Valve supply was a concern in the 2012 shale
pipeline build out
Reuters interviewed valve executives relative to the
availability of valves in 2012 when the Interstate Natural Gas Association of
America (INGAA) estimated North America would add 19,000 miles of oil pipelines
at a cost of $31.4 billion by 2035 as production surged 50 percent to 12.7
million barrels per day. The latest projections are for twice that amount. In
2012 the following quotes were published “We definitely consider ours an
‘engineered to spec’ product,” said John Starck, vice president of sales for M&J
Valve, a division of multi-industry manufacturer SPX Corp that operators say is
a leading valve maker for liquids pipelines.“We do not actually build the
product and keep it on the shelf because each customer has their own unique set
of specs.”
A valve for a 20-inch pipeline can weigh 3,000 pounds
(1,360 kg) to 4,100 pounds, while one for a 36-inch line can weigh 15,500 to
19,000 pounds, depending on whether flanges are included. The biggest valves for
the largest pipes are heftier, plus they cost about $120,000 each.
It can take 20 to 22 weeks of lead time to build a
42-inch valve, said M&J Valve’s Starck. Enbridge’s McGill said for big pressure
pumps, “it would be a year.”
John Lenander, vice president of oil and gas valves for
another major valve and pump supplier, Dallas-based Flowserve, said timing
depends on the level of specialization, the amount of valves needed, and pipe
size.
For example, 10 valves for 200 miles of 42-inch pipe
could be supplied in six to eight months. But 60 valves for 1,200 miles of
42-inch pipe would more likely be quoted with partial deliveries starting in six
months, with everything completed in about a year, he said.