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- November 30, 2022
Customized knife gate valves for the North Sea offshore industry
The Stafsjö MV knife gate valve is available in an execution to withstand harsh offshore operations on the North Sea. It has been customized to meet the most stringent demand specifications required by the Norwegian offshore industry.
Stafsjö is active in within most sectors of the process industry. For decades, products have been developed to satisfy the demands of customers and industrial markets. This has enabled Stafsjö to gain a unique experience and a product range suitable for a wide array of application areas. When the North Sea offshore industry required isolation valves for mud handling, Stafsjö could advance another few steps.
– It has been a solid work by everybody within the company in all projects, all the way from design table, to purchasing, to workshop, to logistics. And the client challenged us at every stage. It has been very interesting to meet such a knowledgeable client. Now we have raised our levels of performance and are able to deal with most complex enquiries and supplies on the market, explains Ulrika Björn, former Quality Manager at Stafsjö.
The scope of supply included some 66 pcs. manually and remote operated Stafsjö MV knife gate valves in sizes from DN 100 (4”) up to DN 400 (16”) to three different projects: Snorre Field, Mariner Field and Johan Sverdrup Field – all operating on the North Sea. The demand specifications placed on the knife gate valve scope were detailed and rigorous. Nothing were left without supervision. The Stafsjö MV knife gate valve were customized in almost every detail.
– These MV knife gate valves were built and customized for tough working conditions. The climate is unpredictable, rough and corrosive on the North Sea. The materials and various parts are exposed to severe process conditions, partly from environment but primarily from the process media “drilling mud”. The knife gate valves must be able to comply with these kind of process conditions at all the time, with no exceptions, says Dennis Barenhoff, Technical Support at Stafsjö.
Drilling mud is a heavy fluid used in oil and gas drilling operations to carry cuttings up to the surface and to lubricate and to cool the drill bit. It can be either water-, oil- or synthetic based. The drilling mud also stabilize the bit and prevent it from collapsing.
– Stafsjö’s MV knife gate valves have important duties on the offshore unit. It is essential they provide reliable isolation whenever it is needed, says Torbjørn Isaksen, Project Engineer, at Bagges AS.
The operators and nations active on the North Sea must comply with rigorous legislations and regulations. They operate in a very sensitive environment. Unexpected stops and downtime are not tolerated, nor are any disturbances in general. Leakages are not acceptable.
– Stafsjö’s MV knife gate valve has proven itself to be well suited for difficult mud applications in harsh environments. It has an unique and reliable cutting-edge isolating performance, simple but yet robust design and an ability to be customized in almost every detail. True reliable high performance is needed in these sensitive environments we all care about, summarizes Torbjørn Isaksen at Bagges AS.
If you are looking for offshore drilling mud isolation valves, please feel free to contact Stafsjö or our distributor in Norway, Bagges AS, for further information.
