Technical Capabilities

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Non-metallic material & component failure can often result in dangerous and costly interruption to industry processes. In the Oil & Gas sector where safety and reliability are paramount, this can include elastomeric and polymeric components used within hoses, valves, pumps, separator vessels, heat exchangers, accumulators, a vast array of downhole tools and other onshore/offshore/subsea drilling and production equipment.

Threats presented by material degradation when exposed to hostile service environments occur to a varying extent across all industries and PMFC will provide an independent failure analysis service to identify the cause(s) of such failure events and where possible, recommend corrective and preventative actions to prevent their recurrence.

This process requires an often complex combination of materials knowledge, engineering understanding and the gathering and critical evaluation of all available forensic evidence through close interaction with the client.

Material testing; including fluid exposures, fluid permeation, material resistance and compatibility testing, accelerated service life analysis testing, high pressure and high temperature testing (HPHT), multi-phase fluid exposures, acid exposures, bespoke service condition testing, mechanical testing, and hydrogen sulphide exposure testing.

Material and component qualification; including, rapid gas decompression (RGD) qualification testing of materials, NORSOK, BSI, ISO and TOTAL adherence testing, bespoke climatic and environmental service simulation testing of materials and components, material seal qualification and integrity testing, and functional test method design and validation. 

Joint Industry research projects; experience in the study of functional elastomeric seal performance when used at extreme low temperatures as well as seal material compatibility in downhole chemical environments.