materials feature | Oil & gas


Evonik is now a minority


shareholder in Airborne Oil & Gas (AOG), which makes thermoplastic


composite pipe for offshore oil and gas


applications


and efficiency motivates us to develop reliable solu- tions,” said Tom Swanson, energy director at Victrex.


Offshore advantage Thermoplastic composite pipes can actually offer cost savings in offshore pipelines, according to an industry project. The project, led by DNV GL, has developed a


recommended practice (RP) to help operators choose these types of pipe instead of traditional steel or traditional flexibles. DNVGL-RP-F119 Thermoplastic composite pipes


(TCP) was developed through the project, which involved 18 companies across the supply chain – from polymer producers, via TCP manufacturers, to oil companies as the end users. “Thermoplastic composite pipes are a new, robust


lightweight pipe alternative that will impact field layout, and installation methods and ultimately reduce the cost level,” said Per Anker Hassel, project manager with DNV GL – Oil & Gas. Thermoplastic composite pipes offer advantages in design, manufacture, installation and operation, he says. The RP targets towards operators, contractors,


suppliers and others seeking acceptance for using TCP in offshore operations, and is intended for: suppliers of TCP for offshore operations and suppliers of raw materials for such pipes that are seeking market access for their products; operators and contractors seeking acceptance for using TCP in offshore opera- tions; and, suppliers and recipients of TCP which need a common technical basis for contractual reference. One thermoplastic pipe supplier, Polyflow, has


commercialised Thermoflex Lite, a new spoolable pipe that transports hydrocarbons at low pressures. The new product fills the gap between the company’s


standard Thermoflex offering and HDPE pipe, said Jim Moore, CEO of Polyflow. “Our standard Thermoflex pipe isn’t cost-effective


for certain low-pressure applications,” he said. “With Thermoflex Lite, we can service this growing market


“ 36


Evonik is a strategic investor with


extensive knowledge of plastics for oil & gas applications


Van der Meer ” PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | July/August 2016


with a rugged pipe product that is manufactured to industry-recognised standards.” Thermoflex Lite pipe is designed for long, continuous


runs for the transmission of hydrocarbons and other liquids. The pipe uses a proprietary one-step co-extruded production process which includes a nylon PA6 liner to protect the HDPE pipe from hydrocarbon contamination. Moore said the manufacturing process creates a


cost-effective durable pipe without the need to derate pressure specifications for hydrocarbons. Thermoflex Lite uses a mechanical or electrofusion


process to ensure proper joining, field integrity and fast installation. It is designed for pressures up to 300 psi with hydrocarbons present, and long-term service temperatures up to 180F.


Buying into offshore Through its venture capital arm, Evonik has invested in Airborne Oil & Gas (AOG), a Dutch manufacturer of thermoplastic composite pipe for offshore oil and gas applications. It now becomes a minority shareholder in the company. AOG says that its thermoplastic composite pipes are


suitable for a wide range of offshore applications. A number of operators have qualified its pipes for offshore oil & gas transport lines, where the benefits of low cost installation and the absence of corrosion offer improvements. “In Evonik we’ve gained a strategic investor with an


extensive knowledge of plastics for oil & gas applica- tions,” said Eric van der Meer, CEO of AOG. “We hope this will give us additional impetus to develop our business further.” AOG’s three layer pipes are made by covering an inner


plastic pipe with a composite of unidirectional tapes – which in turn is sheathed by plastic. Polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide 12 and Peek can be used. Unidirectional tapes are thin plastic bands in which continuous reinforcing fibres are embedded in parallel alignment. When a number of such bands are


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