Thermoflex Tubing

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Thermoflex Tubing

• Reinforced Thermoplastic Gathering, Disposal and
  Injection Lines
• Overview and Case Studies
• Arkansas Chapter of the Society of Petroleum
  Engineers
• March 11, 2009, Ft. Smith Arkansas

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Why Use Thermoflex Tubing

• Corrosion Resistance/ Hydrocarbon Resistance
• Rapid Installation vs. Steel
• Lighter Duty Equipment
• Less Footprint on Surface
• Paraffin or Scale Issues
• Reduced Pressure Drop vs. Steel

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Advantages of New Polymers

• Polyethylene has been Available for Years.
• Good to 60C Operating Temperatures
• Paraffin Adheres to Polyethylene
• Poor Permeation Properties
• New Polymers with High Strength, Improved
  Corrosion Resistance, and Higher Temperature
  Performance Now Available
• Multi-Layer Technology has Reduced the Costs of
  Liners for Severe Applications

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New Engineered Plastics Provide Higher
Temperature Strength Not Available From
Polyethylene (PE)
Fortron
Capron
PE
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Liner Construction Design

• Multi-layer Design
• Inner Layer for Corrosion Resistance, Low
  Permeation and Higher Temp Strength . . . Nylon
  and Fortron
• Outer Layer for Higher Temperature Strength,
  Abrasion Resistance . . . Capron or PP
• Fully Bonded
• Applications to 250F

Inner Barrier
Outer Strength and Abrasion Layer
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Reinforced Tubing Design and Construction

• Multi-layer Design
• Inner and Outer Barrier Layers
• Center Layer Provides Higher Temperature Strength
• Fiber reinforced with Kevlar for Strength,
  Tensile Load, and Burst
• Tubing Strength P(2Fn)/DL

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Couplings and Terminations

• Required for Each End of the Tubing
• Threaded, Weld, Flange Styles Available
• Carbon or Duplex Stainless Steel
• Joint less Unions

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Coupling Requirements

• Portable Coupling Machines
• Up to 4.5
• For Termination and Union Couplings
• 10,000PSI Hydraulic Pump

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Design Strength vs. Short Term Burst Strength
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Testing Standards

• API 15S Developed a Composite Pipe/Tubing
  Specification
• ASTM D1598 Best Standard for Reinforced
  Thermoplastics Tubing
• ASTM D2292 Best Standard for Reinforced
  Thermosetting Tubing (Fiberglass)
• Couplings are ANSI 600 Rated

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Paraffin Testing
No Evidence of Paraffin Adhesion On the Piping
There is Adhesion to Unlined Metal Fittings
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Delivery of Tubing

• Comes in Spools
• Length Dependent Upon OD and Pressure Rating
• Spools can be Broken Down after Use

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Downhole Applications

• Velocity Strings
• Submersible ESP Tubing
• Injection Strings
• Well Jetting Strings

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Pressure Drop 1 3/4 Thermoflex
Steel
Thermoflex
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Channeling the Gas

• Small Diameter Tubes . . . No U-Tubing
• Set Above Lowest Gas
• Packer or Cone

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Conventional Installation

• 1.75 Velocity String for 2,591M Well
• Weight 1,560Kg
• Thermoflex inside of 2 3/8 Steel
• Conventional Coil Tubing Unit

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Reed A1 Performance
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Low Cost Multi-Zone Case

• Five Perforation Zones over 304M
• Weekly Soaping and Blowing/ Monthly Swabbing
• Where to Set the Tubing?

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Results of Multi-zone Case
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Utilizing Submersible Pumps off of Thermoflex
Tubing

• Increases Fluid Velocity to Lift Solids
• Rapid/Low Cost Installation and Removal
• Suitable for CBM
• Resists CO2

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Injection Applications

• Gas Injection
• Chemical/ Fluid Injection
• Banded to Tubing or Free Hanging
• Submersible Production Applications

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Well Jetting

• 1.75 String to Jet 4.5 Casing
• 200PSI Injection Pressure
• Insertion Rate of 20ft/min
• Depths to 7,000ft
• 3 Per Day

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Surface Applications

• Gathering Lines
• Disposal Lines
• Injection Lines
• Water
• CO2/Water
• Rehabilitation of Steel Lines

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Methods of Installation

• Direct Bury
• Continuous Plowing
• Trenching
• Pulled Through Existing Steel Pipe
• Sizing Dependent Upon Restrictions in Steel
• Pig with wire line and pull pipe

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Direct Bury

• Plow, Continuous or Backhoe Trenching
• Pre-trenched ditches 2 Km per Hour
• Pull Pipe off Stationary Spools
• Savings 5-6/ft Installed vs. Steel

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Brine Disposal Line

• 4.5 Thermoflex, 500PSI 750PSI
• 10ft. Spools for Shipping
• Unwind or Drag Off
• 50,000ft in Three Weeks

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Installation Through Hills

• Pull from Top to Bottom if Possible
• No Special Backfilling Requirements
• Tamping or Compaction a Function of Soil
  Conditions

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Inserting In Steel Pipe

• Pig Cable Through
• Pull Pipe Back Through
• Tensile Load Based Upon Drag
• Capable of Multiple Kilometer Pulls

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Pull Through Steel Pipe

• Pull with Coupling or with Bolts
• Pull Strength Varies by Longitudinal Braids
• Polyflow Models Pulls

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Pulling Thermoflex Through

• 2 3/8 in 3 ID Steel
• Do not Recommend Pulling through Elbows
• Pull Speed 100ft/min

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Offshore Rehabilitation

• Pull 3.5 Through 8 Flexible Steel Line for
  6,000ft
• Single Pull Platform to Platform
• 90 Cost Savings vs.Replacment

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Double Walled System

• Pull Thermoflex Through Carbon Steel
• Flanged Terminations
• Fill Annulus with Packer Fluid/ Inert Fluid
• Monitor Pressure on the Annulus

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Modeling Gathering Lines

• Single or Multi-phase flow
• Comparison to Steel
• Smaller Diameter for Equal Pressure Drop
• Less Effects Due to Continuous Runs

2 3/8 Steel
Thermoflex
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So Why Use Thermoflex?

• Low Cost Rapid Installation
• Corrosion Resistance
• Reduced Pressure drop vs. Steel
• Low Cost Rehabilitation of Existing Lines