• SPECIAL TOPIC •
From Weight to Space: Why Offshore Platforms
Vietsovpetro Offshore Platform: pioneering efficiency with pig ball valves over traditional pigging launchers and receivers.
This article highlights how these valves solve challenges posed by traditional valve systems while providing benefits in terms of cost, sustainability and performance.
• By Zahra Farrokhi, Batu Valve Türkiye
Offshore platforms are essential to the energy sector, facilitating oil and gas extraction and transportation. As the need for cleaner energy and improved efficiency grows, the limitations of traditional valve systems have become evident.
These conventional systems often take up valuable space and add unnecessary weight to offshore structures. Modern valve technologies, such as pig ball valves and wafer monoblock valves, offer considerable improvements in optimizing space, reducing weight and enhancing operational efficiency.
1. Challenges of Traditional Valve Systems in Offshore Platforms While traditional valve systems have proven reliable, they present challenges when used on offshore platforms.
Weight and Space Constraints Traditional valve systems are bulky, comprising of multiple components such as pig launchers, receivers and piping. These systems consume significant space on offshore platforms, contributing to the overall weight, which can affect structural integrity and increase maintenance costs.
As offshore operations demand more efficient designs, reducing the space required for valve systems has become crucial( Smith & Jones, 2023)( Garcia & Martinez, 2024).
Maintenance and Durability Issues Older valve systems are prone to wear and corrosion due to the harsh offshore environment, leading to frequent maintenance and system downtime. This results in costly repairs and reduces operational efficiency( Evans & Brown, 2023). Furthermore, constant repairs and replacements contribute to the environmental footprint of offshore operations( Garcia & Martinez, 2024).
24 Valve World Americas | November 2025 | www. valve-world-americas. com