Pictures

FRP liner in steel tubing for downhole and flowline applications
Chemical resistance of FRP materials in oil field production fluid

FRP Liner JIP

The use of Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) lined steel pipes to provide corrosion resistance have the potential to provide large cost savings compared to conventional corrosion resistant alloy (CRA) systems for downhole and flowline/pipeline applications.

Compared with other low cost alternatives such as fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) coatings and polyethylene liners, FRP liners provide a more robust corrosion protection system. The technology has generally been confined to downhole water injection service on land wells but offshore Operators have been reluctant to use this technology for production service. This is, in part, due to the lack of an industry specification to qualify the technology for use in the more exacting conditions found offshore.

Philip Medlicott was project manager for the Oil States Industries (UK) Ltd (OSIUK) Joint Industry Program that was set-up to develop a methodology for qualifying fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) lined tubing and flowlines for high temperature production service.

The following performance issues were addressed:

Seven companies, OSIUK, Shell, Amoco, BG, Kerr McGee, Petrobras and Saudi Aramco supported the JIP, which was completed at the end of 2003. 

A range of materials were subjected to 160oC at 5000 psi in a production fluid environment over several thousand hours. The figure below shows how the performance of one particular material, as measured by several different methods, changed as a function of time. This shows that little degradatation was observed and that FRP materials can be designed to withstand aggressive downhole environments.

For further information about this project please contact Philip Medlicott directly.  For further information from Oil States click here http://www.oilstates-uk.com/