Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Research reports
Intended for use as an information source for engineers involved
in the use of composites offshore. Includes a detailed summary of
current offshore composite applications, followed by a review of
the 43 projects conducted during the programme which spanned 13
years and four phases of research considering the performance
issues. The most significant advances have been in the areas of
pipework and fluid handling, driven by their light weight and
corrosion resistance compared to metals. Until recently, interest
focussed on the use of glass fibre-based composites and on the
topsides of offshore platforms. The prospect of deepwater
production is generating a new impetus for high performance
composites for demanding subsea applications. The probable scale of
some new subsea developments, such as rigid risers and tethers is
likely to result in greatly increased demand for carbon based
composites as well as for manufacturing facilities to process them.
Composite down-hole tubing is also beginning to find applications
subsea and in well intervention.
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