Challenges and Solutions in Developing Ultra-high

Pressure Flexibles for Ultra-deep water Applications

Upul S Fernando
Principal Engineer
GE Oil & Gas UK Ltd

Imagination at work. New Technology – Design, Qualification and Application

confidentiality disclosures. Wednesday, 25 March 2015 – 16:15 hrs
Market Demand and Current Status
Pipe Internal Diameter (mm)
500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50
0 0

500
2000

1000 Current Comfort Zone

New developments
using existing and
Qualified Pipe 4000
1500 Structures

Water Depth (ft)

new technology Demand for
Deep water
Water Depth (m)

2000 Pipes 6000

Deep water
gas fields
2500 8000
Deep water
3000 oil fields
Gulf of Mexico 10000
3500
Radical new deep water tiebacks
technology and new 15/20 kpsi
design concepts 12000
4000

4500 14000
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2

Pipe Internal Diameter (inch)

2
Limitations and Challenges Pipe Water Design
Diameter Depth Pressure
Four main layers: 4 inch
Internal Carcass 100 mm Preventing wet Barrier
Polymer Barrier collapse of carcass Integrity
8 – 10 inch
Pressure Armour
Tensile Armour Pipe design Management Design of
and of weight pressure armour
manufacturing
issues
Design of Control of
10 to 20 tensile armour weight
inch

Aimed at qualifying a 4inch 20kpsi pipe for 3 km water depth

(Deepstar Programme)
Key Challenges:
• Integrity of polymer barrier
• Prevent carcass collapse
• Containment of pressure – FAT
• Management of weight
• Development of end fittings
• Satisfy Industry design standards API 17J (ISO 13628-2)
3
 Design of Internal Carcass
Typical profile shape
Carcass is made of metal - flat strip Profile width
deformed in to a profiled tube
Height

Strip thickness
Pitch
Inner
Diameter
Collapse pressure is a function of
all above variables, strip material
and profile shape

Design Issues

• Carcass material (316L, 22Cr duplex, etc.)

Wet collapse: • Collapse pressure (water depth)
When the fluid pressure is applied outside of • Profile shape (height & width)
the barrier • Spiral pitch ( bending requirements)
• Strip size (manufacturing capability)

Larger water depth and larger pipe diameter

require heavy and stronger carcass which
increase the weight of the pipe
4
 Wet Collapse Test Data
Wet
• Higher modulus
Collapse • Higher yield strength
Pressure • Work hardening
• Thicker pressure armour
Lighter profile
Design
Region
API Straight pipe
Factor

Reduction in collapse
strength due to pipe
• Eccentricity bending
• Corrosion Bent pipe
Heavy profile • Erosion
Accurate prediction of collapse
pressure is difficult and require Pipe Internal Diameter
sound FE model procedures.
Based on the API assessment procedure current GE collapse capacity predicted
for 100mm / 4-inch pipe is 3.5 km sea water depth.
Actual qualification test data shows that a 150mm /6-inch GE pipes can withstand
4 km water depth (before safety factors are applied for design purposes).

5
Integrity of Polymer Barrier
Can be single layer
or multi-layer
Extruded polymer tube extrusions

Barrier is Barrier stress-strain analyses are

trapped between performed using FE models of pipe
pressure armour and carcass structure

Major Issues

• Qualify for API 17J Requirements (ISO 13628-2)

• Material Integrity – failure / damage modes
• Fatigue – stress / strain concentrations
• Low / high temperature effects Axisymmetric Models
• Dynamic interactions between layers
• Development of end fittings with seal integrity
• FAT and offshore field tests
• Integrity of the pipe under rapid depressurization

Considering
all layer interactions 6
Challenges in Developing HP & HT Barrier Rapid gas depressurisation

Blisters due to RGD

Polymer crazing at high pressure

Typical Crazing

Blistering will occur in some materials if

depressurisation rates exceed certain limits.

Creep & ingress in to armour gaps

Crazing will occur in places
of high strain if not
controlled / prevented

Currently PVDF is used for barrier in all high pressure

pipes operating above 70oC service
Pressure limit for using in high pressure pipes is
determine by crazing performance

Polymer ingress in to gaps

7
Strain Analysis of Barrier at High Pressure
Critical loading for crazing is during FAT and field pressure tests

Crazing
Crazing Direction
Direction

Plastic strain
Plastic strain
in hoop direction
in axial direction
FAT performed in Reels
Axial strain and hoop strain in the barrier during FAT
Observation of crazing in barrier of high pressure pipe

Crazing due to axial strain Crazing due to hoop strain

Prevention of crazing is essential to have barrier integrity at ultra-high pressures

8
Assessment of Crazing Performance of Polymer

Sleeve with circumferential grooves

Barrier extrusions

Axial plastic strain

Hoop plastic strain

Crazing Test Set-up

Crazing Behaviour of Polymer

30
Applied Pressure (kpsi)

Crazing
25
Observation of crazing
20
No crazing
15
Crazing
10 threshold line Based on crazing performance tests
5
PVDF is not an acceptable barrier
0 1 2 3 4 5 material for ultra high pressure pipes
Normalised Global Strain

9
New Barrier Material CR1404HTP for High Pressure Pipes
CR1404HTP is a TFE + VDF copolymer exclusive to GE
• A fluoropolymer built from the same chemical building blocks as PTFE and PVDF
• Excellent chemical resistance and very low gas permeability at high temperature.
• Contains no plasticiser so no risk of pressure sheath shrinkage.
• No need for impact modifier additives as ductile brittle transition < -40°C.
• Fatigue and creep behaviour better than PVDF
• Temperature performance up to 150oC - better than PVDF
• Excellent resistance to crazing at ultra high pressures
CR1404HTP has not shown crazing
at 30kpsi pressure with 18% local
plastic strain

Successfully completed FAT at 24 kpsi in

a 4.75 inch pipe ( 15 kpsi design pressure )
bent to 2.4 m radius

Plan to build a 4 inch pipe (20 kpsi design

pressure) and perform FAT at 30kpsi
10
Design of Pressure Armour Multiple pressure armour design

Function of the pressure

armour is to resist
internal pressure

Typical profile
Hoop stress at FAT

Two Layer
10mm Wire

Design Pressure (MPa)

Two Layer Manufacturing
Based on available carcass design for 3 km 8mm Wire Limit by Wire size
water depth maximum pipe internal diameter
is limited to 150 mm.
Due to manufacturing limitations the pressure 10mm Wire
armour wire thickness needs to be below 12
mm. 8 mm Wire
Limit by
Single pressure armour (8 mm and 10 mm) is carcass
insufficient to achieve design pressure of
15kpsi
Pressure Armour Diameter (mm)
Dual pressure armour required:
8 (+ 8) mm wires can give 15 kpsi
10 (+10) mm wires can give 20 kpsi 11
Weight Nominal Design Water
Thickness Pipe
Management Diameter
D (mm)
Pressure
P (MPa)
Depth
L (m) Carcass Hoop Tensile
Weight
Weight of the pipe
Basic
Carcass 100 68 500 1 1 1 1
Case
Pressure Armour
Tensile Armour Case 1 125 68 500 1 1.25 1.07 1.10
Polymer Case 2 125 100 500 1 1.84 1.22 1.34
Case 3 125 150 500 1 2.76 1.46 1.71
Case 4 125 150 1500 3 2.76 4.95 10.69
Case 5 125 150 3000 6 2.76 12.32 44.26
Case 6 125 200 3000 6 3.68 14.35 51.72
Riser Case 7 150 200 3000 6 4.41 15.98 57.69
supported Case 8 200 200 3000 6 5.88 19.23 69.62
at top Case 9 200 200 4000 8 5.88 30.62 138.36

Top
Riser Midline Top Tension

Top Tension (Tonnes)

Buoyancy Allowable Tension
(~Installation Limit)

Bottom
Riser
Single Lazy Wave
Top Tension with
Riser Catenary stepped buoyancy
Free
Hanging
Catenary 12
Riser length from top (m)
Selection of Tensile Armour
Multiple helically formed wires Used to support axial load mainly due to weight.
Pairs of contra-wound layers to give torsional stability.
Lay angle optimised during pipe design to balance axial
capacity and hoop strength, giving additional support to
the pressure armour layer.

Failure Modes – Fatigue and Buckling

Deep High
Water Pressure
3 km 20 kpsi

Established Tensile + Hoop New

Materials Strength Materials

2 Armour 4 Armour 2 Armour 4 Armour Tensile wire buckling

resistance is also a
Hoop - OK Hoop - OK Hoop - OK Hoop - OK consideration. The
minimum bend radius of
Tensile – Not Tensile – OK Tensile – OK Tensile – OK
the pipe depends on water
Acceptable Not ideal, buoyancy or depth.
significant split riser
buoyancy design
required
 Project Team
Acknowledgements Michelle Davidson - Principal Engineer
Peter Kirton - Project Manager
- GE Oil & Gas Andrew Thompson - Senior Polymer Engineer
- Deepstar Programme Majeed Al-zubaidy – R&D Engineer
Suranjith Warnakulasuriya – R&D Engineer
Iwan Harries - Senior R&D Engineer
David Lambert - Senior R&D Engineer
Mark Laycock - Polymer Engineer
Andrew Roberts - Chief Engineer
George Karabelas - Technology Leader

END
Any Questions ?