Magma Global delivers high pressure composite riser pipe to HWCG consortium

HWCG commissioned Magma Global, manufacturer of PEEK and carbon-fibre composite m-pipe®, to qualify and manufacture a high pressure, high temperature m-pipe® to be used as a flexible riser connection to enhance HWCG’s rapid deployment emergency well containment system. The lightweight, flexible m-pipe section will provide additional flow and capture emergency response options for HWCG’s members in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The m-pipe is designed for rapid installation and is suitable for responses where vertical access is restricted and an offset is required such as: i) shallow water depths where the presence of combustible and volatile compounds affect personnel safety or ii) where access under a floating production facility is needed. The system may also be used in deeper waters where more flexibility is desired in managing the marine systems during a response.

Deployed straight from the handling apparatus, the 800 ft long section of m-pipe® will provide a flexible riser connection between the capping stack placed on the incident well and a rigid riser suspended from a MODU. The m-pipe® will form a horizontally oriented “S” shape between the capping stack and the rigid pipe riser thus decoupling motion and decreasing surface station-keeping requirements for the temporary production facility. Once in operation, hydrocarbons released from the well flow through the complete riser flow path and are processed on board the temporary production facility to be collected in shuttle tankers for transportation.

HWCG specified a pipe that would need to be compliant with movement and resistant to degradation from continuous exposure to hydrocarbons at pressures up to 10,000 psi and temperatures up to 250°F and would offer an alternative to conventional non-bonded flexible pipe. Magma qualified the 6-inch m-pipe® to meet the project requirements and completed manufacture and FAT testing during the Covid-19 pandemic lock-down.

HWCG is one of two deepwater oil and gas emergency response consortiums established for the U.S. Gulf of Mexico following the Macondo blowout incident in 2010. HWCG’s response provides for the installation of a capping stack within 7-14 days and the ability to commence contingent flow and capture operations within 18 days assuming no weather or other uncontrollable delays.  Once installed the m-pipe® is qualified to operate for at least 6 months, which is enough time to drill a relief well to provide final well kill and containment.

Mitch Guinn, Technical Director for HWCG said:
“HWCG was one of the first organizations to accept the responsibility for providing equipment and personnel to respond rapidly and safely to a deepwater well incident. The addition of a flexible riser component to our suite of response equipment further enhances our ability to respond even more efficiently by allowing more flexibility in selecting a temporary production facility and enabling the selected facility to increase its operating window regarding weather conditions. The addition of Magma’s composite m-pipe® is a huge benefit for our Members and is seen as one of their critical response components. We hope this work will open the doors to future applications of this breakthrough technology.”

Andy Jefferies, Deep Sea Development Services, and OFR Project Manager for HWCG added:
“The initial concept, and subsequent evolution, of the Offset Flexible Riser builds on the industry’s use of riser technology to manage unique operating conditions and environments requiring incident well flowback as part of a well containment strategy. The engineering and design aspects of this breakthrough technology has been led by DSDS for HWCG. The application of the Magma m-pipe® design represents a step change in that technology and brings a time effective solution to well containment for flow and capture operations for all scenarios but is particularly well suited to shallow water, high-rate gas wells, and wells requiring an offset flow and capture operation.”