Pipelay 1

Pipeline Installation
Pipelay Methods
Installation methods
Introduction
Lay barge construction
Tow
PIPELAY 1-1
Offshore Platform Design
Pipelay Methods
Introduction
Installation is a design consideration
• Offshore pipelines are a vital link used to transport
oil & gas to shore facilities, between platforms, or
from platform to loading facilities
• Pipeline installation is an important consideration
for all phases of the field development
• Pipeline construction equipment used to install
offshore pipelines is specially designed & built for
this purpose
PIPELAY 1.1-1
Pipelay Methods
Introduction (cont'd)
Methods of lay
• Construction by lay vessel —
– S-lay
– J-lay
– Reel
• Tow method
PIPELAY 1.1-2
Pipelay Methods
Lay barge construction methods

Introduction
• Lay barge construction is by far the most frequently
used technique for marine pipeline construction
• The positive aspects of lay barge construction are
as follows:
– Versatile
– Flexible
– Self-contained
– Efficient at remote locations with minimal support from
shore
PIPELAY 1.2-1
Pipelay Methods
Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

S-lay barge construction
• Based on a moored or dynamically-positioned barge
• The pipeline is built on a ramp
• Lengths of pipe are lined up at the upper end of the
ramp, & pass through a series of welding stations as
the barge moves forward.
PIPELAY 1.2-2
Pipelay Methods

S-lay barge construction (cont'd)
• Tensioners apply a tension force to the pipe near the
stern end of the ramp
• The pipe leaves the barge at the stern, & its
configuration immediately beyond the stem is a
convex-upward curved section, called the
"overbend" within which it is supported on rollers by
a stinger structure
• The stinger is a substantial structure constructed as
a single open framework rigidly fixed to the barge
PIPELAY 1.2-3
Pipelay Methods

• The pipe continues downward through the water as
a long suspended span & turns into a concave-
upward curve called the "sagbend"
• It reaches the seabed tangentially at the touchdown
point
PIPELAY 1.2-4
Pipelay Methods
Overbend
Overbend
Stinger
Stinger
pipeline
pipeline
Sagbend
Sagbend
PIPELAY 1.2-5
Pipelay Methods

• The shape taken up by the pipe in the overbend is
controlled by the stinger geometry
• The shape taken up by the pipe in the sagbend is
primarily controlled by the interaction between the
applied tension & the submerged weight of the pipe
PIPELAY 1.2-6
Pipelay Methods

• If the applied tension is increased—
– Curvature of the pipe in the sagbend decreases
– Sagbend becomes longer
– Touchdown point moves further from the barge
– Liftoff point moves up the stinger
• If the applied tension is decreased—
– Curvature of the pipe in the sagbend increases
– Sagbend becomes shorter
– Touchdown point moves closer to the barge
– Liftoff point moves down the stinger
PIPELAY 1.2-7
Pipelay Methods

J-lay barge construction
• The shape taken up by the pipeline is a vertically-
elongated J
• The upper arm of the J is at an angle between 40 &
90 degrees to the horizontal
• On the barge, the pipe is on a ramp that matches the
angle of the J
• Tension is again applied at the lower end of the
ramp
PIPELAY 1.2-8
Pipelay Methods

J-lay barge construction (cont'd)
• There is no "overbend" & only a short stinger
• The pipe leaves the barge steeply & continues
through the "sagbend"
• It touches down tangentially on the seabed
PIPELAY 1.2-9
Pipelay Methods
tower
tower
pipeline
pipeline
Sagb end
Sagb end
PIPELAY 1.2-10
Pipelay Methods

• Shape taken up by the pipe in the sagbend is
primarily controlled by the interaction between the
applied tension & the submerged weight of the pipe
PIPELAY 1.2-11
Pipelay Methods

• If applied tension is increased
– Curvature of the pipe in the sagbend decreases
– Sagbend becomes longer
– Touchdown point moves further from the barge
– Liftoff point moves up the stinger
• If applied tension is decreased
– Curvature of the pipe in the sagbend increases
– Sagbend becomes shorter
– Touchdown point moves closer to the barge
– Liftoff point moves down the stinger
PIPELAY 1.2-12
Pipelay Methods

• Advantages—
– Eliminates the vulnerable stinger
– Substantially reduces the tension
• Disadvantages—
– Steep ramp means that multiple welding stations would be
placed high above water level, leading to different risk
PIPELAY 1.2-13
Pipelay Methods

Reel construction
• Reel construction has the advantage of making the
line up onshore, winding it onto the reel, & unreeling
it on location in a few hours
PIPELAY 1.2-14
Pipelay Methods

Reel construction (cont'd)
• Reel construction has great potential for
construction of pipelines & flowlines, but limitations
include:
– Concrete-coated lines
– Weight
– Volume
– Diameter
• However, larger reels can overcome these limits on
diameter & length
PIPELAY 1.2-15
Pipelay Methods

• During the reeling process, the pipeline is subjected
to high strains (i.e., 2 to 3% strain)
• The strains are a function of the D/t ratio
• The maximum allowable strains should be limited to
within those specified in BS 8010: Part 3
• This forms the basis for determining wall thickness
& minimum bend radii
• This should be further validated for the pipeline
material by tests
PIPELAY 1.2-16
Pipelay Methods
Design Line
PIPELAY 1.2-17
Pipelay Methods

• Another consideration is post-yield behavior of
pipeline material
• Current standards restrict the yield to tensile ratio to
0.87 & the elongation to a minimum of 20%
• With a possible issue of a new "Strain Based Code",
the yield to tensile ratio is likely to go up to 0.95
PIPELAY 1.2-18
Pipelay Methods
Tow methods (cont'd)

Introduction
• Another method of pipeline construction is to
construct the line onshore, & to tow it into place. It
can be towed:
– At the surface
– Near-surface
– Mid-depth
– Off-bottom
– On-bottom

PIPELAY 1.3-1
Pipelay Methods

Introduction (cont'd)
• Advantages of the tow method
– The line can be inspected & tested before it is towed out
– It can be used both for single lines & for bundles
– There is no limit on the size or complexity of a bundle

PIPELAY 1.3-2
Pipelay Methods

Surface tow
• In this method the pipe bundle is made positively
buoyant
• The bundle is towed to location on the surface
• The bundle is then sunk in position, often by
flooding pontoons, or drawn down by tension

PIPELAY 1.3-3
Pipelay Methods

Surface tow (cont'd)
• Difficulties in a surface tow
– The tow subjects the bundle to severe wave action
– The tow is influenced by lateral currents
– The tow causes the pipe to be hydrodynamically unstable

PIPELAY 1.3-4
Pipelay Methods

• Hydrodynamically instability can be reduced by:
– Increasing tension in the bundle
– Adding unstreamlined connection sled to trailing end
– Adding carefully designed tail fins

PIPELAY 1.3-5
Pipelay Methods

• Surface tow almost always requires external
buoyancy
• Surface tow has not been generally adopted as a
method of construction of flowlines in deep water

PIPELAY 1.3-6
Pipelay Methods

Near-surface tow
• In this method, the pipe bundle is suspended below
the surface from buoys, & direct action of waves is
reduced
• Lowering to the tow depth can be staged, so that the
bundle is just below the surface in shallow water &
further down in deep water, where wave action is
more severe

PIPELAY 1.3-7
Pipelay Methods

Near-surface tow (cont'd)
• The buoys are subject to wave action, & the
dynamics of the tow are potentially highly complex
• This & the difficulty of lowering are factors that have
deterred potential users of surface & near-surface
tow in exposed deep-water areas

PIPELAY 1.3-8
Pipelay Methods

Mid-depth tow
• In mid-depth tow, the bundle is negatively buoyant,
& it is suspended in a long flat catenary between two
tugs, one at each end
• They apply tension to the bundle, & the amount of
tension determines how flat the catenary is
• The lengths of the lines connecting the bundles to
the tugs can be altered, so that the bundle can be
carried higher in shallow water & lower to escape
wave action

PIPELAY 1.3-9
Pipelay Methods

Mid-depth tow (cont'd)
• The bundle itself is usually positively buoyant, but
hanging chains are added at intervals so that the net
buoyancy is negative
• Under tow, the motion of the chains through the
water generates hydrodynamic lift (as well as drag),
& this effect helps to trim the towed bundle
• The chains also add to the structural damping of the
complete system, & therefore help to stop
oscillations

PIPELAY 1.3-10
Pipelay Methods

• The configuration of the catenary depends on the
interaction of the tension, the submerged weight, &
the hydrodynamic lift of the chains
• Since the tension is limited by the available tug
bollard pull, the submerged weight has to be
accurately controlled to a low value for the method
to be feasible
• This in turn implies narrow tolerances on the weight
of the carrier, the internals, the coatings, the
spacers, & the outer diameter of the carrier
PIPELAY 1.3-11
Pipelay Methods

• The sag of the catenary is limited by the available
water depth
• The allowable maximum value of the submerged
weight is inversely proportional to the square of the
length of the bundle, & therefore the problem of
achieving the correct submerged weight becomes
more severe as the length increases

PIPELAY 1.3-12
Pipelay Methods

Off-bottom tow
• The pipe is buoyant, & is held down so that is never
contacts the bottom
• This is accomplished by chains hanging from the
pipe & dragging on the bottom
• If the pipe encounters a rough bottom feature such
as a ridge, a gully or another pipeline, it tends to
conform to it, but less so than if it were in contact

PIPELAY 1.3-13
Pipelay Methods

Bottom tow
• Here the pipeline rests directly on the seabed, & a
tug pulls it along
• Advantages—
– The pipe is more secure against currents & waves
– If necessary the tug can simply abandon the towline &
recover it later
• Disadvantages—
– Dragging the pipe across the bottom exposes the external
coating to a possibility of severe damage

PIPELAY 1.3-14
Pipelay Methods
We have just reviewed the installation

methods of pipelay.
Any questions?
PIPELAY 1-2
Trenching & Burial
Trenching & burial

Trenching
Burial

PIPELAY 2-1
Trenching & Burial
Trenching
Introduction
• There are two kinds of requirements for trenching
– Relatively short distances in shore crossings
– Shallower but much longer trenches in the open sea
• The first requirement has usually been met by some
form of dredging technology, but sometimes by
ploughs & jetting machines.
• The second requirement was in the past met by
jetting equipment operated from jet barges, but in
the last ten years ploughs & mechanical cutter
systems have captured part of the market.
PIPELAY 2.1-1
Trenching & Burial
Trenching (cont'd)
Trenching systems
• Jet barges
– In this system, a jet sled is pulled along the pipeline by a
barge
– It carries a vertical "claw," which consists of two tubes, one
on each side of the pipeline, with jets
– Water is pumped from the barge down hoses to the jets, &
erodes the seabed, forming slurry of water & soil
– A jet eductor system ejects the slurry to one side; sled
carries instrumentation to monitor the forces between it &
the pipe

PIPELAY 2.1-2
Trenching & Burial
Trenching (cont'd)
Trenching systems (cont'd)
• Jetting machines
– This system is based on a self-contained machine,
supplied with power from the surface by an electrical
umbilical
– Like the jet sled in the jet barge technique, the machine
straddles the pipeline
– Trench depth reached after one pass depends on many
factors, including:
» Type of soil
» Weight of the pipeline
» Diameter of the pipeline
PIPELAY 2.1-3
Trenching & Burial
Trenching (cont'd)
• Eductors
– Eductors operate by circulation of water within a semi-
closed system.
– This creates a pressure differential within the bottom of the
borehole & causes slurry to be sucked through the
eductor.
– There are basically two types available:
» concentric eductors
» non-concentric eductors

PIPELAY 2.1-4
Trenching & Burial
Trenching (cont'd)
• Mechanical cutting machines
– Cutter machines cut the soil under the pipe by picks
mounted on chains or cutter discs
– Then they entrain the material with a dredge pump system
– Finally they eject it to one side

PIPELAY 2.1-5
Trenching & Burial
Trenching
(cont'd)
Trenching
systems (cont'd)
• Ploughs—2
types:
– Pre-trenching
plough
– Post-trenching
plough

PIPELAY 2.1-6
Trenching & Burial
Trenching (cont'd)
• Ploughs (cont'd)
– Pre-trenching plough cuts a trench before the pipeline is
set in place
– Post-trenching plough—
» Has horizontal beam whose front end is supported
above the natural seabed by wheels or skids & whose
rear end carries two hinged shares
» Plough is lowered over the pipe in an open position
» When plough is pulled forward, shares rotate & close
under the pipe & cut a V-shaped trench
» Pipe passes through a cutout in the shares
PIPELAY 2.1-7
Trenching & Burial
Trenching (cont'd)
• Cutter suction dredging
– Cutter-suction dredging is the most widely used dredging
technique
– It can accept a wide range of soils, from mud & silt to soft
rock
– Cutter-suction dredgers are often applied to cut pipeline
shore approach trenches in shallow water
– The depth of trench that can be cut is limited only by the
maximum operating depth that the cutter can reach
– A disadvantage is that the dredger needs a minimum depth
of water to float safely
PIPELAY 2.1-8
Trenching & Burial
Trenching (cont'd)
• Bucket dredgers
– Bucket dredgers cut a trench with moving buckets
supported on a wheel
– The spoil is either removed from the buckets on the wheel
by gravity & a suction system, or the buckets are carried
upward on a ladder & emptied into a hopper
– An advantage of bucket dredging is that it can accept
boulders & broken rock fractured by explosives
– A disadvantage of bucket dredging is that it is more
sensitive to weather

PIPELAY 2.1-9
Trenching & Burial
Trenching (cont'd)
• Dragline
– A dragline can be mounted on a barge, or a dragline bucket
can be pulled between two barges
– Dragline is not efficient in deeper water because of the
increased cycle time to raise the bucket to the surface,
slew it sideways, & dump the spoil & because the operator
cannot see what he is doing

PIPELAY 2.1-10
Trenching & Burial
Burial
Advantages
• Complete protection against fishing gear
• Protection against most anchors
• Protection against most dropped objects
• Increases the thermal resistance between the
pipeline & the sea
• Eliminates upheaval buckling in hot flowlines

PIPELAY 2.2-1
Trenching & Burial
Burial (cont'd)
Disadvantages
• The presence of the backfill makes it harder to find a
leak
• The backfill has to be removed before a repair can
be carried out
• Increases cost of construction

PIPELAY 2.2-2
Trenching & Burial
Burial (cont'd)
Methods of burial
• Dump quarried rock or coarse gravel (Most
common)
• Backfill with excavated spoil

PIPELAY 2.2-3
Trenching & Burial
Burial
(cont'd)
Burial
equipment
• Backfill
plough

PIPELAY 2.2-4
Trenching & Burial
We have just reviewed trenching & burial of

pipelines.
Any questions?

PIPELAY 2-2
J-Lay & S-Lay Comparison
Installation methods
Standard J-lay method
Standard S-lay method
Standard PIEM deliverables

PIPELAY 3-1
Standard J-lay installation method

Introduction
• J-lay generally the method of choice for deepwater
applications
• J-lay ssembles pipelines offshore in the vertical or
near vertical position
• J-lay is the only method that can install pipelines
with low stresses in ultra-deep waters

PIPELAY 3.1-1
Standard J-lay installation method (cont'd)

Advantages
• Lower tension due to steeper pipe departure
(controlled by the sagbend instead of the overbend)
• Increased depth capability
• Decreased positioning forces
• Easier startup, termination, & abandonment &
recovery

PIPELAY 3.1-2

Advantages (cont'd)
• Fewer & shorter on-bottom spans
• Makes possible complex lay paths, either for
obstacle avoidance or to meet production system
requirements
• Thermal expansion forces & displacements are
limited by J-lay horizontal tension
• Much less weather sensitivity, since the pipelay
vessel is allowed to "weathervane"

PIPELAY 3.1-3

Analysis procedures
• Profile control information developed from pipelay
strain analyses based on 2D & 3D, static, large
deflection, slender rod mechanics
• Nonlinear stress-strain & bending stiffness-pipe
curvature relation is utilized to characterize the pipe
steel when the stress state is out of the linear elastic
range
• Finite element computation program OFFPIPE used
in analysis

PIPELAY 3.1-4

Analysis methodology
• Maximum acceptable bending strains
– In the sagbend during lay ~0.15%
– In the pipe section above the support pedestal ~0.075%
– In the pipe section from the pedestal to the stinger tip
~0.18%
• Pipeline analyzed at water depth increments of 200
feet to obtain profile control recommendations

PIPELAY 3.1-5
Standard S-lay installation method

Introduction
• S-lay method involves pipe being sequentially
assembled using single or double-joint lengths
along a horizontal barge deck & laid over a support
structure (stinger) to the seabed
• Method most effective in water depths of up to
4000 feet (1,200 meters) & applicable to all pipe
diameters

PIPELAY 3.2-1
Standard S-lay installation method (cont'd)

Advantages
• Following advantages of the S-lay method make it
the most cost-effective solution at its applicable
depths:
– Relatively depth-insensitive installation costs
– Increased productivity potential
– Reduced mobilization costs

PIPELAY 3.2-2

Procedures
• Standard S-lay method of installation involves
welding all pipe joints on the barge & pulling the
barge along the right of way from under the pipe as
welding is completed
• Each joint of pipe positioned using a hydraulic line-
up station & internal line-up clamps

PIPELAY 3.2-3

Procedures (cont'd)
• After each joint is positioned in the first line-up
station, the first welding pass, the stringer bead &
the hot pass are run
• The barge then is pulled ahead & successive
welding passes are then performed at the other
welding stations

PIPELAY 3.2-4

Procedures (cont'd)
• During the course of pipelaying, the following actual
lay parameters are monitored & compared to the
theoretical requirements:
– Support heights
– Stinger profile
– Barge trim
– Tension

PIPELAY 3.2-5

Analysis procedures
• The profile control information will be developed
from pipelay strain analyses based on 2D & 3D,
static, large deflection, slender rod mechanics
• Nonlinear stress-strain & bending stiffness-pipe
curvature relation is utilized to characterize the pipe
steel when the stress state is out of the linear elastic
range
• Finite element computation program OFFPIPE used
in analysis

PIPELAY 3.2-6

Analysis methodology
• Maximum acceptable bending strains
– In the sagbend during lay ~0.15%
• In deepwater, overbend strains of up to 0.30% are
not uncommon
• Pipeline is analyzed at water depth increments of
200 feet to obtain profile control recommendations

PIPELAY 3.2-7
Standard PIEM deliverables

Following activities are analyzed & presented
in the Pipeline Installation Engineering Manual
(PIEM) for S-lay installation

PIPELAY 3.3-1
Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Pipeline initiation
• Following options may be used to initiate pipelay:
– Anchor startup
– J-tube pull startup
– Suction pile startup
– Elevated hold back cable startup
– Bow string startup

PIPELAY 3.3-2

Pipeline initiation (cont'd)
• Anchor startup
– Buoy is attached to a "dead-man" anchor
– Anchor is attached to startup cable
– Cable is paid out until anchor touches bottom (monitored
by ROV)
– Pulling head is attached to startup cable
– Pipeline is attached to pulling head
– Barge moves forward to snag anchor
– Pipeline is paid out until touchdown in startup target area,
(monitored by ROV)
– Normal pipelay begins
PIPELAY 3.3-3

• J-tube pull startup
– The pull-in cable is pre-rigged within the J-tube in the
platform & forms part of the startup cable
– The cable is recovered to the vessel by a messenger cable
& attached to the pullhead
– The winch on the platform deck takes up the pull-in cable
while pipe is paid out until the pullhead touches the seabed
close to the J-tube mouth
– When the pullhead reaches the top of the J-tube, the
pulling head is dogged off & the winch disconnected
– Pipeline is attached to pulling head
– Normal pipelay begins Offshore Platform Design
PIPELAY 3.3-4

• Suction pile startup
– Pre-install the anchor wire through the sheave assembly &
lower the assembly to the seabed & stab into the pile
receptacle
– Connect the wire to the pipe pullhead at the barge stern
– Move the barge & pay out the anchor wire from the winch
– Apply tension to the pipe & start to pull the cable & let the
pullhead gradually travel through the stinger
– When the pullhead touches the seabed use the ROV to
connect the sling to the pullhead & disconnect the anchor
wire. Retrieve the anchor wire to the barge
– Normal pipelay begins Offshore Platform Design
PIPELAY 3.3-5

• Elevated hold back cable startup
– Pre-install the holdback cable at the predetermined jacket
leg elevation, usually within surfacing diving depth
capability. The cable is normally attached by a dive vessel
before the planned initiation & stowed on the top of jacket
elevation. (The holdback cable is calculated such that
when the pullhead is released, the pullhead falls within the
planned spool piece offset length)
– Back vessel to the platform with stinger preloaded with
pipe.
– With a tugger line from the lay vessel, transfer the holdback
cable to the short strop attached to the pullhead of the
pipeline. Offshore Platform Design
PIPELAY 3.3-6

• Elevated Hold Back Cable startup (Continued)
– Connect the end of the wires, i.e., holdback cable & cable
on the pullhead together.
– Apply tension to the pipe & start paying out pipe until
catenary between the barge & jacket touches down on the
seafloor.
– Check touchdown & adjust tension to get calculated
profile.
– With the ROV still monitoring the touchdown from the
platform until such time a full length of pipe is on the
seabed capable of overcoming the bottom lay tension.
– Normal pipelay begins. Beyond this point atPlatform
Offshore any timeDesign
PIPELAY 3.3-7 thereafter the holdback cable can be released & the

• Bow string startup
– Connect the bow string between the top of jacket (usually
one elevation lower) & mudline. Holdback cable is then
attached to bow string & can slide down its length to
seabed. Cables normally attached by dive vessel before
planned initiation & stowed on top of jacket elevation
– Back vessel to the platform with stinger preloaded with
pipe
– With a tugger line from the lay vessel, transfer holdback
cable to short strop attached to pullhead of pipeline
– Connect the end of the wires, i.e., holdback cable & cable
on the pullhead together
PIPELAY 3.3-8

• Bow string startup (cont'd)
– Apply tension to the pipe & start paying out pipe until
catenary between the barge & jacket touches down on the
seafloor. Pullhead slides down close to the seabed.
– Until full length of pipe is on the seabed capable of
overcoming the bottom lay tension, care is taken to ensure
that lay tensions are maintained
– Normal pipelay begins. Beyond this point & at any time
thereafter, the holdback cable can be released & the
pullhead lowered to the seabed.

PIPELAY 3.3-9

Installation of the pipeline onto the seabed is
performed in accordance with the conventional
barge method described previously

PIPELAY 3.3-10

Pipeline abandonment procedure (cont'd)
• Abandoning the pipeline begins by welding a pulling
head to the pipeline & attaching a cable from the lay
down tension winch located on the barge bow
• Tension is slowly transferred from the tension
machines to the winch
• Then the barge is moved forward allowing the
pipeline to move off the barge & onto the stinger
• A mark is placed on the cable at a specified distance
from the pulling head determined through analysis

PIPELAY 3.3-11

Pipeline abandonment procedure (cont'd)
• A mark is placed on the cable at a specified distance
from the pulling head determined through analysis
• This distance is dependent on the water depth in
which the pipe is being abandoned
• When this mark reaches the centerline of the stern
barge roller, the barge is in its final position &
forward movement may cease
• At this stage the tension is uniformly decreased,
thus allowing the pipe to settle on the bottom

PIPELAY 3.3-12

Pipeline recovery procedure
• The recovery procedure is performed in the reverse
order of the abandonment procedure
• The barge is positioned such that a minimum
recovery distance exists between the stern of the
barge & the pipe pullhead
• The winch cable is reattached to the pullhead
• Taking up cable with the constant tension winch, the
pipeline is lifted until the mark denoting a specified
distance from the pulling head is at the centerline of
the stern roller
PIPELAY 3.3-13
Pipeline recovery procedure (cont'd)
• Upon attaining the cable recovery tension value the
barge is backed up until the pipe is on the barge &
the tension is transferred back to the tension
machine
• Normally the recovery tension is slightly greater
than the abandonment tension
• This increase is to compensate for system inertia &
any friction loss that may occur over the barge
rollers
• Constant tension can be monitored while utilizing
the bow cable tension winch Offshore Platform Design
PIPELAY 3.3-14

Single-point lift procedure
• The pipeline is lifted to the surface with a series of
coordinated lift cable retrievals & barge movements
• The pipeline can be lifted by monitoring attach point
elevations or lift line take-up lengths as one of the
critical lift parameters
• The other critical lift parameter to be monitored
during the single point lift is the lift cable angle with
respect to vertical

PIPELAY 3.3-15

Single-point lift procedure (cont'd)
• The lift cable angle is controlled by coordinating the
barge movement with the attach point elevation or
take-up length
• A simple & effective lift cable angle measuring
device can be achieved by marking the edge of the
barge deck with paint marks at appropriate degree
intervals based on the height off deck of the boom
sheave or lift sheave suspended from the gantry

PIPELAY 3.3-16

Single-point lift procedure (cont'd)
• Coordination of the lift cable angle with attach point
elevation or take-up length should be in accordance
with the appropriate lift sequence table
• Cable angle should transition between sequence
steps in an approximately linear relation with the
selected critical lift parameter of attach point
elevation or take-up length

PIPELAY 3.3-17

SCR pull-in
• In the event that the entire length of the SCR pipe
will be installed & abandoned to the sea floor prior
to the installation of the FPS
• The SCR must be recovered from the seabed using
Single Point Lift, & transferred to its final location on
the FPS

PIPELAY 3.3-18

SCR pull-in (cont'd)
• Following procedures apply for SCR pull-ins:
– Recover the SCR up to the barge using single point lift &
clamp in place
– Attach pull-in cable from the winch on the FPS to the
pullhead
– Lower SCR until such time when the load is fully
transferred to the pull-in cable
– Apply tension at the pull-in cable until SCR is pulled
through the I-tube at the FPS & past its hang off location
– Clamp SCR in place & detach pull-in cable

PIPELAY 3.3-19

Excursion envelopes
• 3 cases for which excursion envelopes are
developed:
– Nominal excursion
– Extreme excursion
– Weathervaning

PIPELAY 3.3-20

Excursion envelopes (cont'd)
• Nominal excursion
– Defined as the maximum displacement of the barge from
the nominal position yielding an ideal pipelay profile,
wherein the consequences to the pipeline & barge/stinger
are within all allowable limits set by the Client/Contractor

PIPELAY 3.3-21

• Extreme excursion
– Defined as the maximum displacement of the barge in
survival conditions, i.e., conditions due to inclement
weather or power loss, outside the range of allowable limits
set by the Client/Contractor but within the buckling strain
limitations of the flowline
– Roller reaction limitations on the barge & stinger still apply

PIPELAY 3.3-22

• Weathervaning
– Contingency plan for use in the event of a sudden onset of
inclement weather, wherein the barge is expected to
"weathervane"(turn into the storm), to reduce the effect of
the surface current
– Pipelay ceases at this point & abandonment procedures
are followed
– Current from the 0°, 30°, & 60° directions (with respect to
the bow of the barge) are analyzed

PIPELAY 3.3-23

• Following equation demonstrates relationship of
projected area & current velocity to the magnitude of
drag force seen by the barge:
1
FD = ⋅ ρ ⋅ CD ⋅ A ⋅ V ⋅ V
Where: 2
FD The drag force experienced by the submerged regions of the barge due
to current.
ρ density of sea water.
CD Drag coefficient (which depends on the shape of the object submerged
in the fluid).
A Projected area that is subjected to the current.
V Current velocity.
PIPELAY 3.3-24

Fatigue life estimation
• The pipe weld joints, as the weakest spots in a pipe
are chosen to estimate the fatigue damage imposed
by the sea wave action during installation.
• This work determines the allowable barge stand-by
time.
• Dynamic 3-D strain analyses are performed with
OFFPIPE.

PIPELAY 3.3-25

Fatigue life estimation (cont'd)
• To estimate the pipe weld joint fatigue life &
acceptable fatigue damage values, the following
approach may be adopted:
– Field weld joint fatigue life is calculated with accordance to
API-1104 requirements
– Spectrum severity criteria calculation is performed
counting the pipe axial stress range & number of cycles
applicable for each
– Acceptable fatigue damage during barge standby is based
on empirical criteria for workmanship & places importance
on flaw length described in API Standard 1104
requirements Offshore Platform Design
PIPELAY 3.3-26

Other procedures
• PIEM might also include procedures for:
– Above-water tie-ins
– Davit lift
– Crossings
– Hot tapping

PIPELAY 3.3-27

Lay profile data comparison
• S-lay & J-lay analysis performed for a 7.000" x
0.890" API-5L X65 pipeline using OFFPIPE
• Barge & stinger settings for lay vessels given as
follows:
– S-lay nominal pipe profile data is based on the use of
McDermott's DB16 & the Starwars stinger (stinger has a
length of 200' & a radius of 275')—barge radius set to 180'
– J-lay tensions based on use of McDermott's DB50. Tower
angle set to 85°

PIPELAY 3.3-28
Lay profile data comparison (cont'd)
• Results of analysis are presented as follows:
Nominal S-lay Results
Barge Bottom Horizontal Pipe arc Gain Last Max. Stinger tip Maximum Maximum Pipe
tension tension distance length roller in reaction roller overbend sagbend departure
(2)
from stern from contact separation total total angle
to TD stern to with the strain strain
point TD point pipe
kips kips feet feet feet # kips feet % % (degrees)
155.00 53.20 2935.00 4525 1590 T10 27.0 0.500 0.2840 0.0320 68.7
Nominal J-lay Results

Barge Bottom Horizontal Pipe arc Gain Last Max. Separation Maximum Maximum Pipe
tension tension distance length roller in reaction at overbend sagbend departure
(2)
from stern from contact constraint total total angle
to TD stern to with the strain strain
point TD point pipe
kips kips feet feet feet # kips feet % % (degrees)
125 8.92 907 3573 2666 - 3.3 1.645 - 0.091 85.23
PIPELAY 3.3-29
Pipelay Methods
We have just gone through a comparison

between S-lay installation & J-lay
installation.
Any questions?

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Pipeline Installation

Lay barge construction methods

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

Tow methods (cont'd)

Offshore Platform Design

We have just reviewed the installation

Trenching & burial

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

We have just reviewed trenching & burial of

Offshore Platform Design

Offshore Platform Design

Lay barge construction methods

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Lay barge construction methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

Tow methods (cont'd)

We have just reviewed the installation

Trenching & burial

We have just reviewed trenching & burial of

Standard J-lay installation method

Standard J-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard J-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard J-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard J-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard S-lay installation method

Standard S-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard S-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard S-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard S-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard S-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard S-lay installation method (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)

Standard PIEM deliverables (cont'd)