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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Diverless pipeline repair clamp: Phase 1

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6745606
;  [1]
  1. Stress Engineering Services, Inc., Houston, TX (United States)

Offshore oil and gas developments are underway for water depths beyond which divers can function. The economic lifelines of these projects are the pipelines which will transport the products to shore. In preparation for the day when one of these pipelines will require repair because of a leak, the Pipeline Research Committee of the American Gas Association is funding research directed at developing diverless pipeline repair capabilities. Several types of damage are possible, ranging from latent weld defects on one end of the spectrum to damage resulting in parting of the pipe at the other end. This study is specifically directed toward laying the groundwork for development of a diverless pipeline repair clamp for use in repair of leaks resulting from minor pipe defects. The incentive for a clamp type repair is costs. When compared to replacing a section of pipe, either by welding or by mechanical means, the clamp type repair requires much less disturbance of the pipe, less time, fewer operations and less equipment. This report summarizes (1) capabilities of remotely operated vehicles (ROV's) and associated systems, (2) highlights areas for further research and development, (3) describes the required capabilities of the diverless repairclamp, (4) investigates some alternatives to the diverless clamp, (5) overviews the state of the art in leak repair clamps, and (6) critiques several possible generic clamp concepts.

Research Organization:
American Gas Association, Inc., Arlington, VA (United States). Pipeline Research Committee; Stress Engineering Services, Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
AGA; American Gas Association, Inc., Arlington, VA (United States)
OSTI ID:
6745606
Report Number(s):
AGA-93007081; CNN: PR-201-019
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English