An Innovative Damper for Subsea Pipeline and Jumper Vibration Controls

摘要

Low hydrocarobon prices have raised concerns over the viability of offshore field development and maintenance over next several years. These oil and gas prices have called for engineering efforts to innovate new technologies to reduce the operational costs and improve the life span of the subsea exploration and production (E&P) systems in inhospitable environments like deep water. Subsea pipeline and jumpers are among these subsea E&P systems and it is crucial for operators to have these systems function in smarter and more efficient way, to adapt the inhospitable environment while generating profits. Due to their geometry and location, these pipelines are typically susceptible to vibrations induced by multiple factors, such as flow-induced vibrations (FIV) and vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). FIV and VIV can cause excessive stress on pipeline joints, thus limiting the operational lifespan of pipelines, specifically jumpers and risers. Every year, oil and gas operators spend significant amounts of money analyzing the cause and effect of these vibrations on the fatigue life of jumpers and pipelines, and installing traditional vibration mitigation devices like strakes and shrouds that have proven to be only partially effective. In most situations, these devices fail to suppress the vibrations and force operators to choke the flow from the well for safety, resulting in lost revenue.