Reinforcements
Design Issues
Typical FRP pipe is reciprocally filament wound with a fiber angle of ±54.75° relative to the longitudinal (0°) axis. This architecture satisfies stress loads in both the circumferential (hoop) and longitudinal (axial) directions for most pipes and pressure vessels. It withstands the in-use pressure, ther
Read MorePetrobras Pioneers Topside Composites
Petrobras (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was the first major oil company to experiment with molded gratings in the 1980s, though these early products proved unsatisfactory due to wide variations in mechanical properties. However, advances in pultrusion and filament winding technology coupled with the availability of
Read MoreComposite Tether Goes To Sea
Conoco and KOP have manufactured a prototype of a carbon fiber composite tether that could extend TLP production to depths exceeding 10,000 ft/3,000 m. The design has undergone extensive static testing and fatigue loading and has been verified through hydrodynamic model testing. Sea testing is being planned.
Read MoreIssues With Design
Though steel is the traditional material for coiled tubing because of its low price, it is susceptible to corrosion, fatigue failure (caused by repeated coiling and uncoiling), and troublesome joints. In larger sizes, its weight can increase transport difficulties. With the advent of secondary recovery methods
Read MoreSpoolable Composite Tubular Applications
Applications for spoolable composite tubulars can be divided into three major areas — onshore, offshore and downhole. Onshore applications, which include production and gathering lines that convey fluids between wells and surface facilities, are well-suited to spoolable composite tubing and RTP. Offshore appli
Read MoreComposite Drilling Risers Many Years In The Making
The development of rigid composite riser systems has a history that spans two decades. Beginning in 1979, Aerospatiale and the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP) developed a 15,000 psi, 4 inch composite tubular. Although this project started out as a feasibility study, by the mid-1980s it had led to the manufa
Read MoreOngoing Research And Onshore Applications Lead The Way
Deep subsea developments require integrated service umbilicals (ISUs) to transport hydrate control fluids, such as methanol, and hydraulic fluids to control valves at subsea wellheads. ISUs are typically made from small-diameter (typically 0.25 inches/6.5 mm up to 2 inches/50 mm) stainless steel tubes and/or s
Read MoreComposite Accumulator Bottles Perform In Service
A riser tensioning system for a TLP consists of a tensioning ring and framework, with four to eight hydraulic cylinders — each with an attached pressure vessel or “accumulator bottle” — to support and allow movement of the rigid riser pipe. Installed in the riser wellbay, this primary structural system is desi
Read MoreChanging The Paradigm
In Gibson’s opinion, large composite structures will be proven onshore, in civil infrastructure. “What will happen is that large pultruded parts and those made with other means will become commonplace,” he maintains, “and then the technology will migrate to other areas, including offshore oil.” Dr. Char
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