Weir Commits to Australian Unconventional Gas Development with First Local Manifold Trailer Manufacturing

SPM(R) Manifold Trailer with SPM(R) Safety Iron(TM) connections manufactured by Weir Oil & Gas, the first such manifold trailer built in Australia. (Photo: Business Wire)

ADELAIDE, Australia--()--Weir Oil & Gas, a global leader in the design, manufacture and support of equipment for hydraulic fracturing, today announced that it has established the first manifold trailer manufacturing capability in Australia. The investment will provide cost-effective hydraulic fracturing technology as the industry develops. Australia has some of the largest resources of unconventional gas in the world and the development of local manufacturing will help the country take advantage of these.

“Australia is poised to benefit from the fracking revolution that is helping make the United States energy independent, but without local suppliers, costs can be significant as critical equipment needs to be imported,” said Mark Pickles, regional director of Asia Pacific for Weir Oil & Gas. “In-country manufacturing is Weir’s customer-driven solution and a key element of our global strategy.”

Weir has sales and service facilities in Adelaide, Perth and Queensland to support the Australian oil and gas market and delivered the first manifold trailer from its Adelaide headquarters to Condor Energy in August of this year. The trailer was specifically designed by Weir to meet or exceed Australian Department of Transportation regulations. Weir designed the trailer for rapid connection in the field in order to reduce rig-up and down time on site.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, Australia has 396 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable shale gas, about 20 percent of the combined shale gas reserves of the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Manifold trailers are integrated, self-transportable pipe connection systems essential to hydraulic fracturing operations. They connect multiple high-pressure pumping units that supply water, other fluids and propping agents to wells undergoing fracking operations. The pumped fluids fracture tight rock formations and the propping agents hold these fissures open to allow the natural gas to flow more freely to the surface.

Weir Oil & Gas, part of the UK listed Weir Group PLC, utilized the Group’s significant presence in Australia serving minerals markets to manufacture its SPM® Manifold Trailer with SPM® Safety Iron™ connections — a unique design that utilizes field proven, robust flow control products in an ideal semi-permanent application. The flexible design features of this trailer, along with the reliability of the high pressure SPM® Safety Iron™ connections, results in a durable manifold designed to increase safety and operating efficiency during fracturing operations. The trailer design is scalable to provide connections for eight to 16 stations.

“Weir is the first and only company to manufacture manifold trailers in Australia,” Pickles said. “Our mission is to be wherever and whenever our global energy and resource customers need us, delivering innovative products and services and becoming their trusted partner of choice. As Australia’s unconventional gas industry continues to develop, Weir will be there to support it.”

Weir Oil & Gas, a division of The Weir Group PLC, is the leading supplier of pressure pumping equipment to the North American upstream oil and gas market. Based in Ft. Worth, Texas, the division also provides superior products and service solutions to oil and gas customers in upstream, production, transportation, refining and related industries.

The Weir Group is one of the world’s largest engineering companies. It employs more than 15,000 people and operates in 70 countries, serving the oil and gas, minerals, power and industrial markets. Founded in 1871, Weir has more than 200 manufacturing and service facilities globally. At the heart of the Group’s strategy is a commitment to innovation, collaboration, value chain excellence and global capability.

Contacts

Australia:
Darren Bailey, +61 8 9410 7518
or
U.S.A.:
Jackie Wilkerson, 281-847-7270

Release Summary

Weir Oil & Gas first to manufacture manifold trailers in Australia to aid in development of that country's extensive unconventional gas reserves. Manifold trailers are essential to fracking.

Contacts

Australia:
Darren Bailey, +61 8 9410 7518
or
U.S.A.:
Jackie Wilkerson, 281-847-7270