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Current SPE and DPE designs as used in the past and in today’s cryogenic trunnion ball valves are challenged to an almost impossible task. And with LNG becoming more and more popular as a clean fuel it makes sense to eliminate as far as possible the leakage of methane. In addition to protecting the environment, a leak free valve is also a serious safety feature when operating highly flammable gas like LNG..

In the February 2016 issue of Valve World we ran an interview with Mr. Henk Hinssen, Mr. Hinssen indicated he had uncovered serious shortcomings in many emergency shutdown valves (ESDV) used to enhance safety in upstream plants. Looking for more expert views on this topic, Valve World spoke to Ed Holtgraver, one of the founders of QTRCO, about his concerns with Partial Stroke Test

No clear or universal industry definition or mechanism exists to describe and accurately define severe service valves (SSVs) from general purpose valves, yet such a definition would allow clients to benefit from improved process performance, increased profitability, safety and environmental protection. This high level paper looks to offer an objective definition for better communication between users, specifiers and suppliers.

Valves don’t necessarily need to be made from, for example, stainless steel, or grey cast iron. Plastic valves are used in numerous areas to convey fluids through pipes, and they need not shy away from uncomfortable environments.

The sharp decline in crude prices and the subsequent volatility has meant that it’s been an onerous two years for oil producers, a period marked with budget cuts. The situation for the offshore side of the business has been far more severe. Once hailed as the bulwark from peak oil, the massive costs associated with its development in the face of low margins have made it increasingly difficult for companies to commit investments in recent times. Anurag Agrawal reports.

Turkmenistan has undergone steady economic growth in recent years, sustained by its abundant reserves of natural gas which rank the country as fourth largest by production volume worldwide. President Berdimuhamedov seems set to continue the policy of developing high-value-added natural gas products as well as diversification of their gas exports. One example is the current construction of a new fertilizer plant in Garabogaz, due for completion in July 2018.

There are a number of standards to which process valves can be tested and certified in order to guarantee their emission tightness. The ISO 15848-1 testing protocol is making headway to be the accepted standard in the European region while the API 624 standard seems to be the predominant standard in the United States. In Germany all the valves that shall be used in the chemical and petrochemical industry shall have the VDI 2440 certification done.

Stan Hale has worked a long time in the motor-operated valve testing within the nuclear power industry. Here he reflects on how far the industry has come.

Picking up on comments that bar stock might not necessarily be a bad choice for manufacturing valve bodies, Valve World editor James Hoare canvassed opinions from throughout the industry. Indeed, his appeal for insider information quickly yielded expert viewpoints from far and wide…

Discovered in 2008 by Maersk Oil and its co-venturers, the Culzean gas condensate field has enormous potential with an estimated 250-300 million barrels of oil equivalent. The development was approved by the UK Oil & Gas Authority in August last year. Production is anticipated to commence in 2019, and continue for another 13 years with an estimated plateau production of 60,000-90,000 barrels per day.