BEL Valves secures order for Equinor in Norway
BEL Valves, based in Newcastle, has supplied six-figure valve equipment to Norwegian energy company Equinor for use at its Kårstø processing plant.
The order was won largely due to the company’s ability to ‘deliver quickly, outpacing competitor lead times’.
Donnie Gordon, project manager at BEL Valves, said: “The valves needed to be ready in advance of essential installation and a plant shutdown this summer – meaning speed of manufacture and accuracy of delivery time were key to us securing the order.
“We pride ourselves on the speed of our expedited delivery times and it was great to see this element of our service play such a significant role in winning this order for Equinor.”
The Kårstø plant, located in Nord-Rogaland, processes gas, condensates and light oil from around 30 fields on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Millions of cubic metres of product flow into the plant daily via pipeline.
BEL Valves supplied CL900 valves in 10-inch and 6-inch diameters for installation during a partial shutdown related to the Kristin Compressor Package and for normal gas plant operations.
The valves were designed, tested and manufactured at the company’s Newcastle headquarters.
Mr Gordon said: “There are no standard installations in the oil and gas industry and so it’s vital to be able to design, develop and manufacture bespoke valves that meet different project requirements.”
The valves feature double block and bleed functionality within a single assembly, replacing the need for two conventional slab gates.
This design reduces overall costs, size and weight, and can be configured to seal in either the closed position (single expanding) or both open and closed positions (double expanding).
Additional options can be tailored to meet specific application requirements.
BEL Valves, founded in 1964, is a global manufacturer of high-integrity valve technology for the oil and gas sector.
The company is now aiming to expand its offering to include carbon capture and hydrogen services.