Q&A – Fisher German
Managing our pipelines
FISHER GERMAN’S 120-STRONG UTILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM PROVIDE SPECIALIST PROPERTY RELATED
MANAGEMENT AND PROJECT SERVICES. FUEL OIL NEWS SPOKE WITH CHARTERED SURVEYOR LAURA KNIGHT, MRICS, TO
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE COMPANY’S WORK
The team currently oversees more than 3,500
kilometres of buried high pressure hydrocarbon
pipeline, coupled with maintenance support on
approximately 1,500 kilometres
With infrastructure and pipeline
management services having been available
for over 35 years, the company has developed
a dedicated and experienced team to meet the
ever-changing challenges and responsibilities
faced by pipeline operators.
What prompted Fisher German to begin
offering infrastructure and pipeline
management services 35 years ago?
We were approached by the Esso Petroleum
Company to assist them with the management
of a section of the Mainline Pipelines’ cross-
country pipeline network in which Esso had a
majority share.
Previously, as John German, we had been
involved in both gas and water corporations in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries when
services were needed to supply the rapidly
expanding urban cities and towns.
What skills are needed to manage this
highly specialised sector?
A wide range of skills are required from
maintenance of the above ground pipeline
structures to locating the pipelines, through to
liaison with owners, occupiers and other third
parties who may be affected by the pipeline’s
presence.
Fisher German has been instrumental in
developing a training matrix which covers all
aspects of the work we do.
How many pipelines does Fisher German
cover; how is this work organised and
how often are contracts renewed?
Within the UK we currently supply support to
over 3,500 kms of pipeline. These pipelines
vary in length from a couple of kilometres to
several hundred, with the majority located
in England. We have dedicated teams who
support the needs of individual clients with
contracts ranging from three to 6 years.
In an age of increasing effi ciency and
cost cutting, does Fisher German advise
clients on steps to be taken to improve a
pipeline’s effi ciency?
In this excavation, holes are benched out to ensure it is safe to work there. There are two points of access/
egress into this excavation hole; the clear tube down to the spade is a probe to monitor gas levels
As we are not directly involved in the ongoing
operation of the pipelines themselves, our
ability to share effi ciencies is limited to the
work we do. Over the years we have invested in
IT and remote working strategies to ensure we
can cover the needs of a linear asset.
Does Fisher German use cathodic
protection on all pipelines?
All the pipelines with which we interact are
covered by cathodic protection but Fisher
German does not do the cathodic protection
directly.
When working on hydrocarbon pipelines
does work need to be both proactive and
reactive?
Yes, we have planned maintenance activities
which are scheduled and dealt with on a
cyclical basis, but the reactive work is driven by
both the clients and third parties who wish to
undertake work in and around the pipelines.
This aspect has increased signifi cantly in the
past 24 months as confi dence in the market
has risen and the drive to develop more homes
and commercial space has taken place.
How old is the newest/most upgraded
pipeline for which Fisher German has
responsibility?
The last pipeline built with which Fisher
18 Fuel Oil News | November 2018
German has an ongoing involvement is Esso’s
Birmingham Airport Link which was built in the
early 1990s.
We have been involved in a number of
signifi cant pipeline relays over the past 10
years, and we’re currently supporting the Esso
Petroleum Company on the Southampton to
London Pipeline Project.
Are new technologies such as GIS
mapping helping to make pipeline
management a little easier than it was
35 years ago?
Yes, GIS has revolutionised the way in which
we manage the day to day interactions.
Surveyors’ maps are our life blood and being
able to have them available at the press of a
keyboard or the click of a mouse means that
records can be visually displayed and linked
giving the correct information to all those
involved, both in the offi ce and those out in the
fi eld.
What issues mean that it is essential
to dig down to check the condition of a
pipeline?
Following an internal inspection by a pipeline
inspection gauge (PIG) locations of interest
are identifi ed with the only way to assess them
being to excavate the pipeline. These areas of
interest vary and can be a consequence of a