ISQApave Builds New Laboratory in Luanda, Angola
By Ndubuisi Micheal Obineme
ISQApave Technologies has built a new laboratory in Luanda to increase NDT/LIFTING/TUBULAR inspections as well as contributing to the diversification of Angola’s economy, with modernized services and quality standards in the oil and gas industry.
Director for ISQApave Technologies, Dr Rui Couto, announced in an interview at the side-line of Angola Oil and Gas Service and Technology Conference (AOTC) 2020, noting that the company is playing a vital role in Angola’s oil and gas industry when it comes to NDT, lifting, tubular, QA/QC Inspections, Training and certification.
According to him, ISQApave has made it a top priority to address the challenges and making sure the Lab is properly managed to be more efficient, sustainable, and cost management. With its combined capabilities, ISQAPAVE offers NDT, conventional, advanced, lifting, tubular, QA/QC Inspections, metrology (LABMETRO), calibration of Liquid flow indicators and Volume (LABVOLUME), calibration of valves of safety (LAB VALVE), Training and certification in Luanda.
Dr Rui explained, “ISQAPAVE believes with its expansion, it is addressing the needed diversification in the economy, with modernized services and with the responsibility, as its delivery is assuring the quality standards in the industry.
“A new LAB was built for LABVOLUME and LABVALV in 2020. A new base premise for Luanda, combining the warehouse to enable more efficiency on NDT/LIFTING/TUBULAR inspection.
“LABVOLUME will offer full-service inspection, calibration and certification in the areas of Flow (liquid flow indicators; liquid meters of low, average and high debit) and Volume (vertical, horizontal and spherical tanks, using optical-reference-line methods, manual methods and volumetric methods, low volume dozer pumps)
“LABVALV will offer inspection, calibration and certification of pressure valves of safety/ pressure relief type. While LABMETRO will serve as a reference on calibration for SADEC Region.
“We will invest in the diversity of calibrations made directly in Angola, reducing cost and delivery time to customers.
“We will develop more TOP Customer Calibration Maintenance Service Plans (already in place, but to increase) and also develop calibration services for equipment’s in offshore platforms (already in place, but to increase) and develop and support legal metrology in the country.”
While speaking about the company’s plans, Dr Rui said that the company will introduce customer roadmaps on advanced NDT, Rope access with repair, inspection, maintenance (RIM), and establishing a local training centre to train and certify local technicians like ISQAPAVE is doing on the EN/ASNT NDT Inspection.
On the other hand, He confirmed that the company will assist customers for civil construction inspection projects, and outsourcing QA/QC such as inspection on Roads and Bridges construction, installation & dismantling processes.
For 22 years, ISQApave has been continuously operating in Angola. ISQ (Portugal) established an Angolan registered company when it combined with the equally well-known inspection company APAVE (France) also having enormous prestige in Africa.
As a result of this joint venture in 2005, ISQApave Technologies (Angola) was born. The sole objective to congregate these forces and knowledge bases would provide diversified quality services to Angolan companies. This combination of services in areas where both are leaders and specialists in quality control, inspections, testing, technical assistance, and training has proved to be unsurpassed.