Deep subsea oil and gas infrastructure development: some challenges and solutions

摘要

This paper first sheds light on certain of the challenging seabed characteristics - such as sandwaves, outcrops, pockmarks, and steep slopes-that are increasingly encountered during exploitation of oil and gas from deepwater locations.Thereafter it focuses on some of the equipment and accessories currently available in the global market, their capabilities to handle specific seabed problems, and the owners of such equipment. Custom-designed equipment manufactured by fusing technologies from different industries and able to level undulating seabeds at depths surpassing 1,000m are also presented.Working procedures, concurrent survey requirements,as well as equipment-monitoring systems and acceptable disposal methods for dredged materials,are discussed briefly. Finally, the paper mentions some projects where such equipment has been put into use.