2025: A Year in Review
18 December 2025
As another eventful year draws to a close, we’re proud to reflect on a period of significant progress, innovation and global engagement at Cokebusters. In our 20th anniversary year, we continued to push boundaries, strengthen partnerships, expand capability and deliver valuable service outcomes for clients across the energy sector.
Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation
2025 marked two decades since Cokebusters was founded and throughout this time innovation has been at the core of what we do. Our Smart Pig technology has evolved across four generations, from early mechanical prototypes to today’s ultra-compact Mark 6 design. We did approach the Guinness Book of World Records to have the Mark 6 officially recorded as “the smallest pig in the world”. However there was some confusion early on when they assumed we were talking about livestock and we shelved the idea!
Cokebusters’ consistent technological development highlights how our long-standing focus on practical engineering and data-led insight continues to serve our clients worldwide.
Major Operational and Technology Highlights
Expanded Fleet and Equipment Investment
Our latest Double Pumping Unit has just arrived at our Americas Operations Centre in Houston – a state-of-the-art machine built through UK–USA collaboration – that expands our capability to support busy maintenance campaigns across North and Central America.
Low-Emission Double Pumping Unit Entered Service
In February 2025, we completed and mobilised a new low-emission Double Pumping Unit. Powered by modern Tier 4 engine technology, the unit delivers a 30% reduction in exhaust emissions and fuel consumption while maintaining the performance required for demanding mechanical cleaning work.
This investment strengthens our ability to support clients operating in regulated environments where low-emission equipment is essential, while reinforcing our ongoing commitment to fleet modernisation, reliability and responsible engineering.
Header Bypass System Enhances Access and Inspection Efficiency
This year we also introduced our Header Bypass System, expanding access to process tubes within common header units without requiring permanent modification to existing infrastructure.
Custom-engineered for each asset, the system enables mechanical cleaning and in-line inspection to be carried out more efficiently, particularly in complex refinery configurations where access has traditionally been limited. When deployed alongside our existing cleaning and inspection services, the Header Bypass System provides clients with a more streamlined, flexible and cost-effective approach to maintaining critical process tubing.
Odometer-Equipped Smart Pig
A major step forward in inspection technology was the development of a new Smart Pig featuring integrated odometer functionality – enabling precision in axial location for wall-thickness and defect mapping in previously challenging pipeline geometries. This is unprecedented for single bodied UT pigs and enhances both trend analysis and targeted intervention planning.
New Americas Operations Centre in Houston
A significant milestone of 2025 was the purchase of land in Houston and the start of construction on a new bespoke Americas Operations Centre for Cokebusters USA.
Designed to support long-term growth across North and Central America, the new facility will enhance our operational capability, equipment maintenance, training and project mobilisation. This investment reflects our confidence in the region and our commitment to providing clients with locally supported, high-quality mechanical cleaning and inspection services.
Breaking ground on the site marked an important step in strengthening our presence in one of our key global markets and we cannot wait for the grand opening in Fall 2026!
Global Engagement and Partnerships
ADIPEC 2025
Our team enjoyed a busy and successful week at ADIPEC 2025 in Abu Dhabi – one of the world’s largest energy conferences – where we reconnected with clients, expanded strategic partnerships and showcased innovations like our Mark 7 Phased Array inspection technology. We also signed a partnership agreement with NPICO and renewed key engagements with ADNOC, Argus and 4Pipe Hidropig, underlining our commitment to collaborative, client-focused solutions across the Middle East and North Africa.
Partnership with Q-FAB Expands Capability in Qatar
In March 2025, we announced a new partnership with Q-FAB, strengthening our ability to deliver specialist mechanical cleaning and inspection services within Qatar.
This collaboration brings together Cokebusters’ patented technologies and technical expertise with QFAB’s strong regional presence and operational capability. The partnership enhances our support for energy operators in Qatar, providing access to advanced cleaning and intelligent inspection solutions tailored to complex refinery and process environments.
Data, Digitalisation & Industry Thought Leadership
This year, our Managing Director joined a panel at the British Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference to discuss how data, digital analytics and AI can accelerate growth in industrial sectors – a perspective grounded in our own experience of turning complex inspection data into actionable integrity insights.
We continued our Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with the University of Strathclyde, focused on applying machine learning to enhance the speed, consistency and accuracy of inspection analysis. This ongoing collaboration reflects our commitment to combining academic research with practical engineering, ensuring that emerging digital tools deliver real-world value for operators managing critical assets.
People and Capability Building
New Talent and Training Initiatives
We continued to invest in people and expertise, welcoming several new recruits across design, workshop and inspection disciplines at our UK Technology Centre. These new members of the team strengthen our capability to deliver complex engineering and on-site services for global clients.
Project Supervisor Roles & Team Growth
Within our UK operations, new Project Supervisor positions were created to enhance connectivity between site activity and project coordination – improving efficiency in delivery and client engagement.
This step represents another milestone in our strategic growth, enabling us to developing competency management and maintain agility while continuing to deliver world-class support across our global operations.
Board and Leadership Developments
On the organisational front, Kevin Fordham, CEO of Cokebusters USA, accepted a role as Director of Cokebusters Ltd., strengthening transatlantic collaboration and aligning our global strategic direction.
Operational Efficiency and Service Success
Throughout 2025, we maintained a strong operational rhythm; mobilising equipment and teams for critical maintenance campaigns across multiple continents. We continued to deliver mechanical cleaning, inspection and combined services in support of complex turnarounds, asset integrity programmes and flow assurance challenges for energy operators worldwide.
Diversifying Capability for Pipelines in a Changing Energy Landscape
As the energy sector continues to evolve, 2025 also marked a deliberate broadening of our focus beyond traditional refinery and process applications. In particular, we’ve continued to expand our capability and experience within pipeline cleaning and inspection, supporting operators as they seek greater integrity assurance, improved flow performance and reduced operational risk across transmission and distribution assets.
This diversification reflects a wider shift in the industry, where existing infrastructure must be maintained safely and efficiently while adapting to new operating conditions, regulatory expectations and decarbonisation objectives. By applying our proven technologies, engineering expertise and data-led approach to a broader range of pipeline systems – including those historically considered difficult or “unpiggable” – we’re helping clients make informed decisions about asset life, integrity and future use.
Looking Ahead to 2026
Reflecting on 2025, we take pride in our progress – from technological milestones to global collaboration, from fleet investment to deeper data integration – all while keeping client service at the centre of what we do. We recognise that customer needs are changing and we have to change with them. Our ability to listen and learn about the evolving challenges in the industry mean we have retained valued customers, whilst also expanding into new territories.
There’s much more to come in 2026 as we continue to innovate, strengthen partnerships and support operators in navigating the integrity and maintenance challenges of the energy transition.
To clients, partners and colleagues around the world, thank you for your trust, collaboration and shared ambition this year. We look forward to working with you in 2026.
Environmental Policy