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New study into pipeline technologies highlights savings for oil and gas industry.
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Subsea pipelines lined with the latest polymer materials and technologies could save operators tens of millions of pounds, a new report has found.
The study into pipe lining technology developed by Scottish company Swagelining Limited assessed the benefits that a polymer lining system could bring to the oil and gas industry. It found that Swagelining a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) liner offers a 25% saving against operators' main alternative, super duplex. This equates to £5.2 million (7.6 million US dollars) per 10 km stretch of pipeline.
The review, which was carried out by global engineering consultants Atkins Boreas on behalf of the company, also found that in lower temperature pipelines where a polyethylene (PE) liner can be used, a 60% saving can be made over the cost of super duplex, representing a substantial saving of £7.6 million (11.1 million US dollars) for a 10 km pipeline.
Stephen Barnes, managing director of Swagelining Limited said: "There has been a great deal of anticipation within the industry about the potential for polymer lined pipe subsea. This very credible Atkins report provides the facts and figures to prove not only that it is effective but also that massive savings can be made."
The Swagelining™ system uses a liner which has an outside diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the pipe to be lined. The liner is pulled through a reduction die, which temporarily reduces it in size. After the liner has been pulled completely through the pipe, the pulling force is removed and the liner returns towards its original diameter fitting tightly against the inside wall of the host pipe.
Swagelining Limited owns all rights to the technique and has licensees in 20 countries around the world. The company recently secured a major contract on the BP Block 31 project offshore Angola.
The report also concluded that polymer liners present opportunities for increased return on investment in water injection applications. The improved hydraulic performance of lined pipe means more water can be injected and therefore more oil recovered in a given period of time.To date (15yrs) there has been no single failure of a lined water injection flowline in service yet unlined systems commonly fail within seven years.
A further bonus to the operator in the use of lined pipe in water injection applications, says the report, is that lined pipe is more energy efficient than corroded carbon steel. The energy saved can be spent on pumping more water and enhancing recovery. In the study increases of 4% in the amount of water injected were indicated from power savings alone or a reduction in operating costs equivalent to £1.2m per annum
"The findings provide a robust platform from which project teams can evaluate the potential for polymer liners within their particular project," added Stephen Barnes. "Applied using the latest Swagelining™ techniques and new technologies, polymer lining is without question a highly effective route to pipeline integrity."
A number of different pipeline materials were selected for analysis. For water injection service the comparison was based on the relative advantages and disadvantages of PE lined pipe against carbon steel pipe with a 6mm corrosion alllowance. For hydrocarbon service the comparison was between metallurgically bonded CRA/carbon steel pipe, solid super duplex and PE or PVDF lined pipe.
Both S-lay and reel lay methods of installation were considered as options in the study. Reeling, using a Swagelining™ technique, was the study's installation method of choice as the pipeline is constructed on land before being reeled onto the installation vessel and unreeled into place in the field.
The Atkins study reported the simplicity of Swagelining Limited's perforated liner concept, LinerVent™ and gave it an advantage over alternative concepts. LinerVent™ allows gas accumulated behind the liner to be vented directly back into the pipeline preventing any need to evacuate gas externally or build systems to manage vented gas coming from the pipeline
The study examined the loads the liner is subjected to with expansion and contraction as the pipeline temperature fluctuates. To avoid contact with the process fluid the liner must be locked in place by a robust system and the patented Weldlink™ locking system was demonstrated to be stronger than the liner.
Swagelining™ technology was originally developed and proven by British Gas. The technology was originally licensed to utility contractors as an effective method of overcoming the problem of failing pipes in inaccessible or inconvenient areas, such as beneath busy high streets.
Swagelining Limited was created in November 2009 because its founders, who had first hand experience of the subsea sector, believed the proven Swagelining™ concept was a strong basis for a new generation in pipe lining technology.
Contact Information
Vicky Florence
Weber Shandwick
58 Queens Road
Aberdeen
AB15 4YE
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