Wellstream (a Halliburton business unit) supplies lightweight reinforced thermoplastic pipe, or RTP, which is designed for applications intermediate between those that can use low-pressure, unreinforced thermoplastic pipe or hose, and those that require high-pressure unbonded flexible pipe. Used mainly in onsh...
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Topside jumpers are a common application for bonded flexible pipes.
Wellstream (a Halliburton business unit) supplies lightweight reinforced thermoplastic pipe, or RTP, which is designed for applications intermediate between those that can use low-pressure, unreinforced thermoplastic pipe or hose, and those that require high-pressure unbonded flexible pipe. Used mainly in onshore flow line applications where the life cycle cost is less than steel pipe, RTP is available in sizes ranging from 3 inches/75 mm up to 10 inches/260 mm (ID). RTP features a polyethylene liner, a helically wrapped aramid fiber armor layer and an exterior ultraviolet-resistant thermoplastic barrier, and it offers service pressure as high as to 2,200 psi/150 bar.
Offshore applications likely will be shallow water installations where high collapse resistance is not needed. Here, RTP is more cost effective than steel pipe on a life-cycle or installed cost basis. Furthermore, RTP’s manufacturing process is straightforward and, therefore, offers the potential for near- or even onsite production with a modular manufacturing system. A joint industry project group — supported by BP, Coflexip Stena Offshore, Petrobras, Halliburton Subsea and Pipelife, among others — is currently developing guidelines for qualification and system design and has studied damage tolerance and repair issues. A draft ISO standard for RTP is in preparation (see Sidebar).