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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: A Well-Oiled Machine From intricate oilfield tools to dental caps for elephants, Unique Machine Inc. handles the most challenging machining tasks Susan Braund Petroleum Directory Contributing Writer
Pick up any man-made item and you can be sure that a machinist has had a hand in its creation, says Ken Bystedt, owner of Unique Machine Inc. “Someone made the machine or the part — some machinist somewhere down the line had something to do with it.”
Bystedt employs a cadre of technically skilled machinists, welders and manufacturing specialists at his 23,000-square-foot plant and office compound in Anchorage. Founded in 1975 and now the largest machine shop in Alaska, Unique Machine specializes in oilfield manufacturing and proprietary threading.
“Unique Machine performs repairs, machining, welding and manufacturing of oilfield, construction, mining, fishing, and government parts to industry-specific standards,” said Chief Operating Officer Pat Hanley. “We are a four-part business: oil product manufacturing, proprietary and American Petroleum Institute threading, print work and general machining/welding.”
Oil product manufacturing Unique manufactures and/or threads many of the parts used by the oil and gas industry. Pup joints, wireline entry guides, overshots and connectors are just a few of the items produced on any given day. It also has extensive capabilities for threading oilfield casing, tubing and drill pipe.
“We manufacture many of the parts for a typical oil well,” said owner and long-time machinist and designer Bystedt. “We manufacture and/or thread 30 pieces of the well, from the bottom to the top.”
Rick Montgomery, drilling manager for BP contractor Alaska Supply Chain Inc., counts on Unique’s attentive customer service.
“They supply us with connections at Prudhoe. Reaction time from the Lower 48 is slow; if Unique weren’t here, we would have a problem,” he said. “The oil patch has changing demands. With well schedules constantly being revised, pipe needs to be reconfigured, so we often need a quick turnaround.”
Added Hanley, “We can provide local support and deliver finished product faster than most Outside vendors. Because there are not as many people in the supply chain, we can normally produce finished parts quickly and manage our customers’ needs more effectively. In many cases, we complete emergency orders within 24 hours.”
Unique Machine consistently has shown a very high level of professionalism, whether it’s a quick turnaround job or a long-term project, said Pete Jackson, Halliburton Energy Services Completion Products & Wireline account representative.
“Pat and Ken are jewels, great to work with,” said Lissa Scott, drilling project coordinator for ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. “Usually time is of the essence; if I call in a bind, they take care of it.” Emphasis on precision and innovation But hurry doesn’t translate to scurry at Unique. There’s constant calibrating, checking, rechecking and measuring at every product stage. “It’s a testament to the skill level of the employees,” Bystedt said. “I have a lot of faith that they will do it right and produce it efficiently without a lot of cost. Some parts are very expensive, and scrapping one would be significant.”
Research and development is ongoing at Unique, both in-house and in tandem with the oil companies. Bystedt has patents on some of his own oilfield products, like the non-sealing overshot, which won a BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. Innovation Award in 1995.
The overshot saves considerable time and money by removing only failing sections of well pipe, connecting a new section of pipe to a lower section of good pipe deep in an oil well.
Another of his innovative products, the CementralizerTM, recently received a patent, and already is in use by several oil companies. The device centralizes the casing in oil wells, reducing friction and allowing pipe to be installed as much as 20 percent further into horizontal pay zones of reservoirs. Multiple sizes and threads offer flexibility and latitude.
Staying on the ‘cutting’ edge To stay competitive with Lower 48 production costs, the Alaska-born entrepreneur is continually fine-tuning his operations. His philosophy: “Understand your business and continuously improve. Study, learn and upgrade to new technology.”
One of his major recent investments is a MoriSeki SL-603 four-axis, computer-numerically-controlled lathe. The boxy and imposing equipment turns out accessory items for oil rigs 20 times faster than standard, non-computerized equipment and allows Unique to meet the precision demands of premium threading.
The oil and gas industry recognizes both proprietary and API casing, tubing and drill pipe connections. Unique holds proprietary technology licenses for this specialty work from around the world, including Japan, France, Indonesia and England.
“Proprietary threading is a complete science,” Bystedt said. “Technology companies have designed and developed threading specific to the industry. Each company has different threading specifications that require technical licenses to manufacture their threads.”
Working with the different cultures, languages and measurement systems can keep things interesting, “especially Texas measurements,” he quipped.
The company holds licenses for proprietary threading from Vallourec, France; Nippon Steel, Japan/Indonesia; Hunting Energy Services, London/Houston; Atlas Bradford, Houston, and Hydril, Houston. It also is licensed to machine HT and XT connections from Grant Prideco, the world’s largest drill pipe company.
“With each license, we are held to high quality standards and annual technical audits,” Hanley explained. “To perform this work requires special equipment, training, an elaborate quality system and skilled machinists and inspectors.”
Meeting international standards The company has been working toward dual certification through API and the International Standards Organization. Company officials expect certification later this year.
API-Q1 and ISO have separate standards. The certification process has been demanding, but ultimately will be worthwhile, according to Bystedt.
“Companies doing business with us as an ISO company will have immediate confidence and be assured of a certain level of quality, performance and relationship. Everything we do that affects quality is defined. People are trained, and we have an assurance methods that the work is getting done.”
To Bystedt, the ISO way of doing business makes sense. “My business mirrors my vision of an ISO accreditation,” he said. “The organized way of doing business IS the ISO way. You say what you do and do what you say — that’s exactly what we’re about!” Variety of services Unique manufactures parts from drawings, which requires a significant knowledge base, quality system and high machinist skill levels. It has performed print work for almost every major industry in Alaska.
“Our machinists take great pride in machining parts per customers’ drawings and specifications,” Hanley said. “It allows them to express the skills of the trade that generally are not required of overhaul and repair work.”
Serving both industry and the general public, Unique provides pipe and valve repair, surface grinding, general milling up to three feet square, turning to five-foot diameters and welding on most metals and applications.
Walk-in clients for fix-it and fabrication jobs generate a lot of interesting challenges for the machinists and welders. They’ve been asked to modify a prosthetic hip, make a dental cap for an elephant and fabricate stainless steel tombstones, titanium wedding rings and specialty items for surgeons.
“We had to draw the line with the elephant,” Bystedt said. “We were adamant that installation was not included!” Manufacturing in Alaska A manufacturing pioneer in Alaska, Unique’s owner and founder sees hope for manufacturing in the state. The company already manufactures and exports heavy parts internationally and offers competitive in-shop rates.
“In Alaska, there’s no reason why it cannot be done,” Bystedt said. “We’re living in an economic area with a good lifestyle. When we put energy and resources into educating and developing professionals here in the state, there’s no reason we cannot manufacture here.
“We are in the international transportation capital of the world. If we can ship auto parts from Japan to Detroit, we shouldn’t have a problem in Alaska. You just work on your efficiencies.”
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