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the ? eld as well as the laboratory. found soon, Kimball says.

On the metals side, Turbeville says the “The full process involves years, not issue is not to ? nd new alloys that will months,” says Patrick Kimball, FMC work. Existing steel and nickel alloys

Technologies spokesman, but he noted should serve equipment needs. The issue is the effort has been underway since at

Spotlight validating the metals for the more challeng- least 2012. Prior to the price drop, FMC ing u-HPHT deepwater environments, and

Technologies’ estimate was 20k, 350°F

Gulf of Mexico testing has thrown some curves.

equipment would start being installed in 2017 or 2018. Agreement on how to do testing, which on the Gulf

There are challenges that go beyond standards to apply, is as important to developing standards and designing and industry adoption as the materials them-

Ultra-HPHT, other proving new production systems. selves. There is a debate over the need to technologies advance use fracture mechanics as part of a new despite oil price drop,

The Seals challenge design code rather than the pressure-

One area is elastomer seals. Existing based calculations traditionally used to but actual deployment elastomers meet current wellhead pres- validate designs.

in Gulf of Mexico could sure and temperature standards, no more “You need to understand the real than 15,000psi or 275°F. But it has been fracture toughness of the material in the slow. Bruce Nichols hard to ? nd elastomers that tolerate both prescribed environment and you need to puts it in perspective.

hotter hydrocarbons and colder seawater determine, based on that fracture tough- at depths of 10,000ft. ness and the types of ? aws you could ne question arising have in that material, what the life of that “The challenge with those materials is you can either get them to work on the from the plunge of component will be,” Turbeville says.

O high side or the low side but rarely both,” There aren’t many laboratories capable oil prices to US$50

Anadarko’s Lucius Truss Spar, located in 7100ft of from $100-plus is whether the says Elliott Turbeville, FMC Technologies of doing that, he says. Lots of labs can do it water, in Keathley Canyon 875, 236mi o