Mib

COMPANY PROFILE

2014

MIB ITALIANA

+39 049 8741272 | www.mibitaliana.it

At the cutting edge of offshore safety Editorial: Colin Chinery

Courtesy of Hoegh LNG

The imprint of MIB Italiana, leader in customised connections and safety equipment for floating production platforms and tankeroffloading systems, can be seen in the world’s harshest environments.

And in an increasingly demanding market and after almost 50 years in operation, innovation, excellence, and highly-focussed client relationships are ensuring MIB stays out in front.

Innovate or stagnate. MIB Italiana has been a pioneer in the energy sector for close on 50 years, but product development is both continuous and instinctive for this foremost global name in onshore and offshore connectors and emergency release systems.

“The requirements of our clients’ are increasing and becoming more stringent and demanding,” says Director, Daciano Colbachini. “And to keep their position in an ever increasingly competitive marketplace, any company involved

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at the sharp end of the safety and environmental protection sector needs to maintain a very pro-active approach to the improvement or development of new products.

“If we do not invest in R&D then someone out there surely will,” says Colbachini.

GLOBAL FOOTPRINT MIB is a leader in the research, development, manufacture and supply of customised connections and safety

equipment for floating production platforms and tanker-offloading systems; its footprint prominent in some of the world’s harshest environments.

Valves and double valves with emergency release systems, and quick connectors and disconnectors for gas and liquids at low, ambient and cryogenic temperatures, are among the advanced products produced for the LNG, LPG and petrochemical industries at its plant at Casalserugo, Padova, in northern Italy.

MIB ITALIANA Global programmes involving MIB are numerous, including LNG jetty-based terminals in Australia, ExxonMobil floating storage off-loading Banyu Urip project in East Java, Indonesia, the Helix Producer the first FSU in the Gulf of Mexico, and floating production, storage and offloading units in the Timor Sea. The formation in 1966 of MIB Italiana – now part of the diversified IVG Colbachini Group - coincided with the significant increase in the use of oil and liquefied gases, and the expansion of major oil terminals, process plants and refineries in the Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere.

“The growing demand of energy came hand in hand with a more focused view of safety and the protection of such huge investments, employees and the

environment,” says Colbachini.

“And MIB, through its founder Giorgio Bormioli, recognised and seized the opportunities created, and the company rapidly became a world leader supplier of customised connectors, anti-pollution devices and safety solutions for the oil and gas industries.”

Since the early 1970s the company’s success has been based on the supplies of critical safety equipment for the liquefied gas industry (-196° C) for onshore terminals. And the results reached, “have allowed MIB to be one of the market leaders in this field.”

With an expertise acquired with onshore jetty projects - both for ambient, low and cryogenic temperature – the transition to the offshore arena was natural and seamless, with MIB providing

sector-specific safety products for installations where the environmental conditions are extremely demanding.

TOUGH TALENT And MIB – active in the North Sea, off Eastern Canada and the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico - likes it tough.

“These are just examples of our effective presence where the environmental conditions are extremely adverse, and where we see an ever increasing demand for our products. In fact you could say, ‘the more hostile the environment, the better for MIB’.

“With a good product mix, and free from reliance on a specific sector, continuing expansion will be driven largely by a strong client and marketoriented approach,” says Colbachini.

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BRIGHT GREEN

“We are currently focusing our attention to find tailor-made solutions for our clients, and promoting MIB as a turnkey supplier of offshore fluid handling equipment.

“This involves not only the supply of our traditional portfolio of MIB connectors and safety release systems, but also the provision of the entire scope of offshore-related products such as hawser reels, mooring hawsers, quick release mooring hooks, as well as connector and valving solutions, hydraulics power and control panels

“Our objective is to offer our clients, whether end users, contractors or shipyards, a complete customised solution, so eliminating the historical problems suffered through interfacing, split warranties, coordination and project management.

“We take these issues away, take the responsibility for the specific work scope, and deliver a fully integrated package.”

With almost every project unique, and new features and designs continually on stream, R&D comes naturally to MIB, Colbachini says.

Over recent years MIB has launched a range of solutions for the offshore sector, including a new generation marine break away in response to industry demands for maximised environmental protection

and all the many interfaces within the ‘package’.

“We are also interfacing on several projects with our sister company, Bassi Offshore - also part of the IVG group with its range of OCIMF standard marine hoses, both floating and submarine.

of the oceans.

Another innovation has been the MIBflex cardanic ball joint for the transfer of low, medium and high pressure fluids, and allowing for leak free angular displacement of connecting components.

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“Our business is primarily safety equipment, involving not only the safety of installations, vessels and personnel, but most importantly the environment.

“Many of our products are purposeprovided to avoid spillages of oil and petrochemicals, or the release into the environment of harmful or dangerous gases. And whether in business or in one’s personal life, the push for our environment is a crucial issue.

“If my business can help in any way to achieve the objectives needed for our planet to survive, then we shall do so in the best possible way. In fact, ‘The Greener the Better’ for MIB,” says Colbachini.

Unsurprisingly in a company with so strong a client focus, after sales support with a UK presence in Coventry - is a key element. “I regard our excellent rapport and on-going relationships with our customers as part of ‘the deal’.

“The after sales business is really important for us and it’s part of the company pride to give an extensive support of its products worldwide through a team of highly skilled and experienced personnel.

“We provide all the necessary installation assistance to our equipment, inspection and maintenance support, working shoulder to shoulder with our customers.

“MIB’s dedicated team focuses on providing quality engineered products, a clear and concise understanding of our customers’ needs, and the provision of a fully comprehensive service from project inception to long term support.

“Complete client satisfaction is not only our target, but I would like to think also our trade mark,” says Colbachini.

Quality is paramount for MIB, says the Director: “We are certified ISO 9001:2008 and being suppliers of crucial safety system that must function effectively in an emergency, we recognise there is no room for any compromises in quality.”

After almost half a century of leadership, what has been the key to the

MIB ITALIANA company’s success? “A dedicated team focused on providing quality engineered products, having a clear and concise understanding of our customers’ needs ,and providing a fully comprehensive service, from project inception to long term after-sales product support,” says.

Colbachini Reports showing that Chinese shipyards are becoming more skilled as well as cheaper than competitors in Europe, the Middle East and South Korea, leaves Colbachini unphazed.

“Our marketplace is clearly split into two distinct factions; those who purely buy on price and those who still recognise the technical and quality levels of experienced vendors.

“Certainly the tendancy to look only at the bottom line is playing into the hands of the Chinese, a problem in any industry not only oil and gas.

ONLY OPPORTUNITIES

“We provide all the necessary installation assistance to our equipment, inspection and maintenance support, working shoulder to shoulder with our customers”

“But there is clear evidence that the old attitude towards Chinese manufactured goods is being eroded, and it cannot be disputed that their skills are growing at a very quick rate. You can see evidence of this in the way the Korean shipyards are suffering at the moment.

“But the Chinese have still much to learn, and hopefully will not be such a big threat to us in the foreseeable future - assuming we can remain positive and not let such issues cloud our judgements.

“My approach is to continue to steer MIB towards its traditional approach; providing clients with solutions based on nearly 50 years of experience and a very successful track record.

“This Chinese challenge is certainly interesting. But where others find difficulties, MIB Italiana only sees opportunities,” Colbachini concludes

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