TWI provides confidential research and testing services to its Member companies to help ensure the safety, reliability and long service life of subsea and downhole equipment.
There is a growing need for deepwater exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons, and plans for ultradeep water activities are on the horizon. This trend brings with it the need for long tie-backs, greater emphasis on the reliability of subsea systems, and the development of more advanced capabilities such as subsea separation.
The reliability of subsea and downhole equipment is of vital concern to the oil and gas exploration and production sector. Downhole environments can be extremely hostile, and long service life is crucial for equipment that can be very costly to repair and maintain.
With ultradeep wells being planned, the industry's need for assured equipment reliability is growing.
Although intervention may be possible for subsea equipment, it frequently involves the mobilisation of specialised equipment. This can have a significant impact on production, as it may result in well shut-in - a costly exercise for both onshore and offshore fields.
TWI's multi-disciplinary team of experts can provide support to assist in assuring reliable systems are developed and used, focusing on:
- Materials selection and the influence of joining processes on the behaviour of materials
- Process conditions, including highly sour service, mild sour service and sweet corrosion
- Environmentally driven cracking, corrosion fatigue and corrosion failure modes for carbon steels and corrosion-resistant alloys
For more information, please email contactus@twi.co.uk.