ULMA Piping participates in the OFFSHORE KOREA FAIR 2012
Oil and gas production, and thus exploration and exploitation activities, can be conducted on land (onshore) or at sea (offshore). South Korea is now the world leader in the production of oil and gas production ships (FPSO-FLNG) and offshore oil platforms (for use at sea), a fledgling market, and in the EPC (Engineering-Purchasing and Construction) projects market for onshore oil and gas plants, where its market share in the Arabic world is noteworthy.
As part of its strategic commitment to becoming a key global “player” in EPC projects, ULMA Piping could not miss this international event. In ULMA Piping’s 50 year history, 99% of business has focused on the onshore oil and gas sector where the brand is a global leader in stock distribution and is now beginning to penetrate the EPC project sector. Although onshore and offshore operations are related, each segment uses specific procedures with different authorisation processes and equipment, meaning different companies are also involved. The fair was the platform chosen by ULMA Piping to present itself in this new market, where offshore projects are expected to see significant growth in the coming years. Thanks to advances in drilling technology, wells have been opened at depths of 6,400 meters, giving access to a significant share of global oil reserves.
Most of the offshore sector’s “Supply Chain” was present at the fair, beginning with the shipyards that manufacture the oil and gas production ships and the offshore oil platforms, multinational sector leaders such as HYUNDAI, SAMSUNG and DAEWOO (for the moment South Korea is concentrating on the production of large transatlantic ships, for dry loading, oil tankers and oil platforms/rigs. It recently began competing in methane tankers and offshore platforms. It is currently trying to reduce technological differences with Europe in order to produce luxury leisure crafts and highly specialised vessels. The country also specialises in ships with efficient fuel consumption levels), to suppliers of different services and equipment and manufacturers of products such as: propulsion equipment, marine engines, dynamic satellite positioning devices, subsea production equipment, pipes, pumps, compressors, valves, flanges, gaskets...
ULMA Piping has had a trade delegation in Seoul since January 2011 and although they are still building up a profile in the offshore sector, they have already been awarded several onshore (ground) projects by South Korea's main engineering firms.
