Effect of crude oil and well stream chemical on glass fiber epoxy composite pipes

Abstract

Glass-reinforced epoxy (GRE) pipes are used as an alternative to carbon steel pipes in desert oil field applications owing to their good properties such as chemical resistance, thermal resistance and mechanical properties. In the desert oil field service, the pipes are exposed to different harsh environmental conditions such as high temperature, humidity and ultraviolet radiation. The harsh environmental conditions can affect the properties of GRE pipes, which, in turn, can impact their performance. The present study covers the effects of environment factors such as crude oil and well stream chemicals on the properties of GRE pipes. The pipe samples were aged in wet crude, effluent water and scale inhibitor to simulate the exposure to desert oil field service. The aged samples were evaluated for their mechanical properties, thermal stability and chemical resistance. The compositional change in the composite structures was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and matrix deterioration by scanning electron microscopy. Swelling studies revealed no significant diffusion by the chemical media. Tensile testing showed a slight change in tensile strength with aging in crude oil. In addition, all the pipe samples showed adequate thermal stability to withstand harsh environmental conditions.

Fabrication and Mechanical Performance of Graphene Nanoplatelet/Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Hybrid Composites

“…Glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite has been increasingly investigated as an alternative piping material to carbon steel for oil and gas industry applications, owing to its lightweight, high specific strength and stiffness, good chemical and thermal resistance, ease of transportation, installation, and minimal maintenance (Edwards, 1998;Rafiee, 2016;Al-Samhan et al, 2017). In particular, the recent requirement of moving the offshore oil and gas industry from shallow coast to "deep water" production (Hale et al, 2000) challenged the traditional steel tether design: larger platforms are needed to withstand high axial tension mechanics for works deeper than 1500 m. As a result, lightweight materials, such as nonmetallic composites, are urgently needed for "deep water" applications (Ochoa and Salama, 2005), as well as other applications in demanding environments.…”