The company’s IMI Orton business has secured no less than eight contracts, worth tens of millions of euros, with three different customers to supply valves and actuators for the Yamal LNG project, one of the largest industrial projects in the Arctic, with the potential to win further contracts in future.
Yamal LNG is based in the estuary of the Ob River in Northern Siberia, and is ice-bound for nine months of the year. This makes for a highly challenging environment for LNG production. Nevertheless, more than 200 wells are expected to be drilled to develop the huge South Tambey natural gas field, where reserves are estimated at more than 1 trillion cubic metres.
While IMI Orton’s long experience of operating in hostile environments was clearly a major factor in its contract wins, early engagement with CB&I, after the company was awarded the front-end engineering design contract, was also key.
IMI Orton experts travelled to London to meet CB&I to highlight the technical advantages of the Orton TRI-X solution, with its replaceable seat and seal ring on the valve’s body and disc respectively. These features mean that, should maintenance be required, the sealing elements could be replaced locally – an important factor when the site is so remote.
Alberto Aliani, Managing Director of IMI Orton, commented: “The important message is that on a large project it is important to work closely with all parties from the very first phase and then throughout the entire life of the project. This approach will enable us to provide the best possible support to engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partners and the end customer and will be key to earning further contracts on the Yamal LNG project in future.”