SALP SpA

Plans in the pipeline

Founded in Bologna, Italy, by Ottavio Frata in 1959, SALP SpA began operating in land reclamation in the Po Valley before entering the oil and gas sector, which was being established in Italy by the ENI Group Oil & Gas at the time. Soon this business segment became the company’s main activity, with a key focus on construction and maintenance of natural gas networks; a field in which SALP SpA can today provide comprehensive turnkey solutions.

In 1971 the company made the strategic decision to move to Friuli Venezia Giulia, where it continued to acquire experience in maintenance activities with regards to plants, refinery and pipelines for both oil and gas customers; it has also developed a proactive and effective approach regarding safety and quality over the years. “SALP SpA today is specialised in oil and gas pipeline constructions, oxygen pipelines and aqueducts as well as sewer systems, roads, riverbank protection, soil stabilisation and hydraulic protection, which is all thanks to our broad technical and professional knowledge, excellent equipment and technicians. We operate internationally as a contractor, with expertise in oil and gas stations and pipelines up to 60 inches, including ancillary activity; we are also able to propose a wide range of services to our clients,” begins Pier Luigi Catenazzi, Business Development Manager at SALP SpA.

A leader in its field in Europe, SALP SpA’s technical expertise, combined with the high potential of its technicians and equipment, has enabled it to work with major Italian and foreign companies, with excellent results. “In the last three years alone SALP SpA has completed three big projects in Italy, between 48 inches and 56 inches for more than 100 km of pipeline and a scraper station, big compression station and all types of crossing through the utilisation of horizontal directional drilling, micro tunneling, raise boring, river crossing and auger boring services. We have also been involved in the delivery of 100 km of pipeline and an associate station in Bulgaria as well as several projects in Kurdistan, Iraq. The revamping of the oil centre of ENI in Viggiano, Potenza, and Mazara del Vallo Sicily was also a challenging project for us,” says Pier.

Able to intervene on pipelines of large diameter and high pressure, SALP SpA uses its experience, technically advanced equipment and its highly qualified and competent workforce to undertake various morphological conditions; these include the plains, mountains or land with the presence of water or river crossings. To ensure a prompt solution to each customer’s challenge, whether it is planned or an emergency, the company performs with optimum versatility with the goal of delivering maximum plant efficiency and customer satisfaction. “Large diameter projects make up to 50 per cent of our contracts, while maintenance and plant projects take up the remaining 50 per cent of our turnover,” says Pier. “However, we do believe that large diameter, without all other activities we are involved in, is not enough for us to be competitive; each pipeline project is unique, our strength is that we focus on that.”

Alongside pipelines projects, the company also provides plant engineering services for compressor stations, pumping stations, measuring stations and reduction stations. For these contracts, the company uses innovative technological resources, high quality equipment and qualified technical staff to ensure continued satisfaction for clients. “The biggest challenge in the market is achieving maximum customer satisfaction,” notes Pier. “Because of this, we tackle each challenge with safe, reliable and innovative solutions and keep training and local context at the top of our priority so we are proactive, generous and respectful to the cultures we approach. Furthermore, we are committed to sharing our expertise with the local content by following specific guidelines that promote the development of local suppliers. We do this through initiatives such as the professional growth of managers with international qualifications in areas such as the environment, quality, health and safety, finance, project management and construction.”

Due to the nature of the projects being undertaken, the company has developed a proactive and effective approach to safety over recent years, as Pier states: “Safety first is what our people believe and they have thus adopted a healthy lifestyle to guarantee a better future for themselves and the company. Furthermore, because of SALP SpA’s efforts in developing knowledge and competencies of our personnel through our training centre, the sharing of experiences and the implementation of safe working practices, our safety performance data shows continuous improvement.”

As the oil and gas industry remains, sluggish SALP SpA will ensure it remains in demand by focusing on customer satisfaction through ongoing improvements in all areas of its operations. Moreover, the company is strategically seeking out opportunities to expand into new target markets such as Africa, while also strengthening its presence in areas such as the Balkans and Iran. “We are looking into new markets while also developing new welding technology to meet the evolving needs of our customer base; we will also be entering the field of destructive testing, revamping, maintenance and telecommunications. Because the market is going to become increasingly competitive, we believe we must seek out our own opportunities, which, once founded, could result in proposals,” concludes Pier.

“Understanding and implementing the expectations of our customers by providing a high quality service, competitive and in line with health and safety regulation of workers and environment.” With this philosophy S.A.L.P S.p.A has been growing and developing its know-how in the Oil & Gas industry since 1971 covering the many aspects of this important part of the world’s economy. It provides turnkey projects related to the construction of both gas and oil pipelines and control stations by offering technical support and equipment related to the maintenance of gas networks and pipelines and by planning and building infrastructures.

After having established itself as one of the most important Italian companies in its field, S.A.L.P S.p.A. expanded and has started working in Bulgaria, Germany, Switzerland, Iraq, France, Libya and Kazakhstan. Its internationalisation continues steadily and sustainably marked by a profound knowledge of its abilities and skills. It has offices in North Africa, the Balkan area and in the Middle East where it operates and successfully works together with local institutions.

Its large fleet of vehicles and equipment, multicultural and ambitious staff and its financial capacity allows it to respond quickly and professionally to its customers’ requests whilst respecting local institutions, minimising risks at work, avoiding pollution and optimising consumption.

The company believes in hiring highly qualified staff and offering them a work environment which encourages them to reach their full potential.

With this background and its willingness to constantly improve, S.A.L.P aims to strengthen its presence in the European and International market more and more.
Frata Ugo

SALP SpA

Services: Contractor in the construction of oil and gas stations and pipelines