Sector
In the Oil and Gas industry it is extremely important to ensure compliance with industry standards and new sealing materials as they are introduced into the market.
Oil & Gas
Offshore oil and gas facilities are well known for their extremely harsh environments. Choosing the correct seal can reduce both planned and unplanned maintenance, extend seal life and optimise long-term production costs.
By working with a supplier who can offer compliant materials, oil and gas organisations can receive greater processing performance while reducing the number of suppliers needed to maintain fresh supplies.
There are many factors which lead to the requirement for an increasing number of sealing materials in offshore oil and gas applications. Standard formulations often cannot cope with the demanding sealing environments and applications of the industry.
Pressures can be very high, temperatures extreme, and the mix of contact and system media can be particularly destructive.
Some of the extreme media that must be handled includes:
Seal development must also consider the effect of drilling mud, which is very abrasive. Many material types exist based on diesel oils, mineral oils, esters or silicates. Experience has shown that one seal material will not suit all applications, so a broad range of compounds is essential.
As sealing requirements constantly change and become more challenging, new sealing compounds and technologies are being developed to meet increasingly demanding conditions. Governing bodies have introduced standards which offer the Oil and Gas industry unbiased, accurate ways to assess performance.
Certification to these standards gives an additional level of confidence that specially engineered seals will meet the toughest requirements.
NORSOK has been used since 2001 and the M-710 specification underlines the need for oilfield equipment manufacturers to ensure higher levels of quality and compatibility of non-metallic seals used in oilfield equipment operating anywhere in the world.
The certifications for NORSOK M-710 have three components:
NORSOK M-710 qualification requires individual seal materials to be rigorously tested based on Explosive Decompression Resistance (ED). Other tests relate to sour and sweet gas ageing, compression set and material properties.
NACE is the standards-writing organisation accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), recommending Standard Practices, Material Requirements and Test Methods. NACE has developed test parameters aimed at defining materials for elastomeric seals that can avoid damage during decompression in high-pressure gas duty.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) promotes safety across the industry globally and maintains nearly 700 standards and recommended practices covering all segments of the oil and gas industry. API standards support proven sound engineering and operating practices, safe interchangeable equipment and materials.
Achieving compliance to all relevant standards is time consuming and expensive, and not all suppliers have the resources to obtain the required certification. Choosing the correct seal supplier can be critical in ensuring safety, minimising downtime and lowering the overall cost of offshore oil and gas operations.
It is important to choose a supplier who can provide a wide range of certified sealing materials and solutions which are compliant to the most important sealing standards.
Eastern Seals offer a broad range of sealing materials to meet varying industry standards. We supply a large selection of fully approved NORSOK M-710 materials in a variety of types.
Our high performance seals for Oil and Gas applications offer market leading chemical resistance to sour gas and other fluids, in combination with Rapid Gas Decompression (RGD) resistance.
Recommended materials include Perfluoroelastomers (FFKM), Fluoroelastomers (FKM / Viton®), HNBR seals and Aflas®, with materials independently tested and certified to the NORSOK M-710 specification.
We can help customers optimise production by selecting the correct seal material for specific oilfield conditions. Expert advice can help extend seal life, reduce planned and unplanned maintenance and reduce the total cost of processing.