Deep Water Pipeline Repair In The Gulf Of Mexico

摘要

The ability to repair pipelines remotely becomes critical as water depths of offshore field developmentscontinue to increase beyond diving limits. While there have been several proposed solutions available,very few repairs have been carried out remotely. In October 2012, a Houston based team comprising ofSubsea 7, Quality Connector Systems LLC and Stress Engineering Services, Inc. successfully completeda repair in 3, 200 FSW from a light construction vessel (M/V Grant Candies).The extent of this operation was to assess the damage to the pipeline, remove pipeline coatings, andto install a QCS diverless repair clamp connector; with the limitation that all work had to be carried outonly using work class ROVs. Detailed engineering, planning, ROV tool interfacing and a complete systemintegration test including equipment trials were critical to minimizing vessel downtime and meeting anaggressive schedule. Repair of the pipeline being critical to the long term integrity, and life expectancyfollowing the discovery of a defect.This paper reviews the current state of remote intervention based pipeline repair technology andprovides an overview of the challenges faced when dealing with regulatory agencies (BSEE/BOEM),lessons learned in implementing this repair and considerations to be able to transfer this technology togreater water depths and harsher environments.