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Thefutureofoffshorepipelining

PIPELINES

06/01/2002
PRODUCTION
RIGS/VESSELS

ByWillemJ.Timmermans

DEEPWATER

President,IntecEngineering
BUSINESSBRIEFS

PARTII:Thisisthesecondinatwopartseriesaboutthehistoryandthefutureof
offshorepipelines.
Thelastthreedecadesofoffshorepipelineworkhaveseensomespectacularfeats.
Threelaybarges,includingEPTM's1601,laidtheFriggpipelinein155mwaterdepthin
theNorthSeain1974.TheVikingPiperlaidthe36in.lineacrosstheNorwegian
Trenchin1983.TheSaipem7000laidthe18in.DianapipelineintheGulfofMexicoin
1,800mwaterdepthin1999.
Thebasisfortheoffshorepipelineindustryisthatthereisaneedforoilandgas,and
theplaceswhereoilandgasarefoundarenottheplaceswhereitwillbeconsumed.
Someformoftransportisneeded.Thenextassumptionisthatthemostefficientmeans
oftransportwillcontinuetobeapipeline.

Growingenergyconsumption
Theworldpopulationisforecasttoalmostdoubleoverthenext50years,withChina,
SouthAsia,Africa,andpartsofLatinAmericaexpectedtobeprimarygrowthareas.A
growingpressuretousecleanerburningfuelandfavorgasinsteadofcoalandfueloil
permeatestheindustrializedworld,andthepressurewillbeonthedevelopingworldto
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followthislead.
TheSaipem7000wastappedtolaytheBlueStreampipelinefrom
TurkeyundertheBlackSeatoRussiain2,160mwaterdepth.
Clickheretoenlargeimage

In1990,coalrepresentedabout24%ofallenergysources,andoilandgasrepresented
50%.Theworld'sprimaryannualenergydemandisabout10gigatonsofoilequivalent.
Thisisestimatedtodoubleinthenext50years,barringtechnologicalbreakthroughsin
nuclearenergy,andassumingthereisnoconsensustodrasticallyreducecarbon
emissionsfromcurrentlevels.
Theprevailingviewisthattherewillbenoshortageofoilandgasinthenext30years.
Theplaceswherenewreservesarefoundwillbeincreasinglyhardertogetto,and
mucheffortwillbespentoncommercializingnewandrenewableformsofenergy.Fuel
efficiencywillincreasethroughtechnologicaladvances,suchastheuseoffuelcellsin
automobilesandmoreefficientlightingandheatingsystemsandappliances.Oiland
gasconsumptionwillgrowconsiderablyoverthenext30yearsandbeyond,butthe
focuswillincreasinglybeongas.Thedevelopingworldwillshowamorerapid
economicgrowthasitattemptstocatchup.

Transportationneeds
Theneedforpipelinestotransportoilandgasincludesoffshorefieldrelatedflowlines
andpipelinesrequiredtogettheoiltoastoragevesselortankerloadingfacility,and
thegastoanexistingpipelineortoshore.Theseareusuallyrathershortlinesoflimited
diameter,butthewaterdepthsinwhichtheseareinstalledareincreasing.
Developmentsaretakingplaceindepthsof1,500m,andthiswillgoto3,000mor
deeperoverthenext30years.
Installationofsuchlinesandtheattendanttieinsystemsandriserswillrequire
specializeddeepwatervessels,ofwhichanumberarenoworwillshortlybeinservice.
ThismarketwillgrowastheoffshorepotentialofWestAfrica,Brazil,theGulfofMexico,
andotherareasistapped.Deepwaterfielddevelopmentswillincreasesubstantiallyin
numberandwaterdepth.Fromapipeliner'spointofview,thisisamixedblessing,as
thelinesareshortandactualpipelineinstallationisonlyasmallpartoftherequired
activity.
SeveralpipelinesareproposedtocrosstheMediterraneanSea.Thebluelinesare
existingpipelines,andtheredaresomeoftheproposedlines.
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Clickheretoenlargeimage

Inaddition,theseprojectsrequirethecombinationofspecializeddesignandproject
management,aswellasinstallationcapability,andareoftencontractedonan
engineering,procurement,andconstructionbasis.Itwillbeamarketsegmenthighin
engineeringandprojectmanagementcontent.
Themarketforlongdistancepipelineswillbedominatedbygas.Overthenextthree
decades,moregasproductionregionswillhavetobeconnectedtomarketsover
lengtheningdistances.Thiswillbestimulatedbyoffshorepipelines'advantageover
onshorelines.Offshorelinesminimizeissuesoflandownershipandconcernsof
politicalinstability.Theindustry'simprovingabilitytoinstallpipeinverydeepwateralso
contributestotheadvantageofoffshorelines.
Thedeepworkwillrequirespecializeddeepwaterlayvesselscapableofinstallingpipe
atclosetoverticaldepartureangles.Increaseddemandwillpromptthebuildingof
additionalvessels.Therewillbeaneedfordeepwatergaspipelineinstallationofthe
largestdiameterpossible.

Projectsunderconsideration
Anumberofdeepwatergaspipelineprojectsarebeinggivenseriousconsiderationand
willlikelybecompletedinthenextdecade:

MiddleEasttoIndiaandPakistanthroughtheArabianSeaalongthepathofthe
originallyproposedOmanIndiapipeline
SeveralpipelinesacrosstheMediterranean,includingtheMedgaslinefrom
AlgeriatoSpain,whichisinthepreparationstages,theLibyatoSicilyline,which
beginsconstructionsoon,theplannedMoroccotoSpainline,andaplannedline
fromAlgeriatoItalyviaSardiniaandCorsica
PipelinesfromnorthernRussianfieldstoWesternEuropethroughtheBalticSea
TheAsianGasGridfromNatunaSeatoSouthandEastChina
PipelinesfromEasternSiberiaandChinatoJapan.

Beyondtheseprojects,onecanimagineothersacrosstheBayofBengal,between
AustraliaandSoutheastAsia,alongtheBraziliancoast,andsoon.
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Longdistancetransport
Transportingoiloverlongdistancesisstilldoneprimarilybytanker,butcomparedto
tankers,pipelinesareamuchsafermeansoftransport,asmarinemishaps
demonstrate.Thedistancesoverwhichoilistransportedaresuchthatpipelinesarenot
aneconomicalternativeunlessthecostoftankertransportincreasesandthepipeline
costdrops.
TheSaipem7000laidtwo24in.lines,
alongwithSaipem'sCastoroOtto,
whichwillbeusedforshallowwater
pipelayworkfrom170mwaterdepth
totheshore.
Clickheretoenlargeimage

Thecostoftankertransportationisboundtogoupasstricterregulationsare
implementedtoreducetheriskandconsequencesofoilspills.Itisuptotheoffshore
pipelineindustrytoreducethecostofpipelinesbygreaterefficiencyandproductivity,
continuingthetrendofthelast30years,andbydevelopingnewideasandtechniques.
Onesuchideaisthereductioninwallthicknessfordeepwaterpipelines.The
diameter/wallthicknessratioforapipelinein2,000mdepthisabout20,anumberthat
hasbeensteadilygrowingasknowledgeofmaterialpropertiesandbehaviorimproves.
A30in.diametergaspipelinewouldneeda1.5in.wallthickness,somethingthatwill
notonlystrainthecapabilitiesofthepipemanufacturingindustry,butalsothe
pocketbooksoftheinvestors.Fora1,000kmlongpipeline,thismeansatotalof
727,525tonsofsteel.
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Wallthicknessisgovernedbythecollapsecriteria,butifthelinewereinstalledflooded
withwater,thewallthicknesswouldbecontrolledbyinternalpressureconsiderations
only,providedthattheinternalpressureneverwentbelowacriticallevel.Foraliquids
line,thisisnotanissue.Foragaspipeline,thisisanissue.Iftheindustrycanassure
thatthegaspressurewouldnotgobelowacertainsafelimit,thenevenagaspipeline
canbeinstalledwetwithconsiderablereductioninwallthickness.
A30in.diameterlinewith1in.wallthicknessisaboutneutrallybuoyantwhenempty.
Whenfilledwithwater,itweighsabout388kg/m,sothatin2,000mwaterdepth,the
installationvesselhastoholdupnearly881tonsofpipe.Thisshouldbewellwithin
feasibleequipmentlimitations,aseventodaytheequipmentneedstobecapableof
holdingontoanaccidentallyfloodedpipeline.
Asthewaterisreplacedbygasorairduringstartup,theweightofthecompressedgas
atabout200barwillgiveenoughaddedweighttoassurestability.Thequestionthen
becomeshowtosafeguardthesystemagainstaccidentalpressurelossduetodamage
tothelineoroperatingerror.
Consideringwhattheoilindustryhasachievedthusfar,thisdoesnotappeartobean
insurmountableproblem.Butthelongdistanceoilpipelineissuestillhasnotbeen
resolved.Installingawaterfilledlineisfeasible,andtheoilpipelinewallthickness
wouldbeevenlessbecausetheoperatingpressuresaregenerallylower.
Infact,onecouldeventhinkofathinwalledmembranesimilarinshapetoafirehose
thatcanbereeledofffromasurfacevesselorasystemcrawlingalongtheseabed.It
wouldbeinflatedtoitscylindricalshapeonceoilispumpedintoitundersufficient
pressuretoovercomethedifferenceinhydrostaticheadbetweentheseawateroutside
andthecrudeoilinside.In3,000mdepth,thisisabout45bar.
Toovercomethedifferenceingravity,weightwouldhavetobeaddedtokeeptheline
fromfloating.Ina24in.innerdiameterpipeline,thisdifferenceisabout45kg/m.The
pipematerialwouldhavetobeaflexiblethinwallmaterial,suchasahighstrength
metaloracompositeorafabric.Toaddthenecessarybuoyancy,andtoavoidcracking
inthethinwall,smalldiameterlineswouldbeincorporatedinthedesign.
Whilethefutureisbeingcreated,let'saddanotherfeaturetothescheme.Theproblem
withlongdistanceoilpipelinesisthattheyrequirepumpstationsatregularintervals,
whichisimpracticalalongalongdistancedeepoceanoilpipeline.Pumpingfacilities
wouldhavetobestationedontheseabed.
Technologyisalreadyinanadvancedstageofdevelopmentinconnectionwithlong
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distancesubseatiebacks.Theelectricalpowertodrivethesesubseapumpstations
wouldbesuppliedviacablesinsidethesmalldiameterlinesalreadysettobe
embeddedinthepipeline.
Fiberopticcommunicationcablesarerapidlyencirclingtheworld.Whynotencircle
Earthinanetworkofoilpipelines?Beforethiscanhappen,however,itmightbebetter
toprovethetechnologywithwaterpipelinesandatthesametimeprovidemuch
neededwatertodryregionsliketheMiddleEast.

Conclusion
This,then,isthelookofthenext30years:

Deepwaterfieldsupto5,000mwiththeirflowlines,risers,andsubsea
connections
Longdistancegastransmissionlinesin3,0004,000mwaterdepth
Potentialpipelinealternativetotankertransport
Applicationofnewmaterials.

Pipelinesaremorethanphysicalconduitsfortransportofonecommodityoranother.
Theycanbelinksbetweendifferentworlds,encouragingeconomicdevelopmentwhere
itissorelyneededandcreatingformsofcooperationbetweensocieties.Inbusiness
aroundtheworld,theoilandgasindustryhastheopportunitytoimproverelations.The
businessworldhasalwaysbeenaheadofthepoliticiansinbuildingsuchbridges.
Editor'sNote:Thisisanadaptationofakeynotespeechthatwasdeliveredatthe
OffshorePipelineTechnologyConferenceinOslo,Norway,in2000.

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