Rare Plastics achieves certification for manufacture of HDPE gas pipe
RARE Plastics, Meyerton-based HDPE pipe manufacturer and distributor, recently achieved its SANS ISO 4437.2 certification to manufacture HDPE gas pipe.
“Rare Plastics believes in setting the benchmark for quality in our industry, so achieving this certification ensures that we continue to strive for perfection. It enables us to give our clients the assurance that they are purchasing a certified quality product,” said Ashin Tasdhary, Rare Plastics, MD.
“Additionally, we feel that the market is easily duped into accepting inferior quality and non-certified products, which can have far-reaching consequences for a contractor or client, especially when it comes to the conveyance of gas through a pipeline. In a water application, if there is a failure on the pipeline, someone could just get wet, but if a similar failure occurs on a gas pipeline, it could easily result in the loss of lives.”
Rare supplies largest natural gas project in SA
Rare’s first gas pipe supply project, for client Tetra 4/EPCM, includes the supply of over 60km of gas pipes, in diameters ranging from 90mm to 355mm, for the largest natural gas project in SA.
Tetra4’s Virginia Gas Project comprises production rights of 187 000ha of gas fields across Welkom, Virginia and Theunissen, in the Free State. The source of the Virginia Gas Project’s natural gas is primarily microbial. It originates from deep within the Witwatersrand Supergroup, via groundwater circulating through large faults and contacting bacteria deep within the earth’s crust. This means the methane is a biogenic and a continuing renewable resource. The natural gas contains one of the richest helium concentrations recorded globally. The natural gas is also very pure, with an average of over 90% methane, and almost zero higher alkanes, which reduces the complexity of liquefication.
“The project has been a learning curve for all parties in terms of understanding and agreeing standards, requirements and delivery. Fortunately, there is good co-operation between the client, independent third party inspectors, consulting and project management engineers, as well as Rare Plastics,” Tasdhary added.
“As a consultant, or contractor or end user, it is important to choose a reputable supply partner, whom you can trust to ensure that you are receiving the quality of product you require. Unfortunately, our industry has a tainted history and there many claims of pipes being ‘certified’ or ‘manufactured in accordance with’. These are merely smokescreens. Insist that the manufacturer provide you with a SATAS/SABS Certificate, verifying their accreditation.”
