Thermoflex Blog

Not all pipes are created equal. The choice of materials for use in oil and gas pipelines and hydrocarbon transportation can impact operating costs, lead time, compliance, ease of installation, maintenance costs, total costs of ownership, and much more.

Conventional steel pipe has been the material of choice for oil and gas applications for decades. Thanks to recent innovations in reinforced thermoplastic pipe (RTP), there are now materials that may be better suited to some applications and are even more cost-effective solutions for fluid transportation.

While there’s a lot of activity in the Permian basin, this vast expanse of back roads can often seem like a lonely place, particularly when it comes to getting your hands on composite pipe.

The Problem

In the Permian Basin, installation of new hydrocarbon gathering lines comes with a unique set of challenges, including ubiquitous labor and supply shortages. But for Ring Energy operating in remote Orla, Texas, those challenges were compounded.

The Problem

In order to optimize profitability, oil and gas companies will frequently require a very narrow range of production specifications. Case in point: engineers for Marathon Oil recently needed 2,650 feet of hydrocarbon gathering line for a raised-temperature project in the Delaware Basin.

The Problem

When it comes to giving up its gas, the Delaware Basin can be stubborn. As part of its efforts to maximize recovery and profitability in New Mexico, Midland-based Diamondback Energy needed a mile of pipeline for its Eye of the Well gas-lift project.

The Problem

Working extensively in the Delaware Basin, one company had long been seeking a more cost-effective solution for a water-transfer flowline than steel and HDPE.

The Problem

A major oil and gas company faced a dilemma on a recent offshore pipeline rehabilitation project in the Gulf of Mexico. Saltwater and H2S corrosion had taken their toll on an existing steel pipeline.

Everything’s more challenging from the perspective of an offshore platform. That’s another way of saying everything’s more expensive. This is especially true when it comes to mitigating the effects of corrosion on carbon steel pipelines.

The Problem

Operating in Big Lake, Texas, Laredo Petroleum had been using two common flexible pipeline products for its oil and gas gathering lines. One product featured a glass-fiber reinforced epoxy matrix; the other, a flexible steel reinforcement around what was supposed to be a corrosion-resistant liner.