Offshore composite applications

Handrail, grating and ladder composite material applications on North Sea topside offshore oil facility
 
Impact testing of grating
 
Composite caisson prototype testing for long span application
 
GRP fire resistant deluge piping in well bay area of an offshore platform
 
Lightweight topsides made from composite materials
 

Composite materials in offshore oil and gas industry

Composite materials can be applied to a range of oil industry applications onshore, offshore, both on topsides facilities and subsea, and downhole. The principal benefits of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) and glass reinforced plastic (GRP) composites are:

These enable the operator to achieve :

Although composite materials have been around for a long time there is still resistance to their application within the oil industry.   This is due to incomplete:

These have provided the focus of much of Philip Medlicott's activities.

Specifications and standards

Engineering Specification and Standards provide an important tool for increasing the acceptability of composite materials by design and fabrication contractors for use in demanding engineering applications. 

Philip Medlicott has been developing a comprehensive specification for the use of GRP gratings by an offshore oil industry operator.  The specifiation, which addresses procurement and component qualification, installation and operations, is undergoing internal review within the company and expected to be issued in 2008.

Past activities include:

Documentation studies and reviews

These enable clients to collate and disseminate information about technological advances and cost benefits of the use of composite materials and applications within their organization. These cover a wide range of applications including GRP piping, gratings, access structures, downhole tubing, caissons, and composite repair technologies.

An important aspect is clarification of the performance capability and requirements of composite materials early in the project cycle. The main performance parameter are:

Testing of materials and components

Philip Medlicott was project manager of the OSIUK FRP liner JIP (Joint Industry Programme), a Research and Development programmes for developing the methodology for qualifying FRP liner materials for use in downhole tubing and flowlines, that was completed at the end of 2003. The results of this work were presented at the CMOO4 conference.

He has also help organise test programmes concerned with obtaining performance data that could be used to help develop acceptance criteria for: