Rotork Fluid Systems has successfully completed a fast-track valve actuation contract for a new strategic natural gas distribution pipeline in Egypt. The contract involved the manufacture of specialised gas-over-oil actuators for main line isolating valves on the 135km Shoukaur to Hurghada pipeline. Eleven actuators were required on a 14-week delivery schedule within the period including Christmas and New Year. Built at Rotork Fluid Systems’ factory in Lucca, Italy, the scotch-yoke RFS Model GO 130 actuators will operate 24in Class 600 ball valves manufactured by Egyptian valvemaker Evaco. Rotork gas-over-oil actuators are specifically adapted for valve control in the remote locations traversed by pipelines by using the pressure of the gas in the pipeline itself to operate the valve. In addition to the standard gas-over-oil specification, actuators for this contract were fitted with valvemaker requested options comprising torque-limiting devices to protect valve stems and integral back-up accumulators with a stand-alone capacity of four valves strokes. Egyptian engineering contractor Petrojet is performing construction of the USD 60 million project, which commenced in May 2006 and will be completed by mid-2007. The completed pipeline will supply natural gas at the rate of up to 5 million standard cum per day to the Egyptian provinces of Shoukaur and Hurghada.
