Celanese and Airborne Oil & Gas Sign Strategic Supply Agreement for Deepwater Thermoplastic Composite Pipes

DALLAS, SHANGHAI & FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Celanese Corporation CE, a global technology and specialty materials company, and Airborne Oil & Gas B.V., the leading, global supplier of spoolable thermoplastic composite pipe systems for deepwater offshore operations, today announced the signing of a strategic supply agreement for the development and supply of composite materials for these pipe systems.

“This multi-year alliance promises to further improve materials, systems and solutions that will meet the oil and gas industry requirements for harsh deepwater operations,” said Marcus Kremers, chief technology officer, Airborne. “Together, Airborne, with its expertise in offshore thermoplastic composite pipe systems, and Celanese, a leading global producer of high-performance thermoplastic composites, will be able to drive the development of the right material solutions. This strategic alliance is an important milestone in achieving a robust supply chain, ready for scaling up.”

Added Michael Ruby, global composites business manager for Celanese, “Our multi-year supply agreement demonstrates the Celanese commitment to meeting the needs of the oil and gas industry and supporting future developments. This agreement will ensure a supply of numerous, fully qualified engineered materials that can meet the demand for oil and gas pipes.”

Celanese is playing an important role in helping to ensure efficient offshore operations via engineered materials used in thermoplastic composite pipe. A good example is the flexible pipeline system from Airborne that incorporate Celstran^® CFR-TP (continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic) composite technologies, which are suitable for use in flowlines, downlines, jumpers, intervention lines, risers and other offshore pipe systems.

The durable, spoolable, lightweight composite pipe systems designed and manufactured by Airborne have high mechanical strength to withstand the extremely high pressures and tensile loads of deep-sea offshore operations and combine an excellent chemical stability with very good resistance to fatigue, aging and permeation. They are more robust than existing pipe systems used in the offshore industry and reduce operational cost because of faster and easier deployment. The absence of corrosion reduces maintenance costs and the smooth inner bore improves the pressure performance. These pipes are made in a fully automated manufacturing process and can be made up to several kilometers of length in one product. This unique technology has won several innovation awards, including the JEC Europe 2012 Innovation Award.

Celstran® CFR-TP offers the widest range of matrix materials available in the composites industry and numerous reinforcing fiber options. These composites can be tailored to meet specific dimensional and application requirements for robust, lightweight and corrosion resistant parts that require:

• superior performance versus metal and metal alloys;
• significant reduction in lifecycle costs compared to metal;
• outstanding mechanical properties (low weight with high rigidity and toughness);
• high impact and notched impact strength;
• very low creep and warpage;
• resistance to interlaminar crack propagation;
• very good resistance in high temperatures;
• excellent mechanical and chemical resistance.

Composite technology from Celanese – the Oil & Gas Awards 2013 West Coast Manufacturer of the Year and winner of a prestigious JEC Americas 2013 Innovation Award in the “Pipes & Water Management” category for a new composite pressure pipe that features Celstran CFR-TP – have led to the development of offshore oil and gas pipe systems. These offshore pipes are lightweight, flexible, durable and spoolable with a continuous length, making for cost-efficient installation.

About Celanese

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. With sales almost equally divided between North America, Europe and Asia, the company uses the full breadth of its global chemistry, technology and business expertise to create value for customers and the corporation. Celanese partners with customers to solve their most critical needs while making a positive impact on its communities and the world. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,400 employees worldwide and had 2013 net sales of $6.5 billion. For more information about Celanese Corporation and its product offerings, visit www.celanese.com or our blog at www.celaneseblog.com.

All registered trademarks are owned by Celanese International Corporation or its affiliates.

About Airborne Oil & Gas B.V.

Airborne Oil & Gas designs and manufactures the world's most advanced composite pipe systems for the offshore industry. Our brand-new, world-scale manufacturing facility near Amsterdam, The Netherlands, enables us to meet the fast-growing demands of our global customer base and offers room for further expansion. Airborne's unique and proprietary technology is a key enabler for complex on- and offshore applications. It allows clients to develop fields in deeper waters and significantly reduce time and cost for well intervention and operation in the most aggressive and demanding environments. Our client base consists of almost all major oil companies, service companies and leading contractors, and covers all regions of the world. For more information about Airborne Oil & Gas B.V. and its products and possibilities, visit www.airborne-oilandgas.com.