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Tube Products International May 2013
products & developments
Field joint coating for subsea flow insulation
Dow Oil, Gas & Mining and Pipeline
Induction Heat Ltd (PIH) have introduced
a simple and robust field joint coating
process for Dow Neptune F advanced
subsea flow assurance insulation.
PIH demonstrated the field joint coating
process at full production scale on 8"
line pipe coated with Neptune P flow
assurance insulation at its facilities in
Burnley, UK, in January. The robust,
reproducible process resulted in high-
quality field joints, in line with PIH and
Dow Oil, Gas & Mining expectations.
“PIH and Dow have a long history
of collaborating to bring innovation to
offshore oil and gas production,” said
Tony Pontefract, director of business
development at PIH. “Through our
collaborationonNeptune F insulation, we
now have the ability to offer customers
a simpler, reproducible field joint coating
process, competitive cycle time, high
mobility and a compact equipment
footprint, facilitating an end-to-end flow
assurance system that performs at both
high and low temperature extremes.”
With components designed for use
together as line pipe, field joints and
subsea architecture coatings, the
complete Neptune advanced subsea
flow assurance insulation system
protects assets fromwell head to delivery
point, and offers a wide end-to-end
installation and operating temperature
range. It remains highly flexible down
to -40°C (-40°F) and retains thermal
stability for service temperatures of at
least 160°C (320°F). The system was
developed by Dow in cooperation with
leading industry coating applicators,
including PIH, an expert in polyurethane
field joint coating for the subsea oil and
gas industry.
“Dow has a long track record in
offshore flow assurance insulation
with Hyperlast
TM
offshore systems,
so we knew that field joint coating
would be critical to delivering an end-
to-end concept,” said Alexander Lane,
global business leader for oil and gas
transmission. “Working with PIH on the
development of Neptune F insulation
for field joint coating created a match
of material science and application
expertise that was instrumental in
bringing forward a technology that would
raise performance while maintaining
application efficiency and reliability.”
Neptune F insulation was developed
at Dow laboratories in Freeport, Texas,
USA, and at new R&D facilities in
Burnley, UK, where PIH has invested in
state-of-the art equipment to support
the new technology offering.
Featuring a single, robust and easy-to-
apply homogeneous layer of proprietary
insulation over a proprietary fusion
bonded epoxy, the Neptune system for
line pipe and field joint coating together
eliminates the need for multiple and
adhesive tie layers, contributes to a
thinner coating profile, and maintains
a consistent low K-factor from tree
to line pipe to field joint, reducing the
potential risks associated with bonding
dissimilar and potentially incompatible
materials.
“We’re very pleased to have been
involved in the development of Neptune
F insulation from the start,” said Mr
Pontefract. “We are very comfortable
with the resulting field joint coating
process and our ability to deliver it to
our customers in the field, which is PIH’s
historic strength.”
Dow Oil, Gas & Mining
– USA
Pipeline Induction Heat Ltd
– UK
Size Chart app for piping materials
DylanGroup has issued a free, user-
friendly Size Chart app for iOS and
Android smartphones and tablets.
Theappcanbeused inpipingprojects, by
looking up schedules, wall thicknesses,
weights and volumes of pipes. Users
can also contact DylanGroup by email
directly from the app, for any
enquiry or information.
The app aims to make printed
size charts unnecessary. All of
the required data is stored as part
of the app, so there is no need
for an Internet connection while
using the app.
The DylanGroup Size Chart app
can be downloaded for free from
the Apple App Store (for iOS
devices) or the Google Play Store (for
Android users).
DylanGroup aims to provide a complete
package of steel piping products and
services. From strategic subsidiaries all
over the world, DylanGroup distributes
pipe, fittings, flanges, solid bar and
valves to all kinds of industries. The
company also supplies specialist
turnkey services, including project
management and consultancy, for both
small and large-scale projects.
Forgings and bar can be machined to
any specification in the company’s own
in-house production facilities.
DylanGroup
– The Netherlands
The new Size Chart app is
a handy reference for those
dealing with piping materials
