Q: How
many man-hours are estimated for design/drafting
for your typical meter/gate station?
With a
standard package, we can limit the hours to 100 -
200 including site development.
Q:
To what extent do you use standard design or
typical design?
We
encourage all of our Alliance Partners to build
stations which are unique to their needs, but
utilize our standard Northstar packages. In this
way, our customers receive An Alliance Partner
"footprint" which can greatly reduce
costs especially if employed in many locations.
Q:
What improvements could be made in a typical
company design which would effect cost and
schedule?
Working
with us as an Alliance Partner to achieve
standardization of design and standardization of
the interconnect process will improve cost and
schedule more than any component change. This
does not limit options; it simply allows us to
maintain a secure relationship where we can
openly explore ways to identify the impact of
options ahead of time so that costs can be
understood. If we identify certain configurations
ahead of time then a decision of adding or taking
away a filter is simple. As an example of this
strategy, we recently established a baseline for
power plant type loads with Duke for three
different interconnects at Veazie, Bucksport and
Calpine Energy. The Veazie and Bucksport design
are metering and DAC only. The Calpine project
includes metering, regulating, heating, and DAC.
If these design standards remain intact, then
this alone will improve cost and schedule for
50,000 dekatherm - 100,000 dekatherm stations
equivalent to 250-500 megawatt power plant feeds
for both scenarios. Pre-approved designs for
these scenarios along with a P1 process, P3
process and QA/QC process ensures the most
effective cost and schedule for these projects.
In all these projects, we have worked with Duke
as their Alliance Partner and shared ideas
accordingly. This has dramatically improved cost
and schedule because we took chances internally
such as ordering long-leads without a contract in
hand in many instances.
Q:
How are the technical and operational-based
decisions, which drive cost, made, communicated
and resolved with marketing/project sponsor
within your organization?
We
prepare preliminary engineering documents which
define design baselines for each discipline,
plans and elevations, P & ID, electrical,
oneline, site plan, cost and schedule. Approval
of this preliminary engineering document (P1)
allows long-lead to be ordered by us. The P3
submittal is then prepared. The P3 meeting allows
for manufacturing to begin. These decisions are
made by a review team from your company with
markups of our packages sent back to us for
revision. The process is more formal and
standardized than ever before. There were times
in the past when changes made were random by
multiple management sources. Now, lines are well
defined and manageable.
Q:
What is the minimum information needed to design
a measurement and/or pipeline facility?
We
provide a project initiation data sheet to you.
This information is then used by us to initiate
the Phase 1 Preliminary Engineering. This is a
two-page information gathering process which
takes less than one hour to complete by your
staff.
Q:
What do you do to minimize field construction?
We weld,
assemble, paint, wire, tag and provide project
data book documentation prior to shipping your
unit to the field. We even premanufacture our
foundations before the unit is shipped to your
site.
Q:
What are your specific testing and inspection
requirements?
We have
a formal manual entitled, "Safety and
Quality Control Procedures and Policies"
which is delivered to our Partners. This manual
includes our qualified weld procedures, welder
qualifications, NDT weld testing, concrete
testing, geotech testing of your site, pressure
testing of components with six-month
certifications, and safety requirements as well.
Q:
To what extent do you incorporate standard
materials into the facility design?
As much
as practical to accommodate our Alliance
Partners, we have standardized materials which
has allowed us to inventory certain long-lead
time components. This also eliminates the waiting
for approved drawings from vendors for dimensions
and connections.
Q:
What is the typical number of drawings in your
drawing package (mechanical, electrical, and
alignment)?
There
are typically 40 - 60 drawings in our package.
Q:
How does quantity/quality of design drawings
effect construction pricing?
Because
of standardization, drawing count has had a
minimal effect on pricing. The only impact is
post-drawing approval when changes are made by
your company.
Q:
Do you purchase any rebuilt, used, or surplus
materials? If so, how do you make sure they are
reliable?
We are
committed to maintaining the highest levels of
product quality and integrity. For this reason,
only new equipment is employed in our Systems.
Q:
What has been your experience with
shop-fabricated meter skids with regards to:
standardization; improved delivery compared to
field construction; overall price; contract
issues; and, who do use for shop-fabricated meter
skids?
We have
created a process which identifies a need,
provides a standard design, provides P1 approval,
long-lead equipment procurement, P3 approval,
premanufacturing, field installation, and project
data book documentation. Standardization of the
entire interconnect process as well as our design
is important to us as a company. In most
instances, our standard
metering/preheat/regulating/odorization/SCADA
package can be placed into service within 12
weeks. Our System's Approach/Alliance Partnership
eliminates the historical problems associated
with on-site fabrication such as: selection of a
design firm, preparation of a bid package for
installers, working with end-users and their
contractors, and responsibility for startup and
documentation. We have our own engineers,
environmental scientists, designers, field
engineers, full-time union welders and
assistants, and licensed electricians for all
phases of the interconnect process.
Q:
Who Do I Contact For More Information?
Northstar
Industries leads the way in providing the
industry's only System's Approach for gate
stations and LNG facilities. For more information,
please contact our marketing department at
(978)975-5500 or e-mail info@northstarind.com
