Latest News from home & Abroad

Wastewater projects in Taiwan

Ethernet Direct Corp. has been awarded four new wastewater treatment projects from the Taiwanese Municipal government. After the success of the first two wastewater treatment and sewage treatment projects in the Eastern coast of Taiwan, Ethernet Direct will now deploy a number of HME-621 Industrial Managed Ethernet Switches in four locations throughout Northern Taiwan. Among which is Jhubei City, known as the base for high technology industry in Taiwan. A radical improvement to the treatment of both domestic and industrial wastewaters, together with the implementation of integrated solid waste management is a key focus of these projects. These four wastewater treatment projects have been designed to remove organics.

Algeria: Skikda LNG project Orascom Construction Industries SAE has received two construction contracts from Kellogg, Brown & Root International Inc. for the civil works and piling installation of a new LNG train in Skikda, Algeria. The Orascom and Trevi SpA joint venture will carry out the installation, which is expected to be complete in around 10 months. The civil-works construction contract for the LNG train, being developed by state-owned Sonatrach, is expected to be complete in about 14 months. These contracts represent some of the first packages of the USD 3 billion Skikda LNG program in Algeria.

Romania: Petrom power project

GE Energy will build two Frame 9FB gas turbines for the to be constructed combined-cycle power plant in Brazi, Romania for oil and gas producer Petrom SA. GE Energy together with its consortium partner Metka (Metal Constructions of Greece, SA) plans to build one of the region's largest gas-fired power plants at Petrom's refinery in Brazi, located near Ploiesti, Romania, approximately 60km from Bucharest. The new combined-cycle plant would produce approximately 860MW of power. With a thermal efficiency of more than 57%, the facility plans to be among the most efficient in Eastern Europe. GE's scope of supply is two Frame 9FB gas turbines, a GE 209D steam turbine, three hydrogen-cooled generators, two heat recovery steam generators and a Mark VIe integrated control system for the new combined-cycle plant. Construction start is planned for early in 2009 and the plant is expected to begin supplying power to the national power network in the second half of 2011.

India: hydropower project

The Jammu & Kashmir government has floated global tenders for the setting up of 690MW rattle power project in Kishtwar district of the state, in tune with the new hydroelectric power policy on river Chenab. The bidding firm or the consortium must have experience of developing infrastructure projects such as power ports, airports roads, rails, refineries, steel plants, gas pipelines, canals, dams, bridges, telecommunications, shipping etc. Also, bidders' aggregate capital cost must not be less than INR 520 crore within the last 10 years, out of which a minimum of INR 175 crore should be from hydroelectric projects and related activities and the capital cost of at least one infrastructure project should be a minimum of INR 90 crore.

Thailand: petrochemical expansions

The SCG-Dow Group (Bangkok, Thailand), a joint venture between the Siam Cement Group (SCM) (Bangkok), and the Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Michigan), has broken ground on a propylene-oxide unit at the Asia Industrial Estates in Map Ta Phut, Thailand. The plant will produce 390,000tpy of propylene oxide using technology to convert hydrogen peroxide to propylene oxide, jointly developed by Dow and BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany). The joint venture also plans to set up a propylene-glycol-manufacturing unit as part of the propylene oxide plant, which is slated to be commissioned by 2011. BASF will support this initiative as a technology partner. Feedstock for the plant will be procured from the upcoming liquids-cracker unit in Map Ta Phut, another initiative by the SCG-Dow joint venture expected to be commissioned by 2010. In a move to establish Thailand as one of SE Asia's largest production bases, Dow has chalked out ambitious plans to set up five projects in the Map Ta Phut region with investments of up to USD 2 billion. The company has signed an agreement with SCG to set up a USD 1.27 billion olefins plant in the region. The SCG-Dow joint venture, which was formed in 1987, will also undertake the execution and operation of several facilities at Map Ta Phut's Asia Industrial Estates. This includes a proposed specialty plastomers and elastomers plant, which will manufacture ENGAGE™ polyolefin elastomers and AFFINITY™ polyolefin plastomers, among other products. The unit is scheduled to become operational in 2011 and will cater to the Asia-Pacific market.

India: methanol plant

Assam Petrochemicals Ltd (APL) (Namrup, Assam, India), will set up a new methanol plant at Namrup with a production capacity of 500tpd, equivalent to 165,000tpy, at an investment cost of USD 125 million. The new unit will be an addition to APL's existing facility in Namrup, which produces 100tpd of methanol. The plant is slated to be commissioned by 2009. In addition, APL is also hoping to increase the production capacity of its existing facility from 100tpd to 130tpd, or 42,900tpy. APL is currently in talks with Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) (Dehradun, Uttarakhand) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) (Noida) for a supply of natural gas to use as feedstock for the project. APL has not yet received gas allocation for the new plant, but ONGC and OIL are reportedly scouting new gas reserves in upper Assam. APL is likely to be in contention for gas supplies with GAIL (India) Ltd (New Delhi), which is setting up a 280,000tpy cracking unit in Assam.

Hungary: delayed coker complex revamp

Foster Wheeler Ltd has announced that its Madrid-headquartered subsidiary Foster Wheeler Iberia, SAU, part of the Global Engineering and Construction Group, has been awarded a contract by MOL Hungarian Oil & Gas Co. (MOL) to provide the basic design and estimating services for the revamp and expansion of the delayed coker complex at MOL's refinery at Százhalombatta, in Hungary. The revamp will also include the fractionation, gas recovery and sour water stripper units. The objective of the revamp is to expand the existing coking complex 27% up to 26,400 barrels per stream day, which uses Foster Wheeler's SYDEC(SM) delayed coking technology. Foster Wheeler's SYDEC(SM) process is a thermal conversion process used by refiners worldwide to upgrade heavy residue feed and process it into high-value transport fuels. The SYDEC(SM) process achieves maximum clean liquid yields and minimum fuel coke yields. Foster Wheeler Iberia will develop the process design package in collaboration with Foster Wheeler's operation in Houston, Texas. This first phase of the project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008.

Nigeria: LNG project

Flex LNG Ltd has signed a heads of agreement with Mitsubishi Corp. and Peak Petroleum Industries Nigeria Ltd to jointly develop and market the world's first floating liquefaction project off Nigeria. The partners will exploit natural gas reserves at Peak's offshore OML 122, and they expect the project to produce 1.5 million tns/yr of LNG for 15 years. The first commercial LNG cargo is planned for second-half 2011.

Valve test bench inaugurated

Tyco Flow Control's Fasani plant near Milan, Italy has inaugurated a new test bench for large gate, globe and check valves. In the presence of a number of clients and an enthusiastic workforce, a hydraulic test was successfully performed at the end of February on a 72in gate valve purchased by Reliance for its Jamnagar project. The investment is part of a larger lean manufacturing project that has seen a major assembly line reorganisation and the provision of testing facilities dedicated to large size and high-pressure valves. The test bench facility was designed and built by Italcontrol. The investment enables the Fasani plant to test large sized valves in dramatically reduced time frames and its location in a specially constructed pit safeguards health and safety considerations. The bench can test valves with transition pipes with up to 4700mm face-to-face dimensions as well as gate, globe and check valves up to 60in ANSI 600, 30in ANSI 1500, and 24in ANSI 2500, with a reaction force of 3000tns.

Neway stocks valves at NVE warehouse

Neway has decided to start stocking valves at its Neway Valve Europe B.V. (NVE) warehouse in Zuidland, The Netherlands in order to be of better service to the Neway distributors in Europe. Neway will start with a targeted range of forged steel valves, in carbon- and stainless steel ranging from 1/2in up to 1 1/2in and pressure classes 150# to 1500#, with integral flanges and threaded / socket weld ends. These valves are primarily intended as a Master Distributor stock for the distribution network. With several Neway distributors NVE has agreed on structures for this master distribution system. As part of its 360 Degree Support and Service program which Neway announced in 2007, the stock at NVE will be available after the 2008 summer holiday season.

Auma supplies actuators

Modular electric actuation technology supplied by Auma that integrates with an existing control system has supported the automation of valves at a Taiwanese tank farm and played a key role in a modernisation programme. The Wu-ku tank farm plays a crucial role supplying the metropolitan region of the Taiwanese capital Taipeh with petroleum products. Tanks are filled via pipelines from the Keelung harbour for wider distribution from the farm. As an example, one pipeline carries kerosene to the local airport. A total of 32 actuators were replaced. Auma's approach to actuation for the tank farm included a SIMA Master Station. Explosion proof actuators from the company's range of actuator product options were connected to the station via a Modbus RTU loop. As a result, if the loop is interrupted at any point, the master station diverts the communication and treats the disrupted loop as two line structures while ensuring that communication to all actuators is maintained. Additionally, the SIMA facilitates rapid setting of actuator communication parameters and communication testing which ensures rapid commissioning.

Cyprus: desalination plant

Nirosoft Industries (Israel) has selected membrane technology from Dow Water Solutions to convert seawater to drinking water in a 20,000m3/day desalination plant in Cyprus. The facility, which is currently under fast-track construction, will help provide fresh potable water for the city of Limassol, the island's largest seaside resort. Dow Ultrafiltration membrane technology will be used for pretreatment of seawater to remove suspended solids prior to the desalination stage, while Filmtec reverse osmosis membrane technology will be used to remove salt to meet World Health Organisation drinkable water standards. The Cyprus plant is one of the first desalination plants worldwide that will be based entirely on membrane separation technologies. The Cyprus plant is on a fast track for completion by 4th Quarter 2008.

Nether Seal website upgrade

Nether Seal has radically upgraded their website. The Company which was founded by the end of 2005 (re: VW Magazine Issue April 2006) renewed their website to improve the accessibility for their potential customers and to match the present standards of communications. The new logo represents the core of the valves manufactured by Nether Seal. The new website will be extended with more details such as opening and closing animations of the Rising stem ball valves and Dual expanding double block & bleed plug valves. Furthermore the traditional monthly Nether Seal news publications will remain updated.

Saudi Arabia: refinery construction project

Saudi Aramco, and Total SA (Paris) have confirmed their investment in a 400,000bpd refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The USD 10 billion refinery will process heavy crude oil from Saudi Arabia into high-quality oil products that meet stricter environmental standards. It will be able to turn Saudi Arabia's constant and increasing production of heavy crude oil into transportation fuel. Saudi Aramco said that this refinery is one of four to be built by Saudi Arabia in an effort to raise the daily refining capacity of the world's largest oil-exporting country from 2.1 million barrels to 3.7 million barrels. Saudi Aramco and Total will establish a joint venture company for this refinery in the third quarter of this year. Saudi Aramco will hold 62.5% of the shares in this refinery, and Total will hold 37.5%. Saudi Aramco will later sell 25% of its shares to Saudi citizens so that the two companies will hold equal shares in the project. The refinery is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012.

Poland: LNG regasification terminal

Foster Wheeler Ltd has announced that its Madrid-based subsidiary Foster Wheeler Iberia SAU, part of its Global Engineering and Construction Group, has been awarded a contract by the Canada-based company, SNC-Lavalin Services Ltd, for part of the front-end engineering design (FEED) of a new LNG regasification terminal in Swinoujscie, Poland, to be owned by Polskie LNG SP zoo. The initial regasification capacity of the Polish LNG terminal will be 5.0 billion normal cum per year of natural gas and the facility is anticipated to include two LNG tanks, each of 160,000cum capacity. The FEED is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2008. SNC-Lavalin is the main contractor for the FEED of the new regasification terminal.

South Africa: power plant for ferrochrome unit

Sinosteel Corp. may build a natural gas-fired power plant to extend its ferrochrome capacity in South Africa beyond the current USD 450 million expansions. Mr Suwei Zhang CEO of ASA Metals said that its company will triple annual capacity to about 400,000tns by June 2009 and plans to further expand its plant near Polokwane by at least 120,000tns. He said that the additional capacity may use power generated from Mozambican gas. Mr Zhang said ASA's output of ferrochrome, used to make stainless steel, will be unchanged at about 120,000tns this year after better maintenance management offset a cut in power use to 90% of normal consumption.

Iraq: power plants

Iraq has signed a contract with GE worth USD 480 million to build three power plants and is negotiating with Hyundai to buy diesel generators, the country's electricity minister said. The three power stations will be built in southern Baghdad the southern city of Kerbala, and Taji, north of Baghdad. The work will be completed between the end of 2009 and the start of 2010. Iraq has also signed two other contracts, each worth USD 41 million, for GE to supply spare parts for the stations.

Algeria: power plant

GE Energy will contribute its F-class gas turbine technology for a planned power plant that will help meet the rapidly growing energy needs of eastern Algeria when it enters service at the end of 2011. Algeria-based Shariket Karhaba Koudiet Eddraouch Spa, owned by Sonelgaz and Sonatrach, has awarded a contract to GE and its consortium partner, the Spanish engineering firm Iberdrola Ingenieria y Construccion, for the construction of the Koudiet Eddraouch power plant in El-Tarf province, 700km east of Algiers. GE's contract is valued at EUR 635 million. Additionally, GE also is in the process of signing a contractual services agreement to provide maintenance and parts for over 20 years. The new facility is expected to produce 1200MW of power, which would increase Algeria's current installed generation capacity by approximately 18%.

Poland: hard-coal-fed plant

Poland-based Kompania Weglowa (Katowice), has signed a contract with the major German-based power company RWE AG (Essen, Germany), to construct an 800MW hard-coal-fed plant at the site of Kompania Weglowa's former Piast Ruch 11 coal mine in the village of Wola in Lower Silesia. RWE will be the majority shareholder in the USD 2.31 billion joint venture with a stake of 75%. The new power station will be technically identical to the power station that RWE is constructing in Hamm, Germany. The new plant will utilize supercritical boiler systems and will have a thermal efficiency rate of 46%, which will make it one of Poland's most advanced plants as well as one of the world's top power generators. The Wola plant will use up to 30% less hard coal per kilowatt-hour generated, and annual CO2 emissions will be reduced by 1.3 million tons when the plant is compared with old technology units with the same generating capacity. The plant is scheduled to go into commercial operation in 2015 when the annual growth of Poland's energy demand is expected to be between 3% and 5%. Kompania Weglowa is playing a key role in the project, providing the site, the infrastructure during the construction phase and the hard coal for the power feed.

Tyco opens new branch

Tyco Valves & Controls Distribution has announced the opening of its new branch in Cape Town. The company currently services clients in markets such as mining, food and beverage, pulp and paper, power, iron and steel, petrochemical and heating, ventilation and cooling. The product ranges include: ball, butterfly knife-gate, gate, globe, check, zero leakage rotary process, safety relief valves as well as specialty valves for steam and power, actuators, positioners and process instruments.

Faulty valve causes emergency

A faulty valve has been determined as the cause of a water leak at a Slovenian nuclear power plant that raised alarms across Europe. The leak prompted the EU to alert all 27 member nations, and EU ministers discussed the issue of nuclear safety in Luxembourg. The EU and the International Atomic Energy Agency said Slovenia assured them no radiation was released. The reactor was shut down as a safety precaution, and the leak was confined to the plant building, causing no damage to the surrounding population or the environment in Krsko, a town of about 25,000 people, 60mi from the capital Ljubljana. The accident registered at the lowest of four-stage scale of emergency. Despite calls from environmentalists to shut the plant down before its planned closure in 2023, the government plans to build another reactor there by 2013.

XTO to acquire Hunt Petroleum

XTO Energy Inc. plans to acquire privately held Hunt Petroleum Corp. of Dallas, USA and other associated entities for USD 4.186 billion in a cash-stock deal. Terms call for XTO to pay USD 2.6 billion in cash and 23.5 million shares of XTO common stock valued at USD 1.6 billion, or USD 67.50/share. Closing is expected by 3 September 2008. Engineers estimate Hunt's proved reserves at 1.052tcf of gas equivalent, with 62% being proved developed. Hunt's production is 197MMcfd of gas, 8500b/d of oil, and 2300b/d of natural gas liquids. Of the reserves, 70% is in East Texas as well as central and northern Louisiana. Another 28% of the reserves, both onshore and offshore, are along the Gulf Coast in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. XTO is also acquiring more than 300,000 net acres of potential in the North Sea and 15,000 net acres of leasehold in the Bakken shale region of North Dakota. Total acreage for producing properties and undeveloped leasehold is 919,409 net acres.

UAE: water transmission system

Technip has been awarded by Abu Dhabi Transmission & Despatch Co. a lumpsum turnkey contract, worth an estimated total of USD 610 million, for phase 2 of the Fujairah water transmission system in the UAE. This project will increase the throughput of the existing system from 454,600 to 1,045,600 cum per day. Technip's operating centers in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Abu Dhabi, UAE, will execute the contract, which is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2010. Technip will be in charge of the engineering, procurement, commissioning, performance testing and training, while Dodsal will execute the construction part of the project.

Valves receive SIL 3 certification

Emerson Process Management has received SIL 3 certification to IEC 61508 standards for several ranges of its Fisher valves. Emerson is the first control valve manufacturer to have achieved this independent third-party certification, which eliminates the need for a prior use methodology. This certification enables users to boost plant availability and safety by using the Fisher GX, Vee-ball, easy-e and HP valves in safety-instrumented systems in up to SIL 3 loops. The four-control valve ranges have been certified by Exida for on/off operation within a SIL 3 safety instrumented function. The valves can be packaged with the SIL 3 certified Fisher Fieldvue DVC6000 SIS digital valve controller that enhances the safety function and monitors the health of the entire final control assembly, a core component of Emerson's smart SIS complete safety loop offering. Emerson's smart SIS provides an integrated approach to complete safety loops, from sensor to logic solver to final control element. The smart SIS solution enables customers to implement safer facilities, improve availability, lower lifecycle costs and ease regulatory compliance. The smart SIS system components include the Fisher-certified valves or SIL-PAC final control solution with Fieldvue DVC6000 SIS, plus Rosemount and Micro Motion certified and proven-in-use devices, the DeltaV SIS system and the AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager.

BVAA Business Shield service

The British Valve & Actuator Association (BVAA) has launched a new package of services for its members. BVAA Director, Rob Bartlett, commented, “A large proportion of BVAA members are SMEs, and in addition to the challenges of day-to-day trading, they also have to negotiate a myriad of HR and health & safety legislation. To help shield our members from what can be a considerable burden, BVAA is launching a new package of services entitled “Business Shield”, which will be delivered in partnership with Croner, a UK-based provider of workplace information and consultancy services. “Business Shield is a comprehensive service including the web-based Croner-i health and safety and employment law resource, a Business Support telephone helpline and a related commercial/legal expenses insurance for all members. Mr Bartlett added, “The new service will form part of the standard BVAA membership benefits package, at no additional cost.”

Market Outlook Workshop

Hosted by the Valve Manufacturers Association and co-sponsored by the Hydraulic Institute, the annual Market Outlook Workshop for the pump and valve industries will be held August 14th to the 15th at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The Market Outlook Workshop, North America's largest pump association and global authority on pumps and pumping systems, is designed to provide industry professionals with targeted, economical information related to specific pump and valve marketplaces. Throughout the event, leading experts will address the domestic and international economic outlooks for the water/wastewater, pulp & paper, power, nuclear, oil & gas, LNG, petrochemical, hydrocarbon processing and construction industries. Other topics to be explored include the allocation of capital dollars spent per industry and the various project activities expected to be performed in these areas within the USA, North and South America and abroad. In addition, this year's keynote speech will be delivered by economist Alan Beaulieu from the Institute for Trend Research. An expert on macroeconomics and business cycle trends, Mr Beaulieu will address workshop attendees on domestic economic outlook issues.

Malaysia: Aker Solutions drilling riser contract

Aker Solutions has been awarded another contract for a deepwater marine drilling riser by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME). Valued at USD 35 million the contract is for the delivery of a complete deepwater marine drilling riser system with buoyancy package and associated equipment. The system is for a drillship that DSME is building. The marine drilling riser system will be manufactured and delivered out of Aker Solutions' high tech manufacturing centre in Malaysia. Buoyancy modules will be manufactured at the same centre's recently opened buoyancy production unit, by Aker Solutions subsidiary Phoenix Polymers International Ltd. Delivery of the drilling riser systems is scheduled for 2010. Contract party is Aker Solutions Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

India: deepwater drilling rigs

Sevan Marine ASA has won a bid for deepwater drilling rigs from Oil & Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC). Subject to the signing of a letter of intent between the parties, the drilling contract will have a fixed term of 3 years. Revenues that could be generated over the 3 year period are approximately USD 569 million including mobilization. Sevan Marine's scope will in addition include the provision of remotely operated vehicles. Sevan will provide a new built rig to ONGC, based on its proprietary Sevan 650 design. The rig will be designed to include the most advanced drilling capabilities in the industry, with a capacity to drill in water depths to 10,000ft. It will have a variable deck load of more than 15,000tns and a high storage capacity of bulk materials and drilling fluids, reducing the need for re-supply compared to semi-submersibles. The secluded moon pool area limits the environmental impact of potential oil spills.

Emerson receives award

Frost & Sullivan has awarded Emerson Process Management with the 2008 Global Growth Excellence Company of the Year Award for its consistent growth, improved customer value, and ongoing commitment to technology innovation and new products. Frost & Sullivan rates Emerson Process Management as the leading process control solution provider that has delivered year-over-year growth by consistently helping its customers achieve superior project and operational efficiencies through its extensive product portfolio and vertical industry expertise. According to Frost, Emerson has shown superior ability to drive shareholder value through strategic acquisitions and continuous growth in oil and gas, refining and petrochemical, power generation and pharmaceutical verticals. Each year Frost & Sullivan presents its Global Growth Award to the company that has exhibited excellence in all areas of the market leadership process, including the identification of market challenges, drivers and restraints, as well as strategy development and methods of addressing the market dynamics. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development.

Metso acquires

Metso has acquired Kemotron A/S, a Danish manufacturer of measurement systems, from K. Jested-Nielsen and J.J. Lorentzen, the founders of the company. The acquired company will be integrated into Metso Automation's Process Automation business line. The acquisition strengthens Metso Automation's position as a supplier of measurement-based control solutions especially in the chemical pulping industry. It also expands Metso Automation's solutions offering in new customer segments, such as chemical industry. Kemotron produces and sells measurement equipment and systems mainly for the pulp and paper industry. Its measurement technology is also widely used in process, energy and chemical industry.

Spirax Sarco desuperheaters

Desuperheaters from Spirax Sarco are saving treated water and improving process control at the St Regis Wansbrough paper mill in Watchet, Somerset, UK. The two desuperheaters reduce the steam temperature from 420C to around 230C, so the steam can be used in the drying cylinders on the plant. St Regis needs its two boilers to produce superheated steam at 600psi because the company generates some of its own power using a steam turbine. However, the superheated steam must be cooled before it can be used safely in the paper manufacturing process. Spirax Sarco supplied two replacement desuperheaters - one on the steam main in the plant room and one just upstream of the biggest paper machine on the site. The second system enables operators to fine-tune the steam temperature to suit the particular grade of product being handled. Each system comprises a water control valve, a steam atomising valve and a desuperheater nozzle.

India: LNG terminal

GSPC has unveiled plans to construct a 5MMTY LNG terminal by 2013. The regasification terminal will be located in western India, at the private port of Mundra, which is operated by the Adani Group. According to the Managing Director of GSPC, the terminal's capacity could be expanded to as much as 20MMTY. The project currently has two stakeholders: GSPC with 50%, and Adani Group with 25%. The remaining 25% share has been offered to Essar, but no agreements have been made. In addition to Essar, HPCL has expressed interest in purchasing the remaining quarter share.

Triton offshore LNG project

Gaz de France and Höegh LNG AS have signed a Joint Development Agreement related to the design, the construction supervision and the operation of a vessel used as a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU-vessel). This partnership will allow the most up to date technology to be brought to the Triton project, an offshore LNG project developed by Gaz de France in the Adriatic sea, about 30km off the Marche region shore, in Italy. The LNG storage capacity of the FSRU-vessel will be about 170,000cum and the base load regasification capacity will be 5 billion cum and could double through the addition of a second FSRU-vessel. The vessel will be leased from Gaz de France to an equally owned Joint Venture created by Gaz de France and Höegh LNG; and Höegh LNG will be missioned by this joint venture to operate this vessel. The studies related to the permitting and development of Triton LNG project are already well advanced. Final Investment Decision should be reached by end 2009 with first LNG deliveries before end-2012.

Saudi power contracts

GE Energy has announced USD 500 million in contracts to supply gas turbines and generators to various power plants owned by the Saudi Electricity Co. (SEC). GE Energy has won a contract to supply gas turbine generators for a 960MW expansion of the Rabigh Power Plant in Rabigh City. The contract with SEC includes technical advice during installation and spare parts. GE Energy also has won a contract to build and install gas turbines used by four power plants owned by SEC. The gas turbines will be manufactured at GE Energy plants in Greenville, South Carolina. The generators will be made in Schenectady, New York.

USA: nuclear build contract

The Shaw Group (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and Westinghouse (Monroeville, Pennsylvania), the so-called "AP 1000 consortium," have signed a second major engineering, procurement and construction contract for a nuclear project in Jenkinsville, South Carolina. The contract consists of two 1117MW AP 1000 reactors to be built at the 935MW VC Summer nuclear plant site in Jenkinsville. The units will be designed and built in the USA. Although detailed costs were not disclosed, the final total cost of the units is estimated at USD 9.8 billion, with SCE&G responsible for about USD 5.4 billion and Santee Cooper responsible for about USD 4.4 billion. Both companies will also carry some costs for transmission facilities and some project-financing costs. The partners submitted an application for a combined construction and operating license to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on 31 March 2008. This will be followed by a three- to four-year review process with approval and the issue of a license expected in 2011. With construction beginning in 2011-12, the first AP 1000 could go into commercial operation by 2016, with the second to follow in 2019.

Congo: potash fertilizer project

MagIndustries Corp. has announced that its subsidiary company MagMinerals has obtained the right to mine for potash in Congo for 25 years. Therefore, MagMinerals will be able to carry out potash mining in the Kouilou region and establish a 1.2 million ton per year potash fertilizer project. The site where MagIndustries chose to build the 1.2 million ton per year potash project is located 16km away from Congo's important Atlantic deepwater port city of Pointe-Noire. This potash plant will be close to a salt plant, which now operates five commercial salt wells. MagIndustries has completed the feasibility study for its first phase project. According to the feasibility study report, a 600,000tpy granular K60 potassium carbonate unit will be built. With accounting costs excluded, the budget into this first phase project is USD 723 million. Upon the completion of the first phase project, MagMinerals will build another similar potassium carbonate plant to finally bring the project's annual capacity to 1.2 million tons a year.

Norway: subsea field development projects

Aker Solutions has won two contracts totaling USD 12 million for manufacture and delivery of subsea field developments. One contract is for a four-slot production manifold destined for Anzon Australia's Baqsker Manta field development offshore Victoria. The second contract is with Allseas for pipeline anchor boxes and driving module for use in Reliance Industries' KG-D6 field off eastern India. Deliveries are scheduled for 4Q 2008 and 3Q 2008, respectively, and will come from Akers' manufacturing center in Malaysia.

Metso invests in China

Metso has announced that it will expand its production capacity and office facilities in Shanghai, China, through an investment of EUR 20 million. Metso will establish new facilities for Metso Automation's valve factory and supply center, for automation system production, and for sales, a project unit and engineering in China. About half of the investment will be allocated to a new office and factory building. The rest will be spent on acquiring machinery and equipment and on building the factory infrastructure. The building plans will be completed late this year and the actual construction will begin next year. Operations in the new facilities will commence in early 2010. After completion of the facilities, all Metso Automation units in Shanghai will move into the same facilities. The number of employees in the units is estimated to grow by 400 and will rise to about 650 employees in 2011. Production capacity will be quadrubled from 2007 to 2011.

Batam Island Concession Project

Cascal N.V., a provider of water and wastewater services in seven countries, has announced that its 50% joint venture PT Adhya Tirta Batam is making an additional investment to construct a new water treatment plant in Duriangkang, located on Batam Island in Indonesia. The new construction is the third stage in the development of an integrated Duriangkang potable water system and follows the completion of earlier modules built in 2001 and 2004. The new treatment plant will have a capacity of 11.5 million gallons per day, equivalent to a population of almost 200,000, and is expected to commence operations in April 2009. The USD 6 million investment will be funded by PT Adhya Tirta Batam through operating cash flows and local debt.

Norway: drilling contract

StatoilHydro has awarded the contract for integrated drilling services to Schlumberger Norge AS for operations at Statfjord, Snorre, Gullfaks, Visund and Gjøa as well as for exploration drilling on the Norwegian continental shelf. The contract includes drilling from the Gullfaks C platform in the North Sea. The agreement covers delivery of directional drilling, measurement while drilling, logging while drilling and mud logging services. The awarded contract, which becomes effective 1 September 2008, has a value of NOK 900 million and a duration of two years. The contract also has two optional extensions, each for two years.

Brazil: gas field discovery

Petrobras has recently discovered significant oil and gas deposits in the world's fifth largest country. There are no less than 15 oil fields, which have turned Brazil into a net exporter of crude oil. For the pipeline transport of extractable natural gas to the processing plant in Caraguatatuba, Voith Turbo will deliver five Vorecons in spring 2008. They will enter service in the second half of 2009. Huge amounts of oil and gas are stored under the seabed at the SE coast of Brazil, for example in the Campos basin outside Rio de Janeiro, in the Santos basin outside São Paulo, or in the Espirito basin. In order to reduce the dependency on imported natural gas, Petrobras has set up Plangas, a strategic plan for increasing the extraction volume for the Brazilian market by 39 million cum per day until 2010. Nine Voith turbo couplings have already been installed on the Petrobras PRA 1 platform. Petrobras has also ordered five Voith planetary gears (Vorecon RWC 12-11 F 7) for gas treatments on pipelines. In a first step, the plant in Caraguatatuba will be able to treat 15 million cum per day. The natural gas is forwarded under pressure to the town limits of Taubaté, where it is connected with the Campinas-Rio gas pipeline by a 100km conduit. For processing the gas and subsequently releasing it into the pipelines, Voith Turbo will deliver five RWC 12-11 F 7 Vorecons. This Vorecon type consists of a hydrodynamic torque converter, a fixed planetary gear and a revolving planetary gear. The RWC also includes a hydrodynamic variable-speed coupling with a clutch. Each of the five Vorecons is rated at 7.8MW.

Brazil: oil find

A consortium comprised of Brazil's state-owned Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) 66%, Royal Dutch Shell PLC 20%, and Galp Energia SGPS SA 14% has made an oil discovery on ultradeepwater Block BM-S-8 in the Santos basin off Brazil. Operator Petrobras said it proved the presence of oil in presalt reservoirs on the block after drilling well 1-BRSA-532A-SPS (1-SPS-52A). Preliminary analyses indicate an oil gravity of 25-28°, comparable to that of other presalt crudes found in the basin, the company said. The wildcat is 250km off the state of Sao Paulo in water 2139m deep. Drilling was completed 18 May to 6773m TD, and the discovery proved via oil sampling in reservoirs nearly 6000m deep. The consortium is preparing a discovery assessment plan to be sent to Brazil's National Petroleum Agency.

Papua New Guinea: LNG project

ExxonMobil and its partners will begin initial engineering work on a USD 11 billion LNG project in Papua New Guinea, as it moves towards final approval. The project aims to commercialise the Hides, Angore and Juha gas fields and the associated gas resources in the oil fields of Kutubu, Agogo, Gobe and Moran in the country's southern highlands and western provinces. The proposed two-train LNG plant will have a production capacity of 6.3 million tonnes a year. Front-end engineering and design, is expected to take about 16 months to complete. A final investment decision is expected in late 2009, with the first LNG deliveries expected in 2014.

Australia: waste heat recovery units

Foster Wheeler Ltd has announced that its UK-headquartered subsidiary, Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd, part of its Global Engineering and Construction Group, has been awarded an engineering and materials supply contract by Woodside for two gas turbine exhaust waste heat recovery units for the processing train at its Pluto liquefied natural gas (LNG) Project in Western Australia. The two identical units will recover energy from gas turbines used for power generation, to provide hot water for use elsewhere in the facility. The engineering, procurement and construction management of the Pluto LNG Project is being executed by a Foster Wheeler-led joint venture and includes a single LNG production train with forecast production of 4.3 million tonnes of LNG per year, a fractionation unit, an acid gas recovery unit, gas purification units, tank storage facilities, a boil-off gas compressor, loading berths, gas turbine power generation units and utilities. First gas is scheduled for production at the end of 2010.