Following the successful completion of a three-year qualification program of subsea flowline for hydrocarbon service, PETRONAS has requested Airborne Oil & Gas to supply a TCP (thermoplastic composite pipe) Flowline for a pilot project, intended to be installed later this year.
The scope includes the delivery of a 550m TCP Flowline, ancillaries, offshore installation, engineering and field support. The 6in internal diameter TCP Flowline is to be installed in 30m water depth connecting two platforms offshore Malaysia.
Datin Rashidah Karim, head of operational technology of PETRONAS Carigali said: “At PETRONAS we recognize the potential for the use of non-metallic pipe as a substitute for carbon steel under certain conditions and will embark on the world’s first offshore pilot having done extensive qualification of the material, installability and operability of the pipe.
"The TCP Flowline does not corrode, reducing the OPEX significantly. Furthermore, by close collaboration between the installation contractor, Airborne Oil & Gas and PETRONAS, adopting an integral design approach, a cost effective installation method has been developed that allows for a total project cost reduction while meeting PETRONAS’ requirements such as for instance on-bottom stability".
The lightweight TCP Flowline is supplied in long lengths, spooled on transport drums.
Martin van Onna, chief commercial officer at Airborne says: "This project marks the world’s first pilot for a TCP Flowline, and the beginning of a new phase in the relationship between PETRONAS and Airborne Oil & Gas. We are grateful for the support from PETRONAS during this important time in our development, in which we jointly completed the qualification, performed installation trials and demonstrated the capability of the TCP Flowline in this demanding environment, both technically and commercially."
"With this project, we now have commercial deliveries on all our thermoplastic composite pipe products: Downlines and Dynamic Jumpers for well intervention, Static Jumpers and Spools for injection, and Flowlines for hydrocarbon service. The potential for Flowlines in particular is very large; we manufacture up to 7 inch ID TCP Flowline, replacing 8 inch nominal steel pipe as well as conventional flexible pipe. We manufacture these in lengths up to 3000 meters per spool, allowing fast installation by reel lay method, reducing installation cost significantly and with that the total project cost," added van Onna.
Read more about Airborne in September's OE.