GB2346424A - Subsea pipeline - Google Patents

Subsea pipeline Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2346424A
GB2346424A GB0000744A GB0000744A GB2346424A GB 2346424 A GB2346424 A GB 2346424A GB 0000744 A GB0000744 A GB 0000744A GB 0000744 A GB0000744 A GB 0000744A GB 2346424 A GB2346424 A GB 2346424A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
pipeline
protective shell
composite
inner pipeline
bulk material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB0000744A
Other versions
GB0000744D0 (en
GB2346424B (en
Inventor
Martyn Andrew Witton
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Kvaerner Oil and Gas Ltd
Original Assignee
Kvaerner Oil and Gas Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Kvaerner Oil and Gas Ltd filed Critical Kvaerner Oil and Gas Ltd
Publication of GB0000744D0 publication Critical patent/GB0000744D0/en
Publication of GB2346424A publication Critical patent/GB2346424A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2346424B publication Critical patent/GB2346424B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L1/00—Laying or reclaiming pipes; Repairing or joining pipes on or under water
    • F16L1/12—Laying or reclaiming pipes on or under water
    • F16L1/123—Devices for the protection of pipes under water
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L59/00—Thermal insulation in general
    • F16L59/14—Arrangements for the insulation of pipes or pipe systems
    • F16L59/143—Pre-insulated pipes

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Rigid Pipes And Flexible Pipes (AREA)
  • Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)

Abstract

A composite pipeline 10 for installation on the seabed comprises an inner pipeline 11 to contain fluids, a protective shell 12 surrounding the inner pipeline, and bulk material 14 between the inner pipeline and the protective shell, the inner pipeline 11 being set within the protective shell 12 so that it is offset from the centre line of the protective shell to lie in a position close to the seabed when the composite pipeline is laid on the sea bed.

Description

SUBSEA PIPELINE The invention relates to a composite subsea pipeline for the transmission of fluids along a seabed.
In particular, the invention relates to a composite subsea pipeline in which an inner pipeline is wholly contained within a protective shell. The composite pipeline thus has the configuration of a pipe within a pipe.
Pipe within pipe configurations are known. OTC Paper 8543"Thermally insulated pipein-pipe risers"was published at the Offshore lrechnology Conference held at Houston Tx in May 1997. This paper deals with configuration in which a pipeline is taken from the seabed up to a termination above sea level on a fixed or floating platform.
The present invention is concerned with a pipeline to run horizontally on the sea bed.
Such pipelines typically run towards and away from zones beneath fixed or floating offshore processing facilities for oil or gas.
Problems encountered with the use of : such pipelines include impact damage from dropped objects and trawled boards. Moreover, during the installation of such pipelines, there is a danger of damage from bending of the pipeline while the pipeline is being lowered to the sea bed. This may require the use of spreaders'to avoid damage due to bending.
Thus there is a requirement for a pipeline ; which can resist impact loads, and which has in-built resistance to bending loads during installtion.
The invention provides a composite pipeline for installation on the seabed, and comprising an inner pipeline to contain fluids, a protective shell surrounding the inner pipeline, and bulk material between the inner pipeline land the protective shell, in which the inner pipeline is set within the protective shell so that it is offset from the centre line of the protective shell to lie in a position close to the seabed when the composite pipeline is laid on the sea bed.
It is preferred that the protective shell is cjrcular in cross section, and the inner pipeline lies against the lowest point of the interior surface of the protective shell when the composite pipeline is laid on the sea bed.
It is also preferred that the protective sue)) is capable of absorbing impact loads by deflection without deforming the inner pipeline.
In this last mentioned form it is further preferred that the bulk material within the protective shell is capable of absorbing the enerdy of impact loads without deforming the inner pipeline.
Advantageously, the protective shell is arrnged to act with the bulk material such that the composite pipe acts to distribute installation lads, and so to protect the inner pipeline.
The bulk material may be selected from a class of substances which have particularly high insulation properties.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cutaway perspective view of a composite pipeline ; Figure 2 is a cross section through that pipeline ; Figure 3 is a cross section through that pipeline after it has been deformed by an object dropped from above; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a composite pipeline installed on a seabed adjacent to an offshore platform ; and Figure 5 shows the composite pipeline during installation.
A composite subsea pipeline 10 comprises a carbon steel inner pipeline 11 within a protective shell 12 of substantially larger diameter. The inner pipeline 11 is offset from the centre line of the protective shell 12. In this instance, the external surface of the inner pipeline is in contact with the internal surface of the protective shell. This arrangement is shown in Figures 1 and 2.
In an alternative configuration (not shown), there may be a gap between the respective surfaces of the inner pipeline and protective shell. In such a case, the inner pipeline is still offset from the centreline of the protective shell, but is not in contact with the protective shell.
The space between the inner pipeline 11 and the protective shell 12 is filled with a bulk material 14. This material is typically of a lightweight substance having good insulation properties, and sufficient rigidity to maintain the inner pipeline 11 in its appropriate position within the protective shell 12. One suitable material might be epoxy or urethane based syntactic foam with micro glass spheres.
The arrangement of the composite pipeline 10 is such that when laid on the seabed, the inner pipeline is at the bottom of the composite pipeline. When laid in this way, the shell 12 can protect the inner pipeline 11 from impact by dropped objects. In the event of an object being dropped onto the composite pipeline, the protective shell will be able to deflect as shown in Figure 3. Energy is absorbed both by deforming the protective shell 12, and by distorting the bulk material 14.
The composite pipeline 10 is intended for the transmission of fluid hydrocarbons (oil and/or gas) along the seabed. However, composite pipelines according to the invention could be used for other flowable materials.
The use of a composite pipeline, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, is shown in Figure 4. An offshore platform 20 comprises a substructure or"jacket"21 supporting a deck 22. A riser 23 leads from facilities on the deck 22, down the jacket 21, to a connection 24 on the seabed.
A composite pipeline 25 leads across the seabed away from the connection 24. The composite pipeline 25 may have composite bqnds, such as 26. Alternatively, the composite pipeline may be formed in straight lengths, an the changes in direction may be protected by concrete mattresses 27. The mattresses 27 art shaped to fit over the extemal surfaces of the protective shells of adjacent lengths of pipeline. At some distance from the platform, the protective shell may be dispensed with (as at 24 in Figure 4).
The arrangement shown in Figure 4 may be used close to offshore platforms in order to prevent damage to pipelines from objects dropped from the platforms.
Installation of a length of composite pipeline is shown in Figure 5. The length represents part of the portion 24 to 28 of the composite pipeline shown in Figure 4. The bending stiffness of the composite pipeline (by virtue of its greate moment of inertia in a vertical plane), makes it possible to lower a significant length of pipeline Bin one piece. This enables pipeline joints to be welded in above sea surface conditions, and avpids the need to make subsea joints.
Suitable bulk materials having both insulating and energy absorbing properties could be Vermiculite, closed cellular foam, fly ash or fo, amed cement. Bulk materials having energy absorbing properties only could be layered'steel/aluminium ; weak/open cell glass fibre reinforced resin (possibly with void makers-polystyrene foam etc); corrugated steel/aluminium ; or timber rods.

Claims (1)

  1. Claims 1/A composite pipeline for installation on the seabed, and comprising an inner pipeline to contain fluids, a protective shell surrounding the inner pipeline, and bulk material between the inner pipeline and the protective shell, in which the inner pipeline is set within the protective shell so that it is offset from the centre line of the protective shell to lie in a position close to the seabed when the composite pipeline is laid on the sea bed.
    2/A pipeline as claimed in claim 1 in which the protective shell is circular in cross section, and the inner pipeline lies against the lowest point of the interior surface of the protective shell when the composite pipeline is laid on the sea bed.
    3/A pipeline as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the protective shell is capable of absorbing impact loads by deflection without deforming the inner pipeline.
    4/A pipeline as claimed in claim 3 in which the bulk material within the protective shell is capable of absorbing the energy of impact loads without deforming the inner pipeline.
    51 A pipeline as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the protective shell is arrange to act with the bulk material such that the composite pipe acts to distribute installation loads, and so to protect the inner pipeline.
    6/A pipeline as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the bulk material is selected from a class of substances which have particularly high insulation properties.
    7/A composite pipeline substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
    Amendments to the claims have tween filed as follows
    1/A composite pipeline for installation on the seabed, and comprising an inner pipeline suitable to contain hydrocarbon fluids, a protective shell surrounding the inner pipeline, and lightweight bulk material with good heat insulation properties between the inner pipeline and the protective shell, in which the inner pipeline lis set within the protective shell so that it is offset from the centre line of the protective shell to lie in a position close to the seabed when the composite pipeline is laid on the sea bed.
    2/A pipeline as claimed in claim 1 in which the protective shell is circular in cross section, and the inner pipeline lies against the lowest point of the interior surface of the protective shell when the composite pipeline is laid on the sea bed.
    3/A pipeline as claimed in claim 1 or claim in which the protective shell is capable of absorbing impact loads by deflection without deforming the inner pipeline.
    4/A pipeline as claimed in claim 3 in which the bulk material within the protective shell is capable of absorbing the energy of impact loads tithout deforming the inner pipeline.
    5/A pipeline as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the protective shell is arranged to act with the bulk material such that tht composite pipe acts to distribute installation loads, and so to protect the inner pipeline.
    6/A composite pipeline substantially as hereipbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.
GB0000744A 1999-01-13 2000-01-13 Subsea pipeline Expired - Fee Related GB2346424B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9900722 1999-01-13

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0000744D0 GB0000744D0 (en) 2000-03-08
GB2346424A true GB2346424A (en) 2000-08-09
GB2346424B GB2346424B (en) 2003-02-12

Family

ID=10845916

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0000744A Expired - Fee Related GB2346424B (en) 1999-01-13 2000-01-13 Subsea pipeline

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2346424B (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2370870A (en) * 2001-01-05 2002-07-10 Corus Uk Ltd Insulated double-walled pipe structures

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8702347B2 (en) 2008-10-07 2014-04-22 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Device for protecting a subsea structure and methods relating to same

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4413657A (en) * 1980-09-09 1983-11-08 Nippon Steel Corporation Exhaust pipe with vibration damping
DE3524757A1 (en) * 1985-07-11 1987-01-22 Stalter & Grosch Stahlhandel G Conveying pipe
WO1999019661A1 (en) * 1997-10-10 1999-04-22 Doris Engineering Submarine pipeline for transporting petroleum products

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4413657A (en) * 1980-09-09 1983-11-08 Nippon Steel Corporation Exhaust pipe with vibration damping
DE3524757A1 (en) * 1985-07-11 1987-01-22 Stalter & Grosch Stahlhandel G Conveying pipe
WO1999019661A1 (en) * 1997-10-10 1999-04-22 Doris Engineering Submarine pipeline for transporting petroleum products

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2370870A (en) * 2001-01-05 2002-07-10 Corus Uk Ltd Insulated double-walled pipe structures
GB2370870B (en) * 2001-01-05 2005-08-10 Corus Uk Ltd Bulkheads for double-walled pipe structures

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0000744D0 (en) 2000-03-08
GB2346424B (en) 2003-02-12

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AT Applications terminated before publication under section 16(1)
732E Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977)
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20040113