Severn Glocon manufactures ‘biggest ever’ control valves

Severn Glocon recently designed and manufactured the largest control valves in its 53 year history, at 42˝ bore and 21 tonnes in weight

Over the next six months four valves of this scale will have been despatched from the Gloucester factory. Two are for the Ichthys LNG project in Australia and the others are destined for a Middle East oilfield.

Successful completion of these technically challenging valves will underline the calibre of Severn Glocon’s intelligence-led engineering and its in-house capabilities. Coping with their size and weight alone requires extensive logistics planning. This is particularly complex for the LNG valves which need to undergo cryogenic testing to prove they can operate reliably at temperatures as low as -160°c.

‘developing innovative solutions’

Future developments in the oil and gas industry will see valves of this size becoming a more regular feature. Severn Glocon has invested in technical expertise, facilities and infrastructure to meet the challenge.

Rob Green, Director of Operations at Severn Glocon, explains: ‘As a control valve engineering specialist, we’re used to developing innovative solutions for difficult applications. However, valves of this size and scale bring a whole host of additional complexities. We extended the capacity of our in-house cryogenic testing facilities and developed robust operating procedures to ensure that the valves progress through production safely and efficiently. Manoeuvring valves of this size safely requires the co-ordinated operation of two cranes, so we needed to plan well and work closely with our sub-contractors.’

Severn Glocon Group employs 429 people in the UK and 800 worldwide. It recently won its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise, International Trade.

Severn Glocon Group Plc
Tel: 0845 223 2040
Email: sales@severnglocon.co.uk

Published: 18th November 2014