We represent for your attention information about PLD - Pipeline Department of  "SEAMES".
The activity of PLD is directed on inspection of the equipment for oil and gas industry, pipes of small and large diameter with coating and without coating, delivered from the different Russian and foreign manufacturers, heavyweight and oversized equipment, high-pressure receivers, bends, pipe laterals, etc.

Thus is provided survey service in particular points (places) of loading, reloading or unloading of cargoes indicated by the Customer (the Shipper, the Consignee, the Forwarding agent, the Insurance carrier, etc) or if it is necessary - constant inspection and monitoring at all stages - from the factory-manufacturer up to the Consignee.

Our specialists have inspected more than 2,5 million tones of large diameter pipes not including heavyweight, oversized and additional equipment.

Works on pipes inspection were begun in 1994 in port Kaliningrad where polyethylene coated large diameter steel pipes for main gas pipelines were delivered by shipping lane from abroad. Pipes were delivered with a plenty of loading-transportation damages (LTD) of polyethylene (PE) coating and of pipes body metal and then were additionally damaged during reloading operations in port and also during transportation by railway transport. The situation was so critical on that moment that the Consignees of pipes were forced to ask surveyors to render assistance. It is necessary to note, that on that moment the quantity of damaged pipes delivered from abroad by sea way was on the average 60 % and on some vessels amounted up to 85 %.

Taking into account absence of experience on that moment of the participants of transport-cargo process in realization of transfer and transportation operations with such "delicate" cargo as PE coated steel pipes, it is possible to say that in the result 100%-damaged pipes (on PE coating) were delivered to destinations. Quantity of damages of metal as bevel dents and dents on pipes body were a little bit less, but also number of these damages was inadmissible.

After active intervention of PLD experts to cargo process and organization of constant quality control and monitoring of all operations in points of transfer of responsibility, i. e. at unloading from the vessels, at reloading in port, at dock storage and also at the railway - at loading and unloading, the quantity of damages and defects of PE coating decreased to 12 - 15% by seaway transportation and to 3 - 5% by railway transportation.

It was achieved due the constant inspection and monitoring of all rolling stock used for transportation of PE coated large diameter pipes, of load-handling equipment, separating materials, fastening materials and pipes fastening systems and also of storage places in the port and at the railway stations.

Then the work of PLD inspectors was continued in Poland where pipes were delivered by sea and by railway from the different countries and from the different manufacturers.

Thus it is necessary to note that Consignees calmed by normal state of business on large diameter pipes deliveries through port Kaliningrad (under our constant inspection) didn't prolonged contract for pipes inspection in Poland in time and 8 vessels were unloaded in Polish ports uncontrolled.

In the result the quantity of pipes delivered with loading-transportation damages and with factory defects was practically the same as in Kaliningrad before, i. e. approximately 60% and sometimes it was up to 85% from delivered pipes lots and the Polish party submitted a claim and certificates of compliance.

Under the Consignees' application our experts took this freight flow under their control, whereupon the quantity of defective pipes delivered by see shipping lane to Poland was reduced to 13 %.

At the same time our experts worked at five railway stations in Poland and at the railway cargo terminal Brest-Severnyi in Byelorussia where the pipes delivered from abroad were reloaded from the European carriages on the Russian carriages for further transportation. In the result the Consignees hadn't any claims to quality of pipes delivered to destinations.

The experience of our long-term work shows that uncontrolled transportation of PE coated pipes from factories-manufacturers to the pipeline route results in a lot of loading-transportation damages (LTD) of PE coating and metal of pipes body that in one's turn results in large expenses for repair and as consequence to considerably reducing of pipeline service life and sometimes caused to heavy technical and ecological accidents.

PE coating damages as scratches, strips, perforations, cuts and dents are easy discovered visually and then are examined with the help of special tools and equipment as: depth gauge, welder's pattern, clock-type indicator, ultrasonic or magnetic thickness gauge and high-voltage "Holiday Detector".

The experts of PLD have developed original methods and devices for not destroying examination of PE coating damages, which allow realizing gaugings and classification of discovered damages operatively, without preliminary grinding of the damaged places.

It is necessary to note that during inspection of pipes we execute only 100% testing. We use a special trestles for this purpose where our surveyors carry out the examination of pipes bevels, outside and inside coating, quality of weld, geometrical sizes of surfaces and check a trade mark.

The most serious dangers also represent the latent factory defects of PE coating, which can be found out and identified basically only by secondary attributes and by applying the special methods and devices for examination. The detection of factory defects, especially hidden flaws is rather difficult for surveyor and requires professional skill and top carefulness. The experts of PLD have wide experience of work on revealing the latent factory defects and extensive statistical material for various manufacturers about concentration of different types of defects on the certain parts of pipes surfaces.
Such potentially dangerous places of coating are usually checked most carefully.

On the basis of collected data we have developed precise classification of PE coating factory defects types, which is successfully applied at the realization of inspection.

Also we develop a precise coordinate system to describe in the documents defects or damages' location on the pipes with specifying of their sizes and types according to special classification.

It's necessary to take into account, that presence of inspector with photo camera in place of cargo operations realization is a powerful disciplinary factor and as a whole raises the corporate culture and procedures discipline.

Thus the inspector of "Seames" is not a supervisor, which only fixed the defects, but he takes an active part in process of works realization in close interaction with the executors. The basic task for him is the protection of the Customer's interests, analysis of collected information and definition of ways and actions for elimination of reasons resulting to damage of cargo.

Results of inspection are issued in the following order:

• Tally Sheet - the primary document is issued by supervisors on the working place which then is sighed and certified by surveyor's personal seal;
• Preliminary Survey Report is issued immediately at the end of inspection at the definite request (vessel, train, road vehicle etc.) and contains all brief essential information necessary for the Customer to submit a claim. One copy of Preliminary Survey Report is sent immediately by fax or by E-mail to the Customer and additional copies are handed over to interested parties specified by Customer;
Survey Report - final report with complete description, calculations, additional documents, diagrams, photo or video materials is issued within 5 days after work performance.

According to the Final report information the updating of the computer database and of summary tables is made. Then archival copy of survey report is done and the original is sent to the Customer by express mail delivery.

As for Pipeline Department (at work on constant freight flow) preliminary survey report is issued in 40 minutes and final survey report is issued in 3 days that also is stipulated by the contract.

To get the full information you may contact Pipeline Department in Kaliningrad:

Phone (direct): +7 4012 916 792
Phone/Fax (dispatcher): +7 4012 916 608, 217 976
E-mail: pld@038.ru, irina@038.ru

Office manager: I. Shumai