Dow Oil & Gas has launched Neptune Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System, a breakthrough technology specifically engineered to withstand the increasingly harsh conditions associated with subsea oil production.

The Neptune, a simple, complete system designed for line pipe, field joint and subsea architecture applications from the wellhead to the delivery point, outperforms existing subsea flow assurance wet insulation technologies, combining excellent thermal properties with the highest temperature performance end-to-end from -40°C (-40°F) up to 160°C (320°F) during installation and use, at depths of up to 4,000 meters.

Antoine Samaha, regional commercial leader, Dow Oil & Gas, Middle East & Africa, said: “As offshore oil and gas production efforts in the region require wells to be drilled deeper than ever before, the resulting rise in subsea temperature and pressures experienced during production creates a need for reliable insulation that can effectively handle these conditions.”

“The Neptune System is a simple, two-layer insulation system built with patented Dow technology that brings an enhanced performance safety factor, along with the ability to withstand harsh conditions, to offer producers a wet insulation solution for subsea oil production that is superior to anything else on the market today,” he said.

Designed in response to direct requests from offshore operators, the system is the result of a Dow-led multi-million-dollar, multi-year research and development effort. 

It is based on an entirely new chemistry developed by Dow for this application: a proprietary, hybrid polyether thermoset.

It has undergone full-scale production trials by globally recognised and respected flow assurance insulation system coaters and additionally, the material has been rigorously tested to ensure it meets operators’ stringent design requirements for deepwater oil production.

“Our customers asked for an advanced flow assurance insulation system to withstand the increasingly harsh conditions they encounter in deepwater oil production, and we delivered,” said Larry Ryan, general manager, Dow Oil & Gas, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company. 

“Neptune technology builds on 25 years of success with Dow Hyperlast technology, with more than 500 references worldwide, but now takes a giant step forward. The market knowledge, chemistry expertise and innovation capabilities of Dow – combined with the application expertise of the coaters with whom we have collaborated – have enabled us to deliver a flow assurance wet insulation solution with the widest temperature range available on the market today,” he added.

The system is now commercially available for subsea architecture applications, across the Middle East and Africa region, through Dow’s global qualified coater network, with line pipe and field joint applications to be available soon. – TradeArabia News Service