Inside IKM Testing UK’s mission to challenge convention and inspire innovation
Recognized for consistent results and inspiring innovations, IKM Testing UK (IKM Testing) is a service provider for the energy sector, dedicated to challenging conventions with bold, responsible, and clear approaches. Supporting the oil and gas, power generation, and renewable sectors, IKM Testing’s extensive services include pipelines, processes, wells, valves, digital learning and development, training and competency services, energy transition, methane emissions quantification, and 3D animation.
Driven by its mantra ‘challenge convention, inspire innovation,’ IKM Testing continuously pushes boundaries and embraces new ideas. This approach is the foundation of the company’s vision and mission to think differently and deliver the right solutions. IKM is a subsidiary of parent company, IKM Testing AS, a Norwegian-based major supplier of inspection, testing, cleaning, and mechanical completion services to both the onshore and offshore sectors.
“The business was originally established in 1998 with just one facility in Cramlington, England, which still delivers a range of on-site, construction, and commissioning services across the UK and internationally, both onshore and offshore,” opens Barry Summers, Regional Director. “Around 2010, the company wanted to expand its presence in the Aberdeen region due to its proximity to the North Sea. At that point, I moved to IKM Aberdeen to grow the company’s core capabilities within pipeline and process services. We won our first major contract in the region in 2011, and with the backing of our parent company in Norway, we gradually grew the business by adding more employees and services such as 3D animation, energy transition, methane emission quantification services, and valves services.
“In 2014, we moved to our current main facility in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, which comprises a 1000-square-meter workshop with an integrated test bay, 600-square-meter office, and a 3000-square-meter yard. We also operate our Aberdeen Marywell facility, 1200-square-meter yard and 500-square-meter workshop, to support both the valves department and supercritical CO2 (SCCO2) flushing operations. We’ve continued to grow from these facilities, but we’re shortly going to be taking on a third Aberdeen site just over the road from the main site in Westhill, which will be our fourth location in the UK.”
Alongside continued innovation and investment in its new facility, IKM Testing is also implementing new technologies, data management systems, and safety principles. “We use a patented, non-invasive system called Safe-Freeze®, which is used to create a temporary ice plug isolation in various client systems,” Barry explains. “This allows us to isolate and then drain a section of a live system for maintenance, repair, or valve replacement without the requirement of shutting down the entire system.”
In terms of pipeline services, IKM Testing provides everything related to pre-commissioning, commissioning, and decommissioning of pipeline systems, including maintenance of existing pipes and pressure systems. Working closely with clients, the company finds optimal technical solutions that accommodate clients’ needs, such as efficiency, environment, and economic considerations. Within this department, IKM Testing also offers onshore testing, umbilical testing and cleaning, and FEED studies during the design phase of subsea development projects.
Extensive service offering
IKM Testing’s process department delivers a broad range of topside services, which can be tailored to meet specific customer needs. Alongside process services like pipe freezing using Safe-Freeze®, nitrogen services namely nitrogen helium leak detection, steam cleaning and equipment rental, this department offers pipework and vessel cleaning, bolting services, and inspection and repair services, such as in-situ flange facing, clam shell cutting, weld testing, and subsea tensioning.
When it comes to valves, IKM Testing provides dynamic, full-service solutions from basic supply to full project management. “We’re strengthening our position and capabilities in the valve market, as historically, we haven’t been as competitive in this space,” Barry shares. “We’ve established a dedicated team and facility to develop robust valve management strategies that align with customers’ specific requirements and standards, acting as an extension of the client’s maintenance department by offering support and expertise. With multi-skilled technicians, we can also repair or overhaul any valves and associated equipment, as well as offering testing and on-site services.”
The business also provides bespoke engineered solutions for wells, aiming to exceed client expectations while maintaining the highest safety standards. This division includes stimulation services, specialist offshore grouting capabilities, and decommissioning support. IKM Testing is also a specialist in nitrogen operations, grouting services for wind turbines as well as providing well integrity services, with its licensed software, IKM Fluid Level Analyser (FLA), used to accurately determine fluid level.
As the world prepares for energy transition, IKM Testing is serving new markets, primarily wind power, by applying its existing expertise of the onshore and offshore environments. While IKM Testing is still a relatively new name in this space, the business has already developed solutions for decommissioning, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects. “It’s an interesting time for the company as we continue to expand in the renewables markets,” Barry says. “By strengthening our decommissioning services, offering Methane Emissions Quantification (MEQ), and positioning ourselves as a strong player in renewables, we’re shifting the company into one poised for future growth.”
Developing leaders
Committed to its people, IKM Testing not only provides fully accredited ECITB and IWCF courses, but the business also created a digital learning and development team to provide training opportunities that help employees to learn and retain new skills. Offering bespoke technical training, engaging online courses, immersive learning using VR technology, and blended learning schemes, IKM Testing’s digital learning team specializes in oil and gas, renewables, and defense, but can also be applied to any sector where safety and competence are essential.
“We’re passionate about our people, and we concentrate on not only qualifications, but the nature of a person and what they are capable of,” Barry explains. “Around five years ago, I promoted an employee to workshop manager at the age of 25, and it’s safe to say that my decision raised a few eyebrows. However, he has completely transformed the workshop by implementing lean practices and encouraging increased employee engagement. These efforts saw IKM named as a best practice business by Scottish Enterprise.
“We’re in the process of launching a new leadership development scheme to identify the hungry talents across the business and provide training opportunities. It’s a three-year course designed to teach people some of the strategies and concepts essential for any leader. This course is a great opportunity not only for our employees, but also for the business, as it secures the next generation of leaders, managers, and potentially senior managers.”
As our conversation draws to a close, talk turns to what the future looks like for IKM Testing. “In 2024, we outlined a five-year growth strategy, which not only set out our ambition to double the size of the business by 2030, but also established specific goals and targets for each element and service line to take ownership of,” Barry explains. “We’ve hit our targets for two consecutive years, and we even broke our monthly revenue record in 2024, so we’re well on track to achieve these targets.
“We’ll also target international expansion in the coming years, and we’re currently exploring opportunities in new areas and markets,” he concludes. “In the UK, we expect to see significant growth in the renewables sector, especially with the increased demand for decommissioning over the next ten-to-15 years. Our experience in delivering maintenance contracts places us in a strong position for decommissioning projects, which will enable us to further grow and invest in the renewables space as we strive to be a leading player in the global energy transition.”