Member Article

Intertek invests £1.2 million expanding Manchester centre

Intertek, a solutions provider to industries worldwide, has invested £1.2 million expanding its Manchester-based centre for corrosion testing to meet growing demand from the oil and gas industry.

The expansion, which has been driven by major new contract awards worth around £1 million, takes the total investment in the site to over £5 million since it first opened in 2008.

Corrosion is reported to cost the oil and gas industry $1.4 billion (£896 million) annually, with subsea, topsides and onshore equipment all vulnerable.

Business Manager for Testing at Intertek Production and Integrity Assurance, Graeme Dicken, said, “We believe that our newly expanded facility is the largest of its kind in the world.

“The additional space will ensure that we can meet the increasing demand from clients to tackle the problems they are facing with respect to the use of materials and chemicals in extreme environments.

“Following the site expansion, we have large-scale bespoke test rigs to simulate specific environments and issues, providing clients with accurate data and solutions.

“The upgrade recently enabled us to conduct a pilot plant-scale flow loop and full pipe section subsea simulation studies.

“We have a proven track record of developing test methodologies and constructing novel equipment, which then become industry standard approaches.”

Director of Intertek Production and Integrity Assurance, Jim Palmer, said: “With almost 40 years’ experience in advanced corrosion testing, technology development and research, our business is uniquely positioned to provide pan-industry advanced corrosion testing services.

“Our Manchester site employs 65 corrosion and materials specialists, offering a multidisciplinary resource at one location, supported by a team of internationally renowned experts.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophia Taha .