The morning of the 27th July 1999, I headed off for Stavanger to participate in the start-up and handover of the first Elastopipe™ pilot project on a platform. This was a very exciting time and I was extremely proud to be involved in the project.
Arriving at the heliport in Stavanger to meet the team, I was immediately told of an issue they were experiencing, regarding a well in our area. This was a challenge due to very tight space which I looked forward to overcome with our new flexible piping solution. We agreed to go ahead and start testing Elastopipe™ the next morning.
The next morning arrived and I had a meeting with the quality assurance team regarding quality control of Elastopipe™ during assembly and post installation inspection. Installation procedures are extremely important on offshore platforms, as operators are focused on reducing downtime. That is one of the biggest advantages with Elastopipe™, you don’t need to stop production during installation.
The deluge system started up and we headed towards the area in our heavy rain gear, looking for potential movements in the pipe and the supports and ensuring that the deluge cover was good. We then proceeded with the testing and performed a control of a test area with the purpose to test different metallic materials ability to withstand corrosion. It was important for us to choose a test area that was exposed to excessive spray and salt mist, to really understand the capabilities of the solution.
After successful testing, I was invited to witness the startup of other deluge systems on the platform. This was really interesting! The amount of effort involved, and the problems with inadequate deluge coverage and clashes during the testing of carbon steel compared to Elastopipe™, were quite significant.
At the end of the trip, it was noted that there was a very positive impression of Elastopipe™ and the quality of the system. A successful first test of Elastopipe™ on board an offshore oil and gas platform in the North Sea.
Arriving at the heliport in Stavanger to meet the team, I was immediately told of an issue they were experiencing, regarding a well in our area. This was a challenge due to very tight space which I looked forward to overcome with our new flexible piping solution. We agreed to go ahead and start testing Elastopipe™ the next morning.
The next morning arrived and I had a meeting with the quality assurance team regarding quality control of Elastopipe™ during assembly and post installation inspection. Installation procedures are extremely important on offshore platforms, as operators are focused on reducing downtime. That is one of the biggest advantages with Elastopipe™, you don’t need to stop production during installation.
The deluge system started up and we headed towards the area in our heavy rain gear, looking for potential movements in the pipe and the supports and ensuring that the deluge cover was good. We then proceeded with the testing and performed a control of a test area with the purpose to test different metallic materials ability to withstand corrosion. It was important for us to choose a test area that was exposed to excessive spray and salt mist, to really understand the capabilities of the solution.
After successful testing, I was invited to witness the startup of other deluge systems on the platform. This was really interesting! The amount of effort involved, and the problems with inadequate deluge coverage and clashes during the testing of carbon steel compared to Elastopipe™, were quite significant.
At the end of the trip, it was noted that there was a very positive impression of Elastopipe™ and the quality of the system. A successful first test of Elastopipe™ on board an offshore oil and gas platform in the North Sea.
Tom Jørgensen
Project Manager