NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ANYTIME

CALGARY MANUFACTURER COMPLETES FOUR MEGA VAPOUR RECOVERY UNITS FOR OIL SANDS PROJECT.
CALGARY, AB: HC Piper Manufacturing Inc. (HCPM) has announced the completion of four proprietary HC Series 5 Vapour Recovery Units (VRU). The last two units will soon be transported to a major project site in Albertas oil sands near Ft. McMurray. The move-out from the companys staging yard onto the highway will be a dramatic event due to the size of the units and the complexity of the transport system. HC Piper is an integrated engineering and fabrication company specializing in the manufacture of process modules that are assembled into complete units. The company is the recognized leader in developing innovative technologies that respond to the unique requirements involved in the removal of gas vapours from bitumen storage tanks. Each VRU is custom built to meet varying customer requirements for safety, performance, operation, and maintenance (see How They Work). HCPM provides complete inhouse services from concept to engineering to manufacturing to site installation. Engineering design support includes process, mechanical, structural, and piping. HCPMs head office and manufacturing plants are located on the east side of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In early 2012 the company will move into a 44,000 sq. ft. complex now under construction (see The Company). Albertas oil sands are one of the most challenging mining areas in the world. HC Pipers VRUs, using Liquid Ring Compressors (LRC), have earned a solid reputation for durability, reliability and rugged performance in applications where processing wet, dirty, or corrosive vapours are the norm. The company has manufactured approximately 75% of the major liquid ring vapor recovery units used in SAGD bitumen recovery operations in Alberta (see Everything Is Big In the Oil Sands). The designs feature multiple LRCs that maximize system flexibility and reliably. Extreme operating conditions dictate that equipment must function at optimum levels and be as maintenance free as possible. The systems can be started and stopped independently without operator intervention. HC Pipers engineered designs are fabricated into modular sections which are then assembled inside metal buildings. The buildings are placed on skids to allow easy movement into and out of the companys fabrication plant. The plant has doors tall enough and wide enough to accommodate two story high structures. The units are approximately 110 ft. long and 24 Ft. wide. They typically weigh around 300,000 lbs. HC Pipers modular approach allows the installation of various equipment, piping, instrumentation, wiring, and ventilation systems in controlled factory conditions. It also makes stringent quality control monitoring possible (see Quick Facts). 1

NEWS
The efficiencies produced by this approach produce dramatic transportation, installation and labor cost savings. Calgary labor and related overhead costs are significantly lower than those of the oil sands. Of equal importance to typical oil sands projects is the ability to control manufacturing and shipping schedules (see Benefits, Quick Facts). At the project site, units are installed on pilings or foundations ready for startup. Custom engineering to exact specifications and pretesting allows for seamless integration into process systems. Pretesting is critical as the various components must comply with 50-60 engineering protocols and government regulations. The competitive advantage of HC Piper is the ability to provide start-to-finish services which fast tracks the communication process at all levels of project development. Decision making time is reduced as owners, engineers, technicians and project managers are close to the action. Customers are able to conveniently monitor the various stages of development and address any issues that may emerge before they become major problems. It normally takes 3 days to transport a single unit from Calgary to the Ft. McMurray area using a network of secondary highways. Entire sections must be closed to accommodate the extremely wide loads. Routes must be carefully planned to circumvent narrow bridges, low overpasses or highways with heavy load restrictions. -30RESOURCE CENTRE Enclosed The Company Quick Scan Process Overview, Everything Is Big In the Oil Sands. How VRUs Work Map
FOR MEDIA INFORMATION Robyn Braley, UniMark Creative Services, H.C. Piper Manufacturing Tel: (403) 280-1093 Cell: (403) 829-3340 Email: robyn@unimarkcreative.ca FOR GENERAL INFORMATION Charles Dean, President, HC Piper Tel: (403) 212-5750 Loc: 225 Website: www.hcpiper.com Email: cdean@hcpiper.com