Truckrun

STOPAQ truck takes part in Truckrun parade

Recently, a truckrun was held for people with disabilities. About 240 trucks of different companies from northern Netherlands had signed up for this event. ‘Truckrun2emond’ is an annual event (held for the fifth time) which gives the disabled the day of their life by a ride with a truck. Our STOPAQ truck also took part in the parade, which drew a lot of attention.

NEWS: Birthday overseas

One big family!

For the occasion of mr. Hofstee’s 44th Birthday, Stopaq SFL partner in Qatar Loydence Energy organised a day to remember.

At the Loydence Primary Education Academy in Doha, which provides academic, social and moral education for boys and girls aged 3 – 11, Academy and Loydence Energy staff enjoyed a memorable lunch. The lunch area was nicely decorated in the Dutch national colours by the children of Academy.

We sincerely thank our partners to make our staff feel at home away from home.

Loydence group

NEWS: Stopaq Supports Oxfam Novib

Stopaq, part of Seal for Life Industries, supports enterprising people in developing countries.

As a company, Stopaq is committed to being socially responsible and involved in contributing to the development of a better world. This commitment lead us to accept a role as a company ambassador in support of Oxfam Novib.

Oxfam Novib is committed to assisting people living in difficult situations in developing countries to get a head start.
Their microfinance programs allow enterprising people to get financing for approved projects.
With financing comes the chance to own a business and to build an independent life.
People can build their own future and that of their country.
Our role as an ambassador is to lend finance and assistance to projects.

We find it important as a company not only deliver good products and services, but also to contribute to the world in which we live and work.
For many people in underdeveloped economies, borrowing from a bank is often not possible.
Our support ensures that people in these countries get the same chance as we do to build a successful enterprise and assist in contributing to the growth of their own communities.

We congratulate Oxfam Novib on its important work and we are proud to be an ambassador for its projects..

NEWS: Support Peru orphanage

One mission…..

After the successful participation by Stopaq back in 2009 in a school project in Sudan, again Stopaq is involved in another education project, this time in Peru and under the name of Seal for Life Industries.

Early January two young enthusiastic Belgian woman will travel to Peru to help as a volunteer in an orphanage. The two sisters, Teunia and Naomi, are looking forward to this great adventure and to the support they can give to the children to offer them the basic needs for education.
Grown up in a family of which the parents are constantly offering a helping hand to others the two woman see it as their duty to help those who are in need. After several small and local projects Teunia and Naomi now challenge the bigger one.

Seal for Life Industries is proud to offer a helping hand and wishes Teunia and Naomi all the best during their mission and we are looking forward to keep you all updated on this great adventure.

NEWS: Stopaq at the Rio Oil & Gas 2012

presentation & demonstration CTDUT

Stopaq was present at the Rio Oil & Gas 2012 convention which was held in the Rio Centro on the 17th till the 20th of September.
With its 52000 visitors its one of the biggest conventions in the world.
The representative of Stopaq André Brand made contact with a few companies that were interested.
As Stopaq joined the Berry Plastics CPG group, colleague Jorge Taves from Covalence was also present.
As Jorge was active as pipe line engineer within Petrobras for 30 years he has direct contact within Petrobras and after meeting with a pipecoating qualification engineer of Petrobras, he is positive to help Stopaq qualifying for approval.
Besides Petrobras also DNV Brazil was impressed and enthusiastic about this new technology.
Petrobras and DNV are both open to start qualification programs for dry application as well as wet application products.

Besides the convention CTDUT based in the north of Rio de Janeiro gave the opportunity for Stopaq to give a presentation & demonstration on the 19th of September for dry application on a (6 inch) T-piece and bend. The presentation started at 9:30 and was given by André Brand (Product Developer) from Stopaq.
15 people that attended spoke Portuguese so the presentation was translated perfectly by Maibi Rodrigues and Nelson Levantine from CTDUT.
The presentation showed the history of the company and the many opportunities of Stopaq materials in the Oil & Gas industry. Not only on pipelines but also flanges, tanks and many other applications.
Stopaq special properties of impermeability for water and oxygen, surface wetting and self healing properties were presented as being a smart coating.
The wetting properties of Stopaq were perfectly demonstrated by cutting a piece out of a CZH wrappingband applied in 2009 on top of a rusty pipe that was not prepared nor cleaned. It showed the Stopaq flowed all the way down in to all pores and adhered fully to the surface. After inspection of this piece it was shown how easy and quick a repair can be done by patching and outer-wrapping (picture 4).
Although the results are good Stopaq always recommend to clean simply with a wire brush tool and solvent cleaning with a cloth.
To demonstrate how quick Stopaq adheres and covers the surface on any type of surface, two different surfaces were prepared.
A rusty pipe was simply cleaned with a wire brush tool (picture 1) and solvent wipe and another FBE coated section was just cleaned with a solvent.
A CZH wrappingband patch was applied on both surfaces and (as the temp. was around 35°C) within minutes it was showing full coverage of the surface (Picture 2).
After this 2 applications were shown, 1 bend and 1 T-piece to show that Stopaq has installation manuals for each application type (Pictures 5-6).
After installation of the CZH wrappingband and PVC Outerwrap on top a hole was punched to show the self healing which was seen within 15min. (Picture 3).
Stopaq showed again it can be applied fast as no extensive surface preparation is needed and with a simple demonstration everybody can apply Stopaq.

NEWS: Berry Plastics Acquires STOPAQ

For more information see the website WWW.BERRYCPG.COM

Contact:
Eva Schmitz
812.306.2424
evaschmitz@berryplastics.com

Berry Plastics Acquires STOPAQ

Acquisition Enhances Berry's Corrosion Protection Product Offering


EVANSVILLE, Ind. June 19, 2012 Today Berry Plastics announced that it has completed the acquisition of the shares of Frans Nooren Beheer B.V. The purchase comprises the Frans Nooren Beheer Companies, notably STOPAQ B.V. and its operating companies. STOPAQ had revenues of approximately 23 million for 2011. Berry expects the acquisition to be immediately deleveraging after achieving synergies.

STOPAQ is the inventor and manufacturer of patented visco-elastic technologies for use in corrosion prevention, sealing and insulation applications ranging from pipelines to subsea piles to rail and cable joints. Headquartered in Stadskanaal, The Netherlands, STOPAQ operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant, complete with R&D facilities, an anti-corrosion Technology Park, and Centre of Excellence training and exhibition facilities.

Berry Plastics Corrosion Protection Group is a part of the Company's Engineered Materials Division and has more than 50 years of solid performance in protecting oil, gas, water, wastewater, and insulated pipelines, as well as other metal structures around the world. Berry's corrosion protection brands include Polyken Pipeline Tape Coatings, Covalence Heat Shrinkable Products, AnodeFlex Long-Line Linear Anode for CP, and Powercrete Liquid Epoxy Coatings, and now the STOPAQ line of visco-elastic coatings.

The combination of STOPAQ with Berry's existing corrosion protection group will allow for solutions unrivalled by competitors in the market space, said Tom Salmon, President of Berry's Engineered Materials Division. STOPAQ has invested to create modern production facilities, staffed with skilled employees who work as a team to produce products that are globally desired. We look forward to working with the employees of STOPAQ as we integrate our two companies.

J. Frits Doddema, STOPAQ's current CEO, will immediately assume the role of Executive Vice President and General Manager for Berry's global Corrosion Protection Group. As we begin the integration process, we will explore and implement those initiatives that make optimal use of all assets of the combined businesses, including the products, people, facilities, and brands from both companies, said Doddema. Most importantly, the research strengths of the combined companies will allow for new innovation and new products utilizing the best features of all products across the group. This combination is a real Crowning Moment for all we have built over the last years at STOPAQ.

Frans Nooren, founder of STOPAQ, will serve in an ambassadorial capacity to Berry's Corrosion Protection Group. I am very pleased with the acquisition and am honored to serve the company in this capacity, said Nooren. By integrating the STOPAQ line of coatings with the Berry product line under the leadership of Frits Doddema, our people and product innovations are in the best position for future success.

About Berry Plastics
Berry Plastics Corporation is a leading manufacturer and marketer of plastic packaging products. The Company is a major producer of a wide range of products, including open top and closed top packaging, polyethylene-based plastic films, industrial tapes, medical specialties, flexible packaging, heat-shrinkable coatings, specialty laminates, and FIBCs. With headquarters in Evansville, Indiana, the Company serves over 13,000 customers, ranging from large multinational corporations to small local businesses. For additional information, visit the Company's website at www.berryplastics.com.


Forward-looking statements
Certain statements and information included in this release may constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Berry Plastics to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied in such forward looking statements. Additional discussion of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from managements projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations is contained in the companies' SEC filings. The companies do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


###

NEWS: Convention at Stopaq 28-30 March 2012

Anti-corrosion specialists from around the world were gathering at STOPAQ headquarters in Stadskanaal, The Netherlands.

From Wednesday 28 March to Friday 30 March, 60 anti-corrosion specialists participated in the ‘Dare to Compare’ event hosted by STOPAQ.

The event’s ‘Dare to Compare’ theme showcased the differences between STOPAQ’s advanced anti-corrosion technologies and conventional products routinely used in the corrosion prevention market today. For example, many existing products are damaging to the environment whereas STOPAQ is a sustainable and environmentally friendly technology.
STOPAQ’s ‘Seal for Life’ slogan refers to the long lasting protection afforded by STOPAQ in contrast to the degradation over time of conventional products.

The 60 International experts will underwent training in STOPAQ’s the new state of the art 15.000m2 training facility where STOPAQ can simulate a wide array of anti-corrosion applications in different test environments.
Training will include applications on pipelines, valves, flanges and even an offshore platform. The international experts will also attend seminars discussing the latest developments concerning STOPAQ’s patented technologies.

In addition, the 70 attendees witnessed the opening of the Experience Centre & Technology Park. besides its production and training facilities located at its Headquarters in Stadskanaal, The Netherlands, STOPAQ also has a production facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and sales representatives in the United States and in many other countries throughout the world.

Two weeks ago STOPAQ made headlines by winning an important patent litigation case against a Canadian multinational for infringing its anti-corrosion technologies. Celebrating the patent victory, combined with the opening of the experience & technology park, and thanks for the convention speakers, we are thankful and very delighted about the cohesion between the group believing in the Seal for Life companies’ mission.

NEWS: Patentoorlog om tape

Zie het krantenartikel Dagblad van het Noorden, zaterdag 24 maart 2012 in de bijlage!

NEWS: STOPAQ BEATS CANUSA

STOPAQ wins patent dispute against Canusa

Stadskanaal, March 16, 2012

Courts today announced that Shawcor Limited has infringed Stopaq’s patents. The Landgericht of Mannheim, Germany, one of the most renowned and experienced courts for patent infringement in Europe, has today held that Shawcor Ltd, Canusa Systems Ltd, Ron Dunn, William Buckley and two German sales representatives have infringed Stopaq’s antioxidant patent. The verdict, which comes after two years of litigation, confirms Stopaq’s claims that Canusa’s Wrapid Bond product copied Stopaq’s proprietary visco-elastic technology.

By this judgment, the court has ordered that defendants shall be enjoined from offering or placing its Wrapid Bond product on the German market. Canusa must further notify its customers that Wrapid Bond may not be used for corrosion protection purposes unless a license from Stopaq is obtained; recall Wrapid Bond from the distribution channels; and provide Stopaq detailed information on the origin and sales channels of Wrapid Bond. Lastly, Canusa must compensate Stopaq for any damage incurred by the patent infringement.

During the course of the litigation, Canusa first tried to deny any responsibility for the distribution of the product in Germany in an effort to evade a judgment. ShawCor and Canusa also defended themselves by alleging that “up to 20” different product versions of Wrapid Bond exist, although their marketing claims only a single product. The court found this argument irrelevant, but if true, it raises serious questions of product uniformity and which Wrapid Bond product version has been certified by ShawCor’s and Canusa’s customers. Accordingly, as it must be assumed that ShawCor and Canusa made correct statements to the court, then most of ShawCor’s and Canusa’s Wrapid Bond product appears not to be certified, contrary to the statements in their marketing material.

While this verdict is at first instance and as such remains subject to possible appeal, the court’s review was thorough. Both parties presented several lab analyses and expert opinions. The court also appointed its own independent and impartial expert, a Professor of the renowned Fraunhofer Institute, to review the products and parties claims. The judgment addressed – and rejected – numerous defenses brought by ShawCor and Canusa before finally bringing the case to a close.

Commenting on the verdict, Stopaq founder and owner Frans Nooren stated “in all my years as a businessman and inventor I have never been so upset by such a ruthless pursuit of business at all costs. I kept asking myself, why is Shawcor involved in this—they have many patents and I’m certain they want people to respect their intellectual property. This day is truly a historic day for our company – a real David and Goliath story. I’m so pleased for everyone involved and for all those that believed in the Stopaq way.”

Frits Doddema, CEO of Stopaq, stated “I felt very good that this experienced and competent court would see through Canusa’s smokescreens and understand the infringement of the technology. This verdict is a real vindication of our efforts to defend ourselves and I could not be more pleased. I hope this verdict will send a strong signal to other markets that copying technology is illegal and sooner or later you will get caught. But that’s for tomorrow; today we will celebrate a successful end to a long campaign.”

Ends…

NEWS: US Patent Infringement Lawsuit Viscotaq

After receiving Stopaq's May 2010 warning letter notifying Amcorr Product and Services, Inc. that its Viscotaq product line infringed Stopaq's US patent, Amcorr, sister company Dolphin Sealants LLC, and apparent majority shareholder Kleiss & Co BV together brought an action in August 2010 against Stopaq before the Dutch courts in The Hague, Netherlands, seeking a declaration that Amcorr's Viscotaq product line does not infringe Stopaq’s US patent.
Stopaq responded to this action by immediately filing a patent infringement lawsuit against Amcorr and Dolphin Sealants in US federal court in Houston, Texas, and requested that the US court enjoin Amcorr from pursuing its Dutch action.
After a court hearing regarding Stopaq's injunction request, the parties agreed to suspend the case before the Dutch courts pending the outcome of the US patent lawsuit, which has since proceeded in Houston.
Stopaq subsequently requested that the federal court in Houston grant Stopaq's motion for summary judgment that Amcorr and Dolphin Sealants infringe Stopaq's US patent.
Following a hearing, the summary judgment motion is pending before the court.

NEWS: Pemex Conference and Expo

Dare to share,

Guadalajara (Mexico), 1-3 February 2012

Stopaq is known and recognized as the inventor and technology provider of the Visco Elastic Technology for many pipeline operating companies around the world. We invest a lot to make the industry become part of our R&D.
In that regards our latest commitment was bringing the most impressive technology display unit to Guadalajara, Mexico, where the Pemex Conference and Expo took place.
The display unit consisting of a water basin in which the STOPAQ Anti-Corrosion Technology is showcased by divers applying the STOPAQ products under water was the attraction of the show.
Already from the moment the unit was brought into position it attracted huge attention.
Right from the opening of the show the interest of the visitors was even more impressive and overwhelming.

We are proud to mention that our Technology Display unit was the most photographed and best visited stand on the show. Pictures of the stand even showed up in many articles in several newspapers including the biggest national newspaper as well as PEMEX’s own newspaper.

Thanks to all that came by and witnessed our leading position in the Visco Elastic Industry. We are looking forward to serve your needs and see you all again next year.

STOPAQ Mexico

NEWS: Guest of honor at the SSPC India

Stopaq receiving award

7 December 2011

Mr. Frans Nooren, founder of Stopaq, was received as guest of honour at the SSPC India Congress (Protective Coating Soceity) and presented a life-time achievement award for his contributions to innovation in the pipeline industry.
Prof. Dr. Khanna, Chairman of SSPC India, presented the prestigious award to Frans Nooren before a large audience.
The award is a great acknowledgement by our industry for the company and its innovative technologies and products.

India is an enormous country where huge investments in energy infrastructure and development are underway.
The education level in the field of Corrosion engineering is high and offers great potential for future cooperation with Stopaq in areas of research & development.
Stopaq’s technology was well received by the over 200 participants attending the SSPC Congress. After several years of intensive testing, qualification and certification procedures, Stopaq has now received its product approvals and is poised for rapid expansion in the important Indian market.

Picture 3 is the Stopaq team, including our Indian colleagues Prakash & Prasad Bhandary.

Picture 5 is Frans Nooren receiving the award from Prof. Dr. Khanna.

NEWS: Stopaq in Australia

International Corrosion Congress & Expo

Perth was host to the 18th International Corrosion Congress & Expo taking place from 21-24 November 2011.

Stopaq Australia participated in the four day Congress and Expo to provide Australian Industry with a "taste & feel" of various STOPAQ materials.

Our participation included a detailed presentation to a technical committee regarding the development of Stopaq's technology, from inventor of the visco-elastic anti-corrosion technology through the creation of Stopaq's worldwide business and market leadership position.

The presentation was well received by an enthusiastic audience.

STOPAQ Australia wishes to thank all delegates that visited our booth with special thanks going to the members of the committees and the audience attending the STOPAQ presentation. We look forward seeing you again next year in Melbourne.

NEWS: BHR Conference Milton Keynes

Field Joint Coating

During the BHR Conference in Milton Keynes, 23-24 November 2011, STOPAQ presented a paper about Field Joint Coating Evaluation in relation to Cathodic Disbondment Tests, Aging and Costs.

The BHR organization took a practical approach to the Conference by requesting field joint coating suppliers to demonstrate their field joint coating systems LIVE to attendees.
Stopaq demonstrated four different field joint systems relating to different soil stress conditions. Applications included different mechanical protection systems featuring tape, sleeve, moisture curing glass shield and the insulated joint using polyurethane infill.
Participants were amazed by the ease and speed of the surface preparation, the overall application and the time to complete the field joint demonstration.

Stopaq looks forward to participating in the next BHR conference in Edinburg, Scotland, in September 2012.

NEWS:China visits compressorstation Gasunie

August 2011

Since 2007 Stopaq is active in China. Our partner of Stopaq China from Chengdu live the words Let's Stopaq the world. They are extremely successful in completing newbuilt pipeline projects and rehabilitation of joints.
This month the sales team has visited our training facilities in Stadskanaal and did receive a training-on-the-job at the compressorstation in Ravenstein (The Netherlands).

NEWS:Diesel Touring Car Cup Race

Marcel Nooren back to the front: winning the Diesel Touring Car Cup.

Stadskanaal, 3 july 2011

With a second and first place in the Diesel Touring Car Cup, Marcel Nooren from Stadskanaal took revenge in a powerful way for the setbacks in recent months.
At the Zandvoort Circuit he formed with his young teammate Maik Barten an almost unbeatable combination.

During the qualifying training session it did not fully work out for the man from Groningen as the seventh starting position for the first race was pretty disappointing. But after 100 minutes, the STOPAQ BMW 123d Coupé became second underneath the checkered flag. “I have to give also my teammate a great compliment. So young and still inexperienced and yet already so fast “, praised Marcel Nooren the only 20 years old Maik Barten, who has started this season with racing.

That the STOPAQ BMW team is now well balanced became clear in the second race. Marcel Nooren began the races again, but lost in the opening stages five places. “The other cars are clearly faster at the start of the race, but after a few laps we gradually gain advantage, “the Groningen man explained. He moved up very fast to the third place and passed the wheel to Maik Barten, who did not waste any time.
Swiftly the BMW team Molenaar/ Braams was overtaken and he could begin hunting for the leading Volvo duo Roeleveld / Baars. With a few laps to go Barten could take the lead with an excellent maneuver and remove the Volvo from the first place.
Marcel Nooren was pretty relieved with the excellent result. “Our car has proven to be consistently very strong in both races and therefore we can score so well. We now have 38 points collected in one hit, where we did in the four previous races only 12. We are now fully back in the race for the championship, “argued the driver of Stadskanaal.

NEWS: Factory Applied Stopaq

May 2011

NO MORE WEAKEST LINK

In cooperation with Ehri BV, STOPAQ has started the supply of Factory Applied Coating Systems based on STOPAQ Technology for anti-corrosion purposes and tough, but flexible GRE (Glass Reinforced Epoxy) for Mechanical Protection Reasons in case of high soil stress situation and where cathodic protection is an issue.
The system is called FAST (Factory Applied Stopaq Technology). It can be applied in the shop, but also on-site.
The advantages are multiple, above all, the field applied coating at the joint is made of the same system as the line pipe coating.

NEWS: OMC Ravenna March 2011

STOPAQ & IMPRESUB, an Award Winning team!

During the last edition of the OMC conference and Expo in Ravenna, 23 till 25 March 2011, STOPAQ presented their unique Subsea Technology.
The way the technology has been presented to the audience was reason for the jury of the OMC to appoint STOPAQ as winner of the award for the Most Dedicated Technology Display.

In a mobile dive unit IMPRESUB Divers presented the ease of application of the Splash-zone and Subsea system as well as the performance of it.
A team of STOPAQ technicians and sales managers was present to highlight and explain the technology and products.
Result of the presence at the OMC was excellent and above expectation. It showed the need for systems that can be easy applied and offering optimal performance. The reactions and feedback of the audience, and even colleges, was anonymous. All showed respect for the effort STOPAQ puts in their way of showing and experiencing.

NEWS: Stopaq Wins First Battle against Canusa

PRESS RELEASE

Stadskanaal, 3 March 2011


The Preliminary Relief Judge of the District Court of The Hague in the Netherlands has ruled in favor of the private company Stopaq B.V. on all points in a legal dispute against Canusa related to Stopaq’s green patented visco-elastic anti-corrosion coating and sealing technology.

Canusa, part of the Canadian stockquoted ShawCor company, claimed before the Court that it intended to bring two new Wrapid Bond products (styled RB-11 and RB-22) onto the Dutch market. It requested the judge to order Stopaq to accept that these products were outside the scope of Stopaq’s patents and to refrain from making any comment that these products infringe such patents in the Netherlands.

The judge denied all of Canusa’s requests finding that Canusa had not substantiated its allegation that Stopaq had threatened to enforce its patents against Canusa or its customers in the Netherlands. The current patent infringement proceedings against Canusa in Germany do not equate to such a threat in the Netherlands. The Court further considered that Stopaq has no legal obligation to declare that Canusa’s alleged new products do not infringe Stopaq’s patents.

Commenting on the legal victory, Drs. J.F. Doddema, CEO of Stopaq stated: “We are obviously pleased with the court’s decision. The court emphatically rejected Canusa’s attempt to short-circuit our rightful protections under the law and force us to accept their alleged new products, when in fact we have no knowledge that any of these products even exist in commercial form. This was simply an effort on their side to distract us from the patent infringement litigation in Germany. We still feel very confident about our case.”

Stopaq’s patent infringement actions against Canusa alleging that Canusa’s Wrapid Bond product infringes its patented visco-elastic coating and sealing technology continue before the German patent courts in Mannheim.

NEWS: Stopaq Subsea Training Facility

Huge demand brought STOPAQ B.V. to develop an anti corrosion system that can be applied on submerged objects, and having all the unique properties we know STOPAQ products are famous for.
In this we succeeded and the positive reply of our clients made STOPAQ B.V. decide to build their own training facility where divers can experience the ease of application of the permanent corrosion preventive products under water.

The Subsea training facility is equipped with state of the art diving equipment and various kinds of applications can be simulated. Objects in the range from small diameter pipes, T’s and Joints onto huge K-knots are available for training of the
STOPAQ applications.

NEWS: BASF and STOPAQ join forces

BASF and STOPAQ join forces in entire prevention and thermal insulation package for offshore industry

BASF Polyurethanes and STOPAQ are joining global forces in the offshore industry. Together both companies will serve the offshore operators and contractors with an innovative and simple solution for protecting the valuable assets against the extreme elements.

Both companies have an excellent longstanding reputation, history and track record in the offshore industry. BASF is well known for the Nordstream Offshore Pipeline Project from Russia to Germany. STOPAQ has built its reputation around anti-corrosion protection of fieldjoints, risers, spools, land/sea pipes and j-tubes, especially in the Middle East (Safaniyah, Manifa and Karan projects). To better cater the needs of the offshore clients, the two companies are forming a marketing alliance to offer a one-stop shop for the entire corrosion prevention and thermal insulation package. This will offer the clients a great source for the protection of the valuable infrastructural assets.

The market demands safe, easy and green solutions, that last for as long as possible. That’s what the future of the supplied material holds in store. Mr. Lynam, Business Development Manager Oil & Gas of BASF Polyurethanes, says: “we see preventing corrosion and system integrity as our common mission”. Via this new common system, STOPAQ and BASF Polyurethanes can offer more control in all process steps from preparation, application and service to go beyond the design life. J.F. Doddema, CEO of STOPAQ says: “Safety is a big issue and our common responsibility. Dependency on heating guns to apply toxic product must be avoided. Working offshore means operating under harsh conditions. This needs a very applicator-friendly approach”. Both companies understand this very well. Therefore, this alliance offers clients a system which can be easily applied to any difficult to coat object. The system is very cost-effective, simple and easy.

For more information
BASF Polyurethanes U.K. Limited
Ian Lynam
Business Development Manager Oil & Gas
Phone: +44 1773 6011-24
Mobile: +44 7768 938 174
ian.lynam@basf.com

JF. Doddema
CEO
STOPAQ B.V.
P.O. Box 285
9500 AG Stadskanaal, The Netherlands
Mob.: +31 6 22 15 62 04
Email: frits.doddema@stopaq.com

NEWS: Rope Access

Stopaq Rope Access provides clients with a fast and easy application method for difficult locations.
Huge costs savings can be realised during the above sea level application of the Stopaq Splash Zone System.
Several Rope Access applicators are trained and certified at 8 meters high, 48” vertical pipeline at the Stopaq Training Center.

NEWS: New Patent

November 2010

STOPAQ is very pleased to announce that the Chinese Intellectual Property Office has officially granted our patent.

LIVE DIVING AT THE ADIPEC 2010

Ministerial visit to STOPAQ booth in ADIPEC

November 2010

With great succes, Stopaq launched the new subsea pipeline and splashzone pile repair system at the outdoor booth. In a special designed stand and diving tank, Stopaq divers demonstrated continuously the subsea surface preparation and application of the complete system.
Among the visitors were:

His Excellency Mohammad bin Dhaen al-Hamli, UAE Energy Minister,

His Excellency Awadh Al-Suqatri, Yemen Energy and Electricity Minister.

STOPAQ Shows Real Quality to PEMEX Mexico

Oktober 2010

From 18-22 October the SSPA Northern Sub-Management’s Pipeline Transport and safety week took place in Guadalupe Nuevo Leôn MEXICO. Stopaq partner GES impressed all visitors by showing the great performance of the original Visco Elastic coating materials by Stopaq.
Backed by a great history and track record, that goes back more than fifteen years ago, Stopaq has convinced PEMEX staff about the sustainability of the company, its products and its services.


In the meantime construction works on the new production line for Mexico are carried out. In the facility in Holland the engineers are working hard to get everything ready for shipment after successful tests runs are being carried out.

Stopaq at the CTDUT BRAZIL

November 2010

Stopaq: high technology anti corrosion coating

On the second day of the CTDUT Week, the Dutch company STOPAQ, along with its Brazilian representative Ciageral, presented its product line of anti corrosion coatings. With a very interested audience, the presentation had the attendance of technicians from Petrobras, Transpetro, Comgás, CEG, Interfibra, Tracbel and from Cenpes.

The event was divided into three parts: a speech introducing the product, an open session of questions and answers and the practical demonstration of product application.
“Stopaq is a corrosion inhibitor product which, once applied, protects the equipment – valves, pipelines, fittings, tanks and other equipment in general – against corrosive agents. Its protection has 30 year shelf life”, assured Luiz Antonio Buarque de Macedo, Ciageral director.
Just launched in the Brazilian market, the product already has Petrobras as a client, which has been applying the coating on risers.

Dinko Cudic, a Croat who works for the Dutch Stopaq division, highlighted the various coating applications. “The product generates no crystallization, has excellent adhesion, is available in several different forms (sheets, rolls and pastes) and still can be applied on top of other coatings. The product is two millimeter thick, but only one millimeter is enough to protect the coated surface”, he explained.
“It is also self-healing and moldable on any surface, and is an impermeable fluid which prevents oxygen or water penetration, not thus enabling the action of corrosive agents. On top of that, the product still offers the advantage of being non-toxic and, even being wrongly applied, does not lose its properties, and can be reused”, he stated.

For the engineer of the asset integrity area of Comgás, Antonio Carlos Rodrigues Valente, an interesting characteristic of the coating is the fact that it does not harden, therefore it does not suffer from problems of cathodic disbondment, and can be applied onto wet or blistering surfaces. “We can use it, for instance, in pipelines with cathodic protection”, he mentioned.
For the engineer, the CTDUT Week, besides updating the market in terms of technology, also ensures the soundness of the company participating in the presentation of your product.
“The CTDUT Week is a very important tool for the disclosure of products into the sector”, stated Luiz Antonio Buarque de Macedo, Ciagera directorl.

Attending the event for the first time, the equipment engineer of Cenpes, Rafael Wagner, believes that the presentation brought good solutions for the application of coatings in pipelines. “My major interest was the question of the use of the product in risers in tidal areas”, he commented. “Today I had addressed many technical questions”.
This second participation of Stopaq during the CTDUT Week was concluded with outstanding results for all involved.

Pipeline Integrity Forum, IQPC, 2010

A large group of pipeline integrity specialist have visited the Stopaq premises. Instead of organizing a workshop Day 3, October 13th 2010, at the Radisson Hotel Amsterdam, IQPC organized a trip.

Specialist from Australia, Malaysia, France, Taiwan, Nigeria have visited Stopaq. One of the reactions of Theo Samosir, TOTAL, who had to leave earlier was:

"The visit to STOPAQ was wonderful, though I only have the time for the welcome and the comprehensive presentation on the STOPAQ, as I have to catch my flight back to France.
The visit provides more in-depth understanding of the product, the process, the application with the use of some real size mock up to solve the pipeline corrosion problem."

Spectacular Underwater Demo

Spectacular Underwater Demo

STOPAQ will present its new Subsea Compound System in a spectacular live demonstration at Adipec 2010. STOPAQ Specialists will demonstrate the newest revolutionary underwater anti-corrosion techniques in applying the self-healing, visco-elastic corrosion-prevention systems at the STOPAQ Outdoor Pavilion. The Pavilion features a purpose-built basin.

The Stopaq Subsea Compound System can be applied fully underwater and offers a long-term (30 years) anti-corrosion guarantee  against the harsh consequences of subsea conditions.  This specialized, non-toxic subsea system is environmentally friendly and easy to apply requiring  only two divers at a time.

The Stopaq Subsea Compound System allows careful and timely planning of projects. Operations can be carried out irrespective of weather constraints, such as wind or rain. High-pressure water cleaning at 200-300 bar is sufficient to obtain the required level of cleanliness ST2-3.

The Stopaq Subsea System is presently being applied in a major project in the Port of Rotterdam. Commissioned by Ballast Nedam and the Maasvlakte Oil Terminal (MOT), STOPAQ and SMIT Subsea Europe have been tasked to renew and protect 133 steel jetty piles. This project has already attracted many visits from companies and port authorities interested to witness the new system in operation.

Dutch and Saudi Arabia based STOPAQ (with a factory in Dammam) is a manufacturer and worldwide supplier of the highest quality patented visco-elastic anti-corrosion products. Specializing in self-healing corrosion prevention and sealant systems, STOPAQ supplies a wide range of green visco-elastic solutions to protect assets from corrosion and water ingress.  Its systems  are applied on-shore and off-shore, in the field and in the factory , and both above ground and subsea. STOPAQ coatings and sealants are used in many applications, ranging from pipelines to piles and rails to cable joints, delivering unique and easy to apply protection even in the most extreme climates and conditions.

Sales Hub for Latin America

Stopaq Invests in Mexico

After Holland and Saudi Arabia , Mexico will be the third country in which Stopaq invests in a brand new production plant. On September 15th 2010 Stopaq signed the agreement with their Mexican partner to start production in Mexico.
The Mexican plant will be the hub to the Latin American area in which Stopaq sales are very fast growing after signing long term deals with private companies for supplying the Stopaq products to the industry. With the new production plant Stopaq will be able to deliver their products in big quantities without any delay.
Besides the new production plant Stopaq will also equip their new building with a state of the art Training Centre. This training centre will be a copy of the one in Holland and available for all Stopaq existing and future clients to learn about the possible applications and moreover to learn about the characteristics of the unique Stopaq materials.
The clients can experience and carry out applications which will go from above and below ground straight pipes, flanges and fittings onto applying Stopaq materials under water. For the last type of application Stopaq will have a fully equipped Dive centre available from mid 2011 in which the applicators can be trained according IMCA norms on applying Stopaq Subsea materials.

Update German Courtcase against Canusa CPS

Update German Courtcase against Canusa CPS

Stopaq’s legal proceedings against Cansua CPS, a ShawCor company, for infringement of its patents continue before the courts in Mannheim, Germany. The proceedings concern Canusa’s Wrapid Bond product.

The court has separated the claims into two legal proceedings, each proceeding involving separate Stopaq patents. Following an initial hearing in June, the court has now scheduled main hearings for both legal proceedings for November 2010. These hearings will allow the parties to comment on the most recent information submitted in their respective briefs.

Commenting on the proceedings, Frits Doddema, Stopaq CEO stated: “We are very pleased that the legal action is proceeding quickly. Canusa has been forced to disclose significant facts about its product, and we are looking forward to the two hearings in November, particularly with regard to our second patent which enjoys broad protections worldwide. We are confident in a favourable outcome to these proceedings and that this will be a first and important step in securing protections of our products in other jurisdictions

POGEE Pakistan

STOPAQ B.V. and its partner Rana Trading was present at the POGEE Pakistan May 18th 2010. Also, the new subsea anti-corrosion system was exhibited.

STOPAQ FILES PATENT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT

STOPAQ FILES PATENT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT AGAINST CANUSA

PRESS RELEASE

18 January 2010

Stopaq Europe B.V. (“Stopaq”) has announced that it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Canusa Systems Ltd. and its publicly traded parent company ShawCor Ltd. of Canada (“Canusa”) for infringement of patents relating to its self-healing anti-corrosion technology.

The patent infringement action relates to two of Stopaq’s patents applied to Stopaq’s Wrappingband and states that Canusa’s Wrapid Bond product line is an illegal copy. The lawsuit, which also lists directors and officers of Canusa as defendants, seeks permanent injunction, destruction of stocks and damages. The action was filed on Friday 15 January 2010 in the district court of Mannheim, Germany.

Frits Doddema, Stopaq CEO, commented on the filing:
“We have filed this case for a very simple reason: Stopaq’s property is being knowingly and unfairly exploited. We spent over eight years of research and development to find the perfect product that stops corrosion and many more years to open this new market for visco-elastic material. We invested many millions of Euros. It is disappointing that we have to resort to legal action to protect ourselves, but as our attempts to address this matter with Canusa were rebuffed, we had no choice. We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our intellectual property is protected.”

Frans Nooren, Inventor, Founder and Chairman of Stopaq, said:
“We understand that taking this action is a big step. We have designed, tested, patented and produced a unique product that has revolutionised the anti-corrosion market. This visco-elastic coating can be applied in any environment - from Alaska to the Middle East - for permanent corrosion protection. It is non-toxic, adheres to almost any surface and is especially effective in oil and gas pipelines. It can be employed for a multitude of applications whether onshore, offshore or sub-sea. It avoids many problems of conventional coating repair, saving pipeline owners millions. Patents exist to protect inventors, and we will defend our rights.”

Stopaq Wrappingband is used in corrosion protection and rehabilitation. It belongs to the new type of visco-elastic coating solutions and contains a unique composition of fully-amorphous polyisobutene polymers.

ENDS

For further information please contact Richard Moore
+44 2079401700 /
+44 7889 691 831

Extension headquarters approaches completion

In recent months a lot of hard work has been done on extending STOPAQ headquarters.
New buildings have been added to enlarge the offices, restaurant, lounge and the Experience Centre “World of STOPAQ”.
The extensions are shown in the general view photo.

STOPAQ lecture, SSPC 2010 in Pune, India

February 2010

28th of January, the SSPC 2010 was held in Pune, India. STOPAQ B.V. was present as main sponsor.
Mr. Broesder of R&D gave succesfully the first lecture on the self-healing visco-elastic coating.

Gasunie approved training centre

January 2010

STOPAQ is very proud to announce that the STOPAQ Training Centre has been certified as official pipeline coating training & examination centre by the Dutch Gasunie NV. The official award has been handed over by Mr. F. Berends of the Gasunie NV.

STOPAQ runs a demonstration at Rio Pipeline

January 2010

During Rio Pipeline 2009 Exhibition, STOPAQ runned a demonstration, using CTDUT facilities. Please find the article of CTDUT for more information.

Exhibitions

Exhibition Agenda

• “NACE” 13th. Middle East Corrosion Conference & Exhibition, Bahrain, 14-17 February 2010

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