SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance : Customer Story: Uninformed Inspections Ensure the Safety and Quality of Turkey’s Natural Gas Distribution Network

Turkey has a rapidly growing natural gas market, with a natural gas distribution network that currently includes about 60 companies operating in about 60 different regions. To ensure the continued safety and efficiency of this network, Turkey's Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) requires these companies to be licensed and to undergo uninformed inspections.

In 2007, EMRA hired SGS to perform statutory uninformed inspections. It trusted SGS to ensure that the network's infrastructure was safe, installations were performed correctly, customers received quality service and finances were handled properly.

Under the terms of a contract valued at approximately USD 1 million, SGS was responsible for inspecting half of the companies in the network.

This involved inspecting:

• Infrastructure design
• Installation, testing and commissioning of steel and polyethylene pipes
• Installation of service lines and regulators
• Design, installation and testing of RMS A and B type stations
• In-house installations
• Cathodic protection and SCADA applications
• Mapping, expropriation, infrastructure information and GIS systems

SGS also performed non-destructive examinations and reviews of administrative, customer service and financial activities.

Between 2007 and 2011, a team of SGS engineers performed inspections of all of the companies within its remit. These inspections included site visits as well as document reviews. EMRA was satisfied with the work SGS performed and is planning to launch a similar supervision scheme in the near future. SGS's success with this project has enhanced its reputation in the natural gas industry.

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