IFPEN receives award

The Offshore technology center’s hall of fame Technology Pioneer Award 2014 was presented to IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) for its work in the field of the mechanical behavior of drilling risers during the 1970s and 80s. Charles Sparks, in charge of this research at IFPEN, also received the award. The research conducted made a significant contribution to offshore oil production and the commercial successes achieved by IFPEN in this field. The award is just one of many prizes received by IPFEN for R&D advances in the field of marine oil exploration and production.

The offshore oil adventure began back in the 1930s and continued with deep offshore oil production in the 1990s. Today, more than 30% of the world's oil and gas production comes from sub-sea zones. The safe design of the equipment needed for offshore drilling and production required major technological innovations as well as a good understanding of the phenomena at play. Among these innovations, the drilling riser technologies developed by IFPEN represented a major advance.

In the 1970s, the behavior of drilling risers and the vibration phenomena to which they were subjected were still not fully understood. The research carried out by IFPEN helped to improve the design of risers and led to the marketing of the Clip-Riser™. This rapid connector technology became a resounding technical and commercial success, with close to 50 risers sold to date.

The above award follows the award received in 2006 for the invention of flexible pipe technology, which led to the creation of Coflexip, now incorporated within the Technip group.

Adapted from a press release by David Bizley

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/23092014/ifpen-receives-award/