J P Kenny: Global Leader in Pipeline & Subsea Engineering
Piping hot
With over 35 years of industry experience, J P Kenny is one of the world’s largest pipeline and subsea engineering and management contractors.
The company has a global presence with ten worldwide offices employing 1300 staff. J P Kenny operates as part of the Wood Group, which has 28,000 employees across 46 countries and benefits from strong relationships with its sister companies. Often producing bespoke solutions, J P Kenny has a track record in innovation and works to reduce costs, improve schedules and manage risks across all of its projects.
One particular area of expertise for J P Kenny is subsea services. In fact the company has participated in approximately half of all the subsea developments currently installed across the globe. With a subsea team of more than 300 specialists, J P Kenny can deliver complete subsea solutions in any geographical area. The company offers a full range of services from conceptual designs and control systems to installation management and engineering.
J P Kenny also has extensive experience in onshore and offshore pipeline projects. The offshore group has a total resource of more then 400 engineers and specialists globally and a range of proven processes, capabilities and technologies. Offshore services include the design of export pipelines, bundles, tie-in, riser systems and trunklines for transporting oil and gas products through water depths of over 2000 metres. Industry leaders in the application of design techniques, J P Kenny continuously invests in new technologies that add value to its projects. J P Kenny also has strong project management skills, recognising that each project requires an individual approach rather than a standard strategy and is able to create effective solutions to fit any project specification.
Few independent subsea and pipeline companies have the same global network of activities and involvement in all phases of oil and gas extraction from concept to abandonment as J P Kenny. This proficiency means the company is the ideal choice to work with clients in evaluating subsea and pipeline opportunities. A working knowledge of the challenges of such systems means that J P Kenny can identify possible risks early on, and methods to minimise them. It can also carry out techno-economic appraisals of possible development sites and prepare the most effective execution strategies.
A well-known name within the industry, J P Kenny works with all of the international oil companies including BP, Chevron, Shell and Total. The company works in close co-operation with its clients to ensure quality of service and, as J P Kenny operates independently of any product or construction companies, customers are guaranteed unbiased advice. One of J P Kenny’s major strengths is its expert staff, which it continuously invests in – encouraging transfers between offices and operating a strategy of promotion from within. Every member of staff has access to the company’s online knowledge base so that they can continue to develop their personal expertise.
Over the years J P Kenny has experienced an increase in client demand for design services and in response, has developed strong front end engineering design (FEED) credentials. The company has been awarded a number of FEED contracts this year including one for the major Australian oil and gas company Apache on its largest ever gas project, the Julimar Development Project. The FEED contract is to produce effective solutions for up to 18 subsea wells and 90 kilometres of flowlines and is expected to be completed in 2011.
Earlier in the year the Pipeline Industries Guild (PIG) awarded J P Kenny the 2010 Land Based Technology Award for its work with hot oil pipelines. Heavy and waxy crude oils have high commercial value but are more difficult to extract due to the appearance of wax at temperatures of 65°C and below. J P Kenny has developed a new hot oil pipeline and flowline system based on the Skin Effect Heating Management System (SEHMS). The system works through the welding of a heat tube along the pipeline which keeps the oil at a temperature above 65°C. This development may help to increase the useable world oil resources by up to 16 per cent by providing a cost effective method of bringing heavy and waxy crude oil to the marketplace.
J P Kenny is no stranger to the issues of environmental responsibility, with over ten years experience in delivering offshore renewable energy projects worldwide. The company has led the way on a number of renewable schemes, looking at improving the technical feasibility and cost effectiveness of offshore systems. The company’s experience with structural design means it is capable of optimising fixed and floating renewable energy systems and reviewing the most efficient power transmission options.
Following the major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April, Oil & Gas UK has established the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG). With the world waiting for the conclusion of the investigation into the Gulf of Mexico incident, which may result in changes in industry regulations, OSPRAG is to act as a focal point for the review of industry practices within the UK. J P Kenny has been contracted by OSPRAG to provide engineering services and to assess subsea capping and containment options as an emergency response measure.
With the demands of the industry regularly evolving and new challenges emerging, J P Kenny remains ahead of its competition by developing its expertise in valuable topics, including newly emerging areas. These include distribution planning, deepwater, pipe-in-pipe, high temperature and pressure systems, routing and survey, and pipeline system innovations. It is this knowledge of what is relevant to its clients and ability to keep abreast of new developments, which helps J P Kenny maintain its position as the global leader.
J P Kenny
Services: Pipeline and subsea engineering