Houston, Texas - Dow Oil&Gas has won the 2012 World Oil Award for Best Production Technology for its Neptune subsea insulation system, which uses a hybrid polyether thermoset (HPT) as an alternative to polyurethane.
The technology, known as the Neptune advanced subsea flow assurance insulation system, offers the widest end-to-end use-temperature range of any complete wet insulation system on the market, Dow says.
The simple, two-layer system features an underlying fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) for corrosion protection and an HPT overlay for flow assurance. Dow said HPT is "a completely new polyurethane alternative developed by Dow to impart more robust flow assurance in the increasingly harsh conditions experienced during subsea oil production."
Trelleborg Offshore, a key partner in the development of the Neptune C insulation coating, nominated the Neptune system for the award.
"Receiving this recognition is a rewarding confirmation that the technology we developed is a genuine breakthrough for oil and gas production worldwide. It is also recognition of the significant milestones that can be achieved through the collaborative efforts of Dow and industry respected applicators, such as Trelleborg," said Alex Lane, Dow Oil&Gas business segment leader for Oil & Gas Transmission.
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PIC: Representatives from Dow and Trelleborg collect the award
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