SRP Contracted to Develop Nimway Connector
Subsea Riser Products Ltd (SRP), an Acteon company and part of its marine risers and moorings business, has secured a contract to develop and qualify its Nimway 510 and Nimway 710 completion and workover riser connectors for a leading subsea wellheads and production systems provider.
The commitment of more than $4 million is against SRP successfully qualifying the connectors to ISO 13628-7:2005 and the latest working draft of API specification 17G (2015); with the client obtaining exclusive rights to the 5 ¼-in. and 7 ⅜-in. 10,000 psi connectors for at least two years.
The contract is paired with a strategic supply agreement, which enables SRP to source wider support services from other Acteon companies involved in subsea risers and moorings, including 2H Offshore and Pulse Structural Monitoring.
The qualification program involves manufacturing the connectors, welding them to production-grade pipe and then testing their endurance using hydrostatic pressure, bending and resonant fatigue tests. The design and machining work for the contract will be done in the U.K., with forgings procured from Italy. The qualification testing work will be completed primarily in Houston. The qualification program will be complete by the first quarter of 2016.
Nimway is a new design of high-capacity, quick-make-up connector involving proven technologies and a novel tensioned sleeve design that has evolved from SRP’s experience in designing high-pressure dynamic flanges. Reliable metal sealing and dual bore capability are two of the connector’s system architecture benefits.
Johnny Shield, managing director, SRP, said, “The development of Nimway is proof that Acteon companies can make innovative, high-tech products as well as offer strong offshore support services. The newly qualified Nimway connectors will set a benchmark for the industry against the API 17G recommended practice and beyond to HPHT.”
SRP secured the agreement following detailed design and successful proof of concept tests funded by Acteon on Nimway 515, SRP’s 5 ¼-in. 15,000-psi connector. SRP already has plans for the Nimway product family, having commenced detail design of Nimway 520, a 5 ¼-in connector rated for 20,000 psi working pressure at 350 °F in 10,000 ft water depth.