SPT Young Offshore Pipeline Engineers Seminar
Tuesday 22 October 2024 | Leonardo Royal London
Tower Bridge Hotel, London E1
in collaboration with
SPT is proud to announce a new initiative for 2024 with the launch of a one-day technical programme developed for young engineers and new entrants to the subsea and offshore pipeline industry. The SPT Young Offshore Pipeline Engineers seminar has been developed in collaboration with Young Pipeline Professionals Europe (YPPE) and will be held the day before the SPT 2024 congress on Tuesday 22 October at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London Tower Bridge.
Industry experts will discuss lessons learned and introduce young engineers to some of the new technologies currently under development or in operation.
The subsidised event includes admission to the evening drinks reception where young engineers can gain access to Speakers and the SPT Advisory Committee in a relaxed environment and have the opportunity to network with other young professionals and industry experts.
YPPE is a group of highly motivated young professionals working within the pipeline industry with the aim of knowledge sharing to ensure the longevity of the industry, addressing the industry’s skill shortage and foster relationships. Full details www.yppeurope.org
Registration costs
SPT Young Offshore Pipeline Engineers seminar - £120 plus VAT
Eligibility criteria
If you are currently working, looking to work or studying within the pipeline industry and under the age of 35 years old then you are eligible.
To book your place, please complete the registration form at the bottom of this page
PROGRAMME: 22 OCTOBER 2024
9:30
Registration and coffee
10:00
Welcome from the Chair
Sameera Naib, Senior Engineer / Chair of YPPE, ROSEN Europe
10:10
Subsea pipeline design: lessons from past projects
Speaker: Kevin Williams, Director, OGV Ltd
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This presentation aims to provide a brief introduction to the importance of the unknown unknowns and forgotten knowns in subsea oil and gas pipeline design; and also introduce some of the topics that will be covered in the main conference. The presentation will draw upon real-world examples from past projects, covering lessons learned, what went well and what did not. By discussing things that have not progressed as well as hoped as well as successful case studies the presentation aims highlight lessons to be learned, and the challenge of evolving approaches to pipeline design.
10:40
Challenges and solutions for design of deepwater three-dimensional rigid spools
Speaker: Dr Xuexin Dai, Lead Engineer, Subsea7
Authors: Xuexin Dai and Yann Le Maout, Subsea7
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Tie-in spools form an important part of flowline system. Though there is wide experience and well-established spool design procedures for moderate water depths, deepwater applications in congested field introduce increasing challenges evolving from many constraints including congested field architecture etc. These design limitations necessitate three-dimensional (3D) spool shape with complicated geometry and remarkable length and dictate a unique design for each spool. This paper will address the challenges and solutions for design of rigid spools in 1400m water depth. Automation tools have been used to recreate spool model and check the spool’s integrity and transportability. The inaccuracy in the measurement between the two tie-in points from offshore metrology and onshore fabrication were considered in the misalignment analysis considering numerous combinations of linear and angular misalignments. Slugging analysis model considering both impact forces at bends and product density variation was developed for the complicated 3D spool geometries. The support provided by the seabed will be beneficial to spool’s fatigue performance by reducing the stress range induced by dynamic loads. However, the seabed constraint will limit spool’s flexibility and thus be detrimental to its static performance. So, several optimizations of this 3D shape have been examined to achieve a “balanced” spool configuration which satisfies all design criteria without redundancy on material usage. The extensive results in this paper provide a creative insight into a design procedure to optimize the complicated 3D spool design and analysis which will have direct cost and schedule impact on the execution of deepwater development project.
11:10
Networking refreshment break
11:40
Flexible pipe diverless tie-in solution for suitable for small & marginal subsea tie-backs
Speaker: Mikhail Turbin, Competitive Intelligence Manager, NOV Subsea
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Objectives/scope: Presentation of developed solution for diverless tie-in of flexible pipe with termination integrated in flexible pipe end-fitting.
Methods procedures, process: The basis of development of the new solution was initiated by utilizing in-house multi-purpose diverless tie-in system and natural idea to combine flexible pipe end-fitting and termination or connector.
Results, observations, conclusions: The integration of termination in flexible end-fitting gave a number of design benefits. Overall connection size became more compact, which gave reduction on hub loads due to shorter length of the freespan. The termination is attached to the groove of the flexible pipe end-fitting using simple bolt connection, such design solution adds a swivel function, which was proven to be installation friendly and reduce time of flexible pipe tie-in operation subsea. The integration of end-fitting and termination removed one flange connection and made one less potential leak point. The diverless tie-in is designed to eliminate use of flexible pipe handling head reducing carbon footprint and gives a flexibility in respect to positioning of clamp connector and use of various clamp connection systems. The developed design was used on 3 projects and 2 of them are delivered and successfully installed during 2022 in Norway and Gabon.
Novel additive information: The novelty of the developed solution is compact size and design features focusing on simplification and reduction of CO2 footprint of subsea infrastructure, helping to improve energy efficiency of subsea oil & gas production.
12:10
Direct tie-in of subsea pipelines
Speaker: Michele Cerulli, Technology Expert, TechipFMC
Authors: Michele Cerulli (TechnipFMC), Alae Berrada (TechnipFMC), & Sylvain Routeau (TechnipFMC)
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Direct diver-less tie-in of rigid pipelines into subsea structures were used in the early days of the oil and gas offshore industry in deeper water. However, they presented significant challenges for the management of the tie-in and operational loads and often the equipment used to facilitate the direct tie-in were very large. With the advent of better ROVs and remote subsea metrology the direct tie-in solution was largely replaced by either flexible jumpers or rigid tie-in spools. The inclusion of a flexible or rigid tie-in spool into the pipeline system, with or without diver-less technology, resolved the installation tie-in load and operational load control issues.
Over the years the direct tie-in methods have developed and they have been adopted on a few projects to eliminate some flexible or rigid tie-in spools within the pipeline system architecture. With these methods, the rigid pipeline is tied into the subsea structure (fixed or sliding) with the same diver-less connectors and tooling used for standard diver-less tie-in rigid spools. Direct tie-in can sometimes reduce the costs associated with engineering, procurement, fabrication, testing and offshore installation, while at the same time improving the intrinsic safety of the system by eliminating subsea connections.
In this paper a few case studies from recent projects are presented. The conditions under which the direct tie-in solution is possible are summarised. Some key considerations and critical factors for engineering and installation are discussed.
12:40
Lunch
13:40
Introduction to CO2 pipeline design
Speaker: Philip Cooper, Subsea and Pipelines Consultancy Manager, Petrofac
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CO 2 pipelines are an enabler for carbon capture and storage projects and are attracting significant attention. Many projects in the UK and Europe are in advanced stages of design or preparing for construction. Equinor’s Northern Lights project in Norway leads the way, with the 12”, 100km offshore pipeline installed last year and start-up planned in 2024.
Accordingly, pipeline engineers are now required to be familiar with the design and operation requirements of CO 2 pipelines. This talk provides a high-level introduction, touching on:
• The CO 2 phase diagram, effect of impurities and implications for pipeline transport
• CO 2 safety
• Dense Phase vs Vapour Phase operation
• Materials and corrosion considerations
• Repurposing of redundant gas pipelines for CO 2
• Design requirements for CO 2 pipelines
• Fracture control requirements
• Pre-commissioning and commissioning considerations
• Special requirements for operation, shut-down and de-pressurisation
14:10
Progress and benefit of using FE analyses for offshore pipeline systems
Speaker: Graeme Roberts, Engineering Specialist, Subsea7
Authors: Graeme Roberts and Norman Goalby (Subsea7)
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Finite element analysis is used for the assessment of subsea pipelines and risers, the associated spools, termination and in-line structures and manifolds. The finite element approach is often described as offering a ‘toolbox’ or ‘Lego kit’ from which analytical simulations or constructs of real-world problems can be realised.
Pipeline engineers have learned over the last two decades how to work successfully with FE software to get convergent and reliable outcomes from efficient solvers.
Through time, project requirements have forced the development of engineers’ skills and adeptness with FE to cover increased challenges; for example, HP/HT pipeline systems, PIP systems, bundles, flexibles, RCM installation and pipeline roll, re-analysis of operating pipelines, free spans and VIV, fracture mechanics and ECA.
FE has continued to prove itself as the only viable analytical tool that is applicable to the complete range of offshore pipeline thermo-dynamic assessments, albeit with a serious need for bespoke pre-processing that enable rapid generation and post-processing that clearly indicates code compliance or areas for redesign.
In this paper, the history of FE in the pipeline industry is briefly discussed as are some fundamental aspects of FE’s application. Practical examples are given to demonstrate FE’s application range. The benefits to engineers of being able to use the technology effectively, understand its limitations and then critique and improve the methods are discussed. The status of FE in the context of an EPCI contractor is described and the history and future of FE is indicated with reference to four ages, namely an “Age of Innocence”, “Age of Enlightenment”, “Industrialisation” and a “Post Modern” era.
14:40
Break
15:10
An innovative approach for on-bottom stability analysis of subsea pipelines to optimise stabilisation requirements
Speaker: Qasim Saleem, Engineering Specialist – Offshore Pipelines, Saudi Aramco
Authors: Qasim Saleem, Riyadh Al-Shiban and Feras Al-Fosail, Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
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Subsea pipelines such as in-field flowlines, trunklines, test lines, etc., are an integral part of all offshore field developments. Submarine pipelines are externally concrete weight coated to ensure vertical and lateral stability on seabed without excessive movement. During operation and especially towards late life and beyond, the concrete coating may be lost, which can lead to subsea pipeline floatation (vertical) or lateral movement on the seabed. To avoid these risks, the lost concrete must be compensated in the form of stabilization weights. The requirements of stabilization weights are typically calculated based on the concrete coating thickness calculated during pipeline design stage. An alternative approach of “local on-bottom stability analysis” is proposed to optimize the additional stabilization requirements. Local on-bottom stability assessment can be performed for each location having concrete coat loss, taking into consideration the relevant input data applicable for the specific location rather than for a section of the subsea pipeline. It shall be noted that during design phase, concrete coating requirements are calculated by dividing the total pipeline length into segments, and for each segment the worst-case input data is conservatively taken. On the contrary, local on-bottom stability analysis approach considers key input factors such as wave and current (environmental) data, water depth, embedment and pipesoil interaction parameters pertinent to explicit location. Local on-bottom stability analysis has been successfully applied for stability assessment of a number of operating subsea pipelines. This paper will present case studies where revised stabilization requirements have been calculated prior to previous approach of direct subsea intervention based on design stage calculated concrete thickness and highlight the associated benefits. Local on-bottom stability assessment approach will significantly reduce the additional stabilization requirements especially for long length aging subsea pipelines. The optimization of stabilization requirements will result in significant cost savings as well as schedule improvement.
15:40
Practical applications of finite element analysis and code programming in subsea pipeline design
Speaker: Ismael Ripoll, Senior Advanced Analysis Lead, Xodus Group
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This presentation aims to present some of the current applications of finite element analysis (FEA) and code programming in the subsea pipeline industry. It will cover practical examples from past projects, focusing on challenges such as on-bottom roughness (OBR), out-of-straightness (OOS), lateral buckling (LB) and vortex-induced vibrations (VIV). By discussing these technical challenges, the presentation will illustrate how the role of code programming has evolved to enhance pipeline design.
16:10
Close of seminar followed by Networking Drinks Reception
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22 October 2024
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