Technology
Offshore applications of “Reinforced
Thermoplastic Pipe” (RTP)
Dr. L.G.P. Dalmolen, Dr. Ir. M. Kruyer, Ing. P.J. Cloos
Abstract
Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipe (RTP) is a flexible
thermoplastic pipe for applications at high pressure, well
above the limits for stand-alone plastic pipe. Being flexible,
RTP is supplied on long length reels, which can be installed
very quickly at low cost. As the pipe is made from
thermoplastic material, the risk of corrosion is virtually
eliminated.
Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipe (RTP) has been around
since about 10 years now. Thanks to the introduction of
product standards (API RP 15S, DVGW VP 642), the
execution of extensive qualification testing, and gaining
more field experience, the use of RTP is increasing rapidly.
More than 500 km is installed in the Middle East and SE
Asia.
Testing data will be presented of long-term hydrostatic
loading, and other load cases experienced in practical field
operation, like tensile, bending and impact loading
Originally developed for onshore oil and gas production,
for applications like oil gathering flow lines, water injection
lines and similar uses, RTP is now increasingly being used
in selected offshore projects. Being corrosion resistant,
light weight, and easy to install at relatively low cost, the
advantages over carbon steel pipe, alloy pipe and “classic”
offshore flexible piping are obvious. RTP is now already in
use for offshore oil gathering pipe, water injection pipe and
gas export pipelines in water depths ranging from about 30
meters up to 900 meters and pressure ratings up to 270 Bars
and fluid temperatures up to 65 °C. Case studies of these
applications will be presented.
To further enhance the scope of application for RTP, both
onshore and offshore, products are being developed with
an increased temperature rating and reduced gas
permeation. These new products will, amongst others, find
their way as offshore high temperature gas and oil gathering
flow lines, with an emphasis on tying in smaller satellite
14 JAN-MAR 2009
fields to existing production facilities.
1. Introduction
Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipe (RTP) is now being
extensively used in onshore oil & gas fields, mainly for
gathering line and injection line systems. Since API has
published a “recommended practice” for these pipes (API
RP 15S), the confidence of oil companies to actually use
these products has risen significantly. The main technical
advantages of RTP are:
• RTP is flexible and supplied on long-length coils, allowing
a simple and very fast installation
• Corrosion resistance
• High pressure resistance
• Very high impact strength
The unique combination of properties of RTP stems from
its 3 layer construction (fig. 1):
1. A thermoplastic liner pipe (usually High Density
Polyethylene, HDPE), to provide a leak free and corrosion
resistant containment for the fluid
2. Cross wrapped layers of high strength synthetic fibre or
high strength steel wire reinforcement to provide the
required hydrostatic pressure resistance
3. An HDPE cover layer, to protect the pipe from mechanical
damage and UV-radiation
Typically, RTP is supplied in the diameter range of 3” –
6” and a pressure rating
up to 150 Bars (2200 psi).
Until recently, RTP was
mainly used for onshore
oil and gas production
pipelines, like oil and gas
gathering line, water
Fig. 1 Construction of RTP injection lines, and water
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disposal pipelines. In remote areas most RTP is simply
surface installed, without any special precautions to prepare
its track. In more critical areas, RTP is usually trenched.
Thanks to the low cost of materials and installation, RTP
is now increasingly being used for offshore operations.
With some simple measures and precautions RTP has
proven to be a very cost effective corrosion resistant
alternative to expensive offshore flexible pipe and welded
steel pipe.
2. Properties
To use RTP offshore, the following properties are most
relevant:
• Hydrostatic strength, or the long-term resistance to
internal pressure
• Axial loading capability
• Damage tolerance and impact resistance
• Collapse resistance against potential external hydrostatic
pressure
• (submerged) Weight
by multiplying the design short term burst strength with a
safety factor, which depends on the type of operation. API
17J gives the procedures for this.
Although the long term strength of steel wire reinforced
pipe is somewhat easier to understand, synthetic fibre
reinforced RTP has the very important advantage of absolute
corrosion resistance. The strength of steel wire is not
affected with time as such, but corrosion may occur due to
permeation of corrosive species (CO2, H2S, and water
vapour) through the liner pipe. Therefore, the use of steel
wire reinforced flexible pipe can only be recommended for
relatively sweet operating conditions. Comparing to textile
fibre reinforced RTP, the advantage of steel wire
reinforcement is that somewhat higher maximum operating
pressures may be feasible.

2.1 Internal Pressure Resistance

The design of the pipe system for resistance against
internal hydrostatic pressure is described in standards, for
instance, API RP 15S and API 17J, respectively. API RP 15S
is the “recommended practice” for synthetic fibre and glass
fibre reinforced flexible pipe, while API 17J pertains to steel
wire reinforced flexible pipe. Fig. 2 Regression curve of Soluforce M480 (4”) aramid fibre reinforced
RTP
The reason for these two standards is the totally different
behaviour of synthetic fibre and steel wire with regard to
long-term strength and creep under mechanical load. 2.2 Axial loading capability
While steel wire does not creep, as long as the load is below Axial loading capability is important for both onshore
the material’s yield point, synthetic textile fibre shows and offshore applications. During installation, but also due
“regressive” behaviour. to externally imposed dynamic movements, the axial loads
Therefore, API RP 15S and other standards for Reinforced and deformations may be considerable.
Thermoplastic Pipe (RTP) prescribe to determine the The reinforcement structure of RTP is designed to carry
regression line experimentally, to determine the long-term loads due to internal pressure only. The “winding angle” of
safe operating pressure, or the Maximum Allowable the fibres is ± 54°, and therefore do not contribute
Operating Pressure (MAOP). The standards prescribe to significantly to the pipe’s axial strength and stiffness. As a
record data points in the range of a few hours time to failure,
up to 10,000 hours. The regression line is drawn through
the data points according to, e.g. ASTM 2992, and
extrapolated to the desired design lifetime, which is usually
20 years (fig. 2). Considering the statistical spread in the
experimental data, this eventually leads to the Lower
Confidence Limit (LCL) of the 20-years burst pressure. By
multiplying LCL with the appropriate safety factor (0.67 for
water service or 0.50 for hydrocarbons), MAOP is calculated.
The resulting ratio between short-term burst pressure and
MAOP is in the range of 3.5 – 4. This ensures an enormous
reserve of strength against pressure transients, which may
occur during shut-off procedures, etc. Fig. 3 Stress/strain curves of 4” RTP pipe, Soluforce M480, at 22°C and
For steel wire reinforced RTP, MAOP is simply calculated 50°C

JAN-MAR 2009 15
 result, the axial strength is almost solely determined by the
axial loading capability of the thermoplastic pipe liner and
cover. As most thermoplastics, like HDPE, are not
particularly strong, and have a low modulus, the axial
loading capability of RTP is limited. The stress/strain curve
of a typical RTP is depicted in fig 3. The set-up of the axial
load testing is depicted in fig. 4.
As long as the system is operated in the linear portion of
the curve, no failure will occur. For RTP in the diameter
range from 4” (100mm) – 6” (150mm) this is typically at
loads up to about 25 kN.
The maximum allowable axial load capacity puts certain
requirements and limitations on the installation of RTP
offshore. Especially during installation in deeper water, the
axial loads exerted on the pipe may, without precautionary
measures, be well beyond its capability, or causing
unacceptably high axial strain.
Although the pipe’s submerged
weight is very low and static
loads very small, dynamic
movements may lead to high
axial forces. If analysis of the
installation conditions suggest
that axial loads may become too
high, the preferred method is to
piggyback a steel wire tension
relief cable on the pipe. This
ensures sufficient submerged
weight simultaneously.
2.3 Damage tolerance
and impact resistance
Although not a part of any
Fig. 4 RTP + electrofusion end fitting
(lower) and test clamp (upper) in official qualification procedure
tensile tester. The pipe is stretched
according to API RP15S, the
far beyond the axial yield point but
remains un-broken success of using reinforced
plastic pipe in harsh oil & gas
operating conditions critically depends on the “sturdiness”
of the system.
In practical circumstances, a flexible pipe may be
subjected to high axial deformations, impact loads, and
wear and tear. Under supervision of Instituto Politecnico
Nacional (IPN) from México, RTP was subjected to a test
cycle emulating in-field maltreatment, and the effects of
land-slides and earth quakes. Most tests were performed
using Pipelife´s Flexirig equipment, which allows to impose
all kinds of (dynamic) deformations on a pipe while
simultaneously assessing the (dynamic) hydrostatic pressure
capability (fig. 5)
The “maltreatment” consisted of high impact loading, by
a falling weigth of 12.5 kg (tip radius 50 mm) from a height
of 4 meters. After impacting, the pipe was bent to a radius
16 JAN-MAR 2009
Fig. 5 Flexirig pipe tester
of 1.25 meters, well below the recommended minimum
bending radius in service of 3.00 meters, and pressurised to
burst. The remaining burst strength in the different stages of
the maltreatment process was compared to bursting pressure
of a virgin straight pipe sample.
To emulate the effect of imposed axial loading during a
land slide, a pipe sample was loaded to 9% elongation, and
subsequently burst tested.
Finally, the effect of pipe cover damage on the burst
strength was assessed on a pipe that was first impact loaded
(12.5 kg / 4 meters) on a pre-damaged area of the pipe
cover.
The results are summarised in Table 1
Table 1, Results of impact, bending and axial deformation
testing of 5” RTP, Soluforce M570
Condition Burst pressure Decrease
Straight unaffected (reference) 288.8 bar -
Impacted and pre damaged cover 280.3 bar -2.9%
Bended, 1.3 m radius 282.7 bar -2.1%
Impacted and bended 266.0 bar -7.9%
Axial deformation of 9% (stretched) 273.1 bar -5.4%
We can see that the effect of various causes of
maltreatment, “third party interaction” and externally
imposed deformations is negligible or small. Given the
minimum safety factor of 1.5 (water service) which is
imposed by API RP 15S, the effects may be called
insignificant.
2.4 Hydrostatic Collapse Resistance
Collapse due to external pressure is a creep process. As
a consequence, the external collapse resistance of RTP can
also be expressed in a “regression curve”. The longer the
period of external pressure, the lower the collapse resistance.
At typical collapse regression curve for a 5” RTP is depicted
in fig. 6.
In contrast with special offshore flexible pipe, RTP,
originally being designed for onshore oil gathering and
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Fig. 6 Hydrostatic collapse regression curve of a 5” RTP pipe, Soluforce
M570
water injection pipelines, does not have a particularly high
collapse resistance. While offshore flexible pipe has an
internal metallic anti-collapse carcass, RTP does without. Fig. 7 Floating out Soluforce RTP oil flow line, before piggybacking with
steel wire cable to sink pipe to bottom, 70 m water depth
This limits the offshore use of RTP to a certain extent. As
shown in the regression line, in shallow waters, up to about
25 m water depth, RTP can be used without any further 3. Installation and Field experience
precaution. In deeper waters, one must make sure by Thanks to its low weight and ease of handling, relatively
system design and by using the proper installation simple installation vessels may be used to install RTP. As
procedures that no significant positive external pressure
difference occurs. In RTP carrying liquid fluids, this is easily
ensured. The RTP pipe is installed water filled, while,
during operation, the water is driven out with a pig, and
replaced by the operational fluid (process water, oil).
For gas pipes, or pipe carrying fluids with a high GOR
(Gas to Oil Ratio) the situation is more complicated.
Without special measures, during a shut down period,
(sections of) the pipe may become gas filled at almost
atmospheric pressure, resulting in collapse. By installing
isolation valves on the well side and on the downstream
end of the pipe, it is ensured that positive pressure is
maintained in the pipe at all times, also during shut down.
Of course, these measures represent a cost factor, which
must be taken into account when selecting the appropriate
pipe material for the particular purpose. However, the
relatively low cost of RTP and the low cost of installation Fig. 8 Attaching concrete weight blocks on RTP before lowering to sea
often easily compensate for the extra cost of the isolation
valve system.

2.5 Submerged weight

RTP is very light. Synthetic fibre reinforced pipe floats,
even water filled. Steel wire reinforced RTP (just) floats
when empty, and just sinks water filled. To sink pipe to the
seabed during installation, and also to ensure sufficient on-
bottom stability while in operation, weight must be attached
to the pipe. For RTP three methods have been used
successfully:
• Attaching concrete weight blocks at regular intervals
• Piggybacking a steel wire cable parallel to the RTP
• Covering with concrete mattresses.

The merits of these options will be discussed in the next

Fig. 9 Uncoiling of 4” RTP water injection riser from platform topside.
section.

JAN-MAR 2009 17

Fig. 10 RTP being used for hydrotesting of subsea Pipelines
barge rental rates are the most important cost factor in
offshore pipe installation, considerable cost savings are
feasible if RTP can be used instead of other pipe materials.
Being very light, the pipe is always water filled before
installation on the sea bed.
In relatively shallow water, up to about 35 meters, the
axial loads during installation are usually within capability
of the pipe itself, and no tension relief cables are necessary.
To sink the RTP to the seabed, concrete blocks are
strapped on the pipe on deck the installation vessel (fig. 8).
Subsequently the pipe is lowered into the water along a
ramp, in a J-lay configuration. This method has been used
successfully for gas gathering pipelines in 35 meters water
depth. After installation, the water in the pipe was driven
out with a polyurethane foam pig.
RTP is also used for water injection risers on board oil
platforms. In this case, the vertical section of the pipe is
strapped to one of the platform’s legs. The horizontal
section on the seabed is kept in place by putting concrete
mattresses on top.
In deeper water a steel wire tension relief cable is piggy-
backed on the RTP pipe. This serves two purposes. In the
first place, the cable provides an axial strength member, to
avoid overloading the pipe. Secondly, the cable adds
weight to sink the pipe to the bottom and to provide
sufficient on-bottom stability once installed. This method
has been used for oil gathering pipelines in about 65 water
depths (fig 7).
Tension relief cables have also been used in a special
project, where RTP is used for hydro testing already installed
large diameter gas pipes in 900 meters water depth at
pressures up to 270 Bars. As, in this case, the pipes were
water filled, hydrostatic collapse was no issue. Thanks to
18 JAN-MAR 2009
the light weight of the riser pipes, a moderately sized vessel
could be used (fig. 10)
4. Future developments
A large potential application area for RTP is gathering
pipelines for relatively small offshore satellite gas fields. It
is often not commercially feasible to install a platform with
gas treatment facilities on such fields. Instead, such fields
would be tied-in to existing facilities on neighbouring
fields. To do so, relatively small diameter gathering pipelines
with a typical length up to about 30 km are required. As the
well-fluids are un-treated, severe corrosion may occur in
carbon steel pipe. Often, alloy pipe must be specified, at
prohibitive materials and installation cost.
For these applications RTP is an attractive solution. At
present, the maximum operating temperature of RTP is
limited to 65 °C (150 °F), being the limit of the high density
polyethylene (HDPE) liner pipe. Although the pressure
rating as such may be much higher (up to 150 Bars) the
maximum partial gas pressure in the fluid is limited to about
42 Bars (650 psi), due to methane permeation through
HDPE. To improve the temperature range, and to decrease
gas permeation and increase the pressure rating for gas
service, other liner materials are being developed. These
materials include PA11 or PA12 (up to about 80°C), or PVDF
(up to about 125 °C). In the course of 2009, one may expect
PA11/12 and PVDF based RTP to appear on the market.
5. Conclusions
RTP has become an established and proven corrosion
free solution for onshore oil and gas gathering systems and
injection pipelines. API RP 15S provides a good basis for
qualification and approval of textile fibre reinforced flexible
pipelines. However, the difficult to define “sturdiness
factor” is not well covered by this standard. Additional
testing has proven that RTP is superior in this respect to
other reinforced plastic pipe and steel pipe solutions, in
particular (spoolable) fibreglass-epoxy piping.
Meanwhile RTP finds increasing use in offshore oil and
gas gathering systems. Use of RTP subsea is feasible in
moderate water depth and for selected service conditions.
When operating conditions fall within the API RP 15S
standard, and provided that adequate system is performed,
RTP may be safely used for subsea applications.
In the near future, one may expect RTP coming on the
market with a higher temperature and pressure rating for
offshore gas gathering pipelines. PP
This paper was presented by Dr. L.G.P. Dalmolen,
Dr. Ir. M. Kruyer, Ing. P.J. Cloos Business Unit
Soluforce®, Pipelife Nederland B.V. at the 4th Asian
Conference & Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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