Hawke – world leader in electrical connectivity in hazardous areas and extreme environments

By Hawke International

Around the world, the pace of new oil and gas field development is accelerating. For over 50 years, Hawke International, manufacturers of cable glands, connectors and enclosures has been a key supplier of these safety-critical components to the energy industry. In addition to this vast experience, the company has advanced research and development facilities and extensive engineering capabilities, which combined allow Hawke to develop innovative products that meet today’s challenges of the global oil and gas industry working in hazardous and extreme environments.

The Business Environment
Though the world economy is currently adjusting to the consequences of the credit crunch, this is likely to be a temporary phase. Economists predict energy demand pressures will re-emerge with greater urgency post the downturn. Given the probability that peak oil may be behind us, or is fast approaching, it is clear that the oil and gas industry will have to operate more intensively, in much more difficult environments, on land and at sea.

Continuity is a critical issue. There are strong commercial pressures to keep capital intensive plant in continuous operation to deliver the required return on investment. Reliability of crucial safety devices is paramount. Even in an environment like the Gulf of Mexico, where outages due to extreme weather events are to be expected, the robustness of sub-systems and their components is essential in enabling quick reinstatement of facilities.

Globalisation of supply chains is a further trend. Oil and gas supply companies may commission design engineering in one country, fabrication of major structures in another and finished facilities will include sub-structures and service modules that are delivered from around the world. This fragmentation may be further complicated by the justifiable wish of the host country to benefit their own economy by creating in-country manufacturing and service employment.

The Hawke Response to the Global Challenge
Hawke International has responded to these challenges. Technically the company has developed ranges of products that assure safe electrical connectivity in potentially explosive environments, under conditions of deluge and in extremes of temperature. Consideration is also given in the design of Hawke products to the need for speed and simplicity of installation, long life and minimisation of service attention. Moreover, the company has engineered products that are universal in their application, meeting differing national and international standards of performance certification.

Hawke is a company with global reach. As a subsidiary of the US electrical specialist, Hubbell Incorporated, the company has dedicated offices or professional representation throughout the world. These serve both major oil and gas fields and the engineering centres that support them, allowing the company to provide technical support at every level. This includes advice on the correct product selection, provision of locally accessible inventory and, where appropriate, training for installers.

Cable Glands – for safe and secure hard-wired connection
The company has three major product streams, cable glands, connectors and enclosures. Cable glands meet the need for hard-wired permanent connections for robust cable termination. All models are engineered for secure cable anchorage, long life, low maintenance and easy inspection. The extensive range is engineered for compatibility with a wide spectrum of cable diameters and constructions.

Hawke’s 501/453 Universal cable gland is the most widely specified cable gland in the world. This robust, corrosion resistant gland is easy to install and inspect, allowing instant confirmation of seal integrity. Deluge protection seals are included to cope with both extreme weather and the wash downs that are required to remove salt encrustation on offshore installations, providing protection to DTS01. Rated performance of the Hawke International Universal cable gland has been certified from –60 to +80 degrees Centigrade, comfortably exceeding the requirements for almost any environment.

Connectors – for speed and flexibility in equipment deployment
Connectors, including models for low, medium and high power applications, are a significant innovation and major aid to productivity. They permit quick and safe connection of instrumentation, control and power equipment.

Hawke connectors enable the installation and commissioning of service modules or the deployment of permanently fixed and temporary plant to proceed safely and more quickly within hazardous areas. There are numerous examples where the use of Hawke connectors has enabled new developments to be commissioned and brought on stream in less time and with less labour than with the use of conventional hard wiring. This enables producers to make substantial savings and begin to generate revenue for their fields more quickly.

PowerEx connectors are designed to meet the demands of high power applications, up to 780A. Models are available with one to four contacts and with conductors ranging from 50mm squared to 630mm squared. Typical high power applications will include connections to generator sets, high power motors and power infrastructure.

ControlEx connectors are designed for medium power and control applications up to 660v/125A. The bodies can hold up to 60 contacts and can accommodate up to 35mm squared cores. Typical medium power applications will include valves, medium power motors, skid installation and various topside applications.

The InstrumEx connector is designed for low power and communication applications and is ATEX and IECEx compliant. Hawke International cable glands are integral to connector design. This allows live connection and disconnection of circuits in zones 1, 2, 21 and 22 applications.
All connectors have heavy-duty, maintenance-free, nickel plated brass or stainless steel shells to give ingress protection to IP66/67 and DTS01 and include models for in-line and bulkhead applications.

Enclosures – with extreme ingress protection, with easy to access/wiring
Hawke enclosure models are built to cope with harsh and hazardous conditions but are also designed for efficiency and productivity, with features that make them easy to install, wire, inspect and modify.

The three model EZE enclosure range is a radical departure from traditional enclosure cabinets. These permit the termination of up to 60 cables depending on cable diameter and gland/connector size. All models are based on a unique clam-shell enclosure in electro-polished grade 316L stainless steel, with cable entry through the base mounted gland plates. The top of the units are angled to prevent liquid pooling on the surface.

Tested and Certified to IP66 for ingress protection, the EZE is designed to provide sustained protection. The unique design gives a high degree of natural protection against water deluge systems. Concealed sealing gaskets are protected from the elements and not exposed to degradation by chemicals or UV light for longer service life.

Secured by just two bolts, the lid hinges out of the way to give unobstructed access to wiring. Rail mounted terminals are installed and spaced away from the back plate to allow under wiring. A range of conventional stainless steel terminal boxes which offer cable access from top side or base is also available.

Hawke’s PL6 and PL7 series of Exe GRP junction boxes meet the need for compact and robust enclosures for use in situations that are chemically or mechanically aggressive. These enclosures will withstand an impact force of 20Nm and have resistance to most corrosive chemicals. A long-life captive silicone gasket gives IP66/67 environmental sealing performance.

Applications
The Gulf of Mexico, one of the most challenging deep water environments in the world for oil and gas exploration, is benefiting through cable gland technology from Hawke International. Major oil and gas companies are leading the exploration of these huge reserves working in partnership with specialist contractors and suppliers in complex multi-national engineering teams.

Hawke International has been involved from the outset on these projects and their cable glands play a vital role in the safe termination of electrical cables in this harsh and potentially explosive environment. The company manufactures safety critical equipment for electrical connections that exceed standards set by international certification bodies. Over 100,000 cable glands have been supplied to four large installations which in some cases are located in water up to 7000 feet deep and up to 190 miles from land.

If evidence were needed of the ferocity of the environment, this came when hurricanes Dennis, Katrina and Rita swept the Gulf in 2005. This caused the destruction of 35 platforms, set 13 rigs adrift and put 20 coastal refineries temporarily out of action.

Products used on the Gulf of Mexico projects include Hawke’s UL listed explosion protected cable glands. These glands use Hawke’s unique rear seal system for ingress protection, which meets IP66/67, NEMA 4X and DTS01 water deluge protection requirements. High visibility deluge seals that are easy to inspect, are provided on all glands to further safeguard against moisture penetration and to prevent corrosion of cable armour.

Mustang Engineering in Houston (a Wood Group Company) was involved in topside design for all four installations. Additional design work was undertaken at other locations in Texas and Louisiana, where various contractors fabricated topside structures and modules for the production plant. Some heavy fabrications have come from as far as Korea and Norway. Hawke offices in Houston, the UK and Singapore, together with agents throughout the world have worked closely with the many designers and sub contractors involved.

Geologists suggest that the potential of the Gulf of Mexico has barely been tapped. If this is the case, then developments in deeper waters with more extreme conditions will create new challenges. Hawke and their specialist engineers around the world are ready to rise to the challenge.

Future developments
Investment in product development, testing and certification, improved manufacturing and customer support services is continuous. A new generation of compact cable glands introduced during 2008 meet and exceed the performance standards of their predecessors. They are smaller, lighter and easier to install, providing additional space within the highly congested service modules.

Hawke International is a company committed to lean production.  Major advances have been made in the productivity of the UK manufacturing plant, where principles of continuous improvement are underwritten by a rolling programme of staff training.

With the full support of Hubbell, Hawke International continues to build its world-wide support and distribution base. “Safety, productivity and reliability will continue to be major concerns for oil and gas producers. Our aim is to deliver innovative products to address these needs and allow our clients to meet the ever more demanding technical and commercial challenges that they face,” commented a Hawke Spokesperson.

More Information
Gareth Turner, T: +44 (0)161 830 6698, F: +44 (0)161 830 6648,
E: gareth.turner@ehawke.com, www.ehawke.com

Hawke International, Oxford Street West, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL7 0NA
Colour separation, advertising and other commercial enquiries: Gill Bancroft, Hawke International, T: +44 (0)161 830 6698, F: +44 (0)161 830 6648, E: gill.bancroft@ehawke.com

High/low resolution images are on the web at www.ainsmag.co.uk/ha218/4641ha1a.htm
January 28, 2009