Element JIP to enable breakthrough in subsea pipeline reeling

Element Materials Technology has announced the launch of a joint industry project within the oil and gas sector to enable a breakthrough in the testing of subsea pipeline installation.

The Advanced Simulation of Pipeline Reeling (ASPIRE) project will pioneer the accurate representation of the pipeline reeling process, which is anticipated to increase the commercial viability of testing and bring major advances in methods for pre-qualification testing of pipeline welding in deeper and more corrosive deepwater environments.

Rod Martin, Element’s Executive Vice President, oil and gas, comments: “ASPIRE will bring about unprecedented advances in subsea pipeline installation testing. With current methods falling short of accurately simulating the complexities of the real-world reeling process, this JIP is an extremely cost-effective solution for all those involved by working in partnership to increase the industry’s confidence in operating reliably within deepwater environments. Our increased understanding of pipeline reeling will undoubtedly improve the integrity of test data we can provide for our clients and improve knowledge within the oil and gas sector as a whole.”

Experts at the company’s renowned Element Aberdeen testing laboratory will collaborate with sister laboratories across its global network and key Oil & Gas industry partners to develop a new, state-of-the-art reeling facility in Aberdeen, UK. It will provide unrivalled full-scale cycling strain testing capabilities based on the technical requirements and research findings of participants, in addition to serving as the blueprint for potential future reeling facilities at laboratories such as Element Houston, Texas. Project participants will gain exclusive commercial access to the facility, as well as shared knowledge and testing methodologies developed throughout the initiative.

The two-year ASPIRE project is expected to launch on 1 June 2015

Adapted from press release by Hannah Priestley-Eaton

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/27042015/element-jip-to-enable-breakthrough-in-subsea-pipeline-reeling/