Woodside activates 3D printed valve on offshore Goodwyn A platform
Offshore staff
PERTH, Australia – Woodside has installed and put into service a 3D printed valve on its Goodwyn A platform, part of the North West Shelf (NWS) project offshore Western Australia.
The company worked with the FutureLab at Monash University and various equipment manufacturers to apply 3D printing (otherwise known as additive manufacturing) for the re-design of a stainless steel monoflange body, a double block and bleed valve used to safely isolate instruments during maintenance work.
Following approval for the additively-manufactured part for pressure-containing critical service use, the valve was installed on the platform last month.
According to Woodside the result was an improved design of the monoflange as it increased flowthrough by avoiding restrictive internal channel junctions, also providing reduced mass and size.
Executive Vice President–Sustainability Shaun Gregory said that additive manufacturing can solve problems the industry faces when looking to replace parts that the OEM can no longer supply. “It can be energy intensive, time consuming and expensive to source replacements for such parts,” Gregory commented.
Next up for Woodside will be an additively manufactured stainless steel inducer on the FPSO Okha at the NWS complex during 1Q 2022.
The company has also developed a digital app that allows users to submit requests for items to be additively manufactured. Following screening, requests are transferred to a vendor to print and deliver the part, with the details subsequently be added to Woodside’s digital library.
3/3/2022
