Getting creative with cladding, Part 1

Robert Miller, Abakan Inc., explains how a new method for the seamless cladding of pipes is enabling the development of subsea oil resources in ever-harsher conditions.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has estimated that 70% of the world’s remaining oil resources consist of heavy, high sulfur ‘sour’ crude. The same is true of gas fields: more than 50% of the world’s gas fields have a high content of corrosive carbon dioxide and water. In order to meet the soaring global demand for energy, oil companies must use higher quality products to enable the development of these resources, especially cost-effective corrosion-resistant materials.

A critical element to the execution of such projects is the need for corrosion-resistant clad pipe, in which a layer of corrosion-resistant alloy or composite material is metallurgically bonded to a substrate to enhance durability. The recent US$ 200-plus million clad pipe orders for single projects in the Persian Gulf, South America and Asia-Pacific regions are a testament to the growing market for clad pipe, which according to industry experts and analysts, is expected to double over the next three years to a US$ 4 billion annual market. Indeed, the global oil and gas capital expenditure (Capex) is expected to increase from US$ 1036 billion in 2012 to US$ 1201 billion in 2013, registering a growth of 15.9%. The trend of increasing capital expenditure is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, driven by reserves that are deeper and farther away from the shore. Infield Systems’ Deepwater and Ultra-deepwater Market Report states that the largest proportion of this deepwater investment will be directed towards pipeline installations, which comprise 39% of total global deepwater expenditures, with clad pipes constituting a healthy share of this offshore pipeline investment.

A new technology

Enter CermaClad^TM, a clad pipe manufacturing technology developed by the Abakan group of companies. The technology replaces conventional weld overlay and other cladding technologies in upstream oil and gas exploration and production applications, as well as those in midstream and downstream petrochemical, mining, metal processing and desalination applications. It can protect the underlying metal substrate from corrosion or from wear and erosion through the application of a thick or thin layer of protective material. Proprietary cladding materials are used in combination with this high-speed, large-area cladding technology to deliver high performance corrosion-resistant clad pipe. This ability addresses the two major concerns that are repeatedly identified as the biggest limitations of current metallurgical cladding: availability and cost. The significant reduction in process time (reductions in lead times of 75 - 80%) achieved through CermaClad, coupled with its enhanced metallurgical and surface properties is important in subsea oil and gas projects, in which heavy costs - both financial and environmental - are associated with delayed availability and compromised integrity or failure of risers and flowlines.

Part 2 of this article can be reached here.

Adapted by David Bizley

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/exploration/05112013/getting_creative_with_cladding_part_1/