Thermal Insulation Becomes Paramount for Deepwater Developments

Due to a continually rising demand for hydrocarbons, the exploration of offshore oil and gas has moved past shallow reservoirs to even greater depths. As such, deepwater subsea production systems must now go deeper and reach further than ever before in order to extract more oil and gas from harsher stores in new locations around the world.

But, as exploration and drilling go deeper, the need for dependable and efficient thermal insulation becomes paramount for deepwater and ultra deepwater developments.

Looking at the evolving market for subsea architecture and pipeline insulation coatings, Ben Wait, Sales Manager, Offshore & Construction, and Jorgen Sletten, Director of Innovation and Technology within Trelleborg Offshore & Construction, have presented a white paper, during OTC 2013, which discusses why even in the challenging economic times, operators are focusing less on economics and putting increasing emphasis on project specific qualification and product reliability.

Going with the Flow

Thermal insulation is an integral part of designing any offshore product system, especially in deep, cold waters. This is because effective insulation of subsea structures helps maintain flow rates, optimize productivity and reduce processing costs; flow assurance is a critical element of deepwater developments.

However, subsea thermal insulation is perhaps even more pertinent for subsea architecture – insulation materials are used to guard against the buildup of waxes and hydrate crystals in the reservoir fluids which can occur when the hot fluid (oil or gas) is depressurized and exposed to the low seawater temperature at the seabed, or if there is a temporary halt in production. Furthermore, during shutdown, the insulation gives sufficient time for inspection of the pipe and equipment, so engineers can have time to solve production problems and for methanol or glycol injection, as necessary.

Unchecked, these deposits can quickly build up and cause loss of flow or even a blockage. Downtime means a loss of revenue, and blockages are expensive to rectify, representing a loss on a considerable investment; the greater the depth, the more the value of that investment.

[mappress]

Press Release, May 13, 2013