Trelleborg showcases sealing solutions at subsea event
Published: 04 April, 2019
Cutting-edge solutions for high-integrity sealing applications developed by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions were recently showcased at Subsea Expo in Aberdeen (5 to 7 February), the annual subsea exhibition and conference.
Visitors to the show were able to view the technologies developed by Trelleborg’s specialist engineers over the past few years.
One of the products unveiled at the three-day event was the Medium Duty Rotary Gate Valve. It was developed in partnership with LB Bentley, the specialist in creating smallbore subsea valves for subsea applications.
The gate valve incorporates a custom version of Trelleborg’s Turcon Variseal MC that demonstrates stem sealing technology that reduces the ‘risk of contamination and failure’. The seal was specifically engineered for this compact and robust subsea valve and has already achieved field-proven success.
Low compression set characteristics
The XploR range of sealing materials, an entire family of advanced elastomers especially developed for oil & gas applications, was also shown at the conference. They all feature low compression set characteristics and were made specifically for oil & gas applications.
Also available, the latest addition to the Trelleborg product catalogue, is the metal end cap seal which was specifically engineered for High Temperature/High Pressure (HTHP) wellhead tubing and casing hanger sealing environments.
It combines the pressure and extrusion resistance of a metal-to-metal bonded component with the flexibility of an elastomer. Combining Trelleborg’s proprietary XploR Rapid Gas Decompression (RGD) and sour gas resistant elastomers with corrosion resistant metal end caps, a customised sealing solution can be developed that meets specific oil field requirements.
Andrew Longdon, the UK technical manager for Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, said: “Oil & gas exploration continues to move to greater subsea depths, and this has put an increased emphasis on enhanced oil recovery processes.
“Seals are critical elements within oil & gas systems, as they ensure oil field equipment is working to its optimum capacity. Anyone who uses a Trelleborg product knows it will withstand the extreme operating temperatures and pressures of drilling in greater water depths, while also meeting the safety standards, required within the industry.”
Subsea Expo is an annual event that regularly attracts more than 5000 delegates and around 150 exhibitors.
