Spoolbase

Serimax is a leading supplier of spoolbase management services for prefabrication of deep sea pipelines. Since welding pipes for the first commercially-operated North Sea reel vessel in the late 1970s, we have worked with virtually every reel pipelay vessel now in service.

We design spoolbases to allow optimized welding and inspection of the pipe, and to enable further operations such as non-destructive examination (NDE) and Field Joint Coating (FJC) to be conducted in a controlled environment.

We normally take deliveries of 12 and 24-metre long sections of pipe and prepare them for welding into stalks (continuous lengths) with welding stations automatic or not. This production line method allows an exceptionally high level of productivity.

In sync with market trends

The spoolbase division is well-placed to capitalise on a number of trends designed to develop offshore production:

• Pipelaying in ever deeper water and the use of tie-back arrangements, for example, have made the reel technique a very popular method of installing pipelines on deep ocean-floors.
• The high-quality welding of corrosion-resistant alloy steels such as Duplex is dependent on the environmentally friendly conditions of an onshore spoolbase.
• The use of heavy, insulated pipelines provides our spoolbase operations with real challenges, on top of welding, such as the application of thick field joint coating materials. These have to be made on the job, while not delaying the production schedule.

From Russia to USA, from Scotland to Angola

In 2007 we anticipate working on over 150km of pipe for clients such as Technip, Acergy and Subsea 7. Our personnel will work on spoolbases in Scotland, Norway, USA, Russia, Nigeria, Angola and Gabon.