Diverless flowline connection system
- Sonsub International Pty Ltd., Welshpool, Western Australia (Australia)
The tie-in of flowlines and umbilicals to subsea trees and manifolds in deep water has traditionally been an expensive exercise. It generally requires the simultaneous presence of lay vessel and drill ship, or divers using a combination of rigging and gantries on the subsea structure. In recent years the development of a viable remote pull-in technique has become an important requirement for oil companies who are continuing to develop deeper and more marginal fields. The use of Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV`s) can not only provide the required costs savings, but eliminates the risks to man. Sonsub set out to design and build a system that was modular, could use the ROV for all subsea operations, and would only require minimal permanent subsea hardware support. These objectives were met with the completed system known as the Diverless Flowline Connection System (DFCS). The DFCS is capable of performing the tie-in of flowlines and umbilicals up to 18 in. O.D. The system is a light modular package that is easily handled and operated with any Work Class ROV in deepwater environments. The system has been extensively tested under a wide variety of conditions and is ready to perform the tie-in of two 13.5 in. and 6 in. flowline in the South China Sea in early 1996. In addition Sonsub have recently been contracted to perform the tie-in of 6 single bore flowlines ranging in size between 2.5 in. and 10 in., 14 multibore flowlines (2.5 in. and 8 in.) and 4 umbilicals in the North Sea off the coast of Norway.
- OSTI ID:
- 455444
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9606279--; ISBN 0-7918-1495-5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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