Petrobras, Shell and Strohm have completed a qualification and offshore field trial program for a thermoplastic composite pipe flowline designed for high-CO2 conditions in Brazil's deepwater pre-salt, clearing the way for a Petrobras pilot installation planned for early 2027.
The joint industry program included full-scale qualification and offshore trials of Strohm's corrosion-free TCP technology, designed for a 30-year service life.
DNV qualified a six-inch carbon fibre-PA12 TCP for alternating water and gas injection, or WAG, used for enhanced oil recovery, under its DNV-ST-F119 standard.
The qualification program involved more than 50,000 testing hours covering materials, sealing and full-scale testing. More than 40 individual full-scale tests were conducted across seven laboratories and certified testing facilities in Europe and Brazil.
“The project has great strategic relevance for the subsea sector in Brazil and beyond, as it decisively solves one of the major pipeline integrity challenges identified in recent years: the risk of stress-corrosion cracking in environments with a high CO₂ concentration. By using non-metallic TCP, corrosion is simply eliminated, strengthening system integrity and operational reliability in challenging subsea environments,” said Martin van Onna, Strohm’s CEO.
Following the DNV qualification, offshore field trials were completed in July 2026, including deep immersion performance tests and subsea vertical connection tests. The trials were intended to validate the pipe's performance during offshore handling, installation and connection to subsea systems.
The qualification and field trials are the final steps before Petrobras installs and operates a pilot TCP flowline at a Brazilian pre-salt field, with deployment planned for early 2027.
Strohm said the TCP can be installed using existing installation vessels without material changes to installation procedures. Its lightweight construction compared with steel also allows deployment using vessels of convenience.
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