Global expansion steps up with Asia Pacific region in the Pipeline

The Richmond-based company, which supplies equipment and services to maintain and clean high pressure oil and gas pipelines, both on and offshore, around the world, said it is currently hunting for a suitable base which will create up to 15 new jobs and open up new opportunities.

Andrew Marwood, sales and marketing director, said: "We have always known that this is an area of great potential and it will help us to access areas such as Malaysia and Thai- land."

The firm, which has offices and service centres in Houston, Abu Dhabi and Aberdeen, Singapore, Nigeria, Spain and Australia, currently employs 190 staff, including 168 at its head office in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Since 2004 the company has grown its exports by 150 per cent, representing over 50m of export business over the period and leading to the recruitment of 94 new employees.

The business has grown from a turnover of 3m in 1997 to 20m in 2009, mostly on export led business, to become a leading company in the niche market known as "utility pigging".

The process involves sending so-called "pigs" down pipelines up to 1.5m in diameter over distances as far as 600 miles.

Pigs are sent down new pipelines to ensure they are clear of any debris prior to oil or gas being transported and sent down operational pipelines to clean and inspect the insides of the pipewall and ensure that pipelines operate efficiently to maximise product flow.

The company believes its success during the recession is due to its technical innovation, leading the industry with state of the art equipment for pigging difficult lines, automated multiple pig launching, finding blockages and leaks, and for the location and measurement of debris build up in long distance pipelines.

Last year the company entered the offshore wind farm market providing cable protection systems for the European market.

Mr Marwood said: "We see this as a massive growth area for the company and if it is successful it would create good manufacturing employment in North Yorkshire.

The move supports the Yorkshire Post's Powering Yorkshire's Future campaign which aims to create a manufacturing hub for wind turbines in the region, ensuring that it reaps the full economic benefits of the massive expansion of offshore wind farms.

Pipeline Engineering, which will receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise next week, also plans to create 20 new jobs in the coming months through new product launches.

In October 2009, the company was acquired by Circor International, a Wall Street quoted international engineering business specialising in flow technology.

Mr Marwood said the acquisition would enable the company to expand its pipeline business in North America.

Pipeline Engineering plans to manufacture and market an oil and gas monitoring system, which is currently produced by US-based Circor subsidiary Sagebrush Pipeline Equipment Company, in the UK to support the North African, Middle East and European markets.

It is also producing a new product to allow safe and fast access to oil and gas pipelines.

Mr Marwood said the company has coped well during the downturn after spotting a possible recession at an early stage.

"We spent more money than usual on sales and marketing leading up to the recession because we thought this would be an area that our competitors would cut back on," he said.

He added: "We are now entering a really exciting period with new products, new markets and the growth of the offshore wind side of the business."

Reward for export achievements

Pipeline Engineering will receive a Queen's Award for Enterprise at a ceremony next week in recognition of its exports in recent years.

The company has grown exports by 150 per cent since 2004, representing over 50m of export business over the period.

The firm was established in 1969 and has grown into a 20m turnover business specialising in the supply of equipment and services for the maintenance and cleaning of international oil and gas pipelines.

The company, based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, supplies equipment, known as "pigs", that travel down the inside of oil and gas pipelines, both onshore and subsea, for cleaning, separating liquids, inspection and testing and pipeline isolation.

No two pipelines are alike and Pipeline Engineering believes it has been able to differentiate itself in the market by uniquely designing each pig for maximum efficiency in the pipeline. In addition to manufacturing the pigs, the company makes the equipment necessary to launch the pigs into the pipeline and receive the pigs from the pipeline.

The firm provides a specialist team of service engineers to provide a cleaning service and also to help locate and unblock pipelines which deliver millions of dollars of gas and oil each day.