Subsea Pipelines

  1. Subsea
  2. Flow Assurance
  3. Production Engineering
  4. Production Facilities


Subsea Drilling Riser

Subsea flowlines are the subsea pipelines used to connect a subsea wellhead with a manifold or the surface facility. The flowlines may be made of flexible pipe or rigid pipe and they may transport petrochemicals, lift gas, injection water, and chemicals. For situations where pigging is required, flowlines are connected by crossover spools and valves configured to allow pigs to be circulated. Flowlines may be single pipe, or multiple lines bundled inside a carrier pipe. Both single and bundled lines may need to be insulated to avoid problems associated with the cooling of the produced fluid as it travels along the seabed. Subsea flowlines are increasingly being required to operate at high pressures and temperatures. The higher pressure condition results in the technical challenge of providing a higher material grade of pipe for highpressure, high-temperature (HP/HT) flowline projects, which will cause sour service if the product includes H2S and saltwater. In addition, the higher temperature operating condition will cause the challenges of corrosion, down-rated yield strength, and insulation coating. Flowlines subjected to HP/HTwill create a high effective axial compressive force due to the high fluid temperature and internal pressure that rises when the flowline is restrained.

References

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  • J. Westwood, Deepwater Markets and Game-Changer Technologies, presented at U.S. Department of Transportation 2003, Conference, 2003.
  • FMC Corporation, Subsea System, http://www.fmctechnologies.com/en/SubseaSystems.aspx, 2010.
  • H.J. Bjerke, Subsea Challenges in Ice-Infested Waters, USA-Norway Arctic Petroleum Technology Workshop, 2009.
  • International Standards Organization, Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries-Design and Operation of the Subsea Production Systems, Part 1: General Requirements and Recommendations, ISO, 2005, 13628-1.
  • International Standards Organization, Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries-Design and Operation of the Subsea Production Systems, Part 6: Subsea Production Control Systems, ISO, 2000, 13628-6.
  • M. Faulk, FMC ManTIS (Manifolds & Tie-in Systems), SUT Subsea Awareness Course, Houston, 2008.
  • C. Horn, Flowline Tie-in Presentation, SUT Subsea Seminar, 2008.
  • S. Fenton, Subsea Production System Overview, Vetco Gray, Clarion Technical Conferences, Houston, 2008.
  • P. Collins, Subsea Production Control and Umbilicals, SUT, Subsea Awareness Course, Houston, 2008.


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