2002-2003 OTRC PROJECT: Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) Methods for Inspecting the Integrity of Composite Structures Used in the Offshore Oil IndustryOBJECTIVE:
Operators and regulatory agencies need to develop criteria for the level of inspection needed for composite structures used offshore and to develop an understanding of the availability of Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) tools that could be economically applied to assess the integrity and assure the performance and safety of critical primary structure components. A symposium is planned is to bring together experts from the petroleum, NDE and composites industries to address the communications barrier which limits the application of existing NDE technology. Symposia topics will include: (1) classification of components according to critical need for inspection, (2) consideration of the potential benefits, costs, and limitations of applying NDE methods, and (3) transfer of NDE technology from other industries to oil industry applications.
APPROACH:
A two-day symposium in Houston will be held to bring together key stakeholders in offshore petroleum, NDE and composites industries plus regulatory agencies (MMS, USCG). The following paragraphs provide background on the subject matter to be addressed.
Heavily-loaded, safety-critical composite components such as drilling and production risers, spoolable coiled tubing, high pressure subsea pipelines, TLP tendons, and synthetic fiber mooring ropes are currently being given serious consideration for deployment offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and other parts of the world. Already in place on offshore platforms are numerous installations of lightly loaded structural components such as fiberglass piping and gratings. Composite applications tend to be limited or inhibited by the lack of long-term service experience and the inability to ensure continued satisfactory performance or locate damage through techniques such as NDE. Without the availability of proven NDE methods, high performance components tend to are conservatively designed and subjected to strict manufacturing tolerances and specifications, and often become prohibitively costly.
Numerous NDE methods have been developed in the aerospace and automotive industries, but these technology advancements, with few exceptions, are not being utilized in the offshore oil industry. A better quality assurance way is within reach, but it will require a focused and coordinated effort to transform existing and newly emerging NDE technology into oil industry composite applications. It is the purpose of the proposed symposium on NDE to bring together experts from the NDE community and the oil and composites industries to discuss the unique needs of oil industry applications and to serve as a catalyst for the development of practical affordable ways to use NDE technologies to inspect composite applications currently in service and under development for the offshore oil industry.
DEPLOYMENT OF RESULTS:
The symposium will engage the oil industry, composite component suppliers, and NDE in a dialog to discuss the issues. The symposium will serve as a catalyst to bring the significant technology carriers together for purposes of education, communication, technology transfer, and planning to allow the introduction of composites and effective NDE inspection methods into the offshore oil industry. The expected long-term benefit is to sort out what is needed, what is available, and what can be developed, and set into motion development efforts to make relevant NDE technology available for use by the offshore oil industry.
ANTICIPATED PROJECT DURATION: 1 year
PROJECT PLAN FOR YEAR 1 (2002-2003):
Scope of Work: A two-day symposium will be organized and held. OTRC and Petroleum Composites will be responsible for overall organization, development of the program and editing the symposium publication. A steering committee will assist in securing speakers and developing the program.
Speakers with expertise in a variety of areas will be solicited from organizations including government agencies (MMS, USCG, NIST, NASA, DOE), universities, oil and gas companies, composite designers and manufacturers, and NDE firms. The symposia format will include invited presentations as well as discussion of the path forward.
Presentations will include
· Oil industry needs (in-situ NDE, design alternatives)
· Select NDE methods, including visual, ultrasonic, acoustic emission, microwave, radiography, thermography, shearography, and fiber optics
· Emerging technologies
· Applications from other non-oil industries
· Regulatory agency viewsOpen discussion sessions will address
· Potential oil industry applications
· Recommendations for future developments
· Path forwardAnticipated Results: Publication of the proceedings of the symposium
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: Jerry G. Williams (Petroleum Composites), Ozden A. Ochoa (TAMU)