Dutch technology firm Airborne Oil & Gas has been awarded a qualification program from Shell for a high-pressure, deepwater thermocomposite pipe (TCP) jumper spool.
Its first application is anticipated in the Gulf of Mexico region. The TCP jumper spool will be manufactured using carbon fibre, and designed for application in depths greater than 2000m at pressures in excess of 10,000 psi.
The qualification program will be performed at the Airborne Oil & Gas manufacturing facility in IJmuiden, The Netherlands and be completed by summer 2017.
Tom Moroney, Shell’s Vice President Deepwater & Wells Technology comments: “Airborne Oil & Gas’ Flexible Composite Pipe is light weight and flexible, which could considerably help reduce the cost of subsea developments in deep waters. In addition, the high-pressure jumper spool represents a relevant step towards future deployment of deepwater composite risers."
Gavin Leiper, Vice President Airborne Oil & Gas North America, comments: “This is a fantastic step forward in our qualification and product portfolio. We are very pleased that Shell have recognized the opportunity that our cost effective technology brings to the full operational life-cycle of subsea field infrastructures. We are looking forward to working closely with the Shell Technology Centres in Houston and Amsterdam, as we deliver this exciting product to the market.”
Airborne already started a project to qualify a TCP deepwater jumper spool application for oil major Total. Airborne has recently completed a project with Chevron to provide a 12,400psi methanol injection spool for permanent service in the North Sea, van der Meer says. This is on the Alder field, which came online in November. Airborne is also looking to deploy a system for hydrocarbon use in the South China Sea next year, which will be a first.
Meanwhile, the Libra consortium, offshore Brazil, invited Airborne Oil & Gas to perform a failure mode, effect and criticality assessment (FMECA) for a TCP riser that could be used at the giant Libra field.
Last year, Airborne supplied a TCP flowline for Petronas for use in 30m water depth offshore Malaysia as part of a pilot project. Airborne had already supplied downlines and dynamic jumpers for well intervention.