Material supplier, manufacturer marry in oil and gas

Victrex plc (West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania) and Magma Global Ltd. (Portsmouth, UK) announced on Jan. 25 the lastest composites industry marriage, with thermoplastic materials specialist Victrex taking a minority interest in oil and gas composite pipe fabricator Magma.

Following the joint development of Magma carbon composite m-pipe using VICTREX PEEK, Victrex made the minority interest investment in Magma to further facilitate the adoption of its m-pipe for subsea applications. The m-pipe technology is expected to reduce exploration and production costs and risks for demanding subsea applications – and is also the subject of a free webinar covering engineering, performance and commercial benefits.

Increasingly stringent demands for operations at greater depths, with sour service demands, and under higher pressures and temperatures, have made a metal replacement for subsea piping an urgent priority for the oil and gas industry. "Our strategic relationship with Magma Global will help to further facilitate the industry´s move into a new era of enhanced capabilities, coupled with reduced costs, in extreme subsea operations," says James Simmonite, energy director at Victrex.

Learn more about composite risers here: Oil & gas: Will the composite riser rise again?

“The oil and gas market remains challenging, but the application of m-pipe in areas where it can deliver cost savings for operators, through simpler design, easier deployment and in whole life costs, means it should be the technology of choice for demanding subsea applications," says Martin Jones, CEO at Magma. Continued progress of the company last year also included the launch of a leading rental system for hydraulic pumping for intervention, early production and temporary riser replacement, consisting of m-pipe with an Integrated Deployment Package and crew.

With cooperation between the two companies continuing to grow, both are joining Smithers Rapra in hosting, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, a free webinar on the use of Victrex's polymer in the construction of thermoplastic composite pipes (TCPs) for subsea environments. The webinar will focus on SURF (Subsea Umbilicals Risers Flowlines), subsea jumpers, and subsea connectivity. The qualification process for m-pipe will be described, as well as the outstanding properties of PEEK polymer which, together, make it an excellent fit for subsea applications.