The British company, Stainless Steel Fasteners (SSF), has been awarded NORSOK M-650 accreditation by Statoil ASA. Although based out of the UK, SFF services over 40 countries across the world including North America and Statoil has ownership in three of the most significant shale oil plays in the United States.
The NORSOK standards are developed by the Norwegian petroleum industry to ensure safety and cost effectiveness for the petroleum industry developments and operations, but are recognized across the world.
SSF has been qualified for the hot forging of its range of super duplex stainless steel fasteners. The standard verifies SSF’s skill in developing a process that eliminates the risk of the problems associated with the hot forging of this high-grade material. Heat treatment problems with duplex and super duplex, which are commonly used in process and seawater piping applications, have been rising over the last 25 years as the materials have become increasingly used in the offshore industry. SSF has four specific procedures for hot forging, loading, heat treatment and testing, which ensure product consistency and uniformity.