January 17, 2022

Information regarding Coflexip® Coflon® products

Purpose
To provide recommendations related to Coflexip® Coflon® 2”, 3” and 4” IDs products, with 10 or
15KSI pressure ratings, manufactured between May 1, 2009 and October 31, 2015.

Background
In 2013, TechnipFMC identified an increase in the pressure test failure rates of 3” 15K Coflexip®
Coflon® Choke & Kill lines. Detailed examination revealed evidence of a failure mechanism arising
from longitudinal cracks in the Coflon® inner liner, within the end-fitting area, causing sufficient
damage to result in the loss of flexible pipe sealing properties.
Laboratory analysis, in addition to medium-scale and full-scale tests performed by TechnipFMC,
resulted in the following conclusions:
▪ Leak originates on inner skin of Coflon® inner liner within the end-fitting assembly.
▪ Propagation of the crack develops during service life with pressure cycles.
▪ Crack location is hidden by stainless-steel end-fitting assembly components, making the
critical area impossible to inspect using available NDE monitoring techniques.
▪ Failure mechanism was specifically related to a manufacturing process change that was
implemented in May 2009.
Once the leak mechanism was identified and reproduced in full-scale test, corrective actions were
immediately implemented in all TechnipFMC assembly locations. As a result, TechnipFMC is
confident that the leak mechanism identified in the end-fittings was resolved and its associated risk
eradicated. This was further reinforced through successful full-scale test, then confirmed by the
absence of failures of 3” 15K Coflexip® Coflon® Choke & Kill lines manufactured since October 2015.
In 2015, upon completion of the investigation work, TechnipFMC carried out a risk analysis and
identified which 3” 15K Coflon® Choke & Kill lines shall be removed from service, then notified
associated customers or users accordingly.
In 2016, a small number of 2” Coflon® flexible pipes, and other applications (Test lines and Acidizing
lines), all of them manufactured between May 1, 2009 and October 31, 2015, failed due to the same
failure mechanism. Then between 2017 and 2019, few 3” 15K Coflon® Choke & Kill lines, also
manufactured between May 1, 2009 and October 31, 2015 failed. These failures were unexpected
and Coflexip® customers and users were duly notified.

This document and the information it contains are property of TechnipFMC plc. It shall not be used for any purpose other than those for which it
was supplied. TechnipFMC plc is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 0990970), with registered office address at Hadrian House,
Wincomblee Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 3PL, United Kingdom.
Follow-up
Since 2019, most of our customers have continued to use Coflexip® Coflon® products manufactured
between May 2009 and October 2015. These customers have adopted a risk management-based
approach considering the low failure rate associated, rather than pre-emptive replacement
approach.
Meanwhile, TechnipFMC has been working together with its customers and Coflexip® products’
users to provide support and assist in identifying and reducing risk for their operations.
Furthermore, TechnipFMC has diligently performed additional investigations to improve
comprehension of the incidents’ root cause and take any necessary remedial action to eradicate the
issues. These investigations confirmed that the Coflon® inner liner surface state is of utmost
importance in the propagation phenomena.
In this respect, in addition to the corrective actions implemented before October 2015, new
inspection and polymer repair procedures have been qualified in 2021 for the case that there is any
Coflon® defect located outside the end-fittings area. With these new measures we make sure that
any defect is identified and repaired before the products are released from our facilities .

Recommendations
As mentioned above, Coflexip® Coflon® products manufactured between May 1, 2009 and October
31, 2015 have a low risk of failure. Nevertheless, TechnipFMC recommends that Coflexip® Coflon®
2”, 3” and 4” IDs products, with 10 or 15KSI pressure ratings, manufactured between May 1, 2009
and October 31, 2015, used in choke and kill, production and test or acidizing applications, are
removed from service.
Finally, TechnipFMC reminds that all Coflexip® products must be used in accordance with Coflexip®
Drilling User’s Guide, which provides TechnipFMC inspection and operational recommendations.

We thank you for the trust placed in us. For additional information, please contact your TechnipFMC
representative.

Graham Horn
Senior Vice President Surface Product Management

This document and the information it contains are property of TechnipFMC plc. It shall not be used for any purpose other than those for which it
was supplied. TechnipFMC plc is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 0990970), with registered office address at Hadrian House,
Wincomblee Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 3PL, United Kingdom.