Subsea Pipeline Engineering Course

Introduction to design sequence and its interaction with the different topics covered in the course. Film on construction and connection of an offshore pipeline

Principles of route selection. Constraints imposed by oceanographic, geotechnical, environmental, safety and political factors. Case studies from Canada, Spain, England.

Influence of coastal topography, geotechnics, tides and waves. Alternative construction techniques. Horizontal drilling and tunnels. Case studies.

Fabrication of API pipe. Increasing the strength of pipeline steel. Balancing strength, toughness and weldability. Pipeline steels for sour service: sulfide stress cracking and HIC. Appropriate specification of pipe material.

Methods of improving corrosion resistance. Available solid corrosion resistant alloys. Evaluating corrosion resistance. Methods of fabrication of clad pipe. Welding of clad pipe. External protection.

Fabrication. Carcass. Liner. Pressure containment. Armoring. Sheath. Connectors. Lengths of pipe sections. Internal corrosion. External corrosion. Failure modes of flexible pipes. General failure mechanisms. Inspection of flexible pipes.

Construction methods. Laybarge, S-Lay and J-Lay. Reelship. Mid-depth tow, bottom tow and surface tow. Advantages and disadvantages of different methods.

Single-phase flow, oil and gas; calculation of pressure drop and effect on optimal line size; influence of compressibility, temperature change and profile, two phase flow; flow regimes, correlations, profile effects, terrain-induced slugging, slugging in risers. Surge. Hydrates and wax.

Internal pressure, code requirements. External pressure; bending; bending buckling; collapse and buckle propagation; denting and gouging; allowable strain design; impact damage.

Pipeline steels for sour service: sulfide stress cracking and HIC. Appropriate specification of pipe material.

Hydrodynamic forces on pipelines in steady and unsteady flow. Lateral resistance. Design for stability; RPE305 recommended practice. Interaction with seabed instability

Sweet corrosion mechanisms: pitting and mesa attack. Evaluating a suitable corrosion allowance. Effects of flow on corrosion. Moderators of corrosion. Corrosion inhibition and its relation to flow morphology.

Coating for submarine pipelines: enamels, FBE, triple coats, extruded coatings and elastomers. Inspection of coating integrity. Concrete weight coatings. Field Joints and infills.

Conjoint protection by coating and CP. Mechanism of CP. Design of sacrificial anode CP systems. Thermal effects on CP performance. Interactions between CP systems.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria. Microbiological corrosion mechanisms. Evaluation of the problem. Housekeeping and treatment.

Inspection prior to and during installation and commissioning. Inspection in service. Intelligent pigging. Corrosion monitoring. Analysis of corrosion monitoring data.

(11700 Old Katy Rd., ground floor. Transportation will be provided.)

This  lecture will feature a demonstration of RJBD's 3-D installation model of the Thunder Horse project in the Gulf of Mexico. Additional topics: Selecting the equipment and procedures to optimize and reduce risk and cost of installation. Minimizing the equipment to launch, tow, position and execute tie-ins. Combining manifolds and weld slots in bundles with diverless tie-in-systems. Techniques for towed installation, wet storage and recovery of drilling and production risers. Evolution of modeling pipeline and riser installation – 2D, 3D, and 4D installation modeling. Installation equipment.

Design currents. Waves. Geotechnics. Earthquakes.

Failure incidents. Case studies: incidents during construction, inherent defects, external factors, old age. Integrity management. Repair techniques, case studies of repair after incidents described.

Driving force for upheaval and lateral buckling. Analysis of risk of buckling. Alternative design and construction options to eliminate problems. Case study of lateral buckling.

 Need for insulation. Types of insulation. Conductive Heat Transfer. Convective Heat Transfer. Interaction with other design factors.

Alternative Construction methods. Trenching and burial methods jetting, mechanical cutting, plowing, rock dumping, backfill, dredging. Case studies and construction films.

Welding of carbon manganese pipeline steels. Welding of duplex and clad pipe. Inspection of weldments.

Description of span occurrence and possible systems. Analysis; vortex-excited oscillation, overstress, hooking. Span monitoring and correction.

Trends in code development. Limit state design. API RP-1111. DnV OS-F101. Attempts to prepare unified codes.

Legal framework. Legislation. Decay mechanisms. Re-use. Methods of recovery. Alternatives to Recovery. Disposal materials. Costs.