Advances in Subsea Pipeline Engineering and Technology

Dr C P Ellinas Advanced Mechanics & Engineering Ltd Major advances have been achieved in recent years in subsea pipeline design and installation. Inspection, maintenance and repair have also received much attention. The development of marginal fields has brought with it special problems, which have necessitated novel methods and solutions. In the meanwhile interest in the development of deepwater fields continues with the development of new technology. This Conference has placed emphasis in addressing developments in pipeline technology under four main headings: pipeline/seabed interaction; flexible pipelines; pipeline design, fabrication and installation; deepwater applications. Advances in North Sea technology over the last few years have been concerned mostly with marginal fields, small diameter pipelines and new materials, which are well covered in the first three topics. Economic development of marginal fields requires processing of oil and gas to take place not at the wellhead but at existing facilities, usually some distance away. Hydrocarbons are thus often transported at high pressure and temperature in small diameter pipelines, which need to be protected through trenching. However, such operational practice has brought to the fore a problem that in the past was of little concern namely, upheaval buckling.