The history of Arctic pipelining and its applications for the Russian Arctic
The offshore Russian Arctic offers new challenges for the pipeline engineer, which if not properly approached can lead to astronomical development costs. With all the associated problems of life support and logistics, an unrealistic approach to the construction, and associated excessive costs, could well stifle hydrocarbon developments. Considerable experience with field developments in the Alaskan and Canadian Arctics have shown that with innovative approaches, Oil and Gas developments can be completed which are technically viable and commercially sound. This paper provides a historical background of the offshore pipeline research and developments and discusses in detail the pipeline installation in the Canadian Arctic for the Panarctic Drake 76 well on Melville Island and many of the development scenarios for the Polar gas thirty six inch main gas transmission pipeline project. The Panarctic project included the installation of an insulated bundled pipeline under three meters of ice at which the first, of the now universally accepted, diverless tie-ins were successfully completed. The project was installed in air temperatures to a minus fifty degrees Celsius and water temperatures at minus two degrees Celsius. A part of these developments included scenarios for installation of pipelines, subsea templates, risers and underwater process vessels. One of the major conclusions from this work is that the engineer is required to work with Mother Nature and make use of her attributes. Trying to use old methods and procedures becomes very costly and will not provide a commercially sound system. With the changing of the location to the Russian Arctic this paper discusses how this successfully developed technology can be applied considering the Russian scene, equipment and experience available in those areas.
- OSTI ID:
- 205451
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950695-; ISBN 0-7918-1311-8; TRN: IM9615%%231
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International conference on offshore mechanics and arctic engineering, Copenhagen (Denmark), 18-22 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of OMAE 1995 -- Proceedings of the 14. international conference on offshore mechanics and arctic engineering. Volume 5: Pipeline technology; Mercati, D. [ed.] [Snamprogetti SpA, San Donato Milanese (Italy)]; Murray, A. [ed.]; PB: 608 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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