Successful program for composites in the oil and gas industry

Over the past decade, there has been increased interest in oil and gas production in deep water (greater than 5000 feet). Due to the scope of this interest, a program was created, with the purpose of developing an advanced composite drilling riser. This riser would have the strength of its steel counterpart, but would have increased fatigue resistance at a fraction of the weight. Through an Advanced Technology Program (ATP) funded project, a composite drilling riser was successfully designed, built, and tested. It was during the course of this program that key technologies were forced into development. Because of the required fatigue resistance, reliability, and short design cycle in the oil and gas industry, changes had to occur in the way that composites are designed. These key technologies include a preloaded composite to metal interface, a dependable liner sealing system, and the ability to design composite products in a short period of time. Composite technology has been applied to other products to enable new exploration and production capabilities that were either not technically feasible or cost-effective. Thus, with the assistance of ATP, the vision of technology advancement leading to useful products that positively affect the economy has been realized.