West of Shetland Developments

6 November 2013 Aberdeen Evening Meeting

Chairman Richard Ficken, Total E&P Ltd.

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SUT+ Pre-Talk
Richard Ficken, Subsea and Pipelines Manager, Total E&P Ltd
SUT+ Pre-talks are targeted at developing professionals and newcomers to industry, with the aim of providing attendees with additional background subject knowledge to enhance the main SUT presentations which follow.

Achieving the greatest value from decommissioned flexible pipes
Paul Benstead, Pipeline Integrity Manager, BP North Sea Operations

TEPUK Laggan-Tormore Project – Flow Assurance and Subsea Architecture
Simon Hare, Operations Manager, Laggan-Tormmore Porject, Total E&P UK
Total E&P UK is currently developing the Laggan and Tormore gas-condensate fields located in 600m of water 125km to the west of the Shetland islands, with first gas planned for 2014. The fields are developed through two 6-slot integrated template manifolds, tied back via two 143km x 18” flow lines to the new-build Shetland Gas Plant being constructed next to the Sullom Voe Terminal on Shetland. This presentation will give an overview of the key flow assurance challenges and the subsea hardware, and will highlight some of the new equipment and systems deployed to improve the operability of the field.

Rosebank Subsea Challenges
Peter Blake, Subsea Systems Manager, Chevron Energy Technology Company
The Chevron-operated Rosebank project is located approximately 80 miles (130 kilometres) north -west of the Shetland Islands in blocks 213/26 and 213/2. It lies in water depths of approximately 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) and will be Chevron’s first deep water development in the UK. The field, discovered in 2004, is estimated to contain total potentially recoverable oil-equivalent resources of 240 million barrels. The planned development will include a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel tied to subsea production and water injection wells and a gas export pipeline. Any West of Shetland deepwater development is susceptible to harsh weather, rough sea states and phenomenal offshore environmental forces. In the case of Rosebank this is exacerbated by the large distance offshore and the deepwater nature of the project. This presentation will provide an overview of the project and discuss some of the subsea
engineering technical challenges involved with developing a field in this environment.

 

 

 

Application of a Geographic Information System (GIS) for the Management and Analysis of Subsea Assets

17 October 2013 London Evening Meeting

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The need for intelligent data management for subsea pipeline projects has identified the importance of proper data management practices and the conservation of data integrity throughout the project life cycle. A Geographical Information System (GIS) has been used to store, manage and analyze the digital design, moving away from a paper centric to a more data centric environment.

The early implementation of a GIS system secures a rigid foundation for pipeline data throughout the project data life cycle and integrates data management systems using a widely adopted common platform. The leveraging of data access through third party management systems, such as the industry standard Pipeline Open Data Standard (PODS) model and Subsea Survey Data Model (SSDM), enables a fully functional platform to aid in greater decision support.

The use of GIS functionality and built in analysis tools, enables greater support for Asset Integrity Management (AIM), providing a greater degree of decision support to clients, through means of dynamic visual representation and bolt-on integrity tools. There is an increasing need in the Oil and Gas industry to ensure data is current, accurate and meaningful to ensure the integrity of assets through the full life of field.

 

 

 

 

Pipeline Inspection and Repair

9 October 2013 Aberdeen Evening Meeting

Chairman David Kaye, Aquamarine Power

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Fast Reaction Bespoke Solutions for Subsea Repair
Paul Booth, Engineering Manager, Intervention and Autonomous Systems, Subsea 7

Despite all the pre-planning, engineering and stockpiled hardware, there are occasions where a high quality bespoke solution has to be engineered in the minimal possible time. This presentation looks at a number of bespoke, deep water pipeline repairs carried out over the past 18 months. The deep water application brings added complexity due to the need for ROV installation. The repairs were designed, tested and proceduralised by Subsea7 in conjunction with client/operator requirements, and with input from third parties where additional specialised fabrication or equipment was required.

Subsea Digital Radiography of a Blocked Pipeline
James McNab, Global Technology Manager, Oceaneering International Inspection

Subsea transmission pipelines periodically require internal operations with mechanical “pigs” and “plugs”. These pigs and plugs can become stuck inside the pipeline for various unexpected reasons. It is unusual for operators to track the pig or plug along the full length of the subsea pipeline due to cost and access and the only positioning information usually available is by estimates of the volume of fluid pumped. The difficulty in finding the pig or plug can be compounded if the pipeline is heavy-walled, buried or coated. This paper describes a successful operation for locating a stuck plug and confirming its exact position within a buried 30pipe-in-pipe system. The plug was located using a combination of pressurisation/depressurisation sequences to calculate the approximate distance to the blockage, cleaning pigs with acoustic transponders to refine the location, and finally computed radiography.

Reinstatement of Foinaven Riser-Pullhead Bolted Connection
Neil Stagg, BP Subsea and Pipelines Team, Subsea Projects

Often solutions to unique problems are driven by outside constraints such as availability of specialist vessels, replacement time for main system elements and maximising summer weather opportunities. presentation discusses execution of a concept that evolved through lateral thinking to solve a West of Shetland pipeline-riser bolted connection requirement – and without specialist construction spreads or long lead times. This opens up capabilities for a new approach to subsea bolted connections.

SUT+ Pre-Talk, Pipeline Inspection and Repair
David Kaye, Chief Engineer, Aquamarine Power

Offshore pipelines represent a significant investment and a critical part of an operator’s export infrastructure. A significant amount of effort and expenditure is spent each year in inspecting offshore pipelines, and occasionally, much more effort is spent on repairing damaged pipelines and bringing them back into service. This presentation gives a beginner’s guide to the different pipeline inspection techniques and approaches to pipeline repair.