Oil services – from cradle to coffin

Beerenberg is an international technology group that has been delivering intelligent and innovative solutions to the oil and gas sector for more than 30 years.

Petroleum production is like a puzzle: it takes many pieces to complete the picture. In the same manner, the production of oil and gas is made possible by the utmost efforts and contributions of many different players. Beerenberg is one of these. We are one of the pieces in the puzzle that make petroleum production possible in harsh and challenging conditions. We have worked closely with the petroleum sector for over a generation. As a result, we have accumulated a lot of experience and insight that enables us to perform our job in a competent, efficient and safe manner. But we expect even more from ourselves. We strive to exceed our customers’ expectations. Consequently, we spend a great deal of time and resources on research and development, in an effort to create new products and solutions that will help the petroleum industry move forward.

The continued development of the oil and gas industry depends on the innovative and non-traditional thinking of creative minds. Beerenberg has a history of delivering intelligent and innovative solutions to this industry for more than 30 years. We are a leading supplier of maintenance and modification services, and we have developed and patented 13 different product and service solutions in recent years. These products and solutions provide a challenge for the industry and facilitate the production of oil and gas in the harshest environments.

Our customers are large oil companies, as well as technology companies that are world-leaders in their fields. On a daily basis, these companies encounter challenges that must be resolved in order for production to continue as normal. We consider ourselves to be problem solvers. If our customers have a problem, we will solve it. This outlook has always formed the backbone of our company culture at Beerenberg, and will continue to do so in the future. Consequently, we will allocate substantial resources to research and development over the next few years. We are going to challenge the sector and be the driving force behind new solutions.

All injuries or afflictions can be prevented
In Europe today, working life is characterized by a high demand for efficiency and adaptability, a market competing for manpower, high levels of sick leave and increasing numbers claiming disability benefits. Companies, who wish to succeed in this reality have to focus strategically on developing a work environment that promotes employees’ health and motivation. We believe that all injuries and work-related illnesses or afflictions can be prevented, as well as damage to material, environment or reputation. As a result, we consider our HES work to be a long-term and positive investment in the finances, reputation and continued growth of our company.

Safety has to be the highest priority
An offshore fire can have catastrophic consequences. Oil companies allocate considerable resources annually for the protection of personnel, environment and equipment against the danger of fires and explosions. Passive fire protection is an important part of this work. Beerenberg is one of the leading companies in Europe in the field of passive fire protection.

We have invested heavily in the research and development of new products and equipment, and our consistent emphasis on quality at all levels has been the key to our success. We now have a range of proprietary products in our portfolio (Benarx), which are increasingly being used by our customers. Most importantly, these products are superior to existing products and have in many ways revolutionised the industry. But they are also faster and easier to employ and make the job safer for our personnel. Our experts have received extensive training internally, but have also gone through special training with our suppliers here and abroad. The professional development of our employees takes place on a continuous basis. The division always employs the most modern equipment available for the application and mounting of all types of products.

Benarx by Beerenberg
Over the years many efforts have been made to create alternative insulation products, but few have been successful. The demands from this sector were simply too challenging. After many years of research and development, Beerenberg has created a solution that meets all the requirements of the sector – and more. The solution is named Benarx and represents a complete product range for passive fire protection, as well as thermal insulation, for the oil and gas sector. The specifications we received from the oil and gas sector at the time of development were as follows: improve time and space efficiency, improve moisture insulation compared with traditional products, improve safety features compared with traditional products and improve the ability to work better logistically.

The Benarx products meet all these requirements, and more. They are well suited for use in arctic regions, which is becoming ever more relevant as oil and gas production continues to move further North. The products are also very sturdy. Traditional insulation products are quite vulnerable to impact from people or equipment. If someone steps on a traditional metal cladding with insulation below it, the insulation could be damaged. The Benarx products were developed with this in mind, and are not damaged by impact from personnel and equipment. After more than 30 years in the business, we know what works and what doesn’t work. Benarx is the best product range on the market– it is the insulation solution of the future and it is available here and now.

How to deal with risk of fire or explosions
There are very strict safety requirements on all oil and gas installations. All equipment must be EX-approved, and if there is any risk of sparks that could trigger a fire or explosion, the installation will be closed down before the work can start. With Beerenbergs Sveisolat™ hot work can be performed without halting the production.

Sveisolat™ = Habitat + MGD unit + Operator
 
A habitat is a tent with positive air pressure designed to be placed over the area where hot work is performed. An air-driven fan, placed in a safe zone, provides positive pressure in the habitat and makes it impossible for potentially explosive gases to seep in. This eliminates the need for shut-downs whenever hot work has to be performed. Beerenberg’s division for habitat solutions is one of Europe’s largest and the most qualified. We do not deliver equipment without a certified operator to install and operate it. This is because the installation and operating requirements are very stringent. Even the smallest error could have fatal consequences. And that would be unacceptable for Beerenberg.

All our Sveisolat operators have extensive experience and qualifications in this field.
In recent years we have become increasingly involved in the planning and engineering of substantial maintenance and modification projects on the shelf. In this way we help ensure the quality of equipment and progress. It makes our work more efficient, as well as more predictable for customers and end users.

The advantages of reaching longer
Access technique is a specialised technique for accessing and securing areas that are difficult to reach and where it is not practical or cost efficient to use scaffolding. Ropes and climbing skills are the primary tools we use to perform these tasks. However, it is not always the case of having to choose between access technique and scaffolding. It is often a combination of the two divisions that forms the most appropriate solution.

The advantages of access techniques are quite obvious in many cases. When we carry out a maintenance or installation job, it will often be faster and less costly than having to mount large scaffolding in order to perform the same job. Typical jobs performed by climbing teams are traditional surface treatment, pipe work, mechanical and electrical work, and visual inspections. The use of access technicians opens up new job possibilities in areas where scaffolding is not an option, for example in the “splash zone”. We make use of brief good-weather opportunities, which can often be an advantage.

Cutting equipment for the future
There has been little progress in the area of mobile machining and cutting. Few of the industry players have devoted time or resources to the development of new tools for this type of work. Beerenberg on the other hand, after several years of research and development, has created the next generation of cutting equipment. These are tools that use surgical precision to cut an installation into small pieces, rather than demolishing it. It is removed bit by bit in accordance with our customers’ wishes.

The advantages of this are evident. Firstly, the risk to personnel performing decommissioning jobs is dramatically reduced. Secondly, it opens up considerable opportunities for re-use. With the use of traditional demolishing equipment, structures often become deformed and twisted. That leaves only one option for recycling, which is remelting. With surgical cutting, on the other hand, the structures can be transported and re-used as they are. And that is a considerable bonus for the environment.

Beerenberg has invested and will continue to invest a lot in the further development of technologies and applications, in order to make these services even safer, more environmentally friendly and cost efficient. It is our objective to reclaim as much of our natural resources as possible, to ensure a safe and healthy environment for future generations.

The task is simple – to perform “Beyond Expectations”
As a company, Beerenberg maintains a set of values that are very important to us and that serve as a guideline for everyone that works here. We have to be innovative, but also inclusive towards colleagues, customers, contractors and others we interact with. It means all employees have a responsibility towards making the people around us even better people than they are today. We also have to act responsibly in relation to the safety of each colleague, as well as towards customers, contractors, public authorities and the environment.

Contact details:
Roger Kjeilen, Vice President, Sales & Marketing
T: +47 55 52 66 12
www.beerenberg.com