AIMS International Inc
Offshore oil platforms worldwide look to one company to keep their operations steady: AIMS International Inc. The Houston-based company manufactures, fabricates and installs vortex-induced vibration (VIV) suppression systems, custom-engineered fiberglass structural systems and platform/dock fendering systems for platforms operated by many of the world’s largest oil providers including British Petroleum, Chevron and Exxon.
“We are global; anywhere you have oil and gas production, you have offshore facilities, and that’s where we are,” Director of Sales Troy McGinty says. The company’s reach extends from the Gulf of Mexico region to offshore facilities in nations including Brazil, Trinidad, Australia, India, Ghana and Malaysia.
For its international projects, AIMS contracts with existing service companies located where offshore production occurs. AIMS provides their proven products and systems, engineering support and training to make them as efficient locally as AIMS is in the Gulf of Mexico. In these countries floating offshore platforms have become the norm, as opposed to traditional fixed platforms.
To address this, AIMS International recently made a push toward developing a higher performing, light-weight fairing and vortex strakes, along with other complimentary technologies specifically designed for deeper waters. Recent projects included providing the fairings both topside and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) deployed, for the first Gulf of Mexico platform operated by Brazilian oil producer Petrobras.
New Products
One of the company’s newest products is the ROV installable dual-fin flow splitter (ADFS) fairing. The ROVs, which are controlled and tethered to a support vessel topside, can dive as far as 8,000-plus feet underwater to install the equipment, McGinty says. “This is a product we’re very excited about and that is getting a lot of attention,” he adds.
The ADFS, manufactured from a molded polyethylene, is lighter than conventional fiberglass fairings, according to the company. Another new product AIMS is introducing this year is a line of fiberglass electrical and instrumentation trays, which will be marketed as the DeltaTray™ brand.
Years of Experience
AIMS International was founded in 1982 as a distributor to the offshore oil and gas industry and initially specialized in protective coatings, barge bumpers and fiberglass gratings for offshore applications. The company has manufactured its fiberglass products in-house since 1998 and is ISO 9001:2008-certified.
The company has extensive experience in designing fiberglass-based systems to withstand hurricane conditions. AIMS is transferring its proven Wave Zone resistant technology on many overseas projects, McGinty says.
In addition, AIMS produces patented stainless steel attachment hardware to attach fiberglass grating to offshore platforms. The attachment system, known as the Talon System, helped fuel the company’s growth, and is guaranteed in writing to survive a Class 5 hurricane. The system survived both Hurricane Rita and Katrina, a testimony to its strength, the company says.
The company in recent years has become a major force in the VIV suppression field. From 2004 through 2006, AIMS went through full scale testing of its VIV suppression product line of strakes and fairings and began participating in Deepstar, an industry wide research and development project investigating the causes of and solutions to vortex-induced vibration.
AIMS’ experience, range of products, and full service help the company distinguish itself in its field as well as in the region.
“In the fiberglass world, what makes us stand out is we’ve been doing this longer than anybody in the Gulf of Mexico,” McGinty says.