A new article from BIC Magazine looks at how the Izomax AOGV is changing the way operators approach maintenance on pressurized process systems, enabling positive mechanical isolation without hot tapping or shutting down production.

With maintenance traditionally requiring systems to be shut down, depressurized, drained and purged before work can begin, the article explores how the AOGV allows critical work to be carried out while the remainder of the facility continues operating.

Maintenance without waiting for a shutdown

The AOGV is installed temporarily between an existing flange pair, allowing a blind to be inserted or retrieved while the system remains live. This creates positive mechanical isolation of downstream equipment without requiring production to be shut down.

As highlighted by BIC Magazine, this gives operators greater flexibility to carry out maintenance when equipment condition requires it rather than waiting for the next planned turnaround.

Applications include PSV recertification, facility tie-ins, pump and valve maintenance, heat exchanger repairs, instrumentation upgrades and brownfield modifications, supporting maintenance across upstream, midstream and downstream facilities.

$1 million in lost production avoided

The article also highlights a recent AOGV project at a major refinery, where a blocked heat exchanger was restricting production with approximately 40 psi differential pressure across the bundle.

Rather than shutting down the facility, the operator selected the AOGV to isolate the heat exchanger while the refinery remained online. Two different AOGVs were used to isolate the 18-inch charge gas inlet and outlet and the 12-inch propylene outlet, allowing the exchanger to be opened, hydro-jetted, inspected, reassembled and pressure-tested before being returned to service.

The intervention restored full plant capacity without interrupting production, maintained pressure integrity throughout the operation and was completed with zero HSE incidents. The client estimated that approximately $1 million in lost production was avoided.

Explore the full case study to learn more about the project and how the AOGV was used to complete the heat exchanger repair without shutdown.

360 projects and counting

The AOGV has now been deployed on more than 360 projects across upstream, midstream and downstream facilities, supporting maintenance on offshore platforms, FPSOs, refineries and LNG terminals.

As operators increasingly adopt predictive and condition-based maintenance strategies, the ability to perform maintenance without interrupting production can provide greater flexibility in how and when critical work is planned and executed.

Read the full article in BIC Magazine to learn more about positive mechanical isolation, the refinery project and how online isolation can support maintenance and asset integrity.

Want to learn more about how the AOGV could support your repair and maintenance needs? Get in touch with our global team to discover the Izomax way of repair and maintenance without shutdown.

Izomax is heading to Abu Dhabi for AIMCS EXPO 2026, where Sales Director Allan Martin will represent Izomax as a speaker at the Asset & Pipeline Integrity Conference.

At 11:40 on Day 1, 22 September, Allan will present In-Service Mechanical Isolation Without Hot Work: A New Approach to Maintenance, focusing on how the AOGV can support critical maintenance and modifications while keeping production running.

In-service mechanical isolation without hot work

For operators, maintenance and modification work can traditionally require systems to be depressurised or shut down before work can begin.

During his session, Allan will share how the AOGV provides a different approach, enabling the required mechanical isolation to be established without the need to depressurise or shut down the wider system.

With the Middle East representing a growing market for Izomax, the session provides an opportunity to explore how the technology can support operators looking to reduce maintenance and turnaround time while keeping production running.

Meet Izomax in Abu Dhabi

Attending AIMCS EXPO 2026? Catch Allan’s presentation at 11:40 on Day 1, 22 September, or arrange a meeting with him during the event to learn more about how the AOGV can help reduce maintenance and turnaround time.

August at Izomax has brought projects progressing across multiple regions, ONS bringing the global energy industry to Stavanger, and continued growth in South America.

From four busy days at ONS to another step in making the AOGV more accessible internationally, here’s a look at some of the highlights from August.

Four days at ONS 2026

ONS 2026 saw Izomax join our sister companies IK Topside, Norclamp and IK Subsea at the IK Group stand.

Across four busy days, our team from Sales, Technical, Project Management and Marketing met with customers, partners and visitors to discuss the AOGV, ongoing projects and shutdown-free repair and maintenance.

This year’s Rumour Has It concept was all about creating space for conversations, giving visitors the opportunity to connect with expertise from across IK Group.

Before You Are Ready

Technical Director Kristoffer Helliesen also joined ONS Young for Before You Are Ready, a session focused on taking on responsibility early in your career, making decisions under pressure and stepping up before you necessarily feel ready.

Drawing on his own experiences from the field, Kristoffer spoke about problem solving, teamwork and the reality of making decisions when the stakes are high.

Izomax now available in Portuguese

August also marked another step in our growth across South America, with key sections of the Izomax website now available in Portuguese.

Visitors can now explore the AOGV, our other products and services, case studies and ways to get in touch with our team in Portuguese, making information about Izomax more accessible to customers and partners across the region.

Next stop: three continents

And September isn’t looking any quieter.

Our teams are heading to Brazil, Canada and the UAE for another month of industry events across three continents: IPCE, AIMCS and Rio Oil & Gas.

Attending any of the events? Get in touch with our global team to book a meeting.

More from the road coming soon.

A new article about Izomax and the AOGV is now live on Teknisk Ukeblad, looking at how Norwegian technology is enabling maintenance and modifications on pressurised systems without shutting down production.

In the article, Customer Solutions Director Svein Tore Milwertz shares how the AOGV has developed from a Norwegian technology into a solution now used across six continents, as well as the growing international demand and what comes next for Izomax.

From Norway to six continents

Since the technology was first introduced, Izomax has completed more than 350 AOGV operations across six continents, with approximately half carried out in Norway.

International activity continues to grow, and Izomax now holds framework agreements with three of the world’s five largest energy operators, with a fourth in progress. As Svein explains in the article, building confidence in new technology takes time, but experience from completed operations is leading customers to identify further applications for the AOGV.

Today, Izomax has more than 70 AOGV tools and 101 employees globally, with offices in Norway, the US and Poland and teams in the UK, Canada and Australia.

Continued development in Norway

While Izomax continues to expand internationally, development of the AOGV remains firmly rooted in Norway.

As the technology is applied across more facilities, markets and operating conditions, the requirements placed on both the technology and the expertise surrounding each application continue to develop.

One of the next steps is expanding the technology to handle higher temperatures, supporting Izomax as the company continues to develop the AOGV and address growing demand internationally.

Read the full article in Teknisk Ukeblad to learn more about the AOGV, Izomax’s international growth and what comes next for the technology.

Want to learn more about how the AOGV could support your repair and maintenance needs? Get in touch with our team to discover the Izomax way of repair and maintenance without shutdown.

Rumour has it… the conversation starts in Hall 7.

From 24–27 August, Izomax is back at ONS in Stavanger. This year, you’ll find us at the IK Group stand, 7220 in Hall 7, together with our sister companies IK Topside, Norclamp and IK Subsea.

Throughout the four days, we’ll have a full Izomax team on site, with colleagues from Sales, Technical, Project Management and Marketing ready to meet customers, partners and others interested in learning more about the AOGV, ongoing projects and shutdown-free repair and maintenance.

Meet the Izomax team

Representing Izomax at ONS 2026 are:

With colleagues from across the business joining us, there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss everything from early technical questions and ongoing projects to how the AOGV enables shutdown-free mechanical isolation with no hot work, no downtime and no disruption.

Find us in Hall 7

ONS takes place in Stavanger from 24–27 August 2026. You’ll find Izomax throughout the event at:

IK Group stand 7220
Hall 7

Want to make sure you get time with the right person? Get in touch with our team to book a meeting at ONS.

You’ve heard the rumour. Now come and see for yourself.

As demand for the AOGV continues to grow, so does the Izomax team. We are currently recruiting across Finance, Supply Chain and Sales & Commercial, with several opportunities available at our headquarters in Stavanger.

As part of a growing international company, these roles will support different areas of the business as we continue to strengthen our organisation and support increasing activity across global markets.

Project Controller

We’re looking for a Project Controller to join our Finance team and support project and commercial follow-up across the business.

The role will cover project controlling, budgets and forecasts, commercial follow-up, reporting, and support to our Project Managers, while contributing to the continued development of our financial processes and project reporting.

Interested? Explore the Project Controller position here.

Supply Chain Manager

We’re also establishing the role of Supply Chain Manager, with responsibility for developing and strengthening our supply chain function.

From strategic sourcing and supplier development to material management, warehousing and logistics, the role will help ensure robust supplier relationships, material availability and efficient processes that support our projects and operations.

Explore the Supply Chain Manager position here.

Sales & Commercial

As our activities continue to grow internationally, we’re also strengthening our Sales & Commercial team.

We’re looking for experienced commercial profiles across business development, key account management and partnership development who can help develop opportunities, strengthen customer relationships and support our continued growth.

Learn more about opportunities within our Sales & Commercial team here.

Don’t see the right opportunity?

We always want to connect with new talent and welcome open applications, so we can keep you in mind when the right opportunity comes along.

Explore all current opportunities and learn more about working at Izomax on our Careers page.

Join us in re-defining the (Im)possible – the Izomax way.

Izomax has been awarded a contract for one of the world’s largest international energy companies on a major FPSO offshore Nigeria.

The project will support the replacement of critical heat exchangers without shutting down the FPSO. Using the AOGV, the required isolation can be established while the facility remains operational, allowing the maintenance work to be completed without a conventional shutdown.

Keeping production online

Taking an FPSO offline for maintenance can involve significant production losses and shutdown-related costs, in addition to the operational complexity associated with taking the facility offline and subsequently returning it to stable production.

For this project, keeping the FPSO operational is expected to avoid production losses and shutdown-related costs amounting to hundreds of millions of USD.

The AOGV will enable the required isolation to be established while the facility remains operational, supporting the replacement of the critical heat exchangers without interrupting production.

Another major project for the AOGV

The award represents another significant project for the Izomax team and reflects continued confidence in the AOGV as a trusted solution for shutdown-free maintenance.

With the project set to take place offshore Nigeria, it also adds to the growing number of AOGV projects being delivered across different regions and operating environments worldwide.

Want to learn more? Get in touch with our team to discover the Izomax way of repair and maintenance without shutdown, or explore our AOGV case studies to see how the tool has been applied across previous projects.

As Izomax continues to grow its activities across South America, key sections of the Izomax website are now available in Portuguese.

The update makes it easier for customers and partners in the region to access information about Izomax, the AOGV, and our products and services in Portuguese.

Visitors can explore information about the AOGV and its applications, our products and services, selected projects, and how to get in touch with the Izomax team.

The Portuguese version is available directly from the website by selecting the Brazilian flag in the top menu.

Explore the Izomax website in Portuguese here.

While many are slowing down for summer, the pace has remained high at Izomax. With projects continuing across multiple regions, our global team has stayed busy both in the field and at industry events.

From conference stages in Texas and California to webinar screens around the world, July brought another month of activity across the Izomax team.

Downstream USA

The month began in Texas at Reuters Events Downstream USA, where Jerome Moorehead, Cameron Baggerman and Lynne Lyon were joined by two of our newest team members, Paul Cauthen and Ryan Bolton. Joining Izomax in July as Sales Manager North America and Global Key Account Manager respectively, Paul and Ryan hit the ground running as the team met with operators, refiners and technology providers from across the downstream sector.

Throughout the event, the team met with operators, refiners and technology providers from across the downstream sector, presenting how the AOGV enables shutdown-free mechanical isolation and supports maintenance and modification work while systems remain online.

Taking the stage at PVP 2026

The following week, the team travelled to California for ASME Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference 2026.

As a Gold Sponsor, Izomax joined one of the industry’s leading technical conferences, where Customer Solutions Director Svein Tore Milwertz presented alongside Saudi Aramco.

Their presentation, Redefining Piping Maintenance: Reducing Downtime, Risk and Emissions in Live Piping Maintenance, focused on live piping maintenance and how new approaches can support reductions in downtime, risk and emissions.

Webinar with SLB

July concluded with our webinar alongside SLB, Beyond Hot Tapping: Unlocking Safer Maintenance with the AOGV Technology.

Presented by Svein Tore Milwertz, Customer Solutions Director at Izomax, and Matthew Doherty, New Services and Technologies Engineer at SLB, the session introduced the AOGV Technology and discussed its role in safer maintenance.

The webinar explored how the AOGV enables critical maintenance to be performed while systems remain in service, minimising downtime and supporting operational continuity. The session also covered how Izomax and SLB are working together to deploy the technology worldwide.

Missed the live webinar? The full session is available to watch on demand here.

Next stop

And while July is behind us, we’re already looking ahead.

Rumour has it… Some things are better discovered than explained.

See you at ONS.

Want to get in touch with our global team? Contact your local sales manager here.

On 30 July 2026 at 9:00 AM (CST), Izomax and SLB will host the webinar Beyond Hot Tapping: Unlocking Safer Maintenance with the AOGV Technology. Presented by Svein Tore Milwertz, Customer Solutions Director at Izomax, and Matthew Doherty, New Services and Technologies Engineer at SLB, the session will introduce the AOGV Technology and discuss its role in safer maintenance.

The webinar will explore how the Izomax AOGV (Add-On Gate Valve) is transforming on-stream isolation by enabling critical maintenance to be carried out safely and efficiently while systems remain in service. By eliminating the need for shutdowns, extended turnarounds, and unplanned outages, the AOGV helps minimise downtime and maintain operational continuity.

The session will also explain how, unlike traditional hot tapping methods, the AOGV provides a non-intrusive isolation solution that reduces risk to personnel and infrastructure without requiring hot work.

Attendees will learn how Izomax and SLB are working together to deploy the technology worldwide, helping operators improve safety, increase asset availability, and reduce the operational impact of maintenance activities.

The webinar will conclude with a 15-minute live Q&A session, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions following the presentation.

Webinar details
Date: 30 July 2026
Time: 9:00 AM CST
Title: Beyond Hot Tapping: Unlocking Safer Maintenance with the AOGV Technology
Presented by: Svein Tore Milwertz (Izomax) and Matthew Doherty (SLB)
Includes: 15-minute Q&A session following the webinar.

Register here to reserve your place.

Want to get in touch with our team? Find your regional sales manager here.