2024: A Year In Review

We don’t stand still here at Cokebusters and this year has been no exception!  In 2024 we achieved significant milestones that underscore our ongoing commitment to innovation, excellence and global growth.  Even in the dynamic and ever evolving energy industry in which we operate, Cokebusters has responded to market feedback and held its position as a leader in the field of mechanical cleaning and tube inspection.

Major Awards and Recognitions

Double King’s Awards for Enterprise: We were honoured with two prestigious King’s Awards for Enterprise, recognising our achievements in Innovation and International Trade. This dual recognition highlights our dedication to pioneering technologies and expanding global reach.  Managing Director, James Phipps, and CEO of Cokebusters USA, Kevin Fordham attended the winner’s audience with HM King Charles III at Windsor Castle, which was a once in a lifetime experience for them!  More recently the Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd visited our Chester premises to make the formal presentation to our Chairman, John Phipps MBE.

Digital Revolution Award: Cokebusters was named the National Winner in the ‘Digital Revolution’ category of the 2024 British Chamber of Commerce Business Awards held at the London Stock Exchange. This accolade reflects our successful integration of cutting-edge digital solutions, with specific reference to our Mark 6 ultra-small intelligent pig, to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.

Cokebusters USA Shortlisted for Two EIC Awards in North & Central America: During the Summer our team in Houston was delighted to be shortlisted in the EIC WESCA for ‘Culture & Innovation’ and ‘Service & Solutions’ in their region.  We have not been in the habit of entering awards in the United States, so to make it to the final few was a pleasant surprise and a wonderful evening was enjoyed by Scotty Wilkins, Trent Teague, Liz Gonzalez and Ryan Zbylot who attended the Awards.

Leadership and Organisational Changes

New Year Appointments in Chester: We kick started 2024 by creating two critical new roles at our UK Technology Centre.  Firstly former Innovation and Development Manager, Nick Bettley, was invited to take up a new role as Director of Technology.  And secondly we welcomed a brand new Director of Operations, Charles Bushnell, to the Cokebusters team.

New CEO at Cokebusters USA: In April we welcomed a new CEO, Kevin Fordham, to our USA operations, bringing fresh perspectives and strategies to drive growth and strengthen our presence in the Americas.

Closer Inter-company Relations:  This year we have invested a great deal of time re-establishing positive working relationships between our counterparts in the UK and USA.  By collaborating more closely we have been able to pool our knowledge and experience to problem solve more quickly and effectively, expediting growth on both sides of the Atlantic.  And for the first time operators from the United States were invited to support their colleagues from the UK on projects in the Middle East.

Technological Innovations, Facility Developments & Breaking New Ground in the Field

New KTP with University of Strathclyde: This year we embarked on our second Knowledge Transfer Partnership.  This project aims to use machine learning to more rapidly and scientifically interrogate the wealth of data records we recover from our inspection surveys, accelerate inspection speed and in so doing revolutionise the Cokebusters piping inspection process, providing a superior service to our energy sector clients.

Brand New Machine Manufacturing Workshop: In the Spring our workshop team in Chester moved into a new purpose-built manufacturing workshop after 6 months of construction.  This was a significant investment for Cokebusters, which effectively doubled our workshop area.  This new facility means the company is now able to streamline its manufacturing processes and speed up the supply of our specialist Double Pumping Units enabling us to better answer client demand.  This year we commissioned CB20; our first hydraulically driven Double Pumping Unit!

New Fleet of Crew Vehicles in Houston: This year Cokebusters USA invested in several new pick up trucks, increasing capacity for carrying equipment and outsourcing maintenance to enable the workshop team to concentrate on their primary roles without distraction.

Longest Pipeline Inspected to Date: Earlier this year we deployed and inspected our longest pipeline, yet at 12km.  As well as the longest it was also our first subsea pipeline and quite a milestone as we pushed the limits of what our Intelligent Pig can accomplish.

Industry Contributions and Thought Leadership

Publications and Articles: Our ground-breaking water filtration technology was featured in the Energy Industry Council’s ‘Survive & Thrive’ magazine ahead of the WESCA Awards.  Our team also published insightful articles on improving energy efficiency in refineries through mechanical cleaning and the transformative impact of predictive maintenance powered by tube inspection data.

Conference Participation: Cokebusters actively participated in industry conferences, including PRC Europe in Amsterdam and ADIPEC 2024 in Abu Dhabi, where we showcased our latest technologies and engaged with global energy professionals.

Technical Presentation: Managing Director, James Phipps, attended the EIC Energy Exports Conference Aberdeen and Technology Showcase.  At the latter he presented “Solutions for Inspecting Unpiggable Systems” to industry colleagues.

Community Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility

Environmental Initiatives: We reinforced our commitment to environmental stewardship by implementing policies aimed at minimising our ecological footprint and promoting sustainability in all operations.  For example, our new Double Pumping Unit CB20 has been designed to reduce fuel consumption and emission by at least 30%.

Giving Back to the Local Community: Our teams in the UK and the USA both volunteered their time to “give back” through local charitable projects.  As a company we are as interested in making an impact as we are in making a profit.  As such we have always prided ourselves on engaging with local causes which make a difference.  Most recently our Houston team supported the Roc Solid Foundation by constructing a garden play set for Danya Dudin, a 10 year old girl battling an aggressive brain cancer.

Employee Development: Investments in operator training and development programs were prioritised this year, ensuring our team remains at the forefront of industry advancements and maintains the highest standards of service delivery.  Three experienced operators from the UK – Dave Smith, Danny Williams & Lee Mottrom – passed their Grade 1 exams and were duly promoted.  They are now engaged in training to become Supervisors with responsibility to manage site projects and liaise with clients, which we hope they will all achieve in 2025.

Conclusion and Outlook for 2025

Reflecting on 2024, we take pride in our achievements and the solid foundation we’ve built for future endeavours.  As we look ahead to 2025, there is lots still to do and we’ll be hitting the ground running in January!  We already have machines mobilising for New Year jobs, including one which is bound for the Caspian Sea where it will undertake our first ever job in Kazakhstan.

We are excited to continue on our trajectory of innovation and growth, delivering unparalleled value to our energy industry clients worldwide.