Geotechnical design and construction aspects of a pipeline-escarpment crossing

摘要

This paper describes geotechnical design and construction aspects of a large diameter pipelinewhich traverses a steep and tall escarpment in deep water on its route to shore from a hydrocarbon field offshoreof Australia. Key geotechnical challenges of this crossing, which are discussed in this paper include (i) pipelineroute selection, (ii) calcareous seabed conditions, (iii) deep-water earthworks necessary to profile the escarpment,(iv) overall stability assessment, and (v) evaluation of necessary pipe-soil interaction parameters in relation topipeline performance when subject to imposed metocean and product-slugging loads. These data were also usedto determine appropriate construction methods, earthworks profiling and to assess pipeline fatigue life at thecrossing. Insights from escarpment profiling and pipeline installation are also presented.