Intec and DeepStar are considering towing a 500 foot-long coiled tubing riser of about one-and-a-half-inch in diameter, perhaps made of composite materials, to measure VIV.
DeepStar has about $500,000 to spend on the tests by the end of 2003, according to Intec's riser engineer John Shanks. The sea trial is vital for tackling the problem of riser fatigue, he said.
VIV, which in the Gulf of Mexico is exacerbated by undersea currents spun off the loop current, can lead to premature wear of risers installed in deep water.
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