Deep water pipeline intervention work with an acoustically controlled power module
The stabilisation of submarine pipeline free spans along uneven sea bottoms is conventionally performed using technologies such as gravel dumping, post trenching, matresses installation etc.. A new technology has been developed to support free spans along the 26 inches Transmed Gas Pipelines crossing the Sicily Channel in water depths ranging from 50m to 510m. This technology is based on the pipeline mechanical supports {open_quotes}Atlantis{close_quotes} and their installation module {open_quotes}Pegaso{close_quotes} and was developed having in mind requirements such as short installation time, system redundancy, operational flexibility and simple interface with the support vessel. The installation time reduction is achieved by automatic operational procedures which are acoustically controlled from surface. Power is stored inside two dedicated battery packs placed onboard Pegaso; no umbilical cable is necessary so that a vessel equipped with a normal crane is enough to launch and operate the system. Marine operations carried out in 1993 showed that a support can be installed in about one hour; in good weather conditions three Atlantis were installed in 24 hours including deck operations for recharging the battery packs; as a total sixteen supports were installed along the 4th and 5th Transmed Gas Pipelines. The system has proved to be a cost effective and flexible alternative to conventional technologies for free span support, especially in deep waters. A cost/benefit analysis also shows the breakeven point of the new technology versus gravel dumping.
- OSTI ID:
- 191887
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951002-; TRN: 96:000705-0006
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual meeting of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Dallas, TX (United States), 22-25 Oct 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Production operations and engineering/general. 1995 SPE annual technical conference and exhibition; PB: 672 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Submarine pipeline inspection: The 12 years experience of TRANSMED and future developments
Successful deepwater trials completed in Mediterranean