RefMet has various on-going design activities with the Anzon Basker Manta Integrated Field Development Project, Nexus Energy Longtom Field Development and the British Gas Exploration and Production India Limited Hydra FEED project.

RefMet completed a review of the Alcoa World Alumina Western Australia tank inspection operations.  From this review a tank inspection procedure was developed to cover the routine and major tank inspection requirements for the Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup Alumina Refineries.

RefMet has recently taken on the review and update of the Kipper Tuna Gas FEED Project material selection report on behalf of the WorleyParsons/Intec Joint Venture.

RefMet provided independent validation services for well production testing and clean-up equipment for the AED Puffin-8 well development and the Nexus Energy Crux-2 well development in the Timor Sea.  The validation exercises involved the review of manufacturing and test records for equipment intended for use on the drilling rigs working over the wells.  Equipment included heat exchangers, inlet separators, flowheads and rigid and flexible piping.  The outcome of the review was incorporated into the drilling safety case for each well development.

RefMet are finishing off a third party inspection assignment for Alpha Petroleum’s Tui Development in New Zealand.  The inspection assignment was based at Cameron Australasia’s facility in Melbourne and involved the assembly and test of gimbals, CVC goosenecks, permanent guide bases and other subsea completions equipment.

RefMet conducted a one day refractories training seminar in Western Australia.  Michael presented this course in the training facility of Cockburn Cement in East Munster.  A group of 12, drawn from the hosts, Tiwest, Iluka and Phoenix refractories spent a very fruitful ay exchanging information and experiences on rotary kiln issues, before retiring to the Little Sisters brewery in Fremantle for refreeshments

Paul made a flying trip to Darwin to review the condition of the subsea tree running tools, risers and completions equipment at the Upstream Petroleum yard in Pinelands.  The equipment had recently been used offshore to complete a well at the AED Oil Pty Ltd Puffin field in the Timor Sea and was to be returned to the owner of the equipment, Coogee Resources Ltd.  Paul was acting as the independent certifier for the equipment and was charged with the responsibility of ensuring the equipment was returned in a suitable working condition

RefMet, with Carmagen Engineering Inc (New Jersey USA), successfully ran a three-day training course on the Design, Inspection and Maintenance of Aboveground Atmospheric Storage Tanks to API 650/653 at the Alcoa Western Australia training centre in Fairbridge.  The small training centre close to the Pinjarra Alumina Refinery made for a relaxing setting for Carmagen’s David Thornton to present the course to 25 Alcoa, Hatch and Attar engineers.  Everyone completed the course with a good understanding of the design considerations important when building, inspecting and maintaining the 600+ tanks across the three Alcoa sites in Western Australia.

RefMet has recently commenced work on the Nexus Energy Longtom field development.  Services include development of the fracture control plan, materials selection design for the subsea pipeline and production equipment, and writing linepipe specifications.

Comalco have commissioned RefMet to conduct an in-house Refractories training course.  Michael will present this in early June.

Michael also attended the S. E. Asian Iron and Steel Institute’s 35th anniversary Conference and Exhibition on Cebu island, Philippines.

Paul recently made a flying trip to New Zealand to do a market review of the areas in which RefMet offer services.  Visits were made to the New Zealand Refining Company, Golden Bay Cement, NZ Steel and others.  The kind hospitality of those who met with us is greatly appreciated.

Michael completed a small assignment for Kimberly Clark’s Tantanoola mill, with advice on repairs to boiler refractories.  The plant was successfully recommissioned this month after a short shut.

Due to the amount of time Paul has spent in China over the past 12 months and especially in January 2006 it is only fitting that this month’s “Beer of the Month” be a salute to China’s Tsingtao (pronounced ‘Ching-Dow’).

Tsingtao is brewed in Qingdao (pr. Ching-Dow) with water from the mountain streams of the Laoshan area.  Water quality can be a real problem for Chinese brewers and the water from Laoshan is some of the purest available in the country.  Tsingtao brewery was originally set up by the Germans and is now the highest selling brewer of the 600 breweries throughout China.

Tsingtao Beer is in the Pilsner style with a strong malty flavour and well-hopped character.  The original recipe for the beer was derived from a German brewery and the beer is not unlike some of the European Pilsners.  It is certainly a very gaseous beer and something one needs to take into consideration when the call of “Cum-pai” or cheers is thrown your way from all directions around the business dinner table.

It is a beer best drunk in the same manner as the Chinese drink their red wine ….. chilled!  Surprisingly, it goes well with Chinese food.

Cum-pai
Paul.

Paul was back in Tanggu, China with Kerr McGee China Petroleum to review the fabrication and materials application for the Well Head Platform ‘D’.  Very chilly conditions made work at the COOEC construction yard very difficult.  While temperatures at home in Melbourne were soaring to 42°C, Paul was experiencing the complete opposite end of the scale at -15°C.  A visit to South China Marine of Wuzhou in China’s Southwestern corner during the visit provided some relief to the cold.

This month’s beer of the month is in the spirit of summer DIY.  It’s a home brew recently tried and rated high enough for mention as this months Beer of the Month.  The beer is made using brewing malt from Black Rock (Canterbury Brewery in Christchurch New Zealand).  The style we chose is a two-row lager, there are others available from Black Rock and are sold throughout Australian home brew shops.

We made the brew up using the canned brewing malt and yeast with 600gm of glucose, 400gm of LD malt and 200gm of corn syrup.  The brew was held in the carboy for about 5 days (it was a quick brew due the warm weather in Melbourne recently).  The lager was bottled and left for secondary fermentation in the bottle.

At the two-week mark the beer presents well with some bitterness and a sharp hop aroma.  We will keep you up to date as to how it drinks after extended bottle conditioning.

If you enjoy a lager with a two-row barley, then we recommend trying to brew the Malt Shovel Brewery’s, Two Row Lager.

Happy brewing

Paul Plater