This article discusses the technical and commercial issues involved in the integration of advanced material components to offshore field development. Currently, numerous riser, mooring, pipeline, subsea, and topside components made of polyester, titanium, glass/epoxy, and glass/carbon/epoxy materials are commercially available or in the process of qualifying for offshore use. These advanced material components have the potential to extend capabilities of existing platform concepts such as semisubmersibles, TLPs, FPSOs and SPARs. Emerging field development concepts such as deepwater subsea processing and long tie-backs, new floating platform designs (variations of TLP and SPAR concepts), new riser systems (submerged platforms, free standing riser towers, and buoyancy systems) may also benefit from the advanced materials components.
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