3M's glass bubbles help extend production to 15,000 ft below surface

Offshore staff

HOUSTON -- 3M has developed three new grades of glass bubbles for deepwater insulation and buoyancy applications -- S42XHS, XLD3000, and XLD6000.

The products advanced performance makes it possible to link surface facilities to longer subsea tiebacks at greater depths, or to reduce riser and flowline insulation dimensions for better placement and more efficient pipelay operations at current depths, the company says.

"3M's next-generation of glass bubbles are helping to extend the range of oil and gas production to as much as 15,000 ft below the surface," says Rob Hunter, applications development specialist for 3M Oil & Gas. "Additionally, first generation 3M hollow glass bubbles offered density and strength values of approximately 0.16g/cc at 500 psi, while these new fourth-generation 3M glass bubbles perform at the level of 0.3g/cc at 6000 psi."

05/04/2009