BASF, a leading provider of polyurethane specialties, recently collaborated with Perma-Pipe Oil and Gas (USA), under contract to The Bayou Companies, to supply glass syntactic polyurethane (GSPU) insulation for the deepest subsea insulated flowline installed in the world to date.

Perma-Pipe applied its Auto-Therm GSPU “wet” insulation to fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) coated pipe for the recent Perdido Development installation in the Gulf of Mexico, operated by Shell.
Installed up to a water depth of 9,627 ft, BASF Elastoshore polyurethane technology was employed as part of the GSPU wet insulation to more than 15 miles of insulated flowline pipe.
“Elastoshore polyurethane systems use a proprietary technology that results in a finished product with excellent temperature and hydrolysis resistance with very low water absorption,” a statement said. BASF’s mercury-free Elastoshore polyurethane technology has been employed in more than 100 miles of flowline insulation currently installed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Minimal adjustments
“Since such projects need reliable supply from the chemical maker, customised products from BASF helped Perma-Pipe to insulate pipes of various lengths and diameters with minimal adjustments to the process. With its process, Perma-Pipe can insulate pipe to double-jointed 80 ft lengths rather than the conventional 40 ft lengths,” the statement said.
BASF’s portfolio ranges from oil and gas to chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals.
BASF posted sales of more than $87 billion in 2008.