Danish line insulated against hydrate formation
Development of Danish North Sea hydrocarbon resources includes the 17-km Rolf pipeline installed in 1985. This one consists of an insulated 8-in. two-phase flow product line with a 3-in. piggyback gas lift line. A practical solution to design of this insulated pipeline, including the small diameter, piggyback injection line was corrosion coating of fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) and polyethylene (PE) sleeve pipe. The insulation design prevents hydrate formation under the most conservative flow regime during gas lift production. Also, the required minimum flow rate during the initial natural lift period is well below the value anticipiated at the initiation of gas lift. The weight coating design ensures stability on the seabed during the summer months only; thus trenching was required during the same installation season. Installation of insulated flowlines serving marginal fields is a significant feature of North Sea hydrocarbon development projects. The Skjold field is connected to Gorm by a 6-in., two-phase-flow line. The 11-km line was installed in 1982 as the first insulated pipeline in the North Sea. The Rolf field, located 17 km west of Gorm, went on stream Jan. 2. The development includes an unmanned wellhead platform and an insulated, two-phase-flow pipeline to the Gorm E riser platform. After separation on the Gorm C process platform, the oil and condensate are transported to shore through the 20-in. oil pipeline, and the natural gas is piped to Tyra for transmission through the 30-in. gas pipeline. Oil production at Rolf is assisted by the injection of lift gas, transported from Gorm through a 3-in. pipeline, installed piggyback on the insulated 8-in. product line. The seabed is smooth and sandy, the water depth varying between 33.7 m (110.5 ft) at Rolf and 39.1 m (128 ft) at Gorm.
- Research Organization:
- Maersk Oil and Gas A/S
- OSTI ID:
- 5847013
- Journal Information:
- Oil Gas J.; (United States), Vol. 84:16
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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03 NATURAL GAS
GAS HYDRATES
INHIBITION
NATURAL GAS
TRANSPORT
PETROLEUM
PIPELINES
THERMAL INSULATION
TWO-PHASE FLOW
BONDING
DENMARK
EPOXIDES
GAS LIFTS
NORTH SEA
POLYETHYLENES
ARTIFICIAL LIFTS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
ENERGY SOURCES
EUROPE
FABRICATION
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HYDRATES
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ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
SCANDINAVIA
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
WESTERN EUROPE
022000* - Petroleum- Transport
Handling
& Storage
032000 - Natural Gas- Transport
Handling
& Storage