CRP Subsea to supply crushable foam wrap for Shell's deepwater Whale project
May 2, 2025
Shell Offshore Inc. has awarded CRP Subsea, an AIS company, a contract to supply crushable foam wrap on five well-sets for the deepwater Whale development in the Gulf of Mexico.
Shell Offshore Inc. has awarded Lancashire-based CRP Subsea, an AIS company, a contract to supply crushable foam wrap (CFW) for the deepwater Whale development in the Gulf of Mexico.
The initial order is for one well-set, with delivery expected in third-quarter 2025. Additional orders for four more well-sets are expected throughout the year.
Each well-set comprises 1,798 CFW quadrants, each 1 m in length. The package also includes installation equipment.
The engineered syntactic foam includes a thermoset resin and hollow glass microspheres. The CFW is designed to be installed around the inner drill casing, which is then immersed in the annulus fluid. As pressure within the annulus increases, the company said CFW will collapse at a pre-determined pressure and temperature combination, as dictated by well conditions. This controlled collapse allows for the expansion of annulus fluid, dispersing potentially destructive pressure buildup, CRP explained.
