Airborne Oil & Gas and Subsea 7 Commence Qualification of TCP Riser

Oilfield technology firm Airborne Oil & Gas has commenced a qualification of a TCP Riser for deepwater and dynamic applications for a major operator in South America in collaboration with Subsea 7, effective 26 June 2018.

As a global leader in the manufacturing of Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP), Airborne Oil & Gas has started The TCP Riser qualification program, believed to be a world first for fully bonded composite risers, with the aim of providing a disruptive new riser pipe technology for operators with international deepwater applications.

The TCP Riser design, developed by Airborne Oil & Gas, delivers the lowest cost solution for total installation in comparison to existing solutions, whilst offering maximum flexibility to operators in terms of subsea configuration and choice of installation vessel.

Henk de Boer, CTO with Airborne Oil & Gas, explained: “With our knowledge of materials and experience, we are able to work with the supply chain to develop the optimal material combination for each application, resulting in a fit-for-purpose approach. For this qualification in Brazil, we set out to develop a material that would allow operators to use a free hanging catenary configuration, to be installed by suitably available pipe-lay vessels.”

Ivan Cruz, Technology Manager at Subsea 7, added: “We believe that the TCP Riser can become a compelling solution for future deepwater fields. The technology has a disruptive potential as a fundamentally simple pipe, and a straightforward solution that equally removes the need for buoyancy requirements. Working with Airborne Oil & Gas, the collaboration with Subsea 7 brings together both design and installation technology expertise for the provision of complete Riser solutions for our clients.”

Since introducing TCP to the Oil & Gas industry in 2007, Airborne Oil & Gas has gone to deliver over 20 TCP products for various applications in the SURF and the Subsea Well Intervention business, including hydrocarbon service, gas lift, methanol and chemical injection. Thermoplastic Composite Pipe does not corrode, is light weight and superior in fatigue performance and enabling for deepwater riser applications. Airborne Oil & Gas, based in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, is fully qualified in accordance to the new DNV standard DNVGL-RP F119 for TCP in subsea applications.

Subsea 7, a minority shareholder in Airborne Oil & Gas, is involved in the qualification program through providing global Riser behaviour analysis, as well as installation analysis, for the TCP Riser.