Airborne has been awarded a contract by Saipem SA for the engineering, fabrication & delivery of a 2500 meter downline for the Guara & Lula project. The 3 inch ID downline will be used at around 2200 meter water depth for the Pre-Commissioning of the Guara & Lula-NE Gasline Project.

By winning this contract Airborne will deliver a composite pipe for the deepest application worldwide.

Airborne’s Composite Downline has the following unique benefits:

*Vacuum capability. The pipe can sustain vacuum during the flooding operation

*Smooth bore with high collapse rating. The liner is fully bonded to the fibre reinforcement, resulting in a smooth bore with low friction whilst maintaining very high collapse pressures

*Extreme light-weight. Airborne estimates that the top tension is 60% lower in proportion to a conventional flexible

*Excellent fatigue properties. The solid wall pipe results in a proven & predictable high fatigue life for the pipe

*Lower total cost of operation. Due to the light-weight and other benefits as mentioned, the total operation (OPEX) can be conducted more cost-effective

*Total system integration capability. Airborne supplies the full system of Downline, Reel and Bend Restrictors, reducing the logistics and risks for the client

Source: Airborne, November 10, 2011; Image: Repsol