TPi October 2010

developments products &

Elastopipe ensures fire protection on Maersk FPSO

month, in contrast to the estimated 15 months to install a comparable copper- nickel installation.” Elastopipe offers a 30-year minimum maintenance life for fire deluge and sprinkler systems, and because of its corrosion-free performance, system testing frequency can be reduced while maintaining full availability. Elastopipe is highly resistant to impact and jet fire (1,400˚C/2,552°F for one hour), and its light weight, flexibility, ease of cutting and fitting ensure installation is rapid and simple. Using advanced polymer material technology, Trelleborg Offshore provides high integrity solutions for harsh and demanding offshore environments. As partoftheTrelleborgEngineeredSystems Business Area of Trelleborg Group, Trelleborg Offshore specialises in the development and production of polymer and syntactic foam based seismic, marine, buoyancy, cable protection and thermal insulation products, as well as rubber-based passive and active fire protection solutions for the offshore industry. Within its portfolio are long-established brands including CRP, OCP, Viking and Emerson & Cuming. Trelleborg Offshore Norway AS – Norway offshore.norway@trelleborg.com www.clearlyflowassured.com

Trelleborg Elastopipe during full-scale test

Trelleborg Offshore has installed its Elastopipe™ corrosion-free fire safety deluge system, to replace the existing carbon steel pipework on seven modules, on Maersk’s Ngujima- Yin, a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The system was installed in under three months, without disrupting the vessel’s oil and gas production schedule. The Maersk Ngujima-Yin commenced operations at Woodside’s Vincent field, offshore Western Australia, in 2008. With a daily production capacity of 120,000 barrels of oil and 100 million standard cubic feet of gas, the Ngujima-Yin is the largest FPSO in Australian waters and the largest FPSO in the Maersk fleet. “Trelleborg provided the complete survey, design, engineering, supply and installation package, as well as removing the old installation. It was important that operation of the FPSO was not affected in any way, and that safety was considered of paramount importance. Trelleborg ensured not only a quick and effective, but also safe installation.” The existing carbon steel seawater deluge system on the seven-module FPSO vessel had corroded over the two years since its installation. The system Christian Eilersen, director FPSO projects, Maersk, commented,

required constant maintenance, cleaning and testing, and a replacement was required to reduce the long-term cost of ensuring essential fire protection. The challenge with the installation was to replace the existing fire protection throughout the FPSO modules, without affecting the safety of the vessel as it continued output. The system required 1,687m (5,535ft) of pipe work, in diameters from 25 to 200 mm (1" to 8"), and associated fittings and accessories. Hans-Leo Hals, Elastopipe product group manager, Trelleborg, commented, “Because Elastopipe is a synthetic rubber-based flexible piping system, it is installed without any welding or other hot work, such as high speed cutting, which could comprise the safety of the vessel. We installed a temporary Elastopipe deluge system for each module, removed the existing steel pipes, then completed the permanent Elastopipe pipework and fixings and moved the temporary deluge on to the next module. This method ensured that full fire protection was retained throughout the project. In addition, the flexibility and light weight of Elastopipe allow very rapid installation, compared to a rigid pipe system; it can be swiftly configured to confined spaces. The first two modules were completed in just a

Stainless products from China

Hongyue Metal Co Ltd specialises in the production of stainless steel tube, coil and sheet, including grade 201, 202, 301, 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 409, 410 and 430. The company’s products are exported to North America, eastern Europe, southeast Asia, the Middle East and western Europe.

Hongyue Metal Co Ltd – China hymetals@gmail.com www.fshongyue.cn

26

Tube Products International October 2010

www.read-tpi.com