OTC 17627

Recent Achievements and Present Trends in Deepwater Pipe-lay Systems

E.P. Heerema, Allseas Group S.A.
Copyright 2005, Offshore Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2005 Offshore Technology Conference held in
Houston, TX, U.S.A., 25 May 2005.

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Abstract
Over the past ten years, deepwater pipelaying has gone
through an impressive development. Production from oil and
gas fields is foreseen in up to 11,000 feet water depth, and this
may not yet be the limit.
The various existing installation methods have their own
merits in the deepwater market.
In-line structures and steel catenary risers can be
installed safely and efficiently, and rotation can be well
controlled.
Repair procedures are proven technology.
Potential limits to deepwater pipelay are discussed.

Introduction
Deepwater pipelaying has gone through a spectacular
development. Before 1995, a water depth of 1,000 feet was
considered deep; since then, pipelaying in water depths of
5,000 feet and over has become normal practice. Future
installations in over 8,000 feet are a reality and installations in
11,000 feet are being studied.
See figure 1.

Methods of deepwater pipeline installation
Three basic deepwater pipelay methods are commonly in use:
reeling, J -lay and S-lay. The author assumes these methods to
be generally known to the reader.

Reeling is often the most economical method of installing
small-diameter lines (up to 16) of limited length. Specific
market conditions, and project conditions such as the use of
exotic materials, however, have justified reeling of larger
lengths.
J -lay, dependent on the size of the vessel selected, can be
technically very suitable for deepwater pipelines. As J -lay is
inherently not a fast system (welding, non-destructive testing
and field joint coating all need to take place in one or two
stations in the J -lay tower), it is generally a competitive
method when deepwater pipelines are heavy or short;
especially when combined with heavy lifting work, saving
mobilization of separate vessels. For this reason, J -lay has
found a place in the market primarily in installing deep
pipeline ends, notably steel catenary risers. On some
occasions, J -lay vessels have installed long pipelines.

year of installation
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

w
a
t
e
r

d
e
p
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h

(
f
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S-lay Reeling J-lay
Atwater Valley Atwater Valley
Diana Diana
Mensa
Independence Trail
Canyon Express
Atwater Val ley
Ram Powell
Diana
Ursa
Devi l's Tower
Blue Stream
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Figure 1 - Pipelines in water depths over 3,000 feet

S-lay quantitatively dominates the deepwater pipelay work in
the Gulf of Mexico over three-quarters of all pipelines,
measured by length, in over 3,000 feet water depth have been
installed in this manner. S-lay requires heavy tension
equipment and a long stinger. To effectively utilize the
tension equipment, the departure angle of the pipeline leaving
the stinger should be near-vertical, so a long stinger is needed
to provide sufficient guidance for the pipe from the horizontal
to the near-vertical. To limit overbend strains in the pipeline,
for larger pipe diameters a relatively large stinger radius is
required and therefore a longer stinger to meet the
near-vertical departure angle.
Integrating pipeline end manifolds and large in-line
structures has proven to be well feasible and safe, as is
demonstrated by the vessels track record.
Another reason for wishing to achieve a near-vertical
departure angle in S-lay is to limit the tension force in the
pipeline on the seabed in areas with an uneven seabed, thus
avoiding free spans.
2 OTC 17627
Upgrades in capacity have moved previously existing
boundaries. As a result even the heaviest pipelines, such as
pipe-in-pipe systems and water-filled pipelines, can be
installed well in S-lay. For example, in 2002 Solitaire
successfully installed an 18 pipeline in a flooded condition in
6,300 feet water depth.

Limitation of overbend strain in deepwater S-lay
Once a deepwater pipe has left the pipelay vessels stinger,
essentially the pipe configuration is the same for every
deepwater installation method: the allowable sagbend strains
determine the required angle of departure from the stinger.
This departure angle, in combination with the stinger length,
determines the required stinger radius. This radius yields a
certain overbend strain, and this overbend strain has to be
checked against client specifications or allowable strain levels
defined in international codes.
A widely accepted code such as DnV OS-F101 requires
that every installation case is evaluated individually by
analyzing a number of relevant limit states. Pipeline limit
states during pipelay are for example local buckling and
ovalization on the stinger. This approach usually leads to
significant overbend strains being allowed. In current
practice, values allowed by clients are generally lower, in the
order of magnitude of up to 0.45%, which represents a
residual strain in the pipe of 0.25%.
One of the concerns arising from high overbend strains is
potential rotation of the pipeline during installation and
consequent twisting (cork-screwing) on the seabed.
Although pipeline rotation is being observed, widespread
experience from seabed surveys shows that pipelines laid at
such residual strains on the seabed are straight.

Prevention of in-line structure rotation
Preventing rotation of in-line structures such as wye, tee
and valve assemblies is obviously very important in order to
achieve the required orientation relative to the seabed.
Requirements are strict: tolerances on orientation are generally
plus and minus 5 degrees.


Figure 2 - Site Integration Testing of WYE piece with mudmats

This is achieved by the use of yokes and buoyancy provisions.
With all installation methods mentioned above, this works
well. In S-lay, vessels such as "Lorelay" and Solitaire have
successfully installed some 12 deepwater in-line structures in
the past ten years within the required verticality requirements
without corrective measures.

Figures 2 and 3 show examples of such in-line structures
applied in the Gulf of Mexico.


Figure 3 - WYE piece ready for inserting in firing line

Steel Catenary Risers
For connection of pipeline systems to production facilities,
many steel catenary risers (SCRs) have been installed by all
pipelay methods. This can be done in first end mode, during
start-up, or second end mode, at the lay down end.
In S-lay, second-end SCRs are well feasible, for example
by laying down the pipe from the stinger and retrieving it in
J -mode in a frame on the side of the vessel. Alternatively this
can be achieved by means of a direct lateral hand-over from
the pipelay vessels stinger to the production facility. A winch
on the platform or on the pipelay vessel can pull in the SCR.
See figure 4.


Figure 4 - Hand-over of 2nd end SCR to platform
OTC 17627 3
A J -lay crane vessel may in some cases, which is when the
platform topside does not have a large overhang, have an
operational advantage here, as the crane can hand the SCR
directly to the production facility.
First-end SCRs are naturally straightforward for S-lay
vessels, whereby the SCR is pulled directly from the vessels
stinger into the hang-off seat located on the side of the
platform. This method has an advantage when SCRs have to
be installed in between an anchor pattern or risers already in
place.

Repairs
Pipelaying in deep water may appear straightforward using a
dynamically positioned vessel, but when problems arise, the
consequences are normally costly and very time-consuming.
Deepwater pipeline repairs have been executed by a number of
contractors successfully and as such have led to industry-
accepted contingency methods.
As early as 1996, a 12 pipeline was lost in the Gulf of
Mexico in 5,300 feet water depth. The pipeline was cut and
successfully retrieved by remotely operated tools commonly
used in the drilling industry. The entire procedure, including
de-watering from the other end, however required many weeks
and led to considerable financial impairment of the
contractors project.

Necessary upgrades of present equipment to cope
with upcoming projects
Large-diameter pipelines such as 24 O.D. in water depths up
to 8,000 feet are planned for installation as early as 2006.
These developments require both tension and abandonment
and recovery (A&R) capacities on an S-lay vessel of some
1,450 kips (650 metric tons). This has made upgrades
necessary. For example, in the course of 2005 Solitaire is
being upgraded to a total tensioner capacity of 1,930 kips (875
metric tons), and more in later years; and an A&R capacity of
2,220 kips (1,000 metric tons).


Figure 5 - Construction of new 140m stinger


In addition to this upgrade, in March 2005 the vessel was
fitted out with a new, massively powerful stinger of 460 feet
(140 m) length, capable of holding pipes with a weight of
2,200 kips (1000 metric tons) in anticipation of the heaviest
upcoming projects (see figures 5 and 6).


Figure 6 - New 140m stinger with new hang-off system


In order to limit strain concentration (point loads) on rollers,
the new stinger has been equipped with more roller supports
than before, and also equalizers, resulting in a smoothly
distributed strain level.

Market conditions
Naturally, the majority of pipelay projects is much lighter and
therefore most can be installed by lighter pipelay equipment.
Many contractors have invested in pipelay equipment of
varying capacities over the past years and as a result the
market generally, other than in 2005 and 2006, suffers from an
over-capacity of deepwater pipelay equipment. Most pipelay
contractors jumped on the bandwagon and in such an
environment, making a profit is not easy or common.

Moreover, mistakes are dearly paid for. Dropping a pipe from
a pipelay vessel in shallow water may require a week or so
in pipe cutting, de-watering and retrieval; recovery of a lost
pipe in deep water can cost many weeks. Lost time is no
longer covered by the standard Construction All Risk policy as
a result of the tightness of the insurance market, and getting
4 OTC 17627
paid for the lost time by the client if the client is self-insured is
very difficult, particularly in the contracting environment of
the recent past. Price levels in the past years did not allow for
the necessary margins to cope with the consequences of
accidents, and this has left many pipelay contractors
financially in dire straits. At present, the market is
momentarily better, and contractors have learnt their lessons in
what risks they can accept, so that onerous contracting
conditions are less prevalent.

Limits to deepwater pipelines?
Where are the limits to pipe size and weight? Hydrocarbons
have been identified in water depths of over 11,000 feet. But
preventing hydrostatic collapse of gas lines clearly limits
pipeline size. For example, in 8,000 feet water depth a 24
O.D. line requires a wall thickness of in excess of 30
millimeters. The present wall thickness limitation for SAW
pipe is 40 to 45 millimeters. A 24 line with such wall
thickness would have a water depth limitation of roughly
12,000 to 13,000 feet. Pipe mills have limitations in the
achievable diameter to wall thickness ratio. In deeper water,
the pipe diameter would therefore have to be reduced.
A pipe of 24 in these water depths would generate a
static tension and A&R requirement of roughly 2,200 to 3,300
kips (1,000 to 1,500 metric tons) on the pipelay vessel.

Oil lines can be laid water-filled to avoid having to meet the
hydrostatic collapse criterion. As a result, however, these are
very heavy during laying.

Pipe-in-pipe systems can also be very heavy; when diameters
become large, such as 12 in 18, high tensions are necessary.

Further upgrades are possible; on Solitaire, for example, an
arrangement named S-Lift can be installed, enabling the
installation of pipelines with a static holding capacity
requirement of 3,300 kips (1,500 metric tons) and a dynamic
capacity of 4,400 kips (2,000 metric tons).
The basic idea of S-Lift is to reduce the load on the
stinger, the tensioners and the A&R system through a system
of two submerged clamps which take the load of the pipe
below the stinger. The pipe clamps will be suspended from a
cantilever structure installed on top of the cross-over
extending 203 feet (62 m) aft of the stern of the vessel.
The system can be used either to provide contingency
holding in case of pipe flooding, or for continuous pipelay.
For contingency holding, only one clamp will be
deployed, which will passively slip over the pipe as normal
pipelay progresses. Only in case of a calamity such as
accidental flooding of the pipe, leading to excessive tension,
the contingency clamp is activated. The pipe can then be
safely lowered by the contingency clamp to the seabed for
de-watering.
For continuous pipelay, two clamps will be deployed,
working according to the linear winch principle which is
known from other industry applications.
When using the S-Lift method, the axial pipe strain will
be reduced to a small value. Therefore most of the strain
capacity of the pipe can be used for global bending.
The cantilever structure has been fabricated and a
number of long lead components such as winches have been
purchased, but the timing of final investments and installation
of the S-Lift system on board will be determined by upcoming
project requirements.

Conclusion
Deepwater pipelay has in a few years time become safe and
economical. Although the various installation methods have
proven their suitability and each have their specific
advantages, the choice of equipment is determined primarily
by pricing policy. On small diameter lines of limited length,
reeling is very competitive. J -lay has clear advantages when
combining heavy-lift work with SCR installation and can be
attractive for heavy, short lines. S-lay is fast and economical,
and dominates the market for deepwater pipeline installation.
It can deal with SCRs and in-line structures, and can avoid
their rotation equally well as the other pipelay methods. By
carrying out the required equipment upgrades, the current
trends in deeper water pipeline systems can be accommodated
by the S-lay installation method.
The contracting industry has responded well to the
operators requirements.

Acknowledgements
The author wishes to thank Sil Draaisma, J ohan Drost, Arjen
Korver, J ohan Vermeer and Onno Weustink, Allseas, for their
valuable contributions to this paper.