Soluforce

Soluforce is a brandname of Pipelife for a Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipe (RTP).

Introduction

Soluforce is an RTP, which is a flexible pipe, supplied in long length coils up to 400m length and pressure ratings from 30 to 90Bar. In the last few years, this type of pipe has been acknowledged as the standardised solution for oilfield flowlines and also recently used offshore for water injection risers and oil flowlines [cite journal |author= Bert Dalmolen| title= Reinforced thermoplastic pipe: standardised composite solution for oilfield flowlines| journal= PetroMin| year= 2006| volume= | issue= October| pages=30–37| url= http://www.petromin.safan.com/mag/poct06/t30.pdf| format= dead link|date=June 2008 – ^{[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=author%3A+intitle%3AReinforced+thermoplastic+pipe%3A+standardised+composite+solution+for+oilfield+flowlines&as_publication=PetroMin&as_ylo=2006&as_yhi=2006&btnG=Search Scholar search]} ] .

A very great advantage of this pipe is also its very fast installation time compared to steel pipe as speeds up to 1000m/hr have been reached installing RTP in ground surface [ cite journal |author= Soluforce| title= Soluforce lays Sumatra pipeline in a jiffy| journal= PetroMin| year= 2006| volume= | issue= December| pages=32–34| url= http://www.petromin.safan.com/mag/pdec06/t32.pdf| format= dead link|date=June 2008 – ^{[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=author%3A+intitle%3ASoluforce+lays+Sumatra+pipeline+in+a+jiffy&as_publication=PetroMin&as_ylo=2006&as_yhi=2006&btnG=Search Scholar search]} ] .
The pipe mainly benefits applications where steel fails due to corrosion and installation time is an issue [ cite journal | author= Pipelife | title= Fiber Reinforced Plastic Pipe Vies With Steel| journal= Pipeline & Gas Journal| year= 2004| volume= | issue= December| pages= | url=http://www.oildompublishing.com/PGJ/pgj_archive/December%2004/tech%20notes-12.04.pdf | format= dead link|date=June 2008 – ^{[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=author%3A+intitle%3AFiber+Reinforced+Plastic+Pipe+Vies+With+Steel&as_publication=Pipeline+%26+Gas+Journal&as_ylo=2004&as_yhi=2004&btnG=Search Scholar search]} ] . Beside the application for oil transportation, this pipe is also applied for gas transport lines [cite journal |author= Dr. Kerstin Grass, Thüga AG | title= Einsatz von faserverstärkten Rohren im Gashochdruckbereich | journal= KRV NACHRICHTEN | year= 2005| volume= 2/2005 |issue= |pages=17–20 |url= http://www.krv.de/nachrichten2-2005-internet-komplett.pdf | format= dead link|date=June 2008 – ^{[http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=author%3A+intitle%3AEinsatz+von+faserverst%C3%A4rkten+Rohren+im+Gashochdruckbereich&as_publication=KRV+NACHRICHTEN&as_ylo=2005&as_yhi=2005&btnG=Search Scholar search]} ] .

Production

The Soluforce RTP is a three layer pipe construction:
* 1. A HDPE liner pipe
* 2. The reinforcement layer, typically Aramid (Twaron or Kevlar)
* 3. The HDPE protective outer layer for UV, damage and abrasion protection

Typical applications

Soluforce is used for the following applications:
* Oil field flowlines
* Oil field waste water disposal lines
* Oil field injection lines
* Offshore water injection risers
* Offshore oil flowlines [cite book |author=Rapra Conference Proceedings 2001|publisher=Rapra Technology|title=Oilfield Engineering with Polymers 2001: Exploring the Limits of Materials Technology, Session 7|isbn=978-1-85957-300-6|url = http://www.rapra.net/products_and_services/Books/Products_and_Applications/General/Oilfield_Engineering_with_Polymers_2001_Exploring_the_Limits_of_Materials_Technology.asp?&Sect=23]
* High pressure water transport lines
* High pressure gas transport lines [cite journal |author= Mannes Wolters| title= REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC PIPELINE (RTP) SYSTEMS FOR GAS DISTRIBUTION| journal= Paper: 23rd World Gas Conference| year= 2006| volume= | issue= | pages=| url= http://www.igu.org/html/wgc2006/pdf/paper/add10946.pdf]
* Relining existing pipes [cite journal |author= EOS Ruhrgas, Werner Wessing| title= Neue Kunststoffrohrsysteme fur den Hochdruckbereich | journal= Bregenzer Rohrleitungstage - bbr| year= 2005| volume= | issue= Sept 2005| pages=12–13 | url= http://www.nodig-bau.de/praxisberichte/PR_EON_09-2005.pdf]

Testing and Qualification

Solufoce RTP is tested and acknowledged by the following instances:
* [http://exchange.dnv.com/taridocs/TA-CERT/32/noqzaxxx.htm DNV Certification D-2615 - Soluforce System 4" and 5" with in-line couplings and end fittings]
* [http://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/DATABASE.CART/WORKITEMS/WK11803.htm?E+mystore ASTM - WK11803]
* [http://www.api.org/Publications/new/upload/15S_PA.pdf API - RP 15S (oil field service)]
* [http://www.iso.org/iso/en/CatalogueDetailPage.CatalogueDetail?CSNUMBER=42330 ISO/TS 18226:2006 (gas service)]
* [http://dvgw.de/zertifizierung/verzeichnisse/detailanzeige.php?wo=dindvgwgas&id=63696 DVGW VP 642 (German gas service)]
* [http://www.nygas.org/details/M-2003-005.htm NYSEARCH project by the Northeast Gas Association (USA)]

External links

* [http://www.umist.ac.uk/external/arp/RTP%20prospectus.pdf JIP proposal 1999 from Newcastle University]
* [http://www.igu.org/html/wgc2006/pdf/paper/add10946.pdf Conference paper 23rd World Gas Conference]
* [http://www.soluforce.net/ Soluforce homepage]

ee also

* Plastic Pressure Pipe Systems
* Pipeline transport
* Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes
* Water injection (oil production)

Notes and References

*
*
*
* [http://www.read-tpt.com/featuredetail.cfm?ID=1723 Tube&Pipe Technology Feature news]