What if we could marvel at making things simpler, smaller, smarter? It’s certainly a goal today’s industry has, but it means shifting mindsets. Made from PEEK and carbon fibre, m-pipe simplifies subsea architecture thanks to its low weight, high strength, flexibility and standardised design. m-pipe doesn’t corrode or degrade in the oil field and has exceptionally good high pressure and high temperature performance. m-pipe’s low permeation also makes it ideal for all types of service.
m-pipe has been used for flowlines and jumpers, intervention systems and flying leads by major operators around the world. One standard m-pipe product has delivered hydrocarbon, water and gas service. In marginal fields m-pipe can be taken up and reused.
m-pipe is made from just two high quality raw materials: carbon fibre and PEEK. PEEK is the highest performing thermoplastic polymer available. Due to its resistance to heat, common oilfield chemicals and permeation PEEK has a long history of application for use in critical components.
Our materials are combined into unidirectional carbon fibre and PEEK tape which is fused by laser, layer by layer in a fully automated robotic process to form a fully bonded structure with a smooth bore. We can modify the lay of the tape angle to optimise flexibility, stiffness and strength. As a result m-pipe requires relatively small quantities of material to deliver the required performance.
Peek combined with carbon fibre for complete durability
1/6 the weight of non-bonded flexible
≤20 KSI Pressure capability and resistance
m-pipe is not subject to degradation from oil field chemicals including hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide; chemicals that are prevalent in many oil field developments and which prove challenging to both steel and flexible pipe. The use of PEEK also gives m-pipe high temperature capability and extremely low gas permeation.
The flexibility of m-pipe defies its strength. It has a minimum bend radius that allows it to be delivered on standard reels which, together with its light weight, makes it possible to deploy from smaller vessels. m-pipe can be laid around seabed formations and existing subsea architecture. m-pipe has a high fatigue life which makes it ideal for dynamic applications.
m-pipe manufacturing is fully automated and robotic, providing consistent product quality in a continuous high speed process. Our In Country Manufacturing Module (ICMM) can produce continuous lengths of up to 6000m. The same machine can manufacture 2in to 6in and 5-15ksi m-pipe.
m-pipe is a standard product and is manufactured in continuous lengths of up to 6,000m with internal diameters of 1.75” to 6” and in larger discrete lengths . Our end terminations design philosophy enables m-pipe to interface through a variety of interfaces from flanges to Grayloc or other hub types, pin and box connectors and proprietary connections such as Oceaneering’s M5 connector as required.
By choosing high performing materials we can build a very much smaller, lighter structure. This opens significant opportunities in light weight riser designs which remove the need for large buoyancy structures. The real savings come from the installation advantages. With its low weight, around ten times lighter in water than steel pipe, m-pipe is easy to transport and handle. It is fast and easy to deploy from standard reels from small vessels which are available at a fraction of the cost of large pipe lay vessels and allows for straight forward ROV connection.
