Typical Pipeline Installation

Methodologies, Potential Failure Modes

and Considerations for Installation
Dr. Ng Eng Bin, VP Engineering, EMAS AMC

29 August 2013

WIN – EXECUTE – SAFE DELIVERY

Agenda

Overview of Submarine Pipeline

Installation Methodologies

Conventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Unconventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Potential Failure Modes and Design

Considerations/ Lessons Learnt
Agenda

Overview of Submarine Pipeline

Installation Methodologies

Conventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Unconventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Potential Failure Modes and Design

Considerations/ Lessons Learnt
Installation Techniques for Submarine Pipelines

Conventional Pipeline Unconventional Pipeline

Installation Tehcniques Installation Techniques
(Examples)

• S-Lay * • Surface Tow *

• J-Lay * • Below Surface Tow
• Reel Lay * • Bottom Tow
• Bottom Pull *
• Push Pull Method (for Shorepull) *
• Control Depth Tow Method
• Horizontal Directional Drilling *
Agenda

Overview of Submarine Pipeline

Installation Methodologies

Conventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Unconventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Potential Failure Modes and Design

Considerations
Conventional Pipeline Installation Methods
S-Lay

S-LAY INSTALLATION
S-Lay
What is S-Lay?

• S-lay relates to the shape of the pipe curvature

during the laying process.
• This is maintained by the stinger and tension
that must be applied throughout the
operation.
• It is a continuous process, with near-horizontal
welding carried out over several stations in the
firing line.
Overbend • Method can be applied to pipe diameter up to
60” (typically)
• Stresses/ strains are controlled by applied
Stinger tip
tension and stinger configuration
Sagbend • S-lay technique may result in high residual
Touch down tensions, which has disadvantage of increase
point span lengths and larger horizontal radii for
routing.
Sea bottom
S-Lay DP 2 HEAVYLIFT & PIPELAY VESSEL
EMAS AMC’s LEWEK CHAMPION Shallow to Medium Depths Pipelaying
S-Lay DP PIPELAY VESSEL
EMAS AMC’s LEWEK CENTURION
(previously known as CAESAR) Medium to Deepwater Pipelaying
 S-Lay
EMAS AMC’s LEWEK CENTURION Equipment Layout

Pipe assembly on horizontal ramp on lay vessel

TENSIONER TENSIONER TENSIONER
#3 #2 #1

Station #7 Station #6 Station #5 Station #2 Station #1

WELDING/WELDING/ WELDING WELDING WELDING
Station #9
COATING/ Station #8 NDT NDT Station #4 Station #3
Appurtenances COATING WELDING WELDING
Conventional Pipeline Installation Methods
S-Lay

TYPICAL S-LAY OPERATION

ON EMAS AMC’s VESSEL
S-Lay
Offloading of Line Pipes and Commencement of Pipelay (Start-Up)
S-Lay
Welding of Line Pipes to Form Pipeline
S-Lay
Perform NDT (Phased Array UT) and Complete Field Joint Coating
S-Lay
Connect Laydown Head and Abandon Pipeline
Conventional Pipeline Installation Methods
J-Lay

J-LAY INSTALLATION
 J-Lay
What is J-Lay?

• J-lay methodology is a proven technique for laying

pipelines in very deep waters (not shallow water)
• The pipe is laid through an almost vertical ramp
positioned on board the vessel.
• Typically there is only one welding station (slower
lay rate) but J-lay pipes are normally pre-
assembled in 2 (double joints), 4 (quad joints) or 6.
• J-lay offers the following advantages:
❑ Allows the pipe to be laid in a more natural

configuration
No overbend ! ❑ Pipe stresses are maintained well within the

elastic limit
❑ Lower tension required, resulting in reduced

Stinger tip on-bottom tension – hence, reduced free

Sagbend spans
❑ Less susceptible to weather conditions

❑ Vessel is free to choose an optimal heading to

minimise environmental forces
• Method can be applied to pipe diameter up to 32”
Touch down point Sea bottom (typically)
J-Lay vs S-Lay
Schematic

J-LAY

S-LAY
J-Lay
Typical Equipment Layout

J-Lay equipment
Top Tension layout varies with each
holding the vessel (depending on
pipe in place design of J-Lay tower)
but typically consist of:
• Welding & NDT (1-
2 stations)
• Field Joint Coating

• A complex handling system lift the stalks from

horizontal position into J-lay tower
• Once in the tower, pipe stalk is aligned with
preceding pipe string
• Weld connection & NDT
Sagbend
• Apply field joint coating
Touchdown • Move vessel forward
Point • Pay out tensioner
 J-Lay
Typical Equipment Layout (Saipem’s FDS 1 and Subsea7’s Seven Seas)

Tensioner

J-lay Tower
(JLT) J-lay module

Repair buffer Loading Arm

(LDA)
Quad-Joint
buffer

12m Pipe
buffer Loader
Arm
J-Lay
Welding of Single Joints to Form Double/ Quad Joints

Loading Arm Secures Clamp Trolley of

Quad-Joint Loading Arm
J-Lay
Transfer of Quad-Joints for Alignment with Preceding String and Subsequent Welding

LDA in the tower,

tower clamps in
LDA in standby position & QJ
position lowered for line-up
J-Lay
Welding of New Quad-Joints to Preceding String

Display Unit

Welding
J-Lay
Welding of New Quad-Joints to Preceding String

Travelling Travelling
Clamp Clamp

Tower
Clamp

Hang-off
Clamp
Conventional Pipeline Installation Methods
Reel Lay

REEL LAY INSTALLATION

Reel Lay
What is Reel Lay?

• Reel-lay is the process where rigid (or flexible) pipe is

un-spooled from a drum, straightened, tension
applied, and then laid over a ramp to the seabed.
• Essentially, the pipe is fabricated onshore and reeled
onto a large drum (on the laybarge).
• The pipe is unreeled, straightened, then passed
through a tensioner prior to leaving the vessel.
• Majority of vessels have the reel positioned such that
the pipeline unwinds in the vertical plane.
• Benefits of reeling as installation method:
➢ Onshore welding and fabrication
➢ Enables greater assurance of welds as they can be
tested onshore
➢ Minimize offshore welding and, hence, installation time,
resulting in overall increase of lay rate in comparison
with S-lay and J-lay techniques
• Often most economical method for pipeline
up to 16” OD
Reel Lay
What is Reel Lay (Cont’d) ?

• Pipe joints are welded to form stalks at onshore spool base

• Stalks are welded together as they are reeled onto spool on the reel barge
• Reel vessel travels to site

EMAS’s Ingleside Spool base

Disadvantages:
• Higher steel wall thickness for allowable curvature during onshore spooling and
offshore installation
• Limited max outside diameter (typically 16”)
• Limitation of coating options
• Need for a spool base
 S-Lay
EMAS AMC’s “LEWEK EXPRESS”

Express - Multi-service Vessel

Express is reel pipeline construction vessel
having 2 reels capable of holding 3,000
tons of pipe up to 14 inches in diameter.
Reel Lay
EMAS’s Ingleside Spool Base – Texas, USA
Reel Lay
EMAS’s Planned Spool Base – Halsvik, Norway
 Reel Lay
EMAS’s State-of-the-art Multi Lay Vessel “LEWEK CONSTELLATION”

Rigid Pipe Optional J –

Aligner Wheel
Straightening Lay Module
3000mT
Main Crane
Length: 178m
Beam: 46m Helipad
Max Draft 10.5m Sikorsky S61N &
POB: 239 2 x 400mT
Tensioners S92
Speed: 12.5kts
80mT Crane

4 x 1200mT
Storage Reels
2 x WROVs
w/ TMS

2 x 1250mT
Carousels
2 x 600mT Winches
2 x 20mT Storage Reel
60mT PLET 125mT Secondary Winch
Moon Pool
Handling
19m L x 8m W
System
 OPERATIONAL
Reel Lay 2014

EMAS’s State-of-the-art Multi Lay Vessel “LEWEK CONSTELLATION”

Traditional vs Modern
Reel Lay Vessel

Traditional: Pipe Spool fixed

on the reel barge
• Limited pipe length

Modern:
• Pipe spools can be reeled
on dedicated spools and
transported offshore to be
loaded onto the vessel to
replenish pipe supply
• More pipes can be laid
• Rigid pipelines and SCR’s up to 16” (by reel lay)
• Umbilicals and flexibles
• Flexible and Rigid Jumpers
• Heavy Lift / Subsea Construction
– Topsides, Manifolds, Piles
Reel Lay
Lewek Constellation’s Reeling Capacity

Total length of 3LPP pipe (based on 4x reels)

10” ~ 48km (~30 miles)
12” ~ 36km (~22 miles)
14” ~ 24km (~15 miles)
16” ~ 19km (~12 miles)
Reel Lay
Lewek Constellation’s Water Depth Capability
Agenda

Overview of Submarine Pipeline

Installation Methodologies

Conventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Unconventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Rectifying Problems Starts at

Engineering Phases

Potential Failure Modes and Design

Considerations
Unconventional Pipeline Installation Methods
Push-Pull Method

PUSH-PULL METHOD
 Push-Pull Method
Project Example – Ref. Geocean

Dredging for Pipeline Installation Completion of PUSH-PULL

from Shore Approach to Landfall Installation & Reinstatement

Buoyancy Drums to Provide

Positive Buoyancy
Unconventional Pipeline Installation Methods
Surface Tow Method

SURFACE TOW METHOD

 Surface Tow Method (Rentis)
Installation Methodology for Short Pipelines

• In this method, the required pipe string length is fabricated onshore and fitted with
buoyancy devices at a given spacing, then it is launched and finally towed to the desired
offshore location.

• One end of the pipeline is connected to a pre-installed line on the platform.

• After positioning and aligning of the pipe string, the buoyancy devices are stripped by
one of the tugs in a control manner so that the pipeline settles to seabed due to its own
weight in a controlled manner.
 Surface Tow Method
Project Example – Location: Brunei

Pipe Strings at BSP’s Telisai Yard

▪ Typical fabrication yard : BSP at
Telisai.
▪ Pipes are welded together to form
pipe strings.
▪ Strings x-rayed, flushed, scraped,
gauged and hydrotested.
▪ Then strings will be purged dry,
field joint coated, capped at both
ends and stored in the storage
area.
▪ When required, pipe strings are
rolled over on to the trolleys on
the launching track.
▪ Finally, the floatation drums and a
stripping wire are strapped onto
the pipeline.
Surface Tow Method
Attaching Oil Drums and Stripping Wire to Pipe String
Surface Tow Method
Typical Strapping Details for Rentis Installation
Surface Tow Method
Launchway Arrangement at BSP’s Telisai Yard
Surface Tow Method
Project Example (Miri, Sarawak) – Bundle Pipe Pull to Beach

Pipe Bundle Approaching Beach

Commencement of Bundle Pipe
Pull to Beach (Fabrication site
was few kms from shoreline

Two bull-dozers were used as land

towing vehicle
Surface Tow Method
Project Example – Bundle Pipe Pull to Beach
Note: Diverter used to allow pulling vehicles to turn 90o to avoid entering water

Pull wire diverter at ‘landfall’ is required to

allow bull dozers to pull the pipe string
bundle into the sea

On reaching the diverter, pull wire needs to

be disconnected from the tow bridle and
attached to the intermediate pull clamp

Straps on trolleys are cut and trolleys

drop into a collection station
Surface Tow Method
Project Example – Connecting tow wire from tow tug to bundle pulling bridle, and
launching pipeline into the sea (via onshore equipment)
Surface Tow Method
Project Example – Most Critical Moment of Operation is when Trailing Wire is released
and before 2nd tug takes over this wire

Towing to site
Surface Tow Method
Project Example – Connecting Pull head to Pre-Installed Line on Platform & Retrieval of
Stripping wire for Commencement of Pipelaying
Surface Tow Method
Project Example – Stripping of Buoyancy Drums
Surface Tow Method
Schematic: Stripping of Buoyancy Drums and Laying of Pipeline
Unconventional Pipeline Installation Methods
Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)

BOTTOM PULL METHOD

Landfall to Landfall
 Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Project Example

Tanjong Penjuru
Project Requirement: (Singapore mainland)
• 8 Pipelines
• 2 Fiber Optic Cables

Installation Concept: Shell Bukom

• Build Pipeline & Cable Refinery (Bukom
Island)
Bundle at Bukom
• Bottom Pull across Shipping
Channel
• Protect with Rock Berm
Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Schematic
Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Preparatory Works: Pipe Bundling

Pullhead for Pipe Bundle

 Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Preparatory Works: Cofferdam Construction

Bukom End

Penjuru End (Singapore)

 Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Preparatory Works: Construction of Holdback Anchor

Construction of Holdback Anchor for Linear Winch

Linear Winch Base Construction and Arrangement for Pipe Pull

 Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Preparatory Works: Dredging and Blasting Works

Dredging of Channel along Pipeline Route to Required Seabed Profile

Drilling and Blasting Works along Pipeline Route to shatter rocks to enable Dredging
 Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Commencement of Pulling of Bundled Pipe

Pipeline Bundles ready for Pull Launch of Pipe Pull

Pipe Bundle (with BT) on Launch way

Linear Winch
Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Pipeline Installation : Alignment and Tie-In of new String to Preceding String
 Bottom Pull Method (Landfall to Landfall)
Pipeline Installation: Arrival of Pulling Head at Destination Point & Installation of
Risers

Arrival of Pulling Head Installation of Risers on Pipe Bundle

Unconventional Pipeline Installation Methods
Shore Approach by HDD

SHORE APPROACH BY
HDD
 Shore Approach by HDD
What is HDD?

• HDD is a trenchless construction method utilizing equipment and techniques from horizontal
well drilling technology & conventional road boring
• 3 stages of HDD:
➢ Drilling an initial pilot hole with a down-hole navigation package, relaying the position & depth of
the drilling device
➢ Increasing the hole diameter by using different types of reamers depending upon ground conditions
➢ When the hole is opened to a suitable diameter, pulling the pipeline into position
• It has been used for offshore pipeline construction mainly for shore approach pipeline
installation, typically, for following reasons:
➢To avoid damaging and disturbing environmentally sensitive areas (mangrove swamp, home to
protected species, etc)
➢To avoid difficult terrain, and minimize construction cost, where applicable, etc.
Shore Approach Installation by HDD: Typical Concept

Lay Barge

Pull Pipeline to Shore

1 - 2 km max
Laybarge Located in
Water Depth 6m - 10m
 Shore Approach by HDD
Operation Sequence (typical)

Drilling of Pilot Hole • Pilot hole is drilled from shore based HDD equipment to a designated
“exit” point offshore
• A jet-head assembly is used at the “front” of the drill pipe
• On exiting the seafloor, compressed air is blown through the drill bit to
aid location of exit point

Reaming of Pilot Hole • Pilot hole is forward reamed using barrel reamers
• Hole diameter will be 50% larger than size of product pipe
 Shore Approach by HDD
Operation Sequence

Hole Swabbing/ Cleaning • On completion of the reaming the bore hole will be swabbed with a
suitable size barrel swab
• The swab is advanced from the entry surface to the sub-sea exit location
and then back to the entry surface location
• High pressure sea water is discharged at the leading end of the swab as
it is advanced into the bore hole hydraulically clearing the bore hole of
debris
• The swab will verify hole gauge to a suitable size

Pull-in of Product Pipeline • Retrieve reamer on laybarge & connect to pullhead

• Pipeline is pulled into the HDD bore hole – when pipeline pullhead
reaches HDD entry point, pulling head is anchored
• Normal pipelaying follows
 Shore Approach by HDD
Operation Sequence

Swabber/ reamer on laybarge and Swabber and pipeline pulled back

connected to pullhead to shore
Shore Approach by HDD
Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages: Disadvantages:
➢ Minimal environmental ➢ Requires good geophysical
damage and geotechnical surveys to
➢ Minimal 3rd party ensure soil condition is
interference and disruption suitable
➢ Can be undertaken from ➢ No post-installation
land or using sea-based maintenance of pipe
construction units
Other Unconventional Pipelay Techniques

Bottom Tow Method

68
Other Unconventional Pipelay Techniques

Control Depth Tow Method

Agenda

Overview of Submarine Pipeline

Installation Methodologies

Conventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Unconventional Pipeline Installation

Methods

Potential Failure Modes and Design

Considerations
Potential Failure Modes and Design Considerations
S-Lay

S-LAY INSTALLATION
Forces on Pipeline
 S-Lay
Potential Failure Modes during Pipelay

Pipelines are subject to large local forces during installation:

• Overbend - on barge
➢ Typically, on the last few rollers of S-lay barge launching ramp, where the pipe can
plastically bend
➢ Offshore pipelines subjected to point-load forces may lead to local deformation (dent)
and global deformation. In such circumstances, the ultimate capacity of the pipe section
to sustain bending moment is significantly reduced.
• Overbend - on stinger
➢ Typically, on the last few stinger rollers
➢ Pipe subject to dynamic excitation from severe environmental conditions
• Sagbend - just before touchdown point – where tension capacity plays the important role
 S-Lay
Design Considerations

Installation Engineering at construction phase: Identify

Pipelay Configuration to ensure safe and economical
installation

• The design process can normally be

divided into:
➢ Definition of static setting, i.e. stinger
geometry and required lay tension
➢ Definition of safety margin for dynamic load
effect, e.g. lay barge ability to sustain
expected sea states
➢ Definition of maximum allowable sea state,
i.e. applicable operational window
• Required Tension and Barge Setting
• Avoid damage due to unacceptable
• Expected Roller Loads and Clearance
seastate resulting in unacceptable vessel
• Water Depth and S-Lay Suspended Span
motion by having appropriate
Length
abandonment & recovery procedure in
• Distance of TDP to Barge (for ROV Touch
place
Down Monitoring)
• Abandon before storm arrives : typically,
rely on weather forecast and barge
superintendent’s / OCM’s experience, and
can be subjective.
S-Lay
Design Considerations DEEPWATER

Challenges:
Need very large
• Longer & Heavier Catenary lay vessel with
• Higher bending high tension
• Higher Tension requirement to hold Catenary requirement
• Pipe manufacturing and buckle arrestor design
(preference of seamless pipe which has lower fabrication tolerance;
supplementary requirement, etc)
• Other deepwater specific aspects: flooding, tension variations,
pipeline rotation, etc
Design:
• Remove (where possible) or reduce conservatism level
• Consider increased strain level in overbend

0.35%? some
consider 0.5%
• Stinger design – geometry and length, achievable radius,
number of roller supports for load distribution
Potential Failure Modes and Design Considerations
J-Lay

J-LAY INSTALLATION
Forces on Pipeline

Ttop : Pipe Tension

F
R : Supports reactions

F : Barge pulling force (typically, provided by trusters):

This force is equal to Tb

Wave & current loading

Pipe catenary weight

Seabed reaction
Tb : bottom tension – residual tension in the pipe
 J-Lay
Potential Failure Modes and Design Considerations during Pipelay

No Overbend → Remove one potential failure mode during pipelay

Tower Bushing/
Clamp/ Tensioner to Design Considerations:
hold PIpe
• Setting of J-Lay Tower Angle and
Upper rollers to
Roller Clearances
“guide” pipeline
• Define maximum allowable sea state
i.e applicable operational window
• Define maximum allowable vessel
Lower rollers to
excursion
“guide” pipeline but
allowing anticipated
Typical J-Lay movement due to
Arrangement dynamic loads
Potential Failure Modes and Design Considerations
Reel Lay

REEL LAY INSTALLATION

 Reel Lay
Design Considerations

• Reeling
• Straightening
• Laying

Gives cumulative
large plastic
strains up to 2%
which degrade
material fracture
resistance

Challenges:

• Reeling (at yard) and un-reeling (offshore)

increases pipe ovality causing:
➢ Hydrostatic pressure greater on flatter sides of
pipe, leading to:
➢ Hydrostatic collapse in deepwater
 Reel Lay
Design Considerations

Design specification
• Low thickness fabrication tolerance (D/t ratio) For successful reeling
• Low variation in yield stress operation, Contractor needs to
• Low Yield Strength /Ultimate Tensile Strength ratio accurately estimate the
• Apply high and steady back tension during reeling following:
• Cumulative strain build-up
Similar problem for girth welds • Potential for local buckling
• Over match weld properties to avoid excessive strain in weld • Resultant ovality
Handling Care • Crushing
• Care should be taken to ensure that back tension is
applied to the pipe when being reeled is not
sufficiently high as to crush the pipe layers beneath
• Another problem is that the reel must be held under
tension throughout the reeling-on, transport to site
and reeling-off process.
• The amount of stored energy in the larger reels can
be massive and failure of a section that maintains
this tension can result in uncontrolled release of this
energy.
• When this occurs, the pipe will uncontrollably spool
itself off the wheel.
Reel Lay
Potential Risks (associated with “traditional” reel-lay operation)

‘Weld repairs into storage

Risks of critical path weld
failures’ Reel walking to correctly
pack out pipe

Critical path risks !

Field joint coating
damage during
spooling

Coating damage
during spooling
 Reel Lay
Potential Risks (associated with “traditional” reel-lay operation)

• Weld repairs into storage - when spooling on critical path, contractor sometimes
have to accept a weld repair as it would be quicker than chopping it out completely.
With Constellation, spooling will all be off critical path, so if there is a weld repair it
will just be chopped rather than repaired.
• Stalk handling coating damage – causes delay in spooling time
• Damaged FJC – causes delay in spooling time
• Risk of critical path welding failures
• Coating failures during spooling – again, these need to be repaired on critical path
• Reel walking: see earlier picture. Worker(s) walk on top of the reel as the pipe is being
spooled - highly questionable activity but sometimes manual intervention is required
to pack out the pipe.
• Conventional reel vessel typically reel at 2m per minute – restricted to spooling pipe
onto the reel on critical path as the reel is built into the vessel.
• With EMAS’s Constellation, above critical path risks are eliminated because spooling is
done independently (while vessel is busy installing pipe) and any delay caused by
above typically will not affect critical path activities
Reel Lay
Potential Risks (associated with “traditional” reel-lay operation)

Critical path risks

removed by
separating
“spooling” from reel
lay

Pipeline spooled
separately and
transported offshore to
be loaded to reel vessel
Reel Lay
Heavy Lift System on EMAS’s Constellation allows for Spool Replacement Offshore

– Main 3000mT @25m radius

• 80m travel w/ 28 falls

– Auxiliary 1200mT @ 30m radius

• 330m travel for 2 winch
• 165m travel for single winch
Max
lifting
height – Whip @ 1 fall, 80mT @ all radii,
• approx. 2000m travel

– Whip @ 2 fall, 200mT @ all

radii,
SWL
• approx. 1000m travel
 Reel Lay
The Portable Reel and Drive System allows for Loading/ Off-loading of reels at
Quayside or Offshore

• 1200mT Reels – 22m outer flange, 16m hub, 6m wide

• 4 x Reels lifted by vessel crane
➢ Reels lifted to/from quayside
➢ Reels lifted to/from vessel / barge
• Drive motor on separate trolley
• Back Tension capacity 100mT
Potential Failure Modes and Design Considerations
Surface Tow (Rentis)

SURFACE TOW
 Surface Tow (Rentis) Method
Potential Failure Modes

• Loss of control during launching – see pictures in next slide

• Loss of control during tow when encounter bad storm – need to apply sufficient pull to
ensure pipeline is not badly curved
➢ May lead to pipe damage if profile is not properly controlled
➢ Loss of buoyancy will make control difficult
➢ May need to ‘follow the storm’ until storm subsides, then resume path to final location – fighting
the storm may result in loss of control for pipeline string
• Uncontrolled sinking during removal of supplementary buoyancy
➢ When insufficient buoyancy is used, pipeline will sink uncontrollably after initial stripping of the
buoyancy => high chance of damage to pipeline
• Insufficient pull during buoyancy removal, which leads overstress at overbend => may
lead to buckle
 Surface Tow (Rentis) Method
Potential Failure Modes: Lack of Control after Launching

• Holdback cable was released after

launch to await pick-up by 2nd tug
• This resulted in a period where there
was no tension in the pipeline to
straighten the line.
• This could have resulted in an
undesirable situation if the current had
been very strong

Note curvature in pipe string due

to current
 Surface Tow (Rentis) Method
Design Considerations

• Perform detailed installation engineering to determine appropriate buoyancy

requirement
➢ Need to ensure pipeline stresses within allowable
➢ Need to ensure sufficient buoyancy to prevent uncontrolled sinking
➢ Need to ensure that buoyancy drums do not fall below ‘collapse’ depth
❖ collapsed or partially collapsed oil drums result in ‘domino’ effect, causing more drums to drop
below ‘collapse’ depth, therefore resulting in uncontrolled sinking
• Ensure sufficient lay tension during laying (i.e. stripping of drums)
➢ This will ensure that, if pipeline sinks uncontrollable, pipeline will not buckle
➢ This will help ensure that buoyancy drums do not ‘drop’ below their ‘collapse’ depth before
being removed
• Allow for excess buoyancy drums, as some of these may ‘drop off’ during tow, especially
when caught in a storm
• Lay the pipeline in a curve to allow some ‘slack’ for subsequent riser installation
 Surface Tow (Rentis) Method
Sample Lay Analysis for Rentis Installation – Stresses, Depth of Drums ensuring
Controlled Sinking

140 250 140 250

120 Stage 2: total of 100 m floatation drums removed 120
200 Stage 3: total of 200 m floatation drums removed 200
100 100
80 150

Bending Moment (kips-ft)

80 150

Bending Moment (kips-ft)

Bottom Pipe Elevation (ft)

Bottom Pipe Elevation (ft)

60 100
60 100
40
40 50
50 20
20
0 0
0 0
-20
-50
σmax= 48%:
-20
-50 -40
-40 T = 15t
σmax= 63%: -60 -100
-60 T = 10t -100
-80 -150
-80 -150 -100
Pipeline Profile -200
-100 -120
Pipeline Profile -200 Bending Moment
-120 Bending Moment -140 -250
-140 -250 0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400 2800 3200 3600
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400 2800 3200 3600 Horizontal Distance (ft)
Horizontal Distance (ft)

140 250
140 250
120 Pipeline Profile
120 Stage 6: total of 1000 m floatation drums removed
Bending Moment 200
Stage 4: total of 500 m floatation drums removed 200 100
100
σmax= 46%: 80
σmax= 28%: 150

Bending Moment (kips-ft)

T = 15t 150
T = 30t
Bottom Pipe Elevation (ft)
80
Bending Moment (kips-ft)
Bottom Pipe Elevation (ft)

60 60 100
100
40 40
50 50
20 20

0 0 0 0

-20 -20
-50 -50
-40 -40
-100 -60 -100
-60
-80 -80 -150
-150
-100 -100
Pipeline Profile -200 -200
-120 -120
Bending Moment
-140 -250 -140 -250
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400 2800 3200 3600 0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400 2800 3200 3600

Horizontal Distance (ft) Horizontal Distance (ft)

 Surface Tow (Rentis) Method
Lessons Learnt

• Calm weather is very important for “Rentis” tow – do not launch the pipeline until good
weather window is certain
• Don’t always trust the weather forecast – we launched the pipeline bundle based on a 3-
day good weather window, but ‘hit’ the storm within 3 hours
• Allow for excess buoyancy drums as some may get dislodge during tow, especially if hit
by storm
• Do the pipelaying in the morning so that you have sufficient time to collect the oil
drums before sunset
Potential Failure Modes and Design Considerations
Bottom Pull Installation

BOTTOM PULL
INSTALLATION
Forces on Pipeline

Pulling Force

Friction Force
 Bottom Pull
Potential Failures

Challenges:

• Insufficient pull capacity of pulling winch:

➢ Undersized winch
➢ Embedded pull wire (especially when laid in liquefiable soils and non-straight)
➢ Pullhead embedded into soil
➢ Obstacles along corridor of pipeline
• Damage to pipeline coating and/ or itself
• Almost not possible to retrieve pipeline once pipeline is pulled partially to its final
location

Design:

• In event of liquefiable soils, attach buoyancy devices along Just enough buoyancy,
pull wire at engineered spacing for wire to self-dislodge not too many!
during high tide
• Oversize the linear winch
• Reduce number of buoyancy tanks for pipeline
Bottom Pull – Lesson Learnt
Excessive Buoyancy caused undesirable pipeline deflection in strong current during
night pull
Bottom Pull – Lesson Learnt
Uprooting buried cable and straightening cable before next pull
Bottom Pull – Lesson Learnt
Dislodging and straightening of cable was a continuous process in between pulls
Bottom Pull – Lesson Learnt
Installing oil drums along the entire pull cable along inter-tidal zone to self-dislodge
cable during rising tide
Bottom Pull – Lesson Learnt

Observation from a successful bottom pull project:

• The contractor spent tremendous amount of time (4 days over 4.5km) to lay the pull
wire, ensuring that wires were straight before commencement of pull
• Seabed was painstakingly ‘smoothen’ and all debris removed before the pull
• Linear winch was carefully chosen and adequate contingency allowed within the winch
capacity
• The contractor had a lot of experience with similar projects and implemented all the
lessons learnt from past projects
• Spares were present and machines maintained while subsequent pipe strings were
being welded – the discipline paid off
Potential Failure Modes and Design Considerations
HDD

HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL
DRILLING (HDD)
 HDD
Potential Failure Modes

HDD Failures Cause

Loss of Drilling Fluid/ • Permeable deposits or jointed and/ or fractured bedrock along drill path
Loss of Circulation • Excessive annular pressures for the bedrock formation or soils encountered
Drilling mud seepage • Permeable deposits or jointed and/ or fractured bedrock along drill path
directly into • Excessive annular pressures for the bedrock formation or soils encountered
watercourse
Drilling mud seepage • Permeable deposits or jointed and/ or fractured bedrock along drill path
onto land and then into • Excessive annular pressures for the bedrock formation or soils encountered
watercourse • Suggests inadequate monitoring along drill path
Collapsed hole • Erosion or settling of the bore hole

Stuck drill stem or pipe • Collapse of hole along the drill along the drill path, due to swelling of highly
string plastic clays, boulders, bentonic shales, coal seams
• Inadequate reaming to obtain optimal bore diameter for pull back
Lost tools and/ or drill • Twisting off of drill stem or metal failure of down hole tools
stands
Damaged pipe or • Inadequate reaming to obtain optimal bore diameter for pull back
coating • Excessive entry or exit angle for bend radius of the pipe string
• Sharp objects or casing present in bore
• Collapse of hole along the drill path
Ref: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Guideline for Planning HDD for Pipeline
Construction, Sept 2004
 HDD
Design Considerations

Geotechnical

• Consider distribution and characteristics of the surficial overburden deposits

• Consider presence of high plastic clay and bentonitic shale bedrock materials
• Consider occurrence of structurally complex, hard and/ or abrasive bedrock
• Competent bedrock is one of the preferred materials for HDD
Pipeline
3LPE
• Pipeline tensile & bending stresses within acceptable limit during HDD
• Pipe Coating carefully selected to avoid damage during HDD
• Pipe Weight (Pipe weight near neutral when submerged on bentonite to
avoid excessive pull back force and damage to pipe and/ or coating) Concrete

Drill Path
• Length of borehole to be drilled
(As of early 2000’s, longest drill path is 1.8km, largest pipe is
1.2m OD)
• Radius of curvature allowing installation and
minimization of bending stress (Minimum radius = 1200 x
OD in meters)
• Reaming Diameter (1.5 x OD)
• Entry and Exit Angle
 Thank You!

Questions?

Disclaimer: This material includes forward-looking statements prepared by Ezra Holdings Limited (“Company”). The opinions, forecasts, projections or other statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, estimates of
proved reserves of oil and gas, reserves potential and plans and objectives of management of the Company for financing, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking
statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. All forward looking-statements contained in this presentation are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or
referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward looking statement speaks only as of the date of this presentation. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries and associates
undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the
forward-looking statements contained in this presentation.