Offshore oil and gas industries have begun placing orders for the new Tandem Ball Valve launched by Ball Valves (UK) Ltd, at Offshore Europe 1999. 1–12” and 3–6” 1500 class valves for emergency shut down have now been supplied, installed and successfully tested offshore North Sea. The Tandem Ball Valve is the only design that offers a fully approved bi-directional fire safe, anti-static tandem design of ball valve that provides the double isolation necessary for ESDV applications but which occupies only the same face-to-face flange space as a single ball valve of the same size. Consequently, weight and cost savings and other operational benefits are significant. This is an important milestone in design economy as platform topsides push the limits of their designed load capacities.