Thermoflex® Tubing

Reinforced Thermoplastic Gathering Lines and Downhole Tubulars

Polyflow Overview

Why Use Thermoflex Tubing

• Corrosion Resistance/ Hydrocarbon Resistance

• Rapid Installation vs. Steel

• Paraffin or Scale Issues• Reduced Pressure Drop vs. Steel

Advantages of New Polymers

– Polyethylene has been Available for Years. • Good to 60C Operating Temperatures• Paraffin Adheres to Polyethylene• Poor Permeation Properties

– New Polymers with High Strength, Improved Corrosion Resistance, and Higher Temperature Performance Now Available

– Multi-Layer Technology has Reduced the Costs of Liners for Severe Applications

New Engineered Plastics Provide Higher Temperature Strength Not Available From

Polyethylene (PE)

-

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

PSI

73F 250F

Tensile Strength (psi)

For

tron

Cap

ron

PE

Liner Construction & Design• Multi-layer Design

– Inner Layer for Corrosion Resistance, Low Permeation and Higher Temp Strength . . . Nylon and Fortron

– Outer Layer for Higher Temperature Strength, Abrasion Resistance . . . Capron or PP

• Fully Bonded

• Applications to 250F

Inner Barrier

Reinforced Tubing Design and Construction

• Multi-layer Design– Inner and Outer Barrier

Layers– Center Layer Provides

Higher Temperature Strength

– Fiber reinforced with Kevlar for Strength, Tensile Load, and Burst

• Tubing Strength P=(2*F*n)/D*L

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

Time, Hours

Wei

gh

t C

han

ge

(%)

Long Term / Elevated Temp. Fuel ExposureWeight Change - Fuel CM15 (121oC)

HTN - 35% GR

PPA - 45% GR

PPS - 40% GR

N66 - 25% GR

10%

5%

0%

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

20 60 60

degrees C

perm

eati

on

rate

(1)

PK PA11 HDPE

CO2 Permeation(0%, 50% relative humidity)

all data measured at independent laboratoryall data measured at independent laboratory

(50% relative humidity)

(1) units = (10(1) units = (1099 * cm * cm3 3 * cm) / (cm* cm) / (cm22 * s * bar) * s * bar)

CO2 Permeability

0200400600800

100012001400160018002000

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Temperature oC

Per

mea

tion

Coe

ff. (c

m3

100m

icro

n)/(m

2 da

y at

m)

PPS SKX-382

PPS SKX-372

Carilon P-1000

PVDF KF 1000

Tensile Performance

Ø1.75" Elongation

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

3.00%

3.50%

4.00%

0 2500 5000 7500 10000 12500 15000

Load (lb)

% E

lon

gat

ion

Creep PerformanceØ1.75 Creep Test @ 5000 lb

-1.50%

-1.00%

-0.50%

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

3.00%

1 10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000

Time (Minutes)

% C

ha

ng

e

% Change Length % Change Diameter

Design Strength vs. Short Term Burst Strength

2 3/8” 500PSI Rated Burst Strength

Rated Braid Strength 500PSI

Design Braid Strength 893PSI

Short Term Burst

Avg. Last 12 Months

2,297PSI

Testing Standards

• ASTM D 2513 Thermoplastic Gas Pressure Pipe Not Fully Adequate– Reflects Poor Creep Properties of Polymers

ASTM D1598– Reinforced Polymer Tubing Enhanced with

Creep Resistant Fiber

• ASTM D2292 does not Reflect Excellent Fatigue Resistance of Thermoplastics and Aramid Fibers

Paraffin TestingNo Evidence of Paraffin Adhesion

On the PipingThere is Adhesion to Unlined

Metal Fittings

Delivery of Tubing

• Comes in Spools

• Length Dependent Upon OD and Pressure Rating

• Spools can be Broken Down after Use

Couplings and Terminations

• Couplings Swedged on Both Ends

• Duplex Stainless Grade

• Any Thread or Connection Available

• Swedged in the Field or Plant

Coupling Requirements

• Couplings are Duplex Stainless or Plated Carbon Steel

• Swedged in the Field

• Flanged Connections Available

Portable Coupling Machines

• 55 KG

• 1” to 3.5” Couplings

• Hand Pump or Enerpac

Installation Methods

• Direct Bury • Continuous Plowing• Trenching

• Pulled Through Existing Steel Pipe– Sizing Dependent

Upon Restrictions in Steel

– Pig with wire line and pull pipe

Direct Bury

• Plow, Continuous or Backhoe Trenching

• Pre-trenched ditches = 2 Km per Hour

• Pull Pipe off Stationary Spools

• Savings: $5-6/ft Installed vs. Steel

West Virginia Brine Disposal Line

• 4.5” Thermoflex, 500PSI & 750PSI

• 10ft. Spools for Shipping

• Unwind or Drag Off

Water Disposal Line

• Spool Weight 2,500lbs

• No Trench Padding

Inserting In Steel Pipe

• Pig Cable Through

• Pull Pipe Back Through

• Tensile Load Based Upon Drag

• Capable of Multiple Kilometer Pulls

Pull Through Steel Pipe

• Pull with Coupling or with Bolts

• Pull Strength Varies by Longitudinal Braids

• Polyflow Models Pulls

Pulling Thermoflex Through

• 2 3/8” in 3” ID Steel

• Do not Recommend Pulling through Elbows

• Pull Speed 100ft/min

Termination Connections

• Threaded. Flanged or Weld Style

• Pull Tubing, Clamp it, Couple It, Pulls Back into Tube

Double Walled System

• Pull Thermoflex Through Carbon Steel

• Flanged Terminations

• Fill Annulus with Packer Fluid/ Inert Fluid

• Monitor Pressure on the Annulus

Brine Disposal Example

• 2,200bbl/day

• 300psi Operating Pressure

• 85C Operating Temperature

• Ditched and Pulled in Pipe

Installation Through Hills

• Pull from Top to Bottom if Possible

• No Special Backfilling Requirements

• Utilize Load Cell to Limit Pull Force

Gas Flow Line

• 300MCF/day

• 500psi Operating Pressure

• 1.75” OD Pipe

• Fortron Lined for Corrosion Issues

Line Terminations

• Threaded, Flanged or Welded Terminations

• Couplings for Standard Sized Threads, Flanges or Pipe Sizes

So Why Use Polymer Liners and Reinforced Tubing?

• Rapid Installation Time and Reduced Cost

• Enhanced Corrosion Resistance/ Hydrocarbon Resistance

• Flexibility for Tight Applications

• Reduced Pressure Drops

Modeling Gathering Lines

• Single or Multi-phase flow

• Comparison to Steel– Smaller Diameter for

Equal Pressure Drop

– Less Effects Due to Continuous Runs

Thermoflex ID

ID 1.880in

Operating Pressure(Gage)Length Operating Temp

L 9500ft P 400psi T 460°F 120°F

0 500 1000 1500 2000 25000

100

200

300

400

500

600

Thermoflex TubingSteel Tubing

Flow Rate (bbl/day)

Pre

ssur

e D

rop

(psi

)

Thermoflex

2 3/8” Steel

Where to Get Help

• www.polyflowinc.com

• Call Main Office: 610 666 5150

• Call Dale Sannipoli: 951

Reinforced Thermoplastic Tubing for Velocity String and Downhole Tubing Applications

for Oil and Gas Production

Technical Background and Case Studies

EOG Lunch and Learn

January 16, 2008

Why Use Thermoflex® Tubing For Gas Wells?

• Reduced Pressure Drop & Increased Gas Flow Rates

• Excellent Corrosion Resistance

• Minimum Ongoing Maintenance

• Low Cost Installation

Why Thermoforming Plastics?• Polyethylene Should not be used in Wells

– Poor Hydrocarbon Resistance

– 60C Max Operating Temperature

• Higher Temperature/Corrosion Resistant Polymers Available– Polyphenylene Sulfide (Fortron/PPS) (120C)

– Nylon (85C)

• Extrusion Options for Engineered Plastics

Target Applications

• Low Pressure Wells

• Wells with Liquid Loading Issues

• High H2S and CO2 Environments

• Wells with Paraffin or Scale Buildup Issues

• Used In Conjunction with a Submersible Pump to Remove Water and Solids from CBM Wells

What Are Thermoflex Strings• Multi-layer Reinforced

Polymer Coiled Tubing– Inner Layer Corrosion/Flow

Layer

– Aramid Fibers for Strength and Creep

– Center Layer for Strength to 120C max.

– Sizes Compatible with Coil Tubing Injectors

– Less Force Requirements

– Required Couplings on Each End

Channeling the Gas

• Small Diameter Tubes . . . No U-Tubing

• Set Above Lowest Gas

• Packer or Cone

Benefits of Thermoflex® For Velocity Strings

Reduced Surface Roughness of Engineered Plastics vs. Steel – Steel Relative Roughness .005

– Thermoflex Relative Roughness .00005

• Material Compatibility of Polymers . . .– Enhanced Corrosion Resistance

– Minimizes Buildups of Paraffin and Asphaltenes

Interesting FindingsWell Energy Balance

cp Tbh cp TscVsc

2

2 g L f

L

IDtubing

Vsc2

2

kVsc

2

2

2 L40 ft

cp Tloss

Bottom Hole Energy

Exit Energy

Velocity

Gravity Friction Couplings ThermalTransfer

Where is the Energy LostDye #2 Well @ 8ft/sec.

0.1% 2.5% 0.1%

70.3%

27.0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Velocity Friction Couplings Thermal Gravity

Steel Pipe Energy Loss

Where is the Energy LostDye #2 Well @ 27ft/sec

0.1%

40.5%

0.5%

38.9%

20.0%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

Velocity Friction Couplings Thermal Gravity

Steel Energy Loss

Pressure Drop 1 3/4 ThermoflexWHP=5psi, WHT=60°F, 3500ft Dp., Ø1.75 Tubing

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 1400

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

ThermoflexSteel

Velocity (ft/s)

Pre

ssur

e D

rop

(psi

)

Steel

Thermoflex

Liquid Loading Example• 1.75” Velocity String for

2,591M Well• Weight 1,560Kg• Thermoflex inside of

2 3/8” Steel• Conventional Coil

Tubing Unit

Safety Considerations

• Diamond Cut Slips Only

• Same Pack Off

• Shears Work

• 5,818Kg Tension Before Pipe Slipped in Coil Tubing Blocks

Installation

• Install at 30M/min

• Couplings Through Injector

• Bottom Plugs Float Tubing

• Set 3 Meters above Perf Zone

•

Reed A1 Performance

160

240

5065

MCF/day psi

Steel Polymer

Slim Hole Completion Case

Background

• 1,959M, 2 7/8” Casing

• 28 Bar Shut In

• Liquid Loading

• Swabbing or Shut in to Reduce Water Level

Results From Thermoflex®

595

1,473

-

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

M3/day

Multi-Zone Case

• Five Perforation Zones over 304M

• Weekly Soaping and Blowing/ Monthly Swabbing

• Where to Set the Tubing?

Results of Multi-zone Case

Benefits of Thermoflex Tubing

0

50

100

150

200

1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97

Cumulative Days

MC

F/d

ay

Injection Applications

• Gas Injection

• Chemical/ Fluid Injection

• Banded to Tubing or Free Hanging

• Submersible Production Applications

Utilizing Submersible Pumps off of Thermoflex Tubing

• Increases Fluid Velocity to Lift Solids

• Rapid/Low Cost Installation and Removal

• Suitable for CBM

• Resists CO2