Aug 26 2014
The highly-efficient Diamould product line of connectors for subsea and downhole applications relies on VICTREX® PEEK polymer. With proven performance in hostile environments, the high performance thermoplastic makes the connectors suitable for deepwater and high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) wellhead and downhole applications.
Diamould connectors, developed and manufactured by OneSubsea™, are capable of wet-mate and de-mate cycles without loss of operational integrity, and are rated to 3,000 meter (9,843 feet) water depth due to the excellent insulation and long-term reliability of VICTREX PEEK. Beyond reducing downtime due to its excellent resistance to sour gas and customer-defined critical chemicals, the high-end thermoplastic allows for additional cost savings through the optimization of tooling and molding equipment.
As the engineers at OneSubsea began to design dry and wet-mateable connectors for use in extreme environments, the key engineering requirements for the insulating material were already defined: electrical integrity, excellent chemical resistance, and high mechanical properties in HPHT conditions. “With Victrex having 35 years of experience in developing thermoplastics that can be considered the industry standard for oil and gas components, we knew from the start of the project that we wanted to specify VICTREX PEEK polymer.
Today, our connectors, depending on selection, are able to perform in temperatures up to 150°C (302°F) and in pressure requirements up to 103.5 MPa (15,000 psi),” stated Gareth Eccles, Molding Technologist for OneSubsea. The company´s connectors are resistant to typical oil and gas fluids including seawater, mineral and silicone oil, and hydraulic fluids. They are also suitable for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) sour gas wells. Previous three-phase testing completed by Victrex proves that VICTREX PEEK performs well beyond the NORSOK M-710 Standard, a vital specification for the oil and gas industry.
With electrical integrity being a key engineering requirement, several thermoplastic solutions from Victrex have been proven to eliminate electrical leakage that can result in costly downtime or the loss of valuable data. “VICTREX PEEK is overmolded around the connector pins which provide excellent insulation and long-term reliability,” stated Eccles.
In addition to performing in deepwater and HPHT conditions, VICTREX PEEK polymer aided engineers in the creation of smarter designs. “The purity and strength of the thermoplastic allowed us to design thinner wall sections resulting in more compact connectors that perform exceptionally well even in tight spaces,” said Eccles. The relative ease of processing VICTREX PEEK delivers reliable manufacturing benefits through the optimization of tooling and molding equipment.
Victrex supports application developments of customers from concept to commercialization. “Victrex is always proactive in its technical support and provides excellent back-up for their customers. During a recent review of our processing operations, they highlighted areas to focus on as part of our continuous improvement activities. They have in-depth technical knowledge, including scientific and processing data which is always just a phone call away,” said Eccles.
Given the success of the connectors, OneSubsea continues to utilize and expand its production of VICTREX PEEK components. The overmolded thermoplastic insulation will continue to be used to deliver robust solutions for demanding deepwater and downhole environments. Today, the OneSubsea Diamould electrical connector product line ranges from high voltage power connectors for electric submersible pumps (ESPs) and high horsepower motors to low voltage instrumentation connectors for intelligent completions and downhole monitoring systems.
To learn more about oil and gas connectors available from OneSubsea, please visit www.onesubsea.com/diamouldconnectors. VICTREX PEEK solutions for the energy market can be found at www.victrexenergy.com.