ad a He * csCEAC/MMS SEMINAR ON COMPOSITES OFFSHORE April 21, 1999, MMS New Orleans Office 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard First Floor Conference Room 9:00 Welcome Remarks Charles Smith, MMS, 9:05 Seminar Program Structure S. S. Wang, CEAC 9:10 Composites Structures Offshore Jerry Williams, CEAC 9:40 Composite Experience On GOM TLP’s Mike Rainey, Shell 10:10 Break 10:30 FRP Pipe Standards & Specifications Joie Folkers, Ameron 44:00 Component Qualification Him Lo, Shell 11:30 Designing With Composites Ozden Ochoa, OTRC 12:00 Lunch 1:00 Synthetic Fiber Moorings Ray Ayers, Shell 1:30 Composite Risers and Tendons Mamdouh Salama, Conoco 2:00 _Risk and Reliability of Composite Components Su Su Wang, CEAC 2:30 Synergistic Advantages of Using Composites Richard Hill, Aker Systems Level Analysis 3:00 Break 3:15 Panel Discussion - Regulatory Certification Issues Bill Cole, BP-Amoco, Moderator Jim Regg, MMS Perspective on Composites Lt. Chris Myskowski, U. S. Coast Guard Perspective on Composites Joe Fischer, Shell, Petroleum Industry Perspective on Composites Derek S. Novak, ABS, Certifying Agency Perspective on Composites 4:30 AdjournCEAC/MMS SEMINAR ON COMPOSITES OFFSHORE SPEAKER ABSTRACTSComposite Structures Offshore Jerry G. Williams Composites Engineering & Applications Center For Petroleum E&P University of Houston Abstract Major oil companies, composite product manufacturers, oil service companies, and regulatory agencies have worked together over the last ten years in a low-key, but concentrated effort to advance composites technology and make composites a viable option for oil industry applications. The technology has advanced significantly in recent years and lightly-loaded secondary structures such as low-pressure fiberglass pipe, gratings, and secondary structure are now routinely used in demanding offshore applications. Some applications in service, such as firewater ring mains and deluge pipe, are extremely safely critical and demanding tests and guidelines have been specified to insure their safe performance. Longer range, advanced composite applications are being developed to meet the demanding structural performance requirements imposed by deepwater developments including production and drilling risers, high-pressure spoolable pipe, pressure vessels, mooring ropes and tethers, An integral part of the successful introduction of high performance composites into offshore service is development of the supporting technology to insure safe and reliable performance and to define appropriate qualification tests, specifications and guidelines. Corrosion resistance and weight control are the two primary factors motivating the interest and use of composite components offshore, however, several other assets characteristic of composites also provide benefits. Perhaps less recognized are some of the safety and environmental benefits composites provide. In a fire the low thermal conductivity of composites retards the rate of heat transfer, thus slowing the rise in temperature across walls or into conveyed fluids, and composite structures do not require toxic chemical corrosion inhibitors. Workers in both the construction phase and the operational phase typically prefer composites to metals for their human factors benefits inctuding easier handling and reduced personal fatigue. Significant advancements have been made in recent years in material formulations and fabrication Processes and in the analytical methods used to design composites and predict their performance and reliability. Material suppliers and composite manufacturers have developed advanced resins which are improving performance and safety. For example, phenolic resin which in a fire exhibits low smoke and toxicity has traditionally been difficult to fabricate. Phenolic resin filament wound pipe and pultruded fiberglass grating products, however, have been successfully developed in recent years and are currently in service offshore. Structurally demanding applications such as a riser tensioner, high- pressure accumulator bottle constructed of a hybrid combination of carbon and glass fibers and epoxy resin have also been recently introduced offshore. Hybrid construction Combining difference materials {0 achieve the required structural performance while minimizing cost is another of the design flexibilities inherent in composites. The talk provides a background on composites with an overview of components currently used on offshore platforms and highlights proposed advanced applications under development. A few figures from the talk are presented on the following page.Co! CEAC/MMS SEMINAR mposite Structures Offshore oery 6. was ‘ori 24, 1980 ums otce New Orleane, Lousiana ‘Applications of Composites In Service | Low Pressure Water Pipe. Gratings. Handrails & Ladders. Blast Walls. Storage Tanks. High Pressure Vessels. (Riser Accumulator Bottles). Mooring Ropes. Repair Using Carbon Fiber. ‘Offshore FRP Firewater Pipe = Applications Development History arte Rog Man & ry Dba OM) (Sou Us cont Guard eae Rom Fowat 003 tire (60 opine ry Dee) soos | etude Marrtah esse (U6) ager {Som, UNODA Spe fem nan Fa ae BNcO4) isa say any swf Stehes a iy Ban SHEE Scie ya, Newey) ses nes Aopestone Before 186 Pe tential New Composite Applications Platform Secondary Structure ‘Accommodation Modules, Walls, Process Equipment Platform Primary Structure High Pressure Pipe Large Diameter Continuous Pipe Prossuro Vessels Deepwater Moorings Low-Cost Carbon Fiber Tendons Driling and Production Risers Drill Pipe and Torque Shafts Buoyancy Modules Downhole Tools and integrated Sensors 7 standards & Certification ‘Standards, Specifications, Recommended Practice, 4nd Qualification Test Methods SAPI (ISLE ISR) ASTM = FIIT3 (Guideline for Use FRP On Skips) + Department of Defense US. Coast Guard: *FRP Pipe (PEM 1-98 16714) + Gratings (PFM 2.98 9078) International: + OLF ERP Pipe Guideline (Norway) + UKOOA FRP Pipe Specification ~> 180Composite Material Experience on Shell GOM TLP's R.M, Rainey Staff Facilities Engineer Shell Deepwater Development Abstract This presentation will review the current application of composite materials on Shell Gulf of Mexico Tension Leg Platforms (TLP). Starting with the Mars TLP, Shell significantly increased the use of composites. Many of these were first time applications for Shell and the industry, The keys to successful conversion from standard solutions to composite materials will be discussed. In addition to reviewing current use, this presentation will also identify several future opportunities for composites on topside facilities. ‘Composite materials have been shown to offer several benefits to deepwater facilities. These include improved safety, total life cycle cost savings, reduced downtime, weight reduction, and reduced fabrication time. Composite materials can improve safety in several ways. An example to be discussed is composite grating. It provides improved walking surfaces with better traction and less fatigue. During fabrication, composite grating can be installed earlier in the construction sequence to provide safer work surfaces for fabrication crews. The grating weighs approximately 1/3 of the weight of steel grating and therefore is easier and safer to install. This requires less people and equipment for installation. Due to its corrosion resistance, composite grating can be expected to last several times longer than steel grating. This can provide safe walking surfaces for decades with little or no maintenance. In case a repair is required, it can be made easier than steel and without hot work. One of the primary drivers for the use of composite materials in deepwater applications is the significant weight reduction. In general, composites weigh 1/3 to 1/2 the weight of comparable steel components. This becomes significant when dealing with floating structures such as TLP's. Many studies have reported the total cost to support topsides payload to range from $1 - 4 per pound. In many cases, the cost to float a component can be more than the cost of fabrication for the component. This provides a significant and permanent shift in deepwater economics towards composites and other light weight materials. This shift in economics along with the realization that composites positively influence other Key variables such as safety, cycle time, and downtime is expected to increase their use on deepwater structures. There are many opportunities for composites that can be envisioned in the next several years. The largest area is in structural components such as secondary deck beams, access platforms, hand rails, ladders, and, overboard casings and pull tubes. Piping also has several opportunities for expanded use in firewater systems, bilge and ballast, uiility, produced water, and even low pressure process systems. Other opportunities include firewalls and fire protection systems as well as drilling equipment.In summary, Shell has several very successful composite applications on numerous TLP's. Composites have proven to be cost effective as well as offering other significant benefits including safety. Composites have numerous opportunities on future topsides and this will be enhanced by the weight savings for floating deepwater structures.Fiberglass Pipe Standards And Specifications Joie L. Folkers - Engineering Manager Ameron International ~ Fiberglass Pipe Division, the Americas Abstract This presentation will review the most prominent regulatory agency specifications currently followed in the use and evaluation of fiberglass pipe in marine and offshore applications. In addition, specifications written by major oil companies will be reviewed. Comparisons and contrasts will be highlighted with the intent to promote the drafting and adoption of a universal, comprehensive specification, A cursory summary will be given in a handout and a list of references provided. Issues which need to be addressed on an industry-wide, global basis include pressure raling, fire endurance, fire reaction (fame spread and smoke generation) and electrical conductivity. The existing specifications have been written independently and are, consequently, not compatible A description of documents currently being drafted by ASTM and ISO committees will be given, The structure of a preferred specification, incorporating aspects of IMO and UKOOA documents will be proposed. Significant input has been received from the U. S. Coast Guard, through an effort of a task force of the Composites Engineering and Applications Center (CEAC) from the University of Houston, in developing this approach, Fiberglass pipe has outstanding thermal characteristics, making it a product to be considered for a broader range of services. A description of these characteristics and a challenge to recognizing their enhancement to safety and reliability will be given,Designing With Composites Ozden 0. Ochoa Offshore Technology Research Center College Station, TX 77845 Abstract Comprehensive mechanical and material behavior characterization is essential for robust design tools that reflect the actual service conditions for the composite structures. Fundamental issues of processing, manufacturing in relation to design and analysis will be presented from three different perspectives; service environment, testing rationale and computational simulations. Advantages associated with this approach include greater accessibility to design parameters, reduced computational demands, and the ability to customize and diversify. Furthermore, the methodology developed allows the designer to assess the impact of constituents on processing and global response. The major issues addressed at laminate, lamina and constituent scales are; ()) the layup and fiber orientation to develop a robust and economical reinforcement architecture, (il) response to combined loads, and (ii) hygrothermal effects, and (iv) residual stresses due to processing. Detailed structural response including hygrothermal loads are best-simulated finite element technique utilizing special user elements and user material models with progressive damage criteria. At the lamina and micro scales, as needed, the damage initiation and growth must be modeled with nonlinear material and geometry considerations. The material and mechanical characteristics — for generating realistic design allowables may require non-standard tests in addition to conventional ones at multiple scales. Furthermore, the advanced computational tools that are necessary for capturing the anisotropic response need to be robust and simple. Multidisciplinary and concurrent methodology has the potential of empowering the designer, the materials and manufacturing engineer by enabling the flow of continuous and interactive feedback throughout the development; from the initial to the final stages of testing and evaluation. Such an interaction demands a thorough understanding of anisotropic material behavior. The coupling of the design of these novel materials simultaneously with the structures that offer unique mechanical and physical properties lead to challenging optimization scenarios. Selected examples from automotive, aerospace and offshore applications will be used to illustrate the interdisciplinary and integrated approach of designing with composites.Synthetic Fiber Moorings Ray Ayers Shell E&P Technology Company Abstract In terms of performance and cost, polyester taut line mooring systems are being considered as superior fo conventional mooring systems for mooring floating production Units in the deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). In recent years, starting with the Fibre Tethers 2000 Joint Industry Program in 1995, the use of polyester fibers for mooring ropes has been recognized as the most cost effective synthetic fiber of those studied, and polyester should be the fiber of choice for mooring the first deepwater productionsystems in the GOM. Steel wire rope and chain mooring systems become less cost effective in water depths of perhaps 1500 meters and more. ‘At issue is that oll companies need assurance that the polyester moorings will be sufficiently robust, and will have sufficient durability for a life of 20 years or more, as required for a permanent mooring system. Of major concern is hurricane damage in the GOM. Petrobras is presently using polyester taut line mooring systems, but their regulatory and environmental conditions differ from those in the GOM. In October of 1998 the DeepStar Joint Industry Program funded a research project (r1) to critically review all of the relevant work that has been done (principally in Europe) and determine what key issues remain for deploying polyester taut line mooring systems in the GOM, Shell E&P Technology Company is the contractor for this work, with subcontracted assistance from Stress Engineering Services. This paper contains a brief description of work in progress on that project. Other DeepStar projects on synthetic moorings currently in progress, and reported separately at this conference, are: (a) "DeepStar Polyester Taut Leg Mooring System Test", which describes an evaluation of the recovered test mooring which was in place for several years near the Shell Auger TLP, and (b) "Development of API RP 25M", which concerns development of a recommended practice on synthetic (not just polyester) mooring systems for the GOM. This paper will present our current knowledge of the key issues which must be addressed in 8 mooring system design. Our scope is limited to permanently moored production systems, but many of the issues discussed are shared with those of temporary fiber rope mooring systems for mobile offshore driling units (MODUs). In MODUs, rope handling is more of an issue because rope segments are reused from drilling site to driling site, and the long-term fatigue life is a lesser issue.RELIABILITY AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF OFFSHORE STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE COMPONENTS Professor S. S. Wang. ‘Composites Engineering and Applications Center (CEAC), and Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Houston 4800 Calhoun Road Houston, TX 77204-4792 Abstract Advanced fiber composite materials are currently being considered for a wide range of primary load-bearing structural applications in offshore E & P systems, including both topside and subsea components. Advantages of utilizing light-weight, high-strength and high-stiffness composites have been known at the material level for sometime whereas the much more significant benefits at the system level has been just recognized. In order for offshore composite structures to be fully accepted in the E & P operations, reliability of the composite components must be well quantified and associated methodologies for a proper risk assessment need to be established, In this lecture, fundamental issues of composite material and structural failure will be discussed. ‘The inherent uncertainties associated with deformations and failure in high-strength, brittle composites are addressed. The probabilistic composite material and structural mechanics used in developing reliability analysis for offshore composite structures will be presented. Discussion will also be made on the use of the API recommended LRFD methodology for composite platform structural design, The recent advances in reliability and risk assessment methodologies developed at CEAC for composite production risers in deepwater TLP applications will be discussed to illustrate the unique features in addressing the reliability issues for offshore composite structures.Composite Risers and Tendons Mamdouh M, Salama Conoco Inc., Ponea City, Oklahoma Tel: (580) 767-2738 [email protected] Abstract Successful composite experiences in many topside offshore applications coupled with the need to reduce the life-cycle cost of deepwater development have motivated the industry to examine the application of composites in several critical applications, particularly for water depth sensitive components such as risers and tendons. Design and qualification of composite risers have been the subject of three recent joint industry studies. Composite production risers have been developed by a joint-industry project that was initiated in 1995 and is jointly funded by NIST/ATP. Also, low-pressure composite driling risers have been developed by a jointindustry project that was initiated in 1995. High pressure composite risers are being developed as part of a joint industry project organized by Norske Conoco and Kvaemer and is partially funded by EU Thermie. Composite tendons has also been the subject of several studies, sponsored mainly by Conoco. In order to Insure successful offshore application of these critical composite systems, several key technical issues that are unique to composite components must be addressed as part of the qualification program. These issues include performance requirements, damage mechanisms, damage protection strategy, allowable strength parameters, composite-metal interface joints, analysis methods, analysis validation, manufacturing quality control strategy, and testing. The presentation will address the basic elements that must be considered under each issue as part of the verification process to ensure andior validate the following: Accuracy and completeness of the performance requirements, Identification of all possible failure modes. Acceptability of the different elements in the design strategy to avoid these failure modes. Basis for the analysis procedures and validating thelr accuracy. Acceptability of the basis for selecting materials allowables and safety factors. Validation of strength predictions of actual components. Completeness of the quality assurance program, NOOSONS The paper will ciscuss the riser system in more details and present the status of the current effort on carbon fiber tendons.Synergistic Advantages of Using Composites in Deepwater Field Development R.T. Hill Aker Maritime, ASA Abstract Composite materials offer many advantages for deepwater offshore platform applications because of their excellent corrosion and fatigue performance, high strength- to-weight ratio, and design flexibility. As the offshore industry moves aggressively to pursue deeper water field developments, composite materials are finding a wide range of new applications for both topside and subsea structures. While most of the current applications are secondary structures in the topside facilities, several major U.S. and international initiatives are underway to develop primary load-bearing system ‘components, Offshore market entry of composite components depend on combination of thelr potential to increase the platform performance, cost effectiveness, and technical risk compared to their steel counterparts. When favorable combination of these factors exists, technological, economical, and regulatory barriers can be overcome. Technical and commercial benefits of the composite components can be at the component level, such as a corrosion resistant firewater pipe or grating, or at the system integration level where savings in weight and performance of individual components cascade to provide synergistic cost and performance benefils in associated platform systems. An example of the latter could be a light-weight composite riser which would allow significant. downsizing of the floating offshore platforms. To facilitate the higher risk and resulting cost contingency associated with ultra- deepwater reservoirs, the overall capital expenditure for surface production units will have to be reduced by 25-30%. This reduction be accomplished through system savings, only, and not made up through minor savings in components, Composite materials applications in riser, mooring, and tendon systems will enable such a reduction to be realized. Eventually this technology will allow further recovery of economically marginal shallow water reserves and make possible deepwater exploration and production, This presentation will summarize potential impact of composite components on the deepwater field development and barriers in system integrationPanel Discussion - Regulatory Issues Bill Cole BP Amoco Abstract ‘ajor applications of composites are to occur in GOM deep water production facilities, the commitment must occur early in the life of the project to realize the benefits offered by light weight materials. Such commitments can be made only if regulatory approval is anear certainty. Substantial efforts are needed to develop the information, the data and the industry guidelines needed for regulatory bodies to approve the various components proposed as composites applications CEAC is prepared to lead efforts needed to prepare the industry to use composites technology. The efforts must involve all siake holders in this venture, the offshore operators, the supply side companies, and the regulators. CEC can address specific. issues through workshops, task force activities, research projects and technology development projects funded by industry participants. CEAC has achieved impressive results in the past with each of these approaches. However, we need to improve our understanding of the regulatory responsibility and increase our efforts to address regulatory concems as the applications of composites become more and more demanding The purpose of this panel discussions to clatify the issues form the regulatory point of view and to start the definition of a path forward. The path forward should address issues, but should be structures around the deliverable and schedule needed to meet the needs of the offshore industry.| Regulatory Issues | + Commitment te compo: Composites Offshore arly in projectile + Requiremen’s for commitsnent 12 : composites will inchude BiltCole = Reguletory polly allowing usage, or us somar = well defined path for regulatory approval eed 211988 CEAC Role Current Status ember of CEAC + USCG issued new policies for PR? pipe and grating in'98 side companies olshoreaperaors “ FRP tanks and vessels, atopic of ~facitae ese off composites in EAP conversation with USCS + Synthetic Mocrings = HOMS/CEAC workshop in’ = Guilins document seavities in progress = MMS/OTRC Preietinsted in “98 projects Challenge For Panel Summary + Future Actions/ Timing + Supply side seuss = ScheduleComponents |FRP Pipe & Grating ISynihetic Moorings Composite Spooisbie Tubing composi Dri Riser Composite Production Riser |FRP Tanks & Vessels [Composite Deck Structure ICarbon Fiber Tendons Technology Maturity Level itr [eecioning [Not Avaiabte ecinocar System regalo Nore Fopusioy Agprvalinusty Guseines Commerce Proves User Avereress rechroey. User Avereness ~~ Syst ineration Commerc’ Products indy Gueinos Regulatoy Aoproval Technology ‘Commercial Products System integration User Aworenass sty Gucelnes ee Rlton Approved recieioay Commercial rods Sytom neyatn UsorAvarenese Industy Guselnes eS Regulatory Approval Technology ‘Commercial Products 'System integration Usor Awareness Industy Gueines Regiatry Approval None Tecnalogy Syetom nfograton Trdssy Guidlines User Awareness : Rogultory Aoprva None "Technology System integration Commerce Prosucis User Averences Regulatory Approval one Tecincloey Systm tegration User Avarorons Registry Approve Commercial ProductsUS Coast Guard Perspectives On Composites Lt. Chris Myskowski United States Coast Guard Abstract The US Coast Guard has become very receptive when it comes to the acceptance of new and innovative designs and constructions of marine vessels and offshore structures. Application of advanced composite materials to areas where they have been historically prohibited is no exception. Fire safety concerns, however, remain as a formidable challenge that must be addressed if the acceptable applications for these materials are to continue to grow. Fire at sea has been the greatest fear of sailors throughout history. Despite a limitless water supply, fighting a fire at sea is fraught with difficulty-- reliance on power supplies that may be intimate with the fire, limited space to maneuver hoses and other fire-fighting equipment, rapidly spreading smoke and toxic fumes, and the ever present danger of being cut off from a safe escape route. It is easy to see why the acceptance of new proposals for the use of composites, largely composed of organic combustible materials, must be addressed with caution Traditionally, the Coast Guard applies a “steel or equivalent” standard to the construction of marine vessels and offshore structures. This has been interpreted as meaning a non-combustible material which by itself, or due to insulation has structural and integrity properties equivalent to steel. This standard was developed in light of early twentieth century technology. Today, the development of advanced composite materials promising high performance, lower cost construction, and reduced maintenance, has demanded that new standards and regulations be developed that will allow the use of these materials while ensuring an adequate level of safety. The Coast Guard and the world community are ready and willing to accommodate new materials provided that a thorough and technically sound analysis is conducted to ensure the current level of safety will be maintained. Excerpts from the preamble to the High Speed Craft Code is evidence of this in stating that “the traditional method of regulating ships should not be accepted as being the only possible way of providing an appropriate level of safety, nor should it be assumed that another approach, using different criteria, could not be applied. Management of risk through accommodation, arrangement, active safety systems, restricted operations, quality management and human factors engineering should be considered in evaluating safety equivalent to current conventions.” Recognizing the fire safety challenges that the use of composite materials present, as well as the economic and technical need for these materials on both ships and offshore structures, the Coast Guard has been actively involved in R&D aimed at ensuring the safe application of these materials to marinestructures. One of the most significant R&D projects that the Coast Guard is working is with the DARPA MARITECH composite ship technologies consortium. This group is working to create full scale and bench scale fire tests and computational models to ensure structural integrity is maintained under fire exposures. Another example of R&D in composites is a Coast Guard partnership with CEAC, ASTM, ISO, and various testing laboratories that recently developed new policy for design, installation, and testing of composite piping and deck grating. The Coast Guard is also in collaboration with classification societies (RINA and DNV), and the Passenger Vessel Association to develop a process for analyzing novel designs for “equivalence” with prescribed designs,ye ae x “ 2 CEAC/MMS SEMINAR ON COMPOSITES OFFSHORE Background Papersseoouy OY) - UOISIAIG edig ssejBioqi. JBUOHeUSeU] VOU JeGBeuey] BunceuGbuy SASYYO “Y Slory suonesyioods pue ‘Spaepueysg odid (dua) sse|Gueqi4‘0Ssy S1OJe/EdQ SiOYSYO WopBbury pon g G6-EZTT 4 cuoneubisaq | sjeajel,| pue Bunsal Jo Aedos ueoLOWY ff SAIS 22S 10) SONY ZG6T I Buiddiys Jo neaing ueouoWy g 86-T Weld O8-TT “OIA 'N paend yseo> sayeis poyun w (8T)ESZ'v UONNjosay Ajquiassy | uoneziuebid ow ee jevoneuseaul a SER i suoneoyioeds Aouaby€T-2-0Z Sda fl Auedwiop |t0 1IGOW B T-dus-WN-ddid V I uoneiodio) ODO g “U95-6T OT'Ov' TE dad 8 dnoig jays / yoyng jeAoy g “goed Auedwio5 Lo soleySOUBRISISAY JEOIWIDUD soueinssy Ayjend g dJNssoid JualsueLL g AMARSNpuoD AOA MOL{ y [BOMQDaI gy Burpeo7 >pous gy AQbDIKoL pue SSURIsISoY edu] F UONeIOUDD ayous F Buney sinjeredwoy g pesids owe yjbue.ns jeixy SUeINPUA duly y BINSSAId |PUISIXY ff BHuney sinssaig 4 cam possozppy sanss|]“UIT ¢ JOJ Suey x" | [EQOA xupey| poyldurrg ty da VOORUN pspucuny Tus xIQey] Sumtqjodig Voorn OWT se owes Sav [yeid] OWL se owes WISV Joey Ayes [py DOSN S74 000°001 10 p/sing OWI TOLEDO fussy. buley oinssaigyso], ole]. pue omy tof AICO QpPOr) UOTPOTISSe]D apoD UOTeoIIsseyg spor uoNeoryisseyy OVW] se sues OW] se owes gy “oovusn,y ‘oily yor PM - € [OAIT UOHeDID9 ¢ THQoV ooowy dq Heus Voorn sdv WLSV DOSNn OWI “kau03y soueANpUy olypoyioods j0N qo SOOUDIOJOY SPOUJOJAL ooowly dq SOOUDIOJDYY SPOUJO|A JOYS ATUQ soouar9Joy Voorn peoidg owe. Sav “XO L “OYOUIS ‘oue] y WILSV Aypqearwuey.; “oyousg posn XO], ‘OYOWS ‘ourey]F OWL Asus y UolOveYy oa14TRJOIAI 12 popunoryH [IQoyy upertoods osay A, ooouly dq pounboy sy Hoys uPolfioads 104 MA, vooxun 9[QISI A Surpunoin ‘OWI St owes Sav (sodgym) parinboy sy WISV SOUTT yon “syue yy, uy AYOosn Sseoly noprezey ul adid jy OWI uOonBouT Aouady APAVONpUCD [eo .a/y*XLJEW JO [Jed yoeS OJ apod Ajddy = *¢ (japoul 8 Se OWI) “Seinjon.As s1oUsJjo JO} xew uoneso|/uoMeojdde ue dojaaoq =‘Z (Jjapow e se YOON) “epoo UONEdJISSE}O SAISLIaYaidWiOD e dojesAeq = “TT uoKeoyloads jessoAUn‘pinbi] surewias (aysds aBnyjap) acid Alp 0} paonposqu! pinj-} 4 eoueyede> Jeap} MOT Suu 0} pasodxe uayM ,J009, adid ul pin sdaayy 1 AyAnonpuoD jeUUeyL MOT g saliedorg sse/bieqiy ArepuosacsSOURULOJISd DONPSY SJaIJI4 SANONPUOD 4} SOURWWOLISd BSEBIDUT S.Jaqglj SANONPuOD 4 AWAONpuoD JEDLD9|5 B JOOS JOU ‘Jabsey pue poysal azis Ayyend 4 Sul] BUY 0} ALadoid pea AjUO xn dH} | SOUBINPUZ oul g Byeq WH8] J96U07 UM sdojeY AjoJes BulUsIUIWG | adi¢ jou ‘Buney “SA syusuodWOD ysoq | Huney cinssoid # SUOI}EIOPISUOD jso AayCOMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR OFFSHORE OPERATIONS - 2 Emerging and Potential Composite Applications for Deepwater Offshore Operations F, Joseph Fischer! and Mamdouk M. Salama? REFERENCE: F, J, Fischer and M, M. Sala Oit¥shore Operations,” Composite Materials for Off ds, American Bureau of Shipping, 1999, pp. 37-55, ing und Potential Compas Applications for Deepwater e Operations ~ 2,8. 8. Wang, J. G, Willis, and K, HL, ABSTRACT The petroleum industry has long recognized the potential for composite-material products in its offshore operations. Particularly aliractive are composites’ high strength= to-weight ratios and their resistance to corrosion, Recent estimates by the industry indicate that topsides’, piping, riser, tendon and other composite needs over the next ten (19) years could reach nearly 100,000 tons having a market value of around $3B (at SIS/bj. The last several years have witnessed phenomenal growth of development activities for high-performance products such as coiled tubing and marine production risers due, in part, to reduced material costs associated with the decline of defense and aerospace demands, and federal-government “encouragement” such as the NIST/ATP program that provides “matching funds” for high-risk projects focused on bringing commercially viable products for the offshore io the marketplace. The status of these activities are reviewed, INTRODUCTION As part of the oil industry's efforts to reduce the life-cycle costs of deepwater developments and to improve reliability, considerable attention is being devoted to the evalustion and application of innovative and cost-competitive alternative materials Composites offer many potential advantages for marine construction based on their low density, corrosion resistance, and excellent fatigue performance. In addition, the use of Composites permits greater design flexibility for tailoring properties to meet specific design requirements, thus promoting better system-oriented, cost-effective solutions. Also, new innovations are being developed to embed fiber optics and electrical conductors into the composite part to monitor quality during manufacturing, structural Shell E&P Technology Company * Conaco Ine.integrity and loads during service, and to obtain operational conditions from remote locations. In this paper, the definition of composite materials is limited to fiber-reinforced polymer (PRP) materials, FRP materials consist of small-diameter fibers of high strength and modulus embedded in a matrix with bonded interfaces which permits the fibers and matrix to form a new material which captures the desirable characteristics of each. ‘The most common fibers are glass, carbon and aramid, Polymeric matrix materials can be thermoset or thermoplastic. The most common polymeric matrix materials are polyester, vinyl ester, phenolic, acrylics and epoxy. Fibers are usually incorporated into the matrix in Jong continuous lengths but are sometimes utilized as shart discontinuous fibers. Although the traditional engineering material for offshore structures is steel, synthetic materials and advanced composites have been receiving much attention by the oil industry as demonstrated by the many joint industry projects, special meetings, and workshops [1-3]. Although on a one-on-one basis, components made of these materials will most likely be more expensive than identicel, or functionally equivalent, steel counterparts, on a performance-equated basis, the economic advantage of composite components can ofien be demonstrated by examining their impact in reducing system and full-cycle costs. ‘The primary purpose of a floating offshore platform, e.g., a TLP, is to support the topside “payload” which includes the weight of the accommodation’s module, helideck, production and process facilities and drilling equipment. In addition, the hull must support the deck structure and the tension loads associated with the production and drilling risers and any mooring system. A reduction in topside weight will reduce the size, weight and cost of the supporting structure (deck and hull) with the savings’ premium dependent on the type and size of the structure and design parameters including environmental loads [4]. There is a significant economic incentive to reduce the topside weight through the use of composites. ‘The ranges of payload premiums, that are being considered by the industry as bases for assessing the costeffectiveness of weight- reduction options, are $4-7/Ib of payload for TLPs, $3-5/Ib for semisubmersibles, $1-3/Ib for ships, and $1-2/b for Spars [5]. This paper reviews current and emerging applications of composites and identifies potential opportunities associated with deepwater oil-industry developments. The paper also presents a discussion of financial incentives to develop composite applications, identifies the main challenges facing the introduction of composites into service and discusses steps currently being taken to address these issues. CURRENT MARINE AND OF FSHORE APPLICATIONS. Glass fibers were commercially introduced in 1938 and were used initially for insulation and acoustic isolation applications. One of the first structural applications for compositeswas in the automotive industry where fiberglass was introduced in the 1950's for sports car bodies. Fiberglass pipes and tanks have been used in the onshore oil industry for almost 45 years [6]. Advanced composites were developed initially for military and aircraft applications where high stiffness and strength properties have a significant impact on performance. Interest in the use of composites to improve performance in offshore oil industry applications began in the carly 1980's driven primarily by interest in eliminating corrosion and reducing weight on ofishore platforms. For most oil-industry applications, the high cost of composites characteristic of the aerospace industry is prohibitive. Fiberglass composites, and to a lesser extent carbon, Kevlar®, and Nomex ® composites, have been used by the offshore oil industry in a variety of applications. These include storage tanks, pressure vessels, low pressure pipes, reinforcements for flexible pipes, torque shafts, structural parts, seals, gratings, fire and blast walls, cable trays, ete. ‘The motives are lower weight, less maintenance, and reduced installation costs. Some specific examples for the offshore application of fiherglass composites include fire water piping (Amoco's Valball, Conoco's Marquette, Shell's Mars), seawater piping (Dubai, Conoco’s Heidrun, Phillips Ekofisk), storage vessels (Conoco's Heidrun, Amoco's Davy/Bessemer), grating (Shell's Mars and Ram-Powell), mud mats (El{'s Garibaldi C), and subsea wellhead protection (Shell's Vigidis and Draugen). It should be noted that only during the last decade has the fiberglass industry started to seriously consider new technologies such as improved resins, reliable connections, selectively using carbon fibers, implementing better quality control and NDT techniques, publishing better design and installation guidelines, and using improved fire resistance formulations and coatings. Therefore, past negative experiences with fiberglass composites should not be used as a basis for judging current materials. As an example, in the past many operators have had very disappointing experiences with leaks of fiberglass pipe joints, but recent applications of GRP pipes on pletfomms such as Heidrun and Ram- Powell have shown that the leak rate for several thousands of field joints was less than 0.1% Composites have also been used for many high-pressure vessel applications. Compressed natural gas pressure vessels from glass and carbon fiber composites with a high-density polyethylene liner have been in use for many years. Composite pressure vessels have been developed and qualified for use as mud gas separators (MGS) as part of a JIP in Norway. ‘The primary advantages that composite MGS offer are reduced maintenance due to composite's corrosion resistance, and 50% weight savings over carbon steel vessel. Composite accumulator vessels [7] have been used for production-riser tensioning systems on both the Mars and Ram-Powell TLPs. These vessels, shown in Figure 1, have 2 volume of 11,500 in’ (17.3 inch OD, 82.5 inch length, 365 Ib weight) and are ASME code section X, PR certified for 35 year service life at 3000 psi operating pressure (burst pressure > 15,000 psi). They are constructed of carbon/S-glass fiber epoxy composite over an HDPE liner with 3161 stainless steel bosses. While the weight of these composite vessels was about 1/3 the weight of the equivalent steel vessels, the cost of the 39composite vessels was actually lower than the steel vessels, The estimated cost for the composite vessels is $4,500 per vessel. This cost can be greatly reduced if the ASME code, which sets the safety factor based on the poor strength-time dependence of E-glass composites, is changed to account for the better strength-time dependence of earbon fiber composites. For carbon fiber composites, a safety factor of 2 to 3 is more realistic than the currently specified factor of 5. MERGING AND POTENTIAL COMPOSITE APPLICATIONS Successful composite experiences coupled with the need to reduce the life-cycle costs of deepwater developments has motivated the offshore industry to examine the application of composites in several critical applications. However, wide-spread applications of advanced composites in the oil industry will occur only if composite products become affordable using low cost manufacturing processes and low eost fibers. Much of the cost of acrospace components is introduced by the pedigree record required to ensure high performance and reliability. The trade-off to reduce cost for oil-industry applications is to increase the safety fectors to account for material variability and 10 accept lower material design allowables which translates, unfortunaicly, into lower weight savings, This compromise, however, is normally acceptable since the weight comparison for the oil industry is relative to steel rather than aluminum, the material of choice for most aerospace applications. Weight savings of 50 percent or more are possible when composites replace steel components, Weight savings for aerospace applications based on replacing aluminum commonly range from 25 to 30 percent. So far, the main emphasis on potential applications of advanced composites for the offshore industry has focused on high-pressure tubulars (above 1000 psi pressure) which are cither discrete length (20 to 80 feet) for use as drilling and production risers, choke and kill lines, tubing, casing, and pipe, or continuous (many thousands of feet long) for use as coiled tubing [8] and flowlines [9]. Continuous pipes have relatively small diameters (<6 inch) and are designed to be spooled. Spoolable composite pipes have been proposed for use as coiled tubing, velocity strings, capillary tubes, subsea pipeline clean out lines, subsea flow lines and subsea control lines, High-pressure composite coiled tubing is attracting major attention because it provides enabling capabilities t0 work over, log and complete highly deviated wells as well as provide operational improvements for a wide variety of other oil field applications. There also are other applications under consideration for composites which do not fall under the high-pressure tubular classification such as TLP tendons, One proposed tendon concept uses a strand assembled of many continuous small diameter carbon fiber rods or belt laminate constructed using carbon fiber rods. The tether, like coiled tubing, would be designed ta be spoolable to improve the economics of installation, 40Production Risers Composite production risers have been the subject of many studies because they reduce the required pretension and simplify the riser tensioners. With the introduction of composite risers, tensioner stroke and riser stretch may remain unchanged, but the stroke- related load on the tensioner (and the supporting deck structure) will be nearly halved, resulting in a reduction of the operational payload and simplification of the tensioner structure [10]. During 1985 to 1989, several major oil companies joined with the Institut FranHais du PGurole and Aerospatiale to develop and evaluate a 9-inch composite production riser. The riser tubular was fabricated from a hybrid of carbon and S-glass_fiber/epoxy composites. The pipe was designed to withstand a combined intemal pressure of 15,000 psi and axial tension of 450 tonne, The pipe was also designed to withstand a collapse pressure of $400 psi. The study included several static, fatigue, multi-axial loading and damage-assessment tests. As a follow-up to this study, Brunswick Composites (currently Lincoln Composites), Coflexip, IFP, and Aerospatiale engaged in a project to reduce the cost of the risers by optimizing the manufacturing process and the design. ‘The design optimization included simplifying the comp s instead of S-glass. -to-metal interface and using lower-cost ‘The drop in the price of advanced composites in recent years and the current accelerated activities in deepwater exploration and production have prompted renewed interest in using composites for production risers. A joint-indusiry project focusing on composite production risers, jointly funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Technology Program (ATP), is currently underway (11, 12]. The goals of the project are to design, develop, manufacture, test and qualify a commercially viable production riser made with fiber-reinforced polymerie composites, Lincoln Composites is leading the effort in engineering design end fabrication of the composite riser. A concentrated effort was conducted in the first part of the project to design a low-cost, light-weight composite production riser suitable for deepwater (3000-5000 fect). The netional requirements and performance specifications of the riser were determined by cil-company participants and were based on the results of an iterative analysis of the response of the composite production riser to representative platform motions and direct environmental loads. The composite production riser is a hybrid structure design with carbon and glass fibers embedded in an epoxy matrix. The composite-to-metal interface design relies on a special configuration which has been used before in some aerospace structures. A premium light-weight threaded connection is used for the metal connector. The external geometry of the metal connector has been chosen to accommodate standard riser handling equipment. Hence, no special equipment will be required 10 handle and install the composite production riser. Internal end external liners will be ineorporated into the production riser to provide fluid-tight pressure barriers and protection from damage due alto accidental impact and wear, Full-scale and subscale riser spool pieces are being fabricated and will be tested to validate the design assumptions and riser performance characteristics. Qualification of the composite production-riser joint for field service has been planned and will be carried out upon completion of fabrication of the full-scale (diameter) riser joints as shown in Figure 2. Other elements of the project include a detailed reliability and safety study to ensure serviceability of the composite production riser, and development of advanced design/analysis methods to enable direct translation of the results of this project to other production-riser designs. In addition to the production riser pipe, composites are being considered for other riser components such as tapered stress joints and tensioners. Currently, tapered joints are conceptually designed using a hybrid of a steel or titanium riser pipe, with a tapered outer \wrap of fiberglass and carbon fiber/epoxy composite. Drilling Risers Initial efforts in applying composites to drilling risers focused on the use of composite choke and kill lines. A study conducted by IFP on an 18 3/4” OD steel riser having 3 45" Kill and choke lines showed that these two small-diameter lines represented 30% of the total mass of the riser. Replacing them with composite lines reduced the total mass by 24%, ‘The reduction in mass was important in reducing the dynamic forces on the riser by reducing the inertia forces and decreasing the longitudinal resonant period of the hung riser which reduces the dynamic amplification of the heave-induced axial forces. In addition, the mass reduction due to application of composite choke and kill lines reduced the quantity of costly syntactic foam, reduced current-induced drag forces, and provided a 600 tonne reduction in deck load when the riser is stacked on the vessel. To prove the suitebility of composite choke and kill lines, a field trial in deepwater was earried out in 1983. Three 15 m long composite tubes were run on the marine riser of the Pentagone 84 uring three drilling campaigns in the North Sea. Operational behavior of the tubes was fully satisfactory, and a burst test performed on one sample afier the field trial showed no deterioration of performance. The composite tubes were manufactured using carbon and ss fibers and had the following characteristics: ID = 4 inch, Length = 47 ft, Weight in 321 Ib, Burst Pressure = 170 MPa (24,000 psi). Several companies have the capability to design and produce 13,000 psi choke and kill line. The estimated cost for 30 fi, 3 inch ID joints with metal couplings is $15,000 per joint. ‘The weight in air of the 50 ft joint is 700 Ib, including couplings. water = As a follow-up to the IP work, Northrop Grumman Marine Systems (formerly Westinghouse Marine) is leading a joint-industry research and development venture to develop technology to commercialize light-weight advanced composite tubulars for deepwater oi] and gas exploration and production [13]. The venture is also funded jointly by NIST/ATP. The first target application of the technology is a composite low. Filling riser system with the riser body (20-inch diameter) and high-pressure (15,000 psi) choke and kill lines made of advanced composites. The venture is currently more than half way through a 3-year, $4.8 million project. The objective of the project is to ademonstrate successful deployment of a light-weight advanced composite drilling riser pup joint prototype in a deepwater drilling program. ‘The project plan includes material characterization, design, fabrication and land test of riser prototypes in addition to fabrication and testing of an in-the-water prototype. Preliminary design and fabrication of two 25-ft long drilling-riser main-body prototypes (Figure 3) as well as high-pressure choke and kill line prototypes have been completed. The air weight of the composite system is less than 50 % of the steel system, Estimated total costs of steel and composite systems for 6000 ft water depth (consists of: 79 riser joints (75 # each), 1 telescopic joint, 4 pup joints (5 -30 £0), 1 tensioning ring, and syntaetic foam) are $11.7 million and $20.7 million, respectively. In addition to this low-pressure drilling riser work, a JIP led by Norske Conoco and Statoil is underway to design, qualify, and ficld test a 22 inch high pressure composite drilling riser for TLP applications. Upon the successful development, a full size Joint is planned for testing on the Heidrun TLP with the currently used titanium rise1 ‘The joint is designed with a carbon-epoxy composite body, titanium intemal liner, elastomeric external liner, and titanium flanges. TLP Tendons TLP tendons are stiffiess-critical structural elements that ensure that the plazform heave, roll, and pitch natural periods are limited to 4 seconds to avoid resonance (which is known to inerease fatigue damage and extreme loads). While steel has been used to-date, carbon fiber (PAN or pitch) composites in a long-laid parallel-wire construction and large diameter strands are being considered, Strands of up to 5 1/8 inch (131 mm) diameter and 3.8 million pounds breaking strength have been produced for suspension bridges Larger size strands of about 10 inches (254 mm) may be required for TLP applications. ‘The strands are formed using a track based manufacturing system from 3 to 5 mm wi rods that are supplied in the form of 6 ft diameter coils, The helical bundle with a lay-to- diameter ratio of 75-to-1 is formed together without inducing any torsional stresses into the rods, Intermittent tape wrappings can be applied to assure strand integrity during coiling and handling. To protect the strand and improve handling, a thermoplastic jacket can be fitted to the strand. Fatigue tests were conducted on 500,000 pounds breaking strength carbon-vinyl ester composite strands with potied terminations and showed that the fatigue life is ten times longer than stee! strands [14]. In order to achieve a 4 second design criterion for a Heidrun type conerete TLP in 4400 feet in the North Sea, the required tendon stiffixess per comer will be about 300 MN/m. If the tendons are made of steel, the mass of the tendons will exceed 80,000 mT and the tendon pipe design will be very complicated to achieve a reasonable weight in water and number of tendons. If the tendon system is fabricated of high modulus (55 x 10° psi) carbon fiber composites, the mass will be about 14,000 mT), and under these conditions the maximum stresses in the tendon will be about 20% of its ultimate strength. This type of TLP application may not be practical for deepwater because of the platform size and he difficulty in securing this large amount of carbon fibers at a reasonable price. Note 43that the current worldwide production capacity for PAN-based carbon fiber is limited to about 25 million pounds per year. Since carbon fiber composite tendons possess superior fatigue resistance, the possibility and effects of relaxing the heave natural period limitation should be considered which, if found to be feasible, would mean a significant reduction in the required amount of carbon fiber and, thus, inerease its competitiveness with steel. Although the cost of the currently available high-stiffness composite material is high, Conoco's current efforts to develop low cost discontinuous high-stiffiness (30 to 75 msi) pitch carbon fiber and the recent introduction of a low cost (S6-8/1b) intermediate stiffness (30 to 35 msi) carbon fiber by Zoltek change the economic picture. An economic comparison between steel tendons and composite tendons using the discontinuous carbon fiber showed a cost savings between $30 to 300 MM, depending on the TLP size and waterdepth, in favor of composites. This economic advantage has motivated several studies to develop and qualify carbon fiber composite tendons. Non-Bonded (Fl le) Spootable Pipe Non-bonded flexible risers are critical clements in floating systems for deepwater offshore off and gas production [15]. Current applications in increasingly demanding environments, with a design temperature up to 265° F, a design pressure in excess of 5006 psi, sour production fluids, waterdepth exceeding 1000 meters, severe wave and current conditions, and larger diameters (more than 10-inch inside diameter), are challenging conventional flexible pipe design and construction. A non-bonded flexible pipe is designed as a multi-layer conduit consisting of thermoplastic layers for scaling the conveyed fluid from the external environment and metallic layers of carbon steel to provide axial and hoop structural reinforcements, In deeper water where longer-length flexible pipes will be used, the weight of the carbon steel reinforcements becomes a critical factor in the design of a flexible pipe. The large tension load induced by the pipe weight could lead to unacceptable stress levels in the pipe structure and excessively large deck and installation loads. As the pipe stress level increases, larger cross-sectional areas of the steel members are required, further increasing the weight of the pipe. To reduce the pipe unit weight, while retaining the required strength level, polymeric composites hhave been proposed and used as armor wires to roplace the stecl axial reinforcement. The first application of composites in a non-bonded flexible pipe was carried out by Coflexip Stena Offshore using armor wires made of glass-fiber reinforced epoxy (Figure 4). The shapes of the composite wires are flat and rectangular similar to those used for steel armor wires. To minimize residual stresses afier laying, the composite wires are initially preformed to a given lay diameter and armoring angle. Coflexip Stena Offshore has manufactured and installed flexible risers with glass-fiber composite armors for Petrobras in Brazil. 44Wellstream is leading a project to investigate the use of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite strips/wires t0 replace the carbon steel tension armor layers in non-bonded flexible pipe for deepwater sour service [15]. This material substitution reduces the submerged weight of the flexible pipe by about 30%, Work is underway to evaluate the performance of the composite armor flexible pipe; to develop sensors for life monitoring of the thermoplastic composite armor; and to develop a service life model of the armor. The cost of the composite-armor flexible pipe is expected to be higher than that of a stecl- armor pipe but the total system cost-savings associated with the lighter weight flexible pipe are expected to be sufficient to offset the higher cost of the composite flexible pipe. Bonded Spoolable Pipes Light-weight, spoolable, all-composite tubulars are beginning to attract attention as altematives to the heavier non-bonded steel and stecl-composite flexible pipe. With recent advancements in manufacturing processes, spoolable composite tubulars can now be produced in long continuous lengths. A typical spoolable composite tubular usually consists of load-bearing layers of carbon, glass, and/or kevlar fibers in a polymeric matrix, The fluid-pressure barrier is provided by means of @ chemically resistant thermoset or thermoplastic inner liner. If needed, an outer thermoplastic protective layer can be added to the composite structural layers. Interest in the use of composite spoolable tubulars ean be seen from the various current development efforts described below. COMPIPE has recently completed the first phase of a composite flowline joint-industry project [16]. The objectives of the project ere to develop and qualify @ spoolable composite flowline. The diameter of the flowline studied in the project was in the 100 mm to 250 mm range and the pressure rating was in the 100 bar to 350 bar range. Cost compatisons of composite flowline with coated carbon steel, conventional flexible owline, duplex steel, and 13% Cr steet flowline show that a continuous polymeric composite flowline is economically viable, ‘The total cost-savings in pipe material and fabrication range from 17% to 48% when compared with a duplex steel flowline. The cost of installing a composite flowline is similar to that of a rected steel line. Fiberspar has developed manufacturing technology for long continuous spoolable composite tubulars and is proposing a joint-industry project to qualify non-metallic bonded spoolable tubulars for offshore applications. Fiberspar estimates that the cost of a spoolable composite tubular will be competitive with the acquisition cost of a similar API 171 flexible pipe on a per-foot basis. However, the life cycle cost is expected to be reduced because the spoolable composite tubular is corrosion resistant, lighter and easier to deploy, has longer fatigue life, and has the potential to reduce overall riser system complexities and costs, Figure 5 shows a 4-inch flowline having a 3-inch ID designed and built by Fiberspar. It is designed for 3,000-psi operating pressure. The connector is a a4-inch FMC WECO (hammer blow union) designed for Arctic conditions. 45A similar joint-industry project is curently underway, led by Hydril and jointly fanded by NIST/ATP, to develop an advanced manufacturing method for long continuous spoolable composite tubulars in the I-inch to 6-inch diameter range for deepwater applications in the Gulf of Mexico. The current project is based on the results of an carlier joint-industry project on composite coiled tubing which demonstrated that superior performance can be realized with a properly designed and fabricated spoolable composite tubular, The ebove discussion on spoolable composite tubulars concentrated mainly on pipes made with thermoset resins, It should be pointed out here that a new class of spoolable composite tubulars made with fiber-reinforced thermoplastics [17] is beginning to emerge in the oil and ges industry. For the manufacture of this reinforced thermoplastic pipe, pre-formed fiber-reinforced tapes having a compatible thermoplastic matrix are utilized. Initially, layers of these tapes are helically wound around a thermoplastic tubular. Preferably, tape widths are such that for a given pipe outer diameter and a given wind- le, the pipe outer surface is completely covered by cach tape layer. Usually, pairs of tape layers are applied having opposite wind-angles for cach layer fo ensure torque balance of the fabricated pipe. Following application of one or more pairs of tape layers, «an outer layer of thermoplastic pipe is co-extrucded on top of the tape-wrapped inner pipe The several layers of this sandwich-type construction are usually bonded together by thermal or other means either as the tape layering/reinforcement proceeds or following the co-extrusion step. Wavin of the Netherlands has demonstrated the continuous manufacture of such pipe by producing 200 fect of 4-inch pipe having two tape layers. Tubes d*Aquitaine of France [17] are currently manufacturing both the reinforced tapes necessary for this manufacture as-well-as finite-lengih pipes having various diameters and tape layers (pressure ratings). Tubes d’Aquitaine have also designed and qualified a cost-effective, easy-to-install threaded metal connector. Their ultimate goal, that is currently being realized for 3-inch pipe, is continuous fabrication. A reel of pipe having intermediate connectors every 12 m is shown in Figure 6. (Photo courtesy of Tubes <’Aquitaine). The potential of this class of spootable tubulars for riser applications should be investigated. Substructure Both sandwich and pultruded composites are being considered substitutes for steel flooring which is curently fabricated from plates welded on I or U shaped beams, and then laid on the primary beams of the deck. Coflexip developed composite flooring that is made by juxtaposition of composite beams and is stiff enough to be laid directly on the primary deck beams. The low cost pultrusion process is used to produce these beams that are formed with profiles to allow interlocking and equipment installation, Composite beams can be built with higher strength and more fire resistance than steel, which could have special applications in rig floors and hull support [18] 46The application of composites for load bearing floors, bulkheads, helidecks and living guatters can take advantage of the current development efforts of composite bridges. Researchers at Lawrence Technological University (Southfield, MI) are studying the use of glass and carbon fibers for an experimental toad bridge. At the University of California, (San Diego), researchers are using carbon leminates to develop space-truss structures that strengthen highway bridge columns, and researchers at the University of Arizona (Tucson) are studying ways to use carbon laminates to strengthen masonry walls and concrete columns. Aramid, glass, and carbon fiber composite materials, developed by NEFCOM Corp. in Japan, are already used in a grid reinforcement system for concrete structures, Composites for Deepwater Drilling Recognizing the potential of composite materials to provide additional weight savings to the RamRig, a study was conducted to assess the application of composites on several critical components, These components were selected because of ease of implementation by being in use or already qualified and based on weight advantage as identified by the rig designer, Table 1 summarizes the results of this study giving budgetary weight savings and cost premiums for composites over conventional materials and highlighting components which can be readily replaced using off-the-shelf composite-materials technology of the day. Composites for Subsea Development As subsea developments move to deeper waters, the use of ROVs will expand for installation, retrieval and repair functions. ‘The effective use of ROVs requires the development of light-weight equipment and tools. Components for which composites can offer major advantages include: manifold support foundation, mud mats, subsea protection cover, ROV manipulator, ROV skid, tools, control pod housing, vessels, accumulators, manifolds, and guide cones. Composites can also be used for components whose weight is water depth dependent, such as risers and umbilicals BARRIERS TO THE APPLICATION OF ADVANCED COMPOSITES The expanded application of composites in the oil industry continues to face technical, financial and emotional barriers that must be overcome to allow the full potential of composites to be realized in critical offshore applications. Solutions to these barriers involve developing a more comprehensive design and manufacturing data base to allow competent risk assessment, establishment of reliable cost structure for both components and systems, and educating offshore contractors and suppliers to provide them with sufficient confidence to design and use these new materials. Since the cost to meet these objectives is quite high, there is a need for alliances and consortia because resourves are limited and no one company has the necessary skills to 47succeed. This issue is currently being resolved by the joint sponsorship of these programs by government and industry such as the NIST/ATP which is currently being tapped by industry. Table 2 provides a summary of these NIST/ATP projects that are directed toward the oil and gas industry. In addition to these U.S. based programs, there ate other programs being conducted in Norway. Two of these programs involve the development of a high-pressure composite drilling riser joint for field testing on the Heidrun TLP, and evaluation of composites for rig conversion. The successful commercialization of advanced composite components requires that development programs incorporate input from all participants in the development including material supplier, menufacturer, engineering contractor, user, and regulatory agency. Advanced composite applications can often draw on the knowledge and extensive data base developed by defense and aerospace companies. Any successful development must include extensive economic analysis to ensure that the results are aligned with the needs of the oil industry, particularly deepwater development. Therefore, it must not be overlooked that the key to the successful development of site components for the offshore oil industry is project implementation within a = chain partnership including owner, designer, material supplier, fabricator, regulator, and system integrator. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Selected applications of advanced composites offer potential performance and economic advantages compared 10 steel. The introduction of primary structure products into service, however, will be slow in developing or even denied unless the manufacturer is provided support in defining the requirements and evaluating the performance of new products including making facilities available for field testing The key to the successful development of composite components for the offshore oil industry is project implementation within a value chain partnership including owner, designer, material supplier, fabricator, regulator, and system integrator Regulatory agencies have demonstrated receptiveness to new technology and no regulatory requirements are foreseen that will prohibit the use of composites for offshore applications, Composites must, similar to other materials, be “Sit for purpose” whieh includes satisfying economic metrics and complying with safety and environmental requirements. 4. While cost differentials between steel and composites for individual components vary, on average a composite component costs twice that of an equivalent steel component, and weighs half as much. This cost premium may be offset by the reduced payload, maintenance, and handling requirements. For some components,such as high pressure vessels, composites can be lighter and lower in cost than steel vessels. 5. The cost of composites can be significantly reduced if design codes for pressure vessels change to differentiate between safety factors for fiberglass and carbon fiber composites, and for composites with and without liners. REFERENCES {1] First International Workshop on Composite Materials for Offshore Operations, October 26-28, 1993, University of Houston, TX. [2] International Conference on Composite Materials in the Petroleum Industry, November 3-4, 1994, Instinut FranZlais de P Strofe, Rueil-Malmaison, France. 3] International Workshop on Advanced Materials for Marine Construction, February 1997, Colorado School of Mines, New Orleans, Louisiana. [4] otros, Fikry, Williams, Jerry, and Coyle, Edward, “Application of Composite Materials in Deep Water Offshore Platforms,” OTC Paper No. 8500, Proceedings of ihe Offshore Technology Conference, May 3-8, Houston, TX, 1997, Vol. 4, pp. 71- 71. [5] Salama, M. M., “Some Challenges and Innovations for Deepwater Developments,” OTC Paper No. 8455, Proc. OTC, May 5-8, Houston, TX, 1997, Vol. 3, pp. 173- 187. [6] Oswald, Kenneth, J., “The Effect of 25 Years of Oil Field Flow Line Service on Epoxy Fiberglass Pipe,” Materials Performance, August , 1988. [7] Newhouse, Normal L., Johnson, Douglas B., and Baldwin, Donald D., “Design and Qualification of Advanced Composites for Marine Applications,” OTC Paper No. $568, Proc. OTC, May 5-8, Houston, TX, 1997, Vol. 3, pp. 523-529. [8] Quigley, P. A., Nolet, S. C., Williams, J. G., and Sas-Jaworsky, A., “Development and Application of a Nove! Coiled Tubing String for Concentric Workover,” OTC Paper No. 8456, Proc. OTC, May 5-8, Houston, TX, 1997, Vol. 3, pp. 189-202. [9] Hansen, A. B., Asdal, B., Meland, T., and Grytdal, 1. ©., “Qualification and Verification of Spoolable High Pressure Composite Service Lines for the Xsgard Field Development Project,” OTC Paper No. 8436, Proc. OTC, May 5-8, Houston, FX, 1997, Vol. 3, pp. 45. 4, 9[10] Fischer, F. J., “Composite Production Risers for Deepwater Offshore Structures,” Revue de L' Institute FranHais du P Strole, 1995, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 35-43. [11] Baldwin, D. D., Newhouse, N. L., Lo, K. H., and Burden, R. Production Riser Design,” OTC Paper No. 8431, Proc. OTC, May 5. TX, 1997, Vol. 3, pp. 11-18. ‘Composite ;, Houston, [12] Drey, M. D., Salama, M. M., Long, J. R., Abdallah, M. G., and Wang, S. S., ‘Composite Production Riser - Testing end Qualification,” OTC Paper No. 8432, Proc. OTC, May 5-8, Houston , TX, 1997, Vol. 3, pp. 19-27. (13] Andersen, W. F., Anderson, J. J, Mickelson, C. S., and Sweeney, T. F., “The Application of Advanced Composite Technology to Marine Drilling Riser Systems: Design, Manufacturing and Test,” OTC Paper, No. 8433, Proc. OTC, May 5-8, Houston, TX, 1997. Vol. 3, pp. 29-38. [14] Salama, M. M., “Advanced Composites for the Offshore Industry: Applications and Challenges,” Revue de L Institut Fran#lais du P Strole, 1995, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 19-26. 15] Kalman, Mark et al., “Development and Testing of Non-Bonded Flexible Pipe for High Temperature/High Pressure/Deep Water/Dynamie Sour Service Applications,” OTC Paper No, 8263, Prac, OTC, May 6-9, Houston, TX, 1996, pp. 355-373. [16] Norwegian Applied Technology AS, NAT News, 1996, No. 3. [17] Pipetine Report, “Tests Confirm Polyethylene Pipe for High Pressure Oil, Gas Service.” Oil & Gas Journal, 1996, Sept. 9, pp. 32-55. {18] Massot, J. J., “Glass Reinforced Plastics Heavy Load Flooring for Oflshore Platforms,” Proceedings of [2]. 50Table 1, Summary of Weight Savings and Cost Premiums for Composites | ‘Component Steel ‘Composites | Weiy [Cot | Wey [Cos [TOF CRE Tines 386400 | 472,000 | 138,800 | 3,760,000 } i 10,000 psi operating Pres. | | Mad Separator 7,700 70,000 | 5306 88,500 J atin. oper. Press. 10.3 Barg Design Pres. | 1.6 m ID, 4.6 m Height | 30 Air Pressure vessels 360,000 | 500,000 | 37,500 | 720,000} | 3000 psi operating Press. 60,500 in3 volume | Sag Pic 9,000 800 10,000 | 52% bbls capacity Cladding 30,000 | 330,000 | 33,000 [~~ 300,000 | 109 ke wind 3Table 2, Summary of NIST/ATP Composite Projects FProgram Goal Industry Sponsors Cost I (MMS) | Production Design, manufacture and | Lincoin Composites, Tee | Riser qualify 10 3/4", 6000 psi} Hexcel, Amoco, Shell, | production riser Conoco, Stress Engineering, Brown and Root, Hydril, CEAC Drilling Riser — | Design, manufecture and | Nothrop Grumman, a8id qualify 18", 3000 psi Hexcel, Deepstar, Vetco, drilling riser Reading & Bates, OTRC | BaITPipe Design, manufacture and | Spyrotech, Phillips, DIT qualify drill pipe Amoco, CEAC | Spoolabie Pipe | Design, manufacture and | Hydril, Amoco, Shell, 3015 qualify spoolable pipes | Phillips, Mobil, EIf for coiled tubing and | Atochem, Dow chemicals, flowline applications | CEAC Develop and qualify Specialty Plastics, NASA | 2.867 fittings for offshore GRP pipes. Intelligent Develop and qualify Wellstream 5.760 Joining! Fitting for Pipes | Flexible Pipe | flexibie composite pipe with built-in performance monitoring for use in oil and gas, | production 2Figure 1: Composite Accumulator Bottles (Pressure Vessels) for Production-Riser ‘Tensioning System (Lincoln Composites) re 2: Composite Producti Composites) 3(uvwumin doxyuon) uauniosdg 1895, ‘uoneoys}yong) J98ry-BuyyjN ausodwo; +¢ aang (dyxayos) siadey perxy-eouoH sseparoquy dO }9S PUSH Hp UNI(ourrunby,p soqny) adig susrdounoy., pori0s yada, :9 and, (aedsinqts) ouymoyy YDUT-sOsH, +6 SBN 55OTC 8666 Composite Production Riser Dynamics and Its Effects on Tensioners, Stress Joints, and Size of Deep Water Tension Leg Platforms Metin Kerayake, Shukel Wu, Aker Engineering Inc., Su-Su Wang, Xiaohua Lu, Composites Engineering and Applications Cenier, University of Houston, Partha Ganguly, B.P. Exploration Inc, ABSTRACT Composite production riser (CPR) joints are being seriously considered in the development of deep water tension leg platforms (TLPs), because of their inherent light weight, superior fatigue and corrosion resistance, and outstanding specific strength and stifthess properties. Current efforts on the development of CPR joints have been mainly focused on low-cost manufacturing and failure strength evaluation of CPR tube body and CPR joins connection. The important issue of system dynamics of TLPs containing multiple CPR str has not been addressed. In this paper, systems analysis of a TLP containing 16 CPR dons subjected to Gulf of Mexico have been conducted. The riser system is water depth with CPR joints, standard Joints, stress joint, and top several disciplines, including riser dynamics analysis, and composite s to develop an iterative algorithm for uation of the top tension and stress joint requirements cally, optimum top tension requirements have been smined based on riser dynamies and the failure envelope cof the CPR joints. For comparison, the optimum top tension ements are further used to size the TLPs with allstee! siser and with CPR, Computations indicate that for a water epth of 3,000 ff, unit weight reduction of the riser results in 3.31 times reduction in the TLP size. It is demonstrated that the weight reduction inthe riser string is nonlinearly related to went and TLP size, loner requi INTRODUCTION Composite materials offer many advantages for deep water applications because of their excellent corrosion snd fatigue performance, high strength-to-weight ratio, and design flexibility, As the offshore industry moves aggressively 10 pursue deeper water developments, composite materials are finding a wide range of new applications for both topside and subsea structures. While most of the current applicat secondary structures in the top side facilites, several major US, and international initiatives are underway 10 develop primary load-bearing system components [1-6] In deep water exploration and production, significant advantages may be realized when composite materials and structures are incorporated in the offshore system design strategy during conceptual and pre-engincering stages. For 2 TLY, the effective use of light weight composites may result in @ significant cost savings and, perhaps, also enzbling benefits. Synergistic reductions in the deck loads, lull, tendon mooring system, and platform size account for the reduced topside facilities weight (2) ‘This. study couples fundamental failure mechanics of composites, dynamic analysis of the composite riser sirings, and naval architecture to size the TLP structure, It is demonstrated that an integrated interdisciplinary effort is required 19 overcome technological barviers in the utilization of composite materials in the of'shore industry and effective TLP design COMPOSITE PRODUCTION RISER JOINTS CPR joints sre currently being developed in a major project jointly supported by the industry and DoC NIST/ATP. The tube body of the CPR joint is a hybrid material system design in which the axial loud is carried by helical catbon-fiber plies and hoop pressure is carried by both carbon and glass fibers wound close fo the hoop direction. The detsiled laminate structure of the CPR tube body is schematically illustrated in Fig. 1 [4]. The design is mainly based on load-bearing fiber strength snd leakage prevention by liners. Leakage is caused by through-the-thickness matrix. Some of the initial design parameters of CPR joint are summarized in References 4 and 5. Metal inserts are placed at each end of the CPR jaint 10 facilitate CPR joint connection. The metal fiting inserts are2 KARAYAKA, WY, WANG, LU, GANGULY ore 868 Joined to the CPR tube body through a tap-lock metal-to- osite interface (MCI) developed by Lincala Composites Figure t: Laminate structure of the NIST contposite production riser joint [¢). RISER SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND DYNAMIC ANALYSIS A commercially available three-dimenstonal frequency domigin anclysis program, FREECOM 3D, is utilized to analyze the dynamic response of the riser system, Riser f x depth is presented in Fig. 2, A. sitess joint is placed at the seabed to accommodate high bending. ‘To further protect the CPR jofats from the bending load, « transition joint and a steel riser joint is placed after the sess ja placed in the middle of the 1 str mie loed is predominantly in the section in the splash zone is also susceptible to bending stress due to surface events, The CPR s terminated at 272 ft below the water level. ine configuration is used to compare the top-tension iis of an allestcel riser string with that containing the allsteel riser configuration has the seme components, except that the CPR joints are replaced with standard steel riser joints ‘The riser joints are modeled with 2-node tube elements with 6 degrees of freedom per node, It is important to note that the anisotropic nature of the CPR joints can not be in the riser analysis software because of its current PR joints are assumed 10 have uniform ‘erial properties, such as unit weight, outer er, equivalent effective axial stiffness EA, ete. All degrees of freedoms are consivained at the bottom of the riser stting, Tensioner loads are applied at the top by clements. The surface tree is modeled with a nx the end of the riser string, Comat Bik p ero nydrocarbon, aad tubing . cee SE { Figure 2: TLP siser configuration fer 3,000 ft water depth ENVIRONMENTAL AND OPERATION CONDITIONS ‘The riser dynamic analysis is performed only for the ease of extreme environment} loading. The current profile and wave parameters are summarized in Table I. These conditions represent 100-year hurricane loading in the Gulf of Mexico, A total of 16 composite production risers are used in the ie analysis of the TLP. A single riser casing ration with production tubing is used for all production production mbing is filled with hydrocarbons of 44.89 Ibi? densi. The riser annals i led with mad density. The riser loads are calculated for a TLP excursion of 10% of the water depth, The TLP excursion, ccortent, and wave are aligned in the same direction. ‘Sea Conditions Cuitent Profile Water depth | Current speed Maximum Height (ny) | 72, ®, fenots) Significare Heighe (ft) | 40. [Surface 3F Maximum Period (82) | 135 | 109 26 Mean Zero-Cross (sec) | 115 | 260 00 | Beak Periad (see) 142 | 3,000 09ore 266 ALGORITHM FOR TOP-TENSION REQUIREMENT CALCULATION A numerical procedure is developed to determine top-tension requirements of the TLP production risers containing the CPR joints. In the algorithm, composite feilare is coupled with a TLP sizing study and dynamic riser analysis. A flowchart of the entire analysis algorithm is sumumarized in Fig. 3, At the onset of the iterative procedure, the weight of the riser string components is used to estimate an initial fop-teusion requirement value. Based on this initial ‘op-teasion requirement, the TLP size and corresponding response amplitude operators (RAO’S) are calculated, Upon detennination of the TLP RAQ’s , an updated tensioner requirement is determined using the von Mises stresses in the steel risers and the failure modes of composite risers Although it is not considered in this algorithm, this stage of the riser analysis is suitsble to further optimize the riser components, such as stress joint dimensions, CPR joint locations, ets. The updated top-iension value is then used to ressize the TLP, The algorithm is repeated until a tolerance linnt is reached between the top-tension requiremieat and the TLP size Obviously, numerous issues need to be addressed 10 determine the optimum riser tensioner requirements. Owing to the space limit of this paper, only few critical design issues, such as stress joint 1 CPR strength, and pre-tensioning requirements, are addressed. Furthermore, the environmental Toading conditions are alse simplified. The methodology can be extended to address other critical issues, such as VIV loading, riser clashing, riser fatigue, and optimization of the riser configuration, numerical TLP SIZING The TLP sizing study has been conducted based on typical Gulf of Mexico environment, number of production risers, ind the 1ad level. The major constraints considered LP configuration are summarized in Table motine operations (eg, tow out) terms of construction iti Minimam postoon/tatal displacement ratio for structural integrity ‘Minimum riser spacing Maxim ) that ean be fabriceted don sized (COMPOSITE RISER DYNAWICS IN DEEPWATER TENSION LEG PLATFORMS. 3 of instalation | Maximum tendon pipe wall thickness in t ‘Mision tendon i ness for structural strength Minimom astral periods Avoids tendons ia the 1004y Sufficient specity for tendon tension manage In this study TLP sizing is based on 16 production risers and 12 tendons (4 legs with 3 tendons per leg). The ovter ter and wall thickness of the stecl tendon pipes are 30" respectively. The tendons are designed accord APL RP 2T specifications, including maximum/minimum tendon tensions [8]. Unity checks are also performed and allowances are made to accommodate higher-order tendon tension contributions. The total ballast, tothe including that for tension management and ballast contingency, is kept at 10% of the displacement duting sizing, which is adequate at this level of conceptual desiga, Figure 3: Toptension requirement optimization algorithm. ‘The essential performance requirement of a TLP lies in maintaining its low natural period for the vertical modes of motion when subjected to design sea states. As the water depth increases, the length of the tendons, which is roughly