Strohm, which makes thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP), has completed its first offshore field trials with Petrobras in Brazil's Campos Basin, testing the pipe at water depths of roughly 1,500 metres using the same evaluation methods applied to conventional flexible pipes. Tests included crushing and deep immersion performance assessments, subsea connection trials, and installation in a catenary configuration, with the pipe submerged for 24 hours to check operational behavior.
The trials indicated the TCP suits post-salt applications and shows promise for pre-salt fields as well, given its resistance to CO2-induced stress corrosion cracking, a known challenge in the region. Strohm says the pipe has a smaller carbon footprint than conventional flexible pipe and its light weight allows for lower-cost installation methods such as subsea pallet deployment.
Executives from both companies described the results as a milestone: Strohm's Brazil VP said it keeps the company on track to become a leading composite pipe supplier for Petrobras, while Petrobras's subsea engineering general manager linked it to the company's Subsea Industrialization Program and a planned new Strohm plant in Brazil.
Source: strohm.eu
