Thermoflex® Tubing!

Reinforced Thermoplastic Gathering, Disposal and Injection

Lines!!

Offshore Rehabilitation of Existing Steel Pipelines!

December 9, 2009!!

!!

Background!•  Existing Underwater Pipelines with Leaks

are Expensive to replace or Repair!•  Insertion of Thermoflex® Tubing is:!

–  Low Cost!– Requires Minimal Equipment!–  Long Term Corrosion Resistant Alternative!

•  Can Create a Double Walled System!

Presentation Today!

What is Thermoflex Tubing!Case Studies Of Installations!

Next Steps!

New Engineered Plastics Provide Higher Temperature Strength Not Available From

Polyethylene (PE)!

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

PSI

73F 250F

Tensile Strength (psi)

Fortr

on

Capr

on

PE

Liner Construction & Design!•  Multi-layer Design!

–  Inner Layer for Corrosion Resistance, Low Permeation and Higher Temp Strength . . . Nylon and Fortron!

–  Outer Layer for Higher Temperature Strength, Abrasion Resistance . . . Capron or PP!

•  Fully Bonded!•  Applications to 250F!

Inner Barrier

Outer Strength and Abrasion Layer

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

Time, Hours

Wei

gh

t C

han

ge

(%)

Long Term / Elevated Temp. Fuel Exposure Weight Change - Fuel CM15 (121oC)!

HTN - 35% GR

PPA - 45% GR

PPS - 40% GR

N66 - 25% GR

10%

5%

0%

Polymer Estimated Life in Sour Environment (Years)!

Source: Merl Report 2% H2S, 3% CO2, Balance methane in saturated brine water. Life defined as 50% reduction in yield strength

Temp (F)! Nylon! Fortron! HDPE!

80C! 1.2! >25! <.02!

100C! .26! >25! NA!

140C! .02! >25! NA!

CO2 Permeability

0200400600800

100012001400160018002000

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Temperature oC

Per

mea

tion

Coe

ff. (

cm3

100m

icro

n)/(

m2

day

atm

)

PPS SKX-382PPS SKX-372Carilon P-1000PVDF KF 1000

Hydrogen permeation of Fortron (PPS) at 23 °C

Permeation [cm³/m² d bar]

PE PP PET Fortron PPS Vectra LCP

11000

7000

800 300 20 0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

H2

Reinforced Tubing Design and Construction!

•  Multi-layer Design!–  Inner and Outer Barrier

Layers!–  Center Layer Provides

Higher Temperature Strength!

–  Fiber reinforced with Kevlar for Strength, Tensile Load, and Burst!

•  Tubing Strength P=(2*F*n)/D*L!

Why Aramid Fibers vs. Glass!

Creep Performance!Ø1.75 Creep Test @ 5000 lb

-1.50%

-1.00%

-0.50%

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

3.00%

1 10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000

Time (Minutes)

% C

hang

e

% Change Length % Change Diameter

Design Strength vs. Short Term Burst Strength!

2 3/8” 500PSI Rated ! Burst Strength!

Rated Braid Strength! 500PSI!

Design Braid Strength! 893PSI!

Short Term Burst !Avg. Last 12 Months!

2,297PSI!

Rehabilitation Process!•  Pig Line to Assure Path for Thermoflex!•  Use Pig to Pull Rope or Cable Through the

Line!•  Pull Thermoflex back Through Line with

the Rope or Cable!•  Connect to Tie in Points!

Case Study for Crescent Petroleum!

•  Existing Flexible Steel Line Failure!

•  High Pressure Sour Gas with H2S (1,200PSI)!

•  6,000ft (1.83Km) between Platforms!

•  Pulling 3.5” Thermoflex Through 8” Flex Steel!

Pull the Rope Through the Line!•  Rope or Cable!

–  Rope Lighter Weight!–  Less Pigging Pressure!

•  Flooding the line Reduces Drag!

•  Pig for Pulling the Rope !

•  Rope Rated for 34,000lbs!

Pulling Cone!•  Attached to

Thermoflex Termination Coupling!

•  3” NPT Threads!•  Holes In Cone to

Allow for Water to Flood the Inside of Thermoflex Tubing !

Prepping for the Pull!•  Spools had 1,800ft

length of Thermoflex!•  Stage the Spools on

the Platform!

Pulling the Tubing!•  Pull Force Never

Exceeded 9,000lbs!•  Pull one Length of

Tubing, Stop, Attach Union Coupling, Pull Next Joint!

•  Pipe Pulled Through Flooded Steel Line!

Pulling From the Riser!

Pipe after 6,000ft Pull (1.83Km)

Union/Splice Assemblies!•  Unions without Joints!•  250lbs (113kg)

Machine!•  15 Minute Coupling

Process!

Terminations!•  Flange Assembly to

original Steel Assembly to to Seal off Annulus!

Hydro Test at 1850PSI!•  Pressure line in

Stages!•  Stretch in Pipe

Requires “Topping Off” Prior to Test!

•  Ran for 24 hours!

Results!•  Total Project 8 days!•  90% less expensive

than Replacing Steel!•  Corrosion Resistant!•  No Disposal of Old

Lines!

Pulling From Onshore to Offshore!

•  Gulf Of Mexico!•  14,400ft Pull!•  Pigging Through

Multiple Diameter Existing Pipe!

•  Oil /Brine Flow Line!•  Install 2 3/8”

Thermoflex!

Platform

Pre-pulling Issues!•  4”, 6” 8” Line!•  Riser Radii too Small!

–  Lift Riser onto Barge!–  Terminate Pull

Through Before Elbow!•  Steel Riser but Could

have used Thermoflex!

Pulling from Land to Platform!•  Staging Pipe on Land

Easier!•  Braided Rope vs.

Cable because of Drag Weight!

•  Flooded Pipeline to minimize Drag!

•  14,400ft . . . Under 3,000lb Pull Force!

Results!•  2 Weeks to Pig!•  1.5 days to Pull!•  Essential to Make

Sure a Pig Gets Through before Project Starts!

Key Planning Steps!•  Model the Project!

–  Optimal Pipe Size/Type!

–  Pull Through Risers?!–  Pull Force

Requirement!•  Determine Space

Requirements!•  Safety / Testing

Requirements!

Modeling!0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

0

250

500

750

1000

1250

1500

1750

2000

2250

2500

Thermoflex TubingSteel Tubing

Velocity (ft/s)

Pres

sure

Dro

p (p

si)

Thermoflex ID Steel ID

IDtherm 1.220in= IDsteel 1.220in=

Operating Pressure(Gage)Length Operating Temp

L 14500ft= P1 14.7psi− 1400psi= T1 460R− 120°F=

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 20000

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Thermoflex TubingSteel Tubing

Production (mcfd)

Pres

sure

Dro

p (p

si)