity, a new way of doing business.

The Scenario – RevisitedIt’s a brisk day off the southwest coast of Norway. All is well in the world, albeit a little chilly, until an alarm sounds. A phone call is made. A passing transport vessel has drug its anchor across one of your major lines. The line is ruptured. You consult your EPRS master document. You match the prepared response to the emergency. The appropriate equipment and expert personnel are dispatched. The damage – environmental, financial and social – is minimized. Production is returned.

The inevitable has become manageable. l

George Lim is the Eastern Hemisphere Business

Development Manager for TDW. His three decades of

experience in the offshore oil and gas industry helps

position the company as it ventures into the frontier of

deep water pipeline intervention.

Subsea Clamp Installation

Remote Intervention

11

Are you prepared for a crisis? Download this special EPRS white paper to find out.

SmartTrack™ Technology

Real-time Tracking

1200RC Tapping Machine

Diverless Tapping

12

Innovations | July-September 2013

TDW’s Engineering Development Program is moving the world forward, one class of brilliant engineers at a time.

it has learned that its strength and success are dependent on the individual. It’s not the CEO, CFO or even the COO. Rather, TDW is dependent on individual employees – their initiative, their integrity, their interdependence.

These core values are the foundation on which TDW is built, but they are also an active and tangible metric with which TDW recruits new talent. This strategic approach ensures that TDW has the human capital to meet the current needs of its customers. It also provides TDW with the visionary personnel who create solutions in advance of market demand.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRYIn 2008, TDW had a unique recruiting opportunity. TDW, like many engineering-dependent companies, had been anticipating an impending industry-wide talent deficit. Its most experienced engineers – those largely responsible for designing customer solutions, changing the way the industry thinks and the world works – would soon begin to age out, while its newest engineers were just getting started.

In 1920 you can be fairly certain that the only language being spoken at T.D. Williamson (TDW) was English. It was simply the shared language between a company and its customers. Over the last 93 years, those customers have evolved, as has the language with which TDW communicates. You could pick a few years at random in the 1950s, 60s or 70s and add French and Spanish to that list (even a little German and Italian), but the TDW of today sounds pronouncedly different.

If you visit one of TDW’s research and development labs in Belgium or the United States, you’re likely to hear Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin or Norwegian. If you attend a technical conference in Norway or Australia, you may hear TDW white papers being delivered with distinct articulations of Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian or Tatar. Part of this language evolution has been organic, but much of it is the result of an intentional recruitment strategy.

As TDW has grown from the U.S.-based pioneer of hot tapping and STOPPLE® plugging technology to a global supplier and service provider for pressurized pipeline operators the world over,

12

Powerful Disruption

13

The challenge was twofold. First, how does a company systematically transfer the knowledge and experience from veteran contributors, across the generational gap, to the newly minted next generation? And second, what system can be put in place to ensure that the experience gap is permanently eliminated as TDW moves forward.

In advance of a full-scale engineering shortage, TDW launched its solution, the Engineering Development Program (EDP) – an innovative way to attract, develop and retain the top engineering minds. The EDP is an intensive 18- to 24-month program that immerses recent engineering graduates in the world in which TDW operates. It nurtures them along the path to technical expertise and industry leadership, while facilitating their involvement in and contribution to TDW’s research and industry solutions. The program combines global hands-on experience, both on and offshore, with unparalleled access to advanced technologies and mentorship with TDW’s expert engineers.

Ultimately, the EDP is designed to cultivate the next generation of engineers and leaders, increasing each participant’s skill level and, in tandem, the success of TDW and its customers. Finding the right candidates, however, proves to be an interesting challenge.

FEW ARE CHOSENA colleague recently stated, “There are just too many good engineers and not enough journalism majors.” Does that sound familiar? No? Maybe because no one has ever said that. The world may run on the backs and brains of engineers, but demand has greatly outstripped supply. Couple this shortage of great candidates with a host of competing industries all starved for great engineers and the battle for the best of the best becomes clear.

There was a time when an engineering degree from a reputable university, a grade-point average of 3.5, an understanding of current technology, and strong analytical and problem-solving skills could land a smart engineer in a top company. These days, not so much. Today’s top companies – those on the leading edge of technology, driving innovation through inspiration – are looking for a new design of engineer. They require them to be natural leaders, multilingual and well-traveled. They demand they be disruptive in their questioning and transformative in their thinking.

TDW shares this perspective, viewing the EDP participants as future global citizens of limitless potential, leaders in their personal and professional lives, those willing to ask the most challenging questions, undeterred by the “old guard,” and excited to work collaboratively toward grand solutions. This being so, the multiphasic interview and selection process is appropriately rigorous. To demonstrate TDW’s standards for EDP participation, the most recent recruiting efforts, which included six of the top engineering schools, resulted in just three candidates selected for participation in the next class. These three, however, truly represent the best of the best.

UP, UP AND AWAYWorking in the lab in Belgium, in the field in Singapore, on the rig in Mexico, in the ditch in Kazakhstan, and in their suits in the boardroom; they are just as comfortable in front of a customer as they are in front of a drawing. They are as confident with financial analysis as they are with a complex inspection tool. TDW has been nothing short of utterly impressed with the quality, commitment and contributions of the EDP participants. l

THE GENESIS

Don Thompson, Director of Talent Management at TDW, discusses the EDP.

The idea actually hatched out of a conversation

with our CEO, Bruce Binkley, about five years

ago. We recognized that every firm was

competing for the same shrinking number

of top engineers. So we looked at our

recruiting efforts and asked ourselves,

“Is TDW offering the best experience and

opportunity to these young graduates?”

Honestly, the answer was no.

We wanted to offer participants the most well

rounded experience available. This meant we

had to couple technical expertise opportunities

with leadership development, and international

exposure with functional mobility. We started

out creating the EDP as a solution to a problem,

but it has evolved into an incubator for

tomorrow’s industry leaders.

And it’s our customers who reap the benefits.

We are able to harness the untapped potential

of these powerful minds, and provide innovation

and solutions that, simply put, no one else can.

How are these young engineers helping us bring you value? Download the Q&A to find out.

Innovations | July-September 2013

14

In each issue of Innovations™ magazine, we answer a handful of questions about one of the innovative products or services offered by T.D. Williamson.

on Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT)

For more information, call 1-800-695-0535 or visit www.tdwilliamson.com

What is EMAT?In general, Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) is a customizable inline inspection technology that utilizes a form of ultrasonic (UT) wave crack detection, designed to detect cracks and crack-like features that are invisible to most other inspection technologies, such as very narrow stress corrosion cracking. EMAT also has the capability to inspect for flaws (points, seams, surfaces and volumes), thickness and distances, coating disbondment, and material properties (hardness and nodularity).

What is the difference between EMAT and UT?UT principles include EMAT UT and Piezoelectric UT. Piezoelectric UT tools, typically referred to as just UT, are highly complex, often using hundreds of sensors. With a platform containing 300 sensors, the likelihood of damage or malfunction can be high.

EMAT UT, however, accomplishes a more accurate assessment utilizing a guided UT signal wave with significantly fewer sensors – oriented circumferentially – with built-in redundancy. In addition, Piezoelectric UT tools require a liquid couplant and are unable to inspect dry natural gas lines. Furthermore, they are unable to inspect low grade liquid lines (ethane, propane, etc.), due to the reduced conductivity of the signal through the fluid (i.e., lower fluid viscosity). EMAT UT overcomes the liquid couplant requirement of Piezoelectric UT and is able to inspect dry natural gas, liquids, or low grade liquids pipelines.

What makes TDW’s EMAT unique?TDW’s EMAT, known as SpirALL® EMAT, is really only EMAT in name. TDW engineers have discovered how to apply the technology in an entirely unique way. This approach combines the patented helical design used in TDW’s SpirALL® MFL technology and class-leading EMAT sensing techniques, resulting in greatly enhanced functionality and accuracy. As a result, signal-to-noise ratio is second to none, which greatly enhances Probability of Detection (POD) and Probability of Identification (POI).

Does SpirALL® EMAT replace other technologies?No. SpirALL® EMAT technology was designed to run in combination with the Multiple Dataset (MDS) platform including Deformation, MFL, SpirALL® MFL and Low Field MFL. As multiple datasets overlap, there is increased certainty that a feature detected is actually of interest. More datasets also leads to a higher certainty for anomaly assessment per data collected. This combination of inspection technologies drastically improves both assessment and characterization.

Where can SpirALL® EMAT be used?SpirALL® EMAT detection waves are insensitive, meaning they can pass through nearly anything. However, for pipeline integrity purposes, the application is to inspect ferrous material, such as carbon steel. l

MFL

SpirALL® EMAT

Notching

Although both MFL and EMAT detect notching, only EMAT detects flaws such as very narrow stress corrosion cracking.

Mark your calendars to see TDW technology in person.

SEPTEMBER 2013

17-19 Developing Unconventional Gas (DUG) Eagle Ford, San Antonio, TX, USA, Booth 8051

24-26 Rio Pipeline 2013, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

White Paper: Chuck Harris on the use of speed control technology to enable inline inspection on a high flow line.

White Paper: George Lim on overcoming ultra deepwater hot tapping challenges by remote control.

OCTOBER 2013

2 TDW Aberdeen Customer Appreciation Celebration, Aberdeen, Scotland

10 TDW Inline Inspection Technology Road Show Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, Coraopolis, PA, USA

12-15 APIA Annual Convention and Exhibition, Adelaide, Australia, Booths 83/84/85

22 TDW Inline Inspection Technology Road Show Hyatt Regency, Tulsa, OK, USA

22-24 Offshore Technology Days, Stavanger, Norway Hall D, Stand 4507

24 TDW Inline Inspection Technology Road Show Magnolia Hotel, Houston, TX, USA

NOVEMBER 2013

5-7 Deepwater Operations Galveston, TX, USA, Booth 622

FEBRUARY 2014

10-13 Pipeline Pigging & Integrity Management Conference Houston, TX, USA, Booths 120/122/124

MARCH 2014

2-6 Subsea Tieback Forum San Antonio, TX, USA, Booth 1933

9-13 NACE Corrosion San Antonio, TX, USA, Booth 2621

24-27 Gastech Seoul, South Korea, Stand A180

Do you need to optimize your pipeline throughput, integrity, safety and service life? If so, join us at one of these upcoming industry events. TDW experts will be on-hand to hear your challenges and assist you in finding or developing the right solution. To learn more, visit our booth or register for a customer event in your corner of the globe.

Stay ahead of the Curve

with SmartPlug ® Technology from TDW.

Easy, safe launching with bi-directional functionality.

Real-time pressure monitoring.

State-of-the-art pressure isolation technology for onshore and offshore pipeline maintenance and repair applications.

Piggable, tetherless and remotely controlled with reliable accuracy.

NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA: 918-447-5500

EUROPE/AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST: 32-67-28-36-11

ASIA/PACIFIC: 65-6364-8520

OFFSHORE SERVICES: 832-448-7200

®Registered trademarks of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries. / TM Trademarks of T.D. Williamson, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

To learn more about SmartPlug ®

isolation technology contact your

nearest TDW representative

or visit www.tdwilliamson.com.

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