1 INTRODUCTION

1.1   Scope

The challenges of Deepwater oilfields and inter-continental gas transportation present the biggest opportunities the pipeline technology faces today. New thermal insulation technologies will be required to assure that produced fluid will flow through long distance subsea pipelines, at low seafloor temperature.

At some fields, strong currents, high pressure and high temperature (HP, HT), sour reservoirs and deepwater conditions are pushing the limits of steel pipes used in flow-lines.

The scope of this study will cover the following topics:

This document will also provide references on pipeline design topics (Chapter 2, Pipeline Design for Deep Water) as follows:

  • Review of pipe design criteria

  • Review of the engineering principles behind the codes

  • Pipeline design engineering key topics (question to design contractors)

1.2   Codes, Standards, Specifications and Reference Documents

1.2.1   General

There are a number of national and international pipeline design codes in use. This section lists the codes that have become generally or widely used. Pipeline design codes fall into two general categories of design principle: Allowable Stress Design (ASD, also referred to working stress design) and limit state design, also referred to as Load Resistance Factor Design (LRFD).

The following publications provide valuable information, of which pipeline design and experience:

  • Offshore Technology Conference papers from 1969 to 2006 (OTC)

  • International Conference Offshore Mechanics & Artic Engineering from 1982 to 2006 (OMAE)

  • Proceedings of International Offshore & Polar Engineering Conference, 1991 to 2006 (ISOPE)

  • Limit State Design of Pipeline & Risers – IBC UK Conferences (Y. BAI, 1999)

  • Rigid Pipeline Design Guidelines (Internal Report)

1.2.2   ASD Codes

Allowable stress design codes evolved in the 1950s and are based on a single safety factor to prevent the pipeline steel yielding. Examples are:

  • ISO 13623, Petroleum and natural gas industries – Pipeline transportation systems;

  • ASME B31.4 : Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquid Hydrocarbons and Other Liquids

  • ASME B31.8 : Gas Transportation and Distribution Systems

1.2.3   Limit State Design Codes

Limit state design codes arrived in the 1990’s and are based on separate (partial) safety factors for loads and resistance, and prevent the pipeline reaching a limit state such as bursting or buckling. Examples are:

  • DNVGL-ST-F101, Submarine pipeline systems, 2017;

  • API RP 1111, Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Offshore Hydrocarbon Pipelines (Limit State Design),

  • ISO 16708, Pipeline transportation systems - Reliability-based limit state methods.

1.2.4   Worldwide Application

ISO 13623 is the only international standard for pipeline design and presents a legally binding minimum level of safety. It does not appear to have seen widespread usage with national codes generally being used in preference. ISO 16708:2006 specifies the functional requirements and principles for design, operation and re-qualification of pipelines in the petroleum and natural gas industries using reliability based limit state methods as permitted by ISO 13623. Reliability-based limit state methods provide a systematic way to predict pipeline safety in design and operation. ISO 16708:2006 supplements ISO 13623 and can be used in cases where ISO 13623 does not provide specific guidance and where limit states methods can be applied, such as, but not limited to:

  • Qualification of new concepts, e.g. when new technology is applied or for design scenarios where industry experience is limited,

  • Re-qualification of the pipeline due to a changed design basis, such as service-life extension, which can include reduced uncertainties due to improved integrity monitoring and operational experience,

  • Collapse under external pressure in deep water,

  • Extreme loads, such as seismic loads (e.g. at a fault crossing), ice loads (e.g. by impact from ice keels),

  • Situations where strain-based criteria can be appropriate.

1.2.5   Specific or Specialist Codes

[1]
API_17B
 
[2]
API_17J
 
[3]
API_5L
 
[4]
API_5LC
 
[5]
API_5LD
 
[6]
API_RP_1111
 
[7]
API_RP_14_E
 
[8]
API_RP_5LW
 
[9]
DNV_RP_C205
 
[10]
DNV_RP_F112
 
[11]
DNV-OS-F101
 
[12]
DNV-RP-F101
 
[13]
DNVGL_ST_F101
 
[14]
DNVGL-RP-B401
 
[15]
DNVGL-RP-F102
 
[16]
DNVGL-RP-F103
 
[17]
DNVGL-RP-F105
 
[18]
DNVGL-RP-F106
 
[19]
DNVGL-RP-F107
 
[20]
DNVGL-RP-F108
 
[21]
DNVGL-RP-F109
 
[22]
DNVGL-RP-F110
 
[23]
DNVGL-RP-F111
 
[24]
DNVGL-RP-F112
 
[25]
DNVGL-RP-F113
 
[26]
DNVGL-RP-F114
 
[27]
DNVGL-RP-F115
 
[28]
DNVGL-RP-F116
 
[29]
DNVGL-RP-F204
 
[30]
DNVGL-RP-J202
 
[31]
DNVGL-RP-O501
 
[32]
DNVGL-SE-0476
 
[33]
DNVGL-ST-F101
 
[34]
DNVGL-ST-F201
 
[35]
NORSOK_M_001
 
[36]
NORSOK_M-001
 
[37]
NORSOK_M-506
 

1.2.6   TOTAL Standards

[38]
GS_EP_COR_102
 
[39]
GS_EP_COR_110
 
[40]
GS_EP_COR_220
 
[41]
GS_EP_COR_221
 
[42]
GS_EP_COR_222
 
[43]
GS_EP_COR_226
 
[44]
GS_EP_COR_250
 
[45]
GS_EP_COR_251
 
[46]
GS_EP_COR_401
 
[47]
GS_EP_PLR_100
 
[48]
GS_EP_PLR_109
 
[49]
GS_EP_PLR_401
 
[50]
GS_EP_PLR_405
 
[51]
GS_EP_PLR_410
 
[52]
GS_EP_PLR_501
 
[53]
GS_EP_PLR_502
 
[54]
GS_EP_SPS_002
 
[55]
GS_EP_SPS_004
 
[56]
GS_EP_SPS_007
 
[57]
GS_EP_SPS_024
 
[58]
GS_EP_SPS_025
 
[59]
GS_EP_SPS_029
 
[60]
GS_EP_SPS_038
 
[61]
GS-EP-GEO-202
 
[62]
GS-EP-PLR-109
 
[63]
GS-EP-PLR-110
 
[64]
GS-EP-PLR-401
 
[65]
GS-EP-PLR-405
 
[66]
GS-EP-PLR-426
 
[67]
GS-EP-PLR-425
 
[68]
GS-EP-PLR-228
 
[69]
GS-EP-PLR-227
 
[70]
GS-EP-PLR-226
 
[71]
GS-EP-PLR-205
 
[72]
GS-EP-PLR-152
 
[73]
GS-EP-PLR-151
 
[74]
GS-EP-EXP-105
 
[75]
GS-EP-EXP-103
 
[76]
GS-EP-EXP-101
 

1.2.7   Deepwater Reference Books

1.3   Definitions & Abbreviations

In TOTAL PLR general specification the use of following terms are defined:

  • "pipeline" or "pipeline system" is used to talk about subsea pipelines/systems

  • "flowline" is used for infield lines

  • "sealine" could be any subsea line

  • “export lines” are "pipelines" not "flowlines" and often referred as “export pipeline”

1.3.1   Definitions

Crack

Planar and bi-dimensional feature with possible displacement of the fracture surfaces.

Deepwater

Water column comprised between 500m (1600ft) and 1500m (5000ft) of water depth..

Deformation

Change in shape, such as a bend, buckle, dent, ovality, ripple, wrinkle or any other changer, which affects the roundness of the pipe's cross-section or straightness of the pipe.

Deviation

Difference observed by the auditor between what is described in the reference used and what is applied.

DP vessel

Dynamically Positioned vessel means a unit, a ship or vessel which automatically maintains its position and heading with respect to one or more references, exclusively by means of thruster forces.

Flowline

The conduit system e.g. steel pipeline, flexible line, bundle, etc., divided in two parts: static "sealine” section resting on seabed and dynamic "riser" section ‘hanging’ from seabed to surface

Pitting

Localized corrosion of a metal surface that is confined to small areas and takes the form of cavities called pits.

1.3.2   Abbreviations

CAPEX

Capital Expenditure

C-Mn

Carbon-Manganese

CRA

Corrosion Resistant Alloy

CSD

Cutter Suction Dredger

CTOD

Crack Tip Opening Displacement

DAF

Dynamic Amplification Factor

DEH

Direct Electrical Heating

DGPS

Differential Global Positioning System

DNV

Det Norske Veritas

DP

Dynamic Positioning

DP

Dual Port

DSV

Diving Support Vessel

EHT

Electrical Heat Tracing

ERW

Electric Resistance Weld

FBE

Fusion Bounded Epoxy

FEA

Finite Element Analysis

FLET

Flowline End Termination

FOC

Fiber Optic Cable

FS

Field Signature

FSM

Field Signature Method

GOM

Gulf of Mexico

GTAW

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

HAZ

Heat Affected Zone

HDPE

High Density Poly ethylene

HIC

Hydrogen Induced Cracking

HIC

Hub Inspection Camera

HP

High Pressure

HT

High Temperature

ID

Internal Diameter

ID

IDentification

ILT

In-Line Tee

IPB

Integrated Production Bundle

IPB

In Plane Bending

IPU™

Integrated Production Umbilical

JIP

Joint Industry Project

LCC

Life Cycle Costing

LDS

Limit State Design

LNG

Liquefied Natural Gas

LRFD

Load Resistance Factor Design code

MLEC

Mid-Line Electrical Connector

NDT

Non Destructive Testing

OD

Outside Diameter

OHTC

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient

OOS

Out Of Straightness

OPEX

Operational Expenditure

PA-11

Polyamid 11

PE

PolyEthylene

PEX

Cross Wound Polyethylene

PGMAW

Pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding

PIP

Pipe in Pipe

PLEM

Pipeline End Manifold

PLET

Pipe Line End Termination

PP

PolyPropylene

PU

Production Unit

PU

Pump Unit

PUF

Polyurethane Foam

PVC

Polyvinyle Chloride

PVDF

Polyvinylidene Fluoride

RAO

Response Amplitude Operator

ROV

Remotely Operated Vehicle

SAW

Submerged Arc Welding

SCC

Stress Corrosion Cracking

SECT

Skin Effect Current Tracing

SMYS

Specified Minimum Yield Strength

SPM

Single Point Mooring

SSCC

Sulphide Stress Corrosion Cracking

TIG

Tungstene Inhert Gas

TMCP

Thermo-Mechanical Controlled Processing

VIV

Vortex Induced Vibration

VLS

Vertical Laying System

WD

Water Depth

WT

Wall Thickness

1.4   Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the manufacturers and subsea contractors for the provision with courtesy of technical information and photographs of their products.

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