N e w D e v e l o p m e N t s i N s y N t h e t i c R o p e t e c h N o l o g y

C o m m e r C i a l m a r i n e a p p l i C a t i o n s

Samson’s Quatum-12 Overcomes Deep Water Challenges ...........................1TECHNICAL BULLETIN: Coefficient of Friction .....3Introducing Saturn Dynalene ..............................4CURRENT NEWS: .....................5 From Another Division: Recreational MarineSamson in ActionBehind the Lion

Samson Synthetic Rope Overcomes Deep Water ChallengesSamson’s Quantum-12 provides an efficient solution for subsea installation and retrieval for one of the deepest production facilities in the world.When Shell was designing the Perdido Spar platform’s subsea asset deployment and retrieval system, it faced a problem: at water depths over 8,000 feet, a traditional wire rope drum winch system would be too heavy for the platform on which it was to rest. A revolutionary new winch/rope system was needed.Shell chose Samson’s Quantum-12 synthetic rope on a Logan Industries traction winch to solve the problem. It marked the first time Shell had used a synthetic rope system on a spar platform and the first time Samson’s Quantum-12 had been used in this type of application.

BACkgROunD The Perdido Spar, operated by Shell on behalf of partners BP and Chevron, is part of the world’s deepest oil production facility. It is the most remote producing platform in the Gulf of Mexico, almost 220 miles off the coast of Texas, and the only development in the region to use subsea separation and boosting equipment. The development features 22 wells and 13 more well tie-backs, which must be changed out and serviced at regular intervals.

Rather than deploying offshore service vessels to the remote development at great expense, the Perdido Spar’s design includes a winch system allowing

the platform to service the subsea equipment itself. However, operating in nearly 9,000 feet of water while handling payloads of up to 90,000 pounds can be a challenge.

Compounding the problem, the Perdido Spar design places the winch on a cantilevered deck (a smaller deck extending out from the main platform) imposing significant weight restrictions.A traditional steel wire rope of this length would be prohibitively heavy. Weighing 81,750 pounds, it would double the necessary lifting capacity of the winch. This would in turn increase the size of the winch and cause significant structural modifications to the spar.

The SAMSOn SOLuTIOn To solve the problem, Shell solicited possible solutions from their winch and cordage suppliers. After reviewing several proposals, Shell decided a synthetic winch line offered many advantages and would require minimal deck space. Shell turned to Samson for its expertise in high-strength, lightweight synthetics and to Logan Industries for a simple, yet unique traction-style winch design. This combination met the weight and footprint restrictions of the cantilevered deck and was more than capable of performing the subsea operations.

Samson provided 9,200 feet of 2-1/2" diameter Quantum-12 rope. Weighing 85% less than a wire rope of similar size and length, this greatly reduced the deck weight.

The biggest advantage, however, is that Quantum-12 is neutrally buoyant and adds no weight to the payload. This allows the winch to work at full capacity regardless of depth. Samson also worked closely with Logan Industries throughout the project, assisting the design engineers in creating a smaller, lighter winch system specific to the characteristics of the Quantum-12 high-performance rope.

Logan’s winch design includes a storage reel with capacity for 9,200 feet of 2-1/2" diameter Quantum-12 high-performance rope. Quantum-12’s superior bend fatigue properties allowed a significantly smaller diameter traction head, reducing weight.

Logan traction winch designed for Samson Quantum-12 met weight requirements for the cantilevered deck on Shell’s Perdido Spar. Continued on next page…

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Quantum-12 provides the same strength as the similarly sized wire rope. It is made with Samson’s patented DPX™ fiber technology for superior abrasion and cut resistance with a higher coefficient of friction than other high modulus polyethylene ropes. Synthetics also offer superior bend fatigue properties than steel wire rope at smaller bend ratios. This feature allowed Logan to design the winch system with a smaller diameter traction head, resulting in a significant weight reduction. Samson technicians perform an annual winch line inspection on the Perdido Spar and after two years of service the rope is in excellent condition with normal wear and tear and no internal abrasion.“This synthetic winch system enables Shell to save precious time and money in its well completion and maintenance operations,” said Dennis Sherman, Samson’s Director of Offshore Sales. “having the winch installed on the spar means Shell avoids hiring costly vessels to manage the deployments around the rig site. This solution would not have been possible with a steel wire system.”

Samson master distributor, Southwest Ocean Services, of Houston, Texas, also assisted with installation and fabrication for the project.

The SAMSOn ADvAnTAge Samson doesn’t just sell rope. Samson partners with its customers through the design process, proper installation, crew training, custom documentation, and determination of retirement criteria. With the most advanced R&D engineers, technical sales team, and field service professionals, Shell was assured of having the right product for their highly customized application. It’s this all-encompassing relationship that sets Samson apart to deliver the best possible products and services to the offshore industry.

For more information on Samson’s complete line of high-performance ropes visit our website, www.SamsonRope.com, or contact our customer service department.For more information on Logan Industries winches, visit LoganIndustries.net.

Samson Synthetic Rope Overcomes Deep Water Challenges continued…

After two years of regular service, inspections show the rope to be in excellent condition with no internal abrasion.

Technology Leveraging experience and expertise with the latest advancements in fibers, coatings, and manufacturing processes.

ReliabiliTy Exceptional track record of replacing wire rope in the offshore industry.

UnpaRalleled Extensive family of existing products or custom engineered solutions to meet unique specifications.

SeRvice Dedicated professionals making a difference from inception to completion.

Team Where people and technology make the difference.

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Why COnSIDeR COF?One of Samson’s top goals is to ensure that the best performing rope product is used for the job. There are many things to consider when identifying the optimum product. One such consideration is how the rope will interact with application surfaces. Does the rope need to grip to a surface such as a bitt or winch drum? Does it need to slide smoothly over a surface, such as a mooring chock or a bullnose? A measurable way to describe these interactions is in terms of Coefficient of Friction (COF). Without considering the appropriate COF in the system, the rope life and performance can be dramatically reduced.

hOW COF IS DeFIneD AnD MeASuReDStatic COF is defined as the ratio of shear force (Fs) to normal force (Fn) between two surfaces at the moment of impending slip (that is the maximum shear force prior to slip being initiated). This can be shown as:

Where μ is the COF and Fs and Fn are the shear and normal forces, respectively.

Typically, COF for flexible rope is measured by wrapping the rope around a circular drum, pin, or sheave and displacing one end of the rope under tension while measuring the tension on the other end of the rope. In such a test, COF can be correlated to the two tension loads and to the angle of the wrap where T1 and T2 are the two tension measurements and ϴ is the angle of the wrap, in radians.

The COF between a rope and a solid surface depends on a large number of factors both dependent and

independent of the rope design itself. In addition to the structure and material of the rope, other factors include the type of surface the rope is in contact with, the contact pressure between the two, and the presence of other species at the interface (i.e. water, oil, etc.).

The CORReCT COF FOR The AppLICATIOnThe COF of the rope is influenced, and varies, by fiber type, coating, and rope construction. In many applications it is essential that the correct COF is used. Here are some examples that highlight this importance:

A traction winch systemA traction winch system requires a rope with a medium to high COF. In the system shown in the photo below, Samson’s DPX™ fiber technology provides a high COF in the traction winch system. This enables the traction sheaves to grip the rope surface. A rope with a lower COF would easily slide on the traction sheaves, thus making the system inoperable.

tugboat BullnoseIn a standard tugboat application, the mainline is redirected with a bullnose. As the rope runs through the bullnose, energy is generated in the form of heat. The amount of heat generated depends on the level of friction between the surfaces. Samson’s proprietary Samthane Type E coating used in Saturn-12 (a 12-strand line made of 100% Dyneema®) keeps this friction and heat generation low, ultimately adding to the rope’s life.

mooring, tugboat, and Barge BittsMooring, tugboat, and barge applications require lines to be held by bitts. The holding power of rope secured around a bitt depends on the COF of the line (see photo at left). If a low COF line is used on a bitt, the line will most likely slip under load with subsequent melting and strength loss. It is essential that a line with an adequate level of COF is used in these applications.

These examples show the importance of COF. For help choosing the correct rope for the application or identifying COF values, please contact the Samson technical sales team via CustServ@SamsonRope.com or +1-800-227-7673.

COF is an important characteristic to consider when selecting a rope.

TECHnICAL BuLLETIn: Coefficient of Friction

Fn

Surface interation between objects

Fn

Fµ = —s

Fs

T1

T2

µ = coefficient of friction

Quantum-12 traction winch line on the Perdido Spar.

Saturn-12 tug mainline and pendant.

Quantum-12 tug mainline on an H-bitt.

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neW ChAFe pROTeCTIOn pRODuCT Saturn Dynalene

Above from Left: mark Ng, Paul Chong and Kris volpenhein

“With the addition of Mark and paul, our team is ready to provide immediate support to all of our customers throughout the ApAC region. Our new sales and technical office in Singapore, along with our extensive distributor network, allows us to support customer needs across the marine, oil & gas and shipping industries.”

kris volpenhein ApAc Regional manager

The best high-performance chafe protection is now even better.Samson’s Dynalene chafe gear is a unique product that protects the strength member from abrasion in some of the most demanding applications. The design allows easy access to the rope for inspection of both external and internal abrasion without removing the chafe gear from the rope. Now Dynalene is even better.

SATuRn DynALene pROTeCTS even BeTTeR… Saturn Dynalene is still a 100% Dyneema® open braid that is easily spliced into the rope to protect both the eye and the body of the rope from abrasion. While Dyneema® fiber is inherently cut and abrasion resistant, adding our proprietary Saturn coating further increases the chafe gear’s longevity and service life by increasing abrasion resistance and reducing operating temperatures. The result is better protection and even longer lasting lines. Saturn Dynalene is fully repairable in the field, does not absorb water, and it floats. It is easily installed anywhere on the rope.

The proof is in the numbersSamson’s new Saturn coating has been proven to increase the service life of ropes in some of the most demanding of applications. Starting in 2009, Samson partnered with long-time customer G&H Towing Company of Texas to fully document the field testing of a new rope that incorporated the new coating. Data was logged throughout the field trials, and the results were clear.

Service life was extended by 15 to 20% over uncoated ropes, and the residual strength of the rope after over 2,240 hours of service was 92%.

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SAMSON’S ULTIMATE TOWING SYSTEM

MATCHAbrasionhas met its

Samson’s systematic approach provides you with the ultimate in performance and value

QUANTUM-12 BACKER LINE: > Patented DPX™ technology

> High coefficient of friction for good grip as it wraps on the winch

SATURN-12 MAINLINE: > Proprietary abrasion-resistant coating > Substantially reduces internal and external abrasion > Increases residual strength by 20% > Extends service life

PENDANT WITH SATURN DyNALENE CHAfE GEAR:

> Added protection from abrasion on areas of high contact > Now improved with proprietary Saturn coating > Very light weight > Easy inspection without removal

HIGH-PERfoRMANCE TUG SoLUTIoNS:RIVER/BARGE LINESEMERGENCy ToW LINESLoCK LINES

Visit SamsonRope.com/TugAssist for more information.

Samson’s proprietary Saturn coating improves abrasion resistance and reduces internal operating temperatures

Saturn Dynalene can be installed anywhere on the rope, making it a great choice for mooring, tug, and offshore applications.

Saturn coating results in a significant increase in the residual strength of the rope measured throughout its service life. that means more pulls and safer pulls with longer periods before retirement.

Photo © Brian Gauvin

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Current news from Samson

n e W S F R O M A n O T h e R D I v I S I O n : rECrEATIonAL MArInE

Samson gives high-performance sailors 3 more ways to stay in front of the pack.

Add a call out here

Samson has launched three new products to help competitive sailors stay competitive: Control-DpX™, Xceed-78, and Smooth Ice.

S A M S O n I n A C T I O n U p c o m i N g e v e N t s

OffshOre > Australasian Oil & Gas (AOG) February 20 – 22: Perth, Western Australia

> subsea Tieback March 5 – 7: San Antonio, Texas

> Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) May 6 – 9: Houston, Texas

See Samson at these

upcoming events

B e h I n D T h e L I O n

Supporting the community —The Samson Way

The unITeD WAySamson is committed to positively impacting the communities in which we live. We focus our charitable giving on non-profit agencies that support local causes, with emphasis on those committed to supporting children and families to build stronger, healthier, self-supporting communities for the future. The United Way distributes funds to a variety of local agencies who share these common goals. Samson and its employees have generously supported the United Way for more than 20 years. Over recent years, Samson employees have served on the board of directors and participated in the Loaned Executive Program; in which an individual works half time at Samson and

Samson received the Live United Award in 2011 (embodied giving, advocating, and volunteering).

tony bon, Samson president, and Karma reavis, recipient of the United Way Coordinator of the Year award.

Samson teams have been participating in the Jingle bell run since 2004.

New recreational marine products serve the needs of high-performance sailors, not matter what size their craft.

C O n T A C T S A M S O nEMAIL: CustServ@SamsonRope.comonLInE: SamsonRope.comPHonE: 1.360.384.4669FAX: 1.360.384.0572MAIL: 2090 Thornton Street, Ferndale, WA 98248 USA

Photo © Billy Black

Photo © Eugene Vivino

Control-DPX™ combines Dyneema® fiber and Samson’s patented DPX™ technology into a strong, lightweight line that is winch and cleat friendly while being incredibly easy on the hands. Perfect for sheets and all running rigging that needs a ‘soft hand.’

Xceed-78 is specifically for use on today’s high-performance mega yachts where extreme loads on halyards and sheets demand a large diameter line. Available in sizes from 5/8" to 2" in diameter, Xceed-78 combines the high strength, low creep and extremely low weight of a 100% braided Dyneema® SK-78 core with the protection of a heavy duty all-polyester cover.

smooth Ice is designed to protect single braid ropes in running rigging applications. Smooth Ice provides easier handling and enhanced grip on winches, cleats and line clutches. Easily spliced into single braids, put it just where you need the extra grip and protection.

SAMSOn WeLLneSS pROgRAM SUPPortiNg oUr iNterNAL CommUNitYSafety is the foundation of everything we do and we understand how important it is to our customers as well. We take pride in the fact that our product, by its very nature, provides a safer working environment than the traditional steel wire rope it replaces in the majority of the industries we supply. We are often asked what we do to invest in the safety and wellness of Samson Employees. samson invests in the safety of its employees in a number of areas; > Full time safety coordinators at each facility charged with employee training and continuous improvement of safe working conditions and a site level safety committee.> Training for all new employees, extensive Safety Manual, ongoing safety education > People Based Safety program that focuses on action and behavior modifications to improve environment.employee Wellness program that promotes healthy living. Whether they are looking for ways to improve their health, reach their ideal weight, quit smoking or just get fit, Samson offers employees a monitored program to help. To date, 234 employees are enjoying the program and feeling better. Samson offers its employees the opportunity to earn discounts in their health care premiums through points earned by participating in the wellness program.

half time at the United Way for the 12-week fund raising season. In 2011 Samson received the Live United Award; presented to a select few organizations that embody giving, advocating, and volunteering. In 2012, employee contributions, fund raising events, and Samson’s company match raised over $38,000 for United Way.

JIngLe BeLL RunSince 2004, the Jingle Bell run has seen a contingent of Samson employees in the mix at the annual event. Proceeds from the 5K run/walk benefit the Arthritis Foundation. This year, 35 of Samson’s heartiest souls participated.

TUG > Tugnology

May 14 – 15: London, UK

reC MArINe > strictly sail Chicago

January 24 – 27: Chicago, Illinois

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