Two major EPC contractors have awarded AIS contracts for subsea thermal insulation on Christmas trees, connectors and PLETs (Pipeline End Terminators) for a major development in Angola.

Festive season it may be but the Christmas trees in question are subsea trees ; "a system of valves, flow paths, piping, and connectors installed on a subsea wellhead to contain and control the flow of fluid with a control pod to control tree functions." The awards are a result of AIS’s successful execution of previous phases of the field development for the two key customers, highlighting confidence in AIS materials and ability to execute anywhere in the world.

AIS is an award-winning global supplier of insulation, passive fire protection, buoyancy, and cable protection systems. The AIS team will deploy both ContraTherm® C25 (a flexible material suitable for dynamic applications and flow assurance for complex subsea equipment) and ContraTherm® C55 (the company’s multi-layer composite system has been effectively used in subsea applications for over 20 years) on the project, with the application being performed in several countries, including the UK, Angola and Norway.

The awards follow hard on the heels of news of AIS acquisition of CRP Subsea (formerly Trelleborg Offshore UK) to add to its growing range of subsea offerings. The acquisition significantly increases AIS' market share by uniting two industry leaders to create one global-scale business.

Andrew Bennion, Group Managing Director, commented, "Considerable growth is expected in the offshore market, and the acquisition further strengthens AIS' position in the industry, whilst ensuring our customers have access to a wider range of innovative subsea solutions. Indeed, AIS and CRP Subsea share DNA as forward thinking, innovative companies, and we will be stronger together."

AIS, formerly Advanced Insulation Systems (incorporating Covertherm, Manuplas, Bardot, and CRP Subsea), services cover design and build to installation and maintenance, using both off-the-shelf and bespoke advanced material products that perform in the world’s most challenging environments.