Oil major Shell has awarded a contract to Airborne Oil & Gas for deepwater subsea thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP) jumper spool qualification.
Airborne Oil & Gas, the world’s first manufacturer of TCP, said on Monday that it would complete a qualification program for high-pressure, deepwater TCP jumper spools which is expected to first be applied in the Gulf of Mexico region.
Tom Moroney , Shell’s Vice President for Deepwater & Wells Technology, said: “Airborne Oil & Gas’ flexible composite pipe is lightweight and flexible, which could considerably help reduce the cost of subsea developments in deep waters.
“The high-pressure jumper spool represents a relevant step towards future deployment of Deepwater composite risers.”
The TCP Jumper Spool will be manufactured using carbon fiber and designed for application in depths greater than 2,000 meters at pressures above 10,000 psi.
Gavin Leiper , Vice President Airborne Oil & Gas North America, added: “This is a fantastic step forward in our qualification and product portfolio. We are looking forward to working closely with the Shell Technology Centers in Houston and Amsterdam, as we deliver this exciting product to the market.”
The qualification program will be performed at the Airborne Oil & Gas manufacturing facility in IJmuiden, Netherlands, and will be completed by summer 2017.