March 2010 Vol. 237 No. 3

Business Meetings & Events

Pipe Coating Industry Leaders Share Their Goals And Perspectives

Brendan Ryan
Vice President/General Manager USA
Bredero Shaw (a ShawCor Company)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Doing The Best With The Best: Brendan Ryan
Brendan Ryan has enjoyed the opportunity to serve on the NAPCA board of trustees since 2008. He is Vice President and General Manager of Bredero Shaw’s North American region, which operates from eight locations in Canada and the United States. Bredero Shaw is a division of ShawCor.

Brendan has been active in the Oil and Gas Transmission industry since 1982. His career started in Saudi Arabia working with a steel fabrication company that manufactured refinery storage tanks and flow measurement systems. He held engineering and product management roles in Saudi and the UK before moving to the United States in 1991 to join Smith Meter Inc., (subsequently acquired by FMC). At Smith he progressed through positions in engineering, project management and marketing. He managed the After Sales Service Group prior to moving to ShawCor in 2000 as Business Development Manager, and–subsequently–Assistant General Manager, for Shaw Pipeline Services. Shaw Pipeline Services provides specialized ultrasonic and radiographic girth weld inspection services to the onshore and offshore pipeline construction industry. In 2006 Brendan transferred to ShawCor’s pipe coating division as Vice President and General manager, Bredero Shaw, US. He says “experiencing the broad spectrum of pipeline activities from seabed to refinery and on to market has provided an exciting career full of challenges, unique experiences and the opportunity to work with great people – there’s never a dull moment!”

Bredero Shaw has more than 80 years of pipe coating experience, 27 pipe coating facilities located worldwide and the largest team of technical and service specialists in the business. Bredero Shaw’s products include anti-corrosion coatings, flow efficiency, protective and weight coatings, flow assurance and custom coatings, and a fleet of five mobile concrete coating plants.

Brendan assesses that being the global leader requires a clear vision and focus on two of the company’s greatest partners – its customers and its employees. His North America group has adopted the simple motto – “Doing the best with the Best.” By aspiring to flawless execution, Brendan is proud to provide leadership to a workforce that embraces an Incident and Injury Free culture, one that actively engages lean manufacturing tools to eliminate waste and create value, and that develops and implements procedures to remove uncertainty and achieve repeatable quality regardless of changeover frequency. This overriding culture of continuous improvement and sense of empowerment drives the innovation required to address the latest technical challenges facing clients in this dynamic industry. The 2009 results show: the region’s safety record achieved a 47% reduction in total recordable case frequency, two North American plants were recognized and showcased by the Association of Manufacturing Excellence and the Canadian Manufacturing and Exporter Association, and Thermotite® ULTRA™, an innovative new subsea thermal insulation system with unlimited water depth capacity, was released.

For Brendan, being part of NAPCA provides the opportunity to promote high standards of workmanship and business ethics within the coating industry. NAPCA is a forum for its membership to learn from shared experiences, or about technical or operational challenges facing the industry, or to hear from customers on trends within the market, or vendors on the latest product developments. NAPCA continues to provide a unique networking opportunity where pipe coating professionals can openly discuss their business of protecting the world’s pipeline infrastructure. Brendan hopes to contribute while serving on the NAPCA Board by responding to the membership’s interest in being engaged on technical and market related issues.

Brendan earned undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering from Trinity College, Dublin and an MBA from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. He has been married to his dynamic and loving wife, Aisling, for 25 years. They relocated from Houston to Calgary in mid 2009. Their two grown sons are students, one a graduate at the University of Arkansas, College of Medicine and one an undergraduate at Boston College. Brendan’s spare time is typically spent outdoors running, cycling, windsurfing or riding his Harley.

Jeff L. Fargerson
Senior Account Manager, Gulf Coast Region
3M Corrosion Protection Products Division
Houston, Texas

Continuous Innovation Is The Rule: Jeff Fargerson
Jeff Fargerson joined the 3M Companies in 1985 as a sales representative for the Pipeline and Rebar Coatings Department in Houston, Texas. During his career at 3M he has been located in Houston while having sales and technical service responsibilities for fusion bonded and liquid epoxy products in the Rocky Mountain and Central Gulf Coast Regions. Jeff, his wife, Vicki, and their three children reside in Houston.

Jeff and Vicki were born in Houston and feel fortunate to have been able to maintain their residence in this dynamic energy capital. Jeff moved back to Houston in 1979 after receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas.

He began his oil and gas career in the non-destructive testing of exploration and production products group with Magnaflux, Inc. During this period he relocated to Colorado and then to Oklahoma. He later joined Red Man Supply and returned to Houston as their sales representative in the Gulf Coast Area before joining the 3M Companies.

In the late 1950s, 3M introduced fusion bonded epoxy powders to encapsulate and coat pipelines for corrosion protection. The first pipeline coated with what later became known as ScotchKote fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) was in 1960. 3M has since taken this technology and developed many new fusion bonded and plural component liquid products for corrosion protection, as well as products required for chemical, damage or slip resistance. ScotchKote corrosion protection products are currently being applied worldwide to protect the exterior, interior and the welded joints of onshore and offshore pipelines. ScotchKote products may also be used for custom coating and flow enhancement.

In the mid 1970s, 3M introduced ScotchKote FBE products for use in the coating of rebar, dowel bar and similar structural steel products related to highway, bridge deck and concrete building construction. In his earlier years with 3M, Jeff was involved with these products and their use on projects such as the Corpus Christi Causeway and the Fred Hartman Bridge in Baytown, Texas.

Based on continuous innovation by 3M, Jeff is looking forward to the “second half” of his career with 3M and is enthusiastic about the products that 3M is adding in the water and waste-water markets.

During his years in the industry Jeff has been active with several organizations, including the Southern Gas Association (SGA), the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE), the Pipe Liners of Houston, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI), and the National Association of Pipe Coating Applicators (NAPCA). Through NAPCA, Jeff is able to maintain contact with his customers and prospects, network, and keep abreast of new products and techniques for corrosion protection, as well as potential problems to avoid. Based on his dedication to NAPCA, he was recently elected by his member peers to the position of Associate Member Chairman of NAPCA, which post he will assume at NAPCA’s convention in April 2010. Jeff looks forward to many years of service to and with NAPCA and its Board of Trustees.

Mike Musslewhite
Vice President of Pipeline Projects
CPW America Company
Houston, Texas

Staying On Top Of The Issues: Mike Musslewhite
Mike Musslewhite is the Vice President of Pipeline Projects for CPW America Company, which is located in Houston, Texas. He has been active in the United States Pipe and Steel markets for over 30 years, servicing primarily the Oil and Gas industry. Mike has served on numerous committees in the industry, including Spiralweld Line Pipe (offshore construction) JIP/DNV. Beginning with Gaido Lingle Pipecoating in 1978, he has focused on the coating industry for most of his career.

CPW America’s President, Dianne Burger, likewise has extensive experience in the United States Pipe and Steel markets. Dianne is the immediate past President of the National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors and current Vice President of the Texas Chapter of Association of Women in the Metals Industry.

CPW America represents Corinth Pipeworks S.A. (Corinth) in the United States. Corinth has been an active NAPCA member since 2001 and is a major international supplier to the Oil and Gas, Water and Construction Industries. Founded in 1969, Corinth’s primary objective is to deliver comprehensive and safe pipe solutions through a well-organized and cost effective project management system.

Corinth has steadily grown and today operates four plants just outside of Athens in Thisvi, Viotia, Greece with 700,000 tons capacity. All told, Corinth operates two pipe mills and two coating plants, which supply a wide range of high quality products and reliable services to customers throughout the world. These plants are located adjacent to a private port, which gives Corinth the advantage of importing raw materials and exporting its products with low freight rates, well organized load out and minimum delays.

The 26-inch HFI Welded pipe mill started production in 2001 and is one of the most technically advanced HFI mills in the world. The product range is 8-5/8-inch- 26-inch OD, wall thicknesses up to 1-inch, and grades up to X-80. The 100-inch SAWH mill produces large OD spiral weld using the Two–Step method. The product range is 26-inches-100-inches OD, wall thicknesses up to 0.984 inches, and grades up to X-80.

Corinth’s two coating and lining facilities apply external and internal coatings to assure consistent quality, effective corrosion protection, smooth flow and abrasion resistance. The TCP 40 handles up to 40-inch OD while the TCP 100 can handle up to 100-inch OD applying 3-layer polyethylene and polypropylene, fusion bonded epoxy and epoxy lining.

Dianne Burger’s stated mission for CPW America and Corinth is to strive for excellence in everything they do. The combined goal is to deliver value-added energy solutions that comply with customer requirements, to produce quality products, to provide the highest level of services, and to ensure that their customers benefit from the maximum value of these products and services.

Toward this end, Corinth’s membership in NAPCA affords it the opportunity to share and receive information about developments affecting the association membership and the oil and gas industry. Although engaged in daily competition with other NAPCA members, relationships developed though membership in the association enable Corinth and CPW to address issues to the benefit of their customers and clients. Corinth and CPW consider their membership in NAPCA as being an important part of fulfilling their Mission.