This paper addresses a major challenge facing deepwater production of oil and gas: how to assure continuous flow of product under the pressures and temperatures found on the ocean floor. Syntactic foam promises to overcome the limitations exhibited by conventional insulation materials in the past. New hybrid glass and polymer chemistries with improved “hot, wet” performance survive in conditions that were formerly thought impossible. This paper presents the latest laboratory test data on these new materials, and proposes models for predicting long-term performance.
Epoxy syntactic foam, a composite material combining glass microspheres with other fillers in an epoxy binder, has been used with increasing success in insulating offshore pipelines and subsea equipment for the past decade or more. The advantages of epoxy include excellent resistance to high temperature and high pressure sea water as well as good thermal insulting properties. The exceptional strength of epoxy has made service at great depth possible. However, the rigidity of conventional epoxy-based material has so far limited its application to subsea equipment and J-Lay or S-Lay pipelines. As the offshore industry moves into deeper water and larger fields, the desirability of making advanced epoxy insulation flexible and extending its use to more efficient reeled deployment methods is becoming obvious. This paper describes research directed toward identifying new, highly flexible insulating materials suitable for service up to 300°F (150°C) and as deep as 10,000 ft (3000m). A critical part of the research program has been to develop a methodology for testing affording confidence for very long periods of service. Preliminary test data are presented, along with predictions of how this new class of products will be further developed.
This paper describes a recently developed syntactic foam material designed to collapse under precisely defined conditions of temperature and pressure to protect ultra-deep high pressure offshore oil and gas wells. Each grade of syntactic foam is engineered to have a specific set of characteristics, tailored for the region of the well it occupies. In the startup phase, the materials remain intact, with no significant volume change. As pressure and temperature in the well rise during operations, the materials begin to compress and relieve pressure in the narrow, confined space of the annulus. Finally, when conditions reach preset limits, the syntactic foam undergoes a sudden and dramatic collapse, preventing excessive overpressure, and protecting the steel casing. An important advantage of this material is that it is passive, requiring no controls or active intervention. It responds automatically to protect the well casing from overpressures and temperature spikes. The properties of the material can be adjusted to suit a wide range of conditions inside a given well, or from one well to another.
Syntactic foam, a composite material made by combining spherical fillers in a polymeric binder, has been used for over thirty years in the offshore oil industry. To date, the applications of this material have fallen into two categories: (1) buoyancy modules or floats to support drilling risers, or (2) thermal insulation for subsea equipment and flowlines. In the first category, the syntactic foam is exposed only to cold water (4° C). In the second category, the insulation may be subjected to temperatures as high as 150° C. The contrast of these two separate applications has led to two distinct classes of materials, each with its own properties and accepted standards and criteria. Now a new category of usage has arisen: Vertical production risers that require buoyant lift, and sometimes some degree of thermal insulation, for long-term service (20–25 years) in “warm” water that may be in the range of 40° C to 65° C. By combining the buoyancy requirement of lowest possible density with the insulation requirement of prolonged hydrothermal stability, this application poses new challenges for syntactic foam development and demands new directions in testing and analysis. Because of the increasingly large size of emerging offshore projects, the potential requirement here is for very large volumes. This paper describes the materials that have been identified as candidates for the new service, and outlines the testing philosophy that is being evolved to test and qualify them with confidence for very long periods of service. Preliminary test data is presented, along with predictions of long-term performance. Lessons learned during the project will have implications for all syntactic materials, and will be useful to any managers and technologists involved in marine engineering.
This paper summarizes many years of experience in designing and testing composite materials for use on offshore oil and gas pipelines and production equipment. It is the authors’ position that properly designed coatings and coverings can materially extend the life and safety of subsea equipment, whereas improper design can often contribute to premature failure and endanger both equipment and personnel. The principal applications of the authors’ research fall into four areas: (1) Buoyancy – providing buoyant lift to offset excessive weight of equipment in water; (2) Controlled Strength – providing precision compressibility to mitigate possible downhole annular pressure damage (3) Insulation – providing thermal protection against heat loss; and (4) Corrosion Protection – ensuring that all coatings work with (rather than against) cathodic protection systems. The potential for catastrophic damage in any or all of these areas is increasing daily as production moves into deeper water and hotter, higher-pressure wells. The paper presents case studies, cites test evidence, and suggests guidelines for designing composite materials that enhance safety in each of the subject areas. The resulting information will be useful to engineers, supervisors, and managers whose responsibility includes offshore design, maintenance, and safety.
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