SUBSEA UMBILICAL, RISER FLOWLINE INSTALLATION

Submitted by:

YOHANEST CHANDRA
(A0065919R)

OT 5304 SUBSEA CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

NATIONAL UNVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

October 2012

TABLE OF CONTENT
1 2 INTRODUCTION .. 3 UMBILICAL .. 4 2.1 TYPE OF UMBILICAL . 4 2.2 INSTALLATION METHOD . 6 3 RISER .. 7 3.1 TYPE OF RISER 7 3.1.1 3.1.2 4 COUPLED RISER .. 7 UN-COUPLED RISER ... 10

FLOWLINE 13 4.1 TYPE OF FLOWLINE .. 13 4.2 FLOWLINE INSTALLATION METHOD . 14 4.2.1 TOWING METHOD .. 15 4.2.1.1 BOTTOM TOW METHOD 17 4.2.1.2 OFF-BOTTOM TOWING METHOD 19 4.2.1.3 CONTROLED DEPTH TOWING METHOD 21 4.2.1.4 CATENARY TOWING METHOD . 22 4.2.1.5 SURFACE TOW METHOD 23 4.2.2 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.3 4.4 S-LAY METHOD 24 J-LAY METHOD 27 REEL-LAY METHOD 29

EVALUATION OF SURF INSTALLATION METHOD 32 OFFSHORE VESSEL SELECTION . 35

CONCLUSION ... 36 REFFERENCES . 37

SUBSEA UMBILICAL-RISER-FLOWLINE (SURF) INSTALLATION METHOD

INTRODUCTION Under-water facilities for oil and gas production are generally referred to using a subsea prefix. Subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowline is often abbreviated as SURF. SURF is hardware elements that are required to connect the subsea systems to top- side systems of a floating production unit. Umbilical, flow-line and riser installation operations are an essential part of subsea construction. Compared with fixed platform solutions, development solutions applying floaters and or SURF solutions will be increasingly important. There will be a doubling of the offshore oil service market from 2010 to 2016 and offshore E&P spending will reach US$ 1 trillion in 2030. Today, development solutions containing floaters and SURF (subsea) covers roughly 40% of offshore field developments increasing to 60% in 2030 when tie-backs will drive growth in the subsea market by 4 times in the period 20122030. [1] The below graph shows some major trends in the development of offshore oil and gas fields.

Figure 1: Major trend in the development of offshore oil and gas fields. [1]

There are various installation methods and techniques in common use in the subsea industry and each method has advantages and disadvantages. A subsea engineer has to ale to provide the best technical solution to the client that is best suits the specific project.

UMBILICAL Subsea umbilical is basically a pipe connecting subsea wells to surface structures. It may contain electrical conduits, other pipes, and so on. It is used to operate and maintain subsea wells or other subsea equipment. Umbilical is also used for gas lift operation, chemical injection and annulus bleeds. 2.1 TYPE OF UMBILICAL There are typically 2 types of umbilical. They are static and dynamic

umbilical. The static umbilical has to be designed to be stable on the seabed. It means there is enough ballast to ensure the umbilical does not move

around.

The dynamic umbilical shall have the capability to withstand

dynamic tension and bending load. There are a lot of umbilical available in the market. Some of them are: Steel Tube Umbilical The main considerations for steel tubes in umbilical service are tensile strength, corrosion resistance (both internal and external), and operating temperature. Materials available for umbilical construction include a range of materials from carbon steel to super duplex. External corrosion protection, afforded by a bonded polymer or zinc sheath, is available when required. Insulation and thermal shielding are also available upon request.

Figure 2: Steel Tube Umbilical [2]

Integrated Production Umbilical (IPU) The IPU design is based on proven technology and qualified for both static and dynamic application in shallow and deep water. The design is ideal for contributing to a stronger umbilical and a better protected flow line. IPU reduces complexity of the field layout, as well as cost and time in manufacturing and installation.

Figure 3: Integrated Production Umbilical [2]

Power Distribution Umbilical (PDU) PDU is suitable for static and dynamic application. It gives complete dynamic and electric analysis.

Figure 4: Power Distribution Umbilical [2]

2.2 INSTALLATION METHOD Umbilical is usually installed in one continuous length. It can weigh as much as 7000 tons or may be more. As umbilical is in one continuous length, the possible laying methods is reeling method. After umbilical is laid on seabed,

usually it is buried to 2 meters depth for protection. Then the umbilical is terminated at the subsea end using an Umbilical Termination Assembly (UTA)

Figure 5: One Continuous Umbilical in the Reel [1]

RISER 3.1 TYPE OF RISER A Riser is a conducting pipe connecting subsea wellheads, templates or pipelines to equipment located on a Floating Production Installation or fixed offshore structure. [3]. Riser systems are classified into two big categories. The first category is those that coupled directly to the host facility and the other category is the un-coupled systems, which in most cases are connected by flexible jumpers. 3.1.1 COUPLED RISER Steel catenary Risers (SCRs) Steel catenary riser (SCR) technology has emerged as a potential

solution for subsea field development in deep-water. The advantage of SCR is the reliability and integrity of such a system over the life of a field at a relatively lower cost. Steel Catenary Risers (SCRs) can be installed by all three methods of installation. J-lay, reel-lay and S-lay. One of the main challenges in any SCR design is the fatigue performance of the weld, and, with its extensive welding technology. [4]

Figure 6: Catenary Riser System [5]

Weight-Distributed SCRs Weight Distributed SCRs concept enhances the applicability of SCRs to harsher environments. In this concept, well-qualified ballast elements are attached at certain sections of the SCR to reduce the stresses around the touchdown point and enhance the fatigue performance of the SCR.

Figure 7: Weight-Distributed Steel Catenary Riser [6]

Lazy-Wave SCRs Lazy Wave SCR has attracted more attention in recent years due to ts good motion isolation effect between Touch Down Point and hang off. The main challenges for Lazy Wave SCRs are high-specification welds and installation issues when all the heavy buoyancies are attached to the SCR.

Figure 7: Lazy-Wave SCR configuration [6] 9

Flexible riser systems Flexible riser capable in extending to 800-1800m water depth depending on diameter and pressure. It is normally assembled and tested onshore. It usually comes in a reel configuration. Flexible riser is good for shallow water as motions are decoupled and reduced fatigue. However, the back draw is that damage can be occurred and inspection is not easy.

Figure 8: Flexible Riser [5]

3.1.2

UN-COUPLED RISER Grouped Single Line Offset Riser (SLOR) The SLOR offers an attractive solution due to its excellent fatigue performance and ability for pre-installation, thus taking it off the field development critical path. The SLOR is typically situated around 100m away from the vessel or turret depending on water depth. Connection between the two is achieved using a flexible jumper via a steel gooseneck assembly connected to the

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top of the riser pipe. The flexible jumper is then connected to the vessel through an I-tube or J-tube assembly with bend stiffener. At the base, the SLOR is connected to a foundation pile (suction, driven, gravity or drilled) and terminated with an off-take assembly that facilitates connection to the flowline with a rigid spool. Connection to the foundation pile is achieved via a rotolatch (articulation joint) or a stress joint.

Figure 8: Grouped SLOR Arrangement [7]

Installation of Grouped SLOR system is by towing, reel laying and J-laying. It is to confirm the flexibility and the feasibility of the riser. Single Hybrid Riser Tower / Hybrid Riser Tower Hybrid Riser Towers (HRTs) is field proven has significant benefits for deep-water riser applications in terms of flow

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assurance, thermal performance and robustness of layout. This is especially significant when a large number of risers are considered. An HRT provides the required flexibility by avoiding a crowded layout and allowing a progressive deployment. The idea is applicable to deep-water and ultra-deep-water, and to spread- moored and turret-moored FPSO installations.

Figure 9: Single Hybrid Riser Tower / Hybrid Riser Tower [7]

Buoyancy Supported Risers (BSR) The BSR concept consists of a large sub-surface buoy, which is anchored to the seabed by eight chains, two on each corner of the buoy. The buoy supports multiple SCRs, which are connected to the FPSO by non-bonded flexible jumpers. This BSR systems absorbs the dynamics from the FPSO, resulting in almost no dynamic stresses on the SCRs, making them behave like a long free-spanning pipe line with the major fatigue response coming

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from the Vortex Induced Vibration due to the local currents. Since there is very little dynamic response for the SCRs, mechanical-lined pipe is used for the SCR section, thereby optimizing the riser design.

Figure 10: Buoyancy Supported Riser [4]

FLOWLINE 4.1 TYPE OF FLOWLINE The first pipeline was built in the United States in 1859 to transport crude oil. [8] Through the one-and-a-half century of pipeline operating practice, the petroleum industry has proven that pipelines are by far the most economical means of large scale overland transportation for crude oil, natural gas, and their products. Pipelines have demonstrated an ability to adapt to a wide variety of environments including remote areas and hostile environments. Transporting petroleum fluids with pipelines is a continuous and reliable operation. Flexible pipes have been introduced in the oil industry since 1972, when

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Coflexip was awarded a patent to build a high pressure, flexible steel pipe. The first application of flexible pipeline was used in drilling as a 15,000 psi Kill and Choke line. [9] Since then, flexible pipe designs have improved to produce the flowlines and risers that are now used in the offshore oil industry. For deepwater, the flexible pipes are used mainly for dynamic risers from a subsea pipeline end manifold (PLEM) or riser tower to a floating production system such as an FSO, FPSO, and TLPs. The other uses are static risers, static flowlines, subsea jumpers, topside jumpers, and expansion joints. Flexible pipes are used for versatile offshore oil and gas applications including production, gas lift, gas injection, water injection, and various ancillary lines including potable water and liquid chemical lines. 4.2 FLOWLINE INSTALLATION METHOD Pipe-laying encompass installation methods whereby the pipe string is welded together from pipe joints, before the welds are inspected for defects and coated, all onboard a specialized pipelay vessel as it is installed on the seabed. [10] Pipe-laying method is used not only to install pipeline (Flowline) but also umbilical and riser as these items are grouped together. There are several types of SURF installation method that being used until now. They are: Towing Method, SLay, JLay, and reeling. Here we will discuss further for each method of SURF installation method. 4.2.1 TOWING METHOD Tow method is one of the installation method that still being used until now. In the tow methods, the pipeline is normally constructed at

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an onshore site with access to the water (sea-front). These methods can be used for installing pipelines across inland lakes, across wide rivers, and offshore. In the case of an offshore pipeline, the pipeline is welded onshore with an onshore pipeline spread. Once the pipeline is fabricated and hydro-tested, the pipeline is dewatered and moved into the water, while being attached to a tow vessel. It is then towed to a location offshore where each end is connected to pre-installed facilities. This method could be cheaper than using a lay barge spread to install the pipeline offshore. The advantage occurs mainly if several small lines need to be laid and can be bundled inside a larger pipe. The pipeline can be made up either perpendicular or parallel to the shoreline. For a perpendicular launched pipeline, a land area that can accommodate the longest section of the fabricated pipeline must be leased. A launch way consisting of a line of rollers or rail system needs to be installed leading from the shore end right into the water. Launching Method A good arrangement of pipeline fabrication should be made prior pulling it into the seawater. After all the sections of pipeline are fabricated and tested, the first section of pipeline is lifted by side booms and placed on the rollers on the launch way. The cable from the tow vessel is attached and the section is pulled into the water, leaving sufficient length onshore to make a welded tie-in to the next section. In this manner, the whole single pipeline is fabricated and pulled into the water. A holdback winch is always used during these

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pulls to maintain control the direction of pull.

Figure 11: Pipeline Launching [5]

In the parallel launch method, it is required to have a land area along the shore as long as the total length of the pipeline to be towed. This could be longer than that acquired during perpendicular launch. Parallel launch does not require any launch way. After the sections of the pipeline are welded and tested, the sections are strung along the shoreline. The pipeline sections are welded together to make up the length of pipeline to be towed. The completed pipeline is moved into the water using side-boom tractors and crawler cranes for the end structures. The front end is attached to the tow vessel, while the rear end is attached to a hold back anchor. The anchored tow vessel winches in the tow cable in such a manner that it gradually moves the pipeline laterally into the water, while the curvature is continuously monitored. When the whole length of pipeline and its end structures make one straight line, the tow vessel begins to tow the pipeline along the predetermined tow route. For pipelines that are to be towed into deep water, pressurized nitrogen can be introduced into the pipeline to prevent collapse or 16

buckling under external hydrostatic pressure. A depth of 3000 feet can be achieved. Greater depths would require a stop for another recharge of pressurized nitrogen from the surface.[11] This has never been done. Maintenance Maintenance for towing method can be varies. For shallow depth water, the maintenance is still can be done by diver. But for very deep water, It will require Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV). It all goes the same for any very deep water application. Towing Method Towing method can be classified into 5 types. They are Bottom Tow Method, Off-Bottom Tow Method, Controlled Depth Tow Method, Catenary Tow Method and Surface Method. The choice of method is dependent on the submerged weight of the pipeline, length of the pipeline and the seabed environment or presence of existing pipelines along the selected tow route. 4.2.1.1 BOTTOM TOW METHOD The bottom tow method is pulling the pipeline along the seabed to its final location. The length of a single section of pipeline is limited by the available bollard pull of the vessel used. The bollard pull must be greater than the total submerged weight of the pipeline plus the friction. Two to three vessels can be used in tandem to obtain additional bollard pull capability.

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Figure 12: Bottom Tow Method [12]

A thorough sea-bottom survey of the pipeline all the way from the shoreline to the pipelines final resting place offshore shall be conducted prior pulling it into its final location. An abrasion-resistant coating is required on the bottom half of the pipeline to protect the normal corrosionresistant coating like FBE. However, abrasion testing may be required to select the appropriate coating. A slick coating on the bottom half of the pipe can reduce friction and reduce the bollard pull requirement during tow. If concrete weight coating is required for stability, then this can be that coating. An additional thickness may be required to allow for abrasion. For pipelines in shallow water, a trench may be required due to regulatory requirements or for pipeline stability. In this

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case, a subsea trenching plow can be prepared and attached ahead of the pipeline prior to pulling it into its final location. In bottom tow method, it is difficult to pull the pipelines into a curved trench. This will require additional bollard pull. The ends of a bottom-towed pipeline are normally connected by deflect-to-connect method. In this method, the end sections of the pipeline are made to float a few feet above the seabed by providing additional buoyancy for this length and attaching anchor chains at discrete spacing along this length. The buoyancy and chains are attached onshore with chains strapped over the buoyancy pipe during towing and deployed at the pipelines final location. This length can then be pulled laterally by attaching cables to the end of the pipeline from the facility. Once the pipeline end structure is secured at the facility, the connection can be made by flanges (in diving depth) or by hydraulically activated connectors (in deepwater). 4.2.1.2 OFF-BOTTOM TOWING METHOD In the off-bottom tow method, the submerged pipeline is buoyant and floats above the seabed at a predetermined height during the towing. The connection at the ends of bottom-towed pipeline is achieved in the similar method as Bottom tow method. The buoyancy and chains are attached in discrete modules for the length of the pipeline. In Off-Bottom Tow Method, no extensive protection

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structure is required and existing pipelines can be crossed by placing concrete mats placed over these pipelines and allowing the hanging chains to drag over the mats.. However, buoyancy and chains are required for the entire length of the pipeline. If several pipelines are needed for field development, the buoyancy and chains can be recovered and used again.

Figure 13: Off-Bottom Tow Method [12]

The seabed survey needs to consider only obstacles that are higher than the height of the floating pipeline and sudden steep seabed cavities. An abrasive-resistant coating is still required in Off-Bottom Tow Method, but not as stringent as Bottom Tow Method. Off-bottom tow is only feasible up to a certain depth because the buoyancy becomes more expensive as the water depth increases.

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4.2.1.3 CONTROLED DEPTH TOWING METHOD In Controlled Depth Tow method, the entire length of pipeline is controlled and kept at a considerable height above the seabed in between the lead and trailing tow vessels during towing. To achieve this, discrete buoyancy, chains, and a large tension applied to the pipeline are required. The tension is applied by two tow vessels pulling in opposite directions at each end of the pipeline. The pipeline is controlled at certain depth and once it reaches its desired depth, the front tow vessel applies more thrust while the back tow vessel cuts back on its reverse thrust. A third vessel is required to monitor the height of the pipeline in the middle by using a subsea transponder system. This vessel sends its signal to the two tow vessels, which see the height in real time and adjust their thrusts appropriately to keep the pipeline within the desired depth range. At the design tow speed, the pipeline will lift off from the seabed and adopt the desired mid-depth CDTM configuration. The lift is dependent on speed, type of chain and number of links. By controlling the tow speed and tow wire length, the pipeline configuration is maintained within acceptable limits, as defined by static and dynamic tow analyses. This method is not suited for very long pipelines (greater than 3 miles). [9]

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Figure 14: Controlled Depth Tow Method (CDTM) [12]

In this method, only a near shore survey and final infield pipeline route survey are required. Incase of emergency, some discrete areas where the pipeline can be parked shall be identified. CDTM tow speed is higher than for off-bottom tow, and the absence of contact with the sea bottom, which allows passing severe slopes or rocky bottom conditions. This method is ideal for areas with extensive rocky outcrops, many existing pipelines, or other obstructions along the tow route.

4.2.1.4 CATENARY TOWING METHOD In the catenary tow, the required bollard pull of the two tugs increases as the water depth decreases. The pipeline being towed is in a catenary configuration between the tugs. A catenary tow is not possible in Shallow water depth since the required horizontal bollard pull forces to keep the pipeline

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sag-bend of the seabed are too high for conventional tugs. The installation on site is achieved by paying out on the tug winch wires while controlling the touchdown routing with the vessel position.

Figure 15: Catenary Towing Method [12]

4.2.1.5 SURFACE TOW METHOD Surface tow method is similar to mid-depth tow method but it will not require any chains. This method required the two vessels at each end to keep the pipeline in tension while it is towed on the surface. Only a survey of the final pipeline route is required. This method can be used for shallow. For deep water, a sophisticated controlled flooding and/or buoyancy removal system is required. Not many pipelines are installed by this method.

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Figure 16: Surface Tow Method [6]

4.2.2

S-LAY METHOD S-Lay method is the most common installation method of subsea umbilical, riser and flowline in shallow water. Typically 12 meters long of pipe joints are manufactured and coated onshore. Then, they are brought to the pipe lay vessel by supply vessels so that the pipe construction can be continued without interruptions. In the S-lay method, the welded pipeline is supported on the rollers of the vessel and the stinger, forming the over-bend. Then it is suspended in the water all the way to the seabed, forming the sag-bend. The over-bend and sag-bend form the shape of an S. Typical S-Lay method configuration can be seen at figure 17, below.

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Figure 17: Schematic of S-Lay Method [13]

Onboard the SLay vessel, the pipe joints are welded on to the end of the pipeline in a horizontal production facility. It is called the firing line, which provides a sheltered environment for the workers to carry out multiple workstations for welding, nondestructive testing of the welds and coating. The field joint station is located after the NDE station and the tension machines. The pipeline is held in a tensioner to facilitate continued construction. Tensioner is a large rolling caterpillar tracks with rubber pads that press on to the pipe going down to the seabed. The tensioners control the speed (pay-out speed) when the pipe that has been welded with the new pipe joints extended from the vessel. This speed is controlled while maintaining the tension on the pipe as the vessel moves forward. A sloping ramp supports the pipe as it moves from the vessel and onto the stinger. The stinger is a long open frame structure fitted with rollers, which supports the pipeline and controls its curvature from the horizontal to

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the inclined section. The stinger is typically made out of several hinged sections to make it articulated. Setting the segments at chosen angles can control the stingers shape and curvature. The overall stinger length depends on the pipelay vessel, but is typically in the range of 100 meters. In shallow water depth of 100 meters, the lift off angle will typically be in the order of 30 from the horizontal. For increasing water depth, the lift off angle also increases up to 90 if the tension is kept within practical limits. This is commonly known as Steep Slay [14], which can be performed by vessels like the Solitaire. This stinger configuration has shown to reduce the tension in the pipe compared to the traditional Slay method. Furthermore, pipeline engineers argue that it will be safe to relax the standard strain level of the design in order to reach greater depths and handle even heavier pipelines. [14]When the new pipe length has been laid out, the whole process is repeated.

Figure 18: S-Lay Offshore Vessel [13]

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The main advantage with the Slay method is that the long firing line, running from bow to stern, enables parallel workstations for assembly of pipe joints, such that up to four pipe joints can be added at the time. This makes the method fast and economical, particularly for long pipelines. However, for very deep water, the pipe must be supported to a near vertical departure angle. It requires a very large stinger to avoid pipe damage. With increasing water depths, the power thats required to provide lay tension increases. It is indirectly transferable to high fuel expenses. 4.2.3 J-LAY METHOD J-Lay installation method is a development from S-Lay installation method and often seen as complementary methods. [14] J-Lay installation method eliminates the over-bend region in S-Lay installation method when installation is required in deep-water. The configuration of the pipeline from the seabed to the pipelay vessel is near vertical at the pipelay vessel end and this suspended pipe resemble of letter J. The pipe leaves the pipelay vessel in a nearly vertical position in the Jlay installation method.

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Figure 19: Schematic of J-Lay Method [13]

The pipeline is constructed on a vertical ramp, the socalled Jlay tower, which is fitted with tensioners and workstations. The angle of the Jlay tower may typically vary between 0 and 15 from the vertical. The ramp angle is chosen in such a way that it is in line with the pipe catenary to the seabed. The pipe leaves the barge steeply such that the total length of the free pipe is shortened and less applied tension is required for sag bend control. The touchdown point is not as far behind the vessel as for Slay, due to the lower applied tension, so that positioning of the touchdown is easier, and the pipe can be installed more accurately. The pipeline is only bent once during installation (at the seabed) which is advantageous for installing pipelines that are sensitive to fatigue. Also the complexity involved with a stinger is eliminated. The main drawback with the method is that the tower only facilitates one workstation, making the Jlay method inherently slower than the Slay method, which is the price

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paid for pipe installation at greater depths. But since the large J-lay towers are capable of handling prefabricated quad joints (160 feet long), the speed of pipe-laying is increased.[offshore pipelines] The added weight high up on the vessel has an adverse effect on stability, and semisubmersibles are frequently used to facilitate Jlay due to their high stability. The J-lay method is very suitable for deep water as the pipe leaves the lay system in an almost vertical position. J-Lay installation method is not applicable in shallow water.

Figure 20: J-Lay Offshore Vessel [9]

4.2.4

REEL-LAY METHOD Reel-Lay method is a method of installing pipelines in the ocean from a giant reel mounted on an offshore vessel. Depending on the type of lay vessel the spool can be designed to operate in the horizontal or the vertical position. Pipelines are assembled at an onshore spool-base

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facility and spooled onto a reel, which is mounted on the deck of a pipelay barge. Reel-Lay method results in greater productivity due to the ability to lay the pipe in a continuous manner by unwinding it from the reel. The Reel-ay method reduces labor costs by permitting much of the welding, x-raying, corrosion coating, and testing to be accomplished onshore, where labor costs are generally lower than comparable labor costs offshore. As the pipe is already spooled in the reel, It reduces the number of personnel required to lay the pipe. Low manpower required means lowering the risk of accidents at the same time and providing efficiency in the availability of the pipe.

Figure 21: Reeled Pipeline [15] Each spool is designed to operate with a specific barge and can usually handle pipe from 2" to 12". The total length capacity depends on the spool dimensions and the diameter of the pipe. Based on a typical design, a spool can hold up to 80 km of 2" pipe. [16] The normal procedure used to spool the pipe on the reels consist in welding the joints of pipe in the operations yard and winding them

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concurrently on the spools. This procedure could be performed directly on the docked barge since handling a full reel would require a large crane to load the spool aboard. Therefore, at the time of considering this method, it is necessary to clearly know that the lay barge would have to stay docked while the pipe is being welded and wound on the spool. Otherwise, a large enough crane is required, as well as an adequate support and pipe-stringing track must be provided. The productivity Reel-Lay method depends on various factors including the length of pipeline sections to be laid, the distance between risers, the number of lay-barge repositioning required could limit the production. If the wells and flow stations are close together and the average length of this pipe laying is quite short (1500 2000 m), a good sequential drilling program in the surrounding areas would be required to obtain the largest amount of laying job within the adjacent areas and to avoid long distances mobilizations between work sites, this method can result in a high productivity. Another factor that affects productivity is the method used to move the barge during the pipe lay. If the conventional method using winches and anchors is used, the productivity is greatly reduced than using an automated dynamic positioning system. Reel-Lay method has some limitation where the pipeline is plastically deformed and then straightened again, some thinning of the wall and loss of yield strength of the material can be occurred. It also cannot reel concrete-coated pipeline.

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4.3

EVALUATION OF SURF INSTALLATION METHOD After elaborating all available SURF installation method, we will try to identify the pro and cons for each installation method. Every installation method should have their own strong points, but they also have their own weaknesses. Here we will try to evaluate and compare the advantages and disadvantages for each installation method so that it can become our guideline in choosing the best installation method for certain well. Towing Method Basically the main advantage of towing method is that the pipelines, umbilical or riser can be fabricated onshore before it will be towed to the sea. This onshore fabrication can save a huge cost compare to offshore. Actually, Tow methods can be used for installing pipelines from shallow water depths to deep- water depths depending on the design requirements but it has a lot of drawbacks. The biggest drawback for Towing Method is that this method is very dependent to weather; sea current, tide and also limited to certain depth of 3000 feet even though pressurized nitrogen has been introduced to the buoyancy system. The other drawbacks are different for each type of Towing Method. Bottom Tow Method and Off-Bottom Tow Method Bottom Tow and Off-Bottom Tow Method are similar and it requires a seabed survey prior to towing to make sure that there is no obstruction or cross pipelines on the seabed. Abrasive-resistant coating or additional thickness for concrete pipe is required to prevent from severe corrosion

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Controlled Depth Tow Method Controlled Depth Towing Method required additional vessel to check and control the depth of the pipeline being towed. It means additional cost is required. CDTM is also not suitable for pipeline more that 3 miles.

Catenary Tow Method Catenary Tow Method is not possible for shallow water and it requires additional bollard when doing deeper towing. It can be done by combining few vessels to pull the pipline.

Surface Tow Method Surface Tow Method doesnt require any chain, but it requires a lot of buoyancies. As the pipeline is floating almost at surface, sea current and weather give a huge impact to it. When the depth goes deeper, a sophisticated controlled flooding and/or buoyancy removal system is required. This is why this method can only be used for shallow water and not many pipelines are installed by this method.

S-Lay Method The main advantage with the Slay method is that the long firing line, running from bow to stern, enables parallel workstations for assembly of pipe joints, such that up to four pipe joints can be added at the time. This makes the method fast and economical, particularly for long pipelines. However, for large water depths, the pipe must be supported to a near vertical departure angle, which requires a very large stinger to avoid over bending which damaging the pipe. With increasing water depths, the power needed to provide the required lay tension increases, which is directly

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transferable to high fuel expenses. These are the main disadvantages of the method. J-Lay Method The J-lay methodology is the prime technique for laying pipelines in very deep waters. Vertical space configuration on a J-lay vessel allows for only one pipe joining station, hence a fast and reliable pipe-joining technique or multiple pipe sections are prerequisite for practical use of J- lay method. J-Lay Method allows the pipe to be laid in a less tension configuration. Pipe stresses are maintained well within the linear elastic limit. J-Lay Method also requires lower lay tension resulting in reduced on-bottom tension and free span. As the vessel required a huge tower, it adds more weight to overall weight of the vessel and increased its stability. Hence, It is less susceptible to weather condition. As the J-lay method is primarily a deep-water method, some limitations occur in shallow water. Reeling Method Reeling Mehod hold a huge advantages to be able to lay very long pipelines. But, It is only limited to flexible pipelines only. This flexible pipelines cannot be used for ultra deep water as the flexible pipelines cannot withstand the hydrostatic pressure from seawater. Removing the buckle in reeling method takes quite time to complete. 4.4 OFFSHORE VESSEL SELECTION Since the first SURF installation method has been introduced, the vessel to carry out the job has been improved to give better performance. Selection of vessel is vital in Subsea Umbilical Riser and Flowline installation to be able

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to perform the job. It is very important to understand the primary vesselcapacity requirements to carry out the job. Some information like; crane-lift capabilities, flexible-pipe lay tensions and overall deck-storage capacity have to be identified before handling the products to be installed. There are many types of vessel that normally used to carry out SURF installation such us: Tug Boat, Barge, FSO/FPSO, etc. To determine the installation-vessel requirements, some initial engineering was conducted to better understand maximum lift and deployment loads associated with the installation program.

Figure 22: Type of Offshore Vessel [17]

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CONCLUSION As we know, Umbilical, flow-line and riser installation operations are an essential part of subsea construction. Compared with fixed platform solutions, development solutions applying floaters and or SURF solutions will be increasingly important. There are a lot of wells in the whole world that required subsea construction and each places are unique. It doesnt mean that we can apply same subsea construction design for well that has different characteristic. Subsea engineer must understand for each characteristic, which application can give the best result. For shallow deep water, S-lay installation method and Towing method would be the best choice to lay the pipeline on seabed. When doing Towing method, It would be best if we don not use parallel launching, as it will need large of place to launch the pipeline in parallel. In the other hand, for deep water J-Lay installation method is the pioneer. J-Lay method requires a huge vessel with the tower. Hence, It would be able to withstand harsh weather, as it is more stable. For small pipeline size, Reel-Lay method could deliver good performance except for ultra deep water. The flexible pipeline in Reel-Lay method cannot withstand the huge hydrostatic pressure. As for Riser, Group SLOR, Single Hybrid Riser Tower / Hybrid Riser Tower, Steel catenary Risers and Buoyancy Supported Risers are able to be used in deep water. Group SLOR and Single Hybrid Riser Tower / Hybrid Riser Tower are famous in their robustness in layout. In shallow water Lazy-wave Riser installation would perform well. In deep water, maintenance is usually done by ROV. It has better safety compare to Diving maintenance as in Diving maintenance, the diver are exposed directly

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to the environment. Hence it is also advised diving maintenance can only be done for maximum 30 meters depth only. In overall, the choice of subsea construction will be depend on the field characteristic, client requirement and available technology.

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REFFERENCES
[1] INTSTOK, Equipment and systems for offshore oil & gas field developments, 2012 [2] Aker Solution, Subsea Umbilicals, 2009 [3] ABS, Subsea Riser System, 2006 [4] Subsea 7, Riser Technology, 2012 [5] Bernie Alistair, Lecture Notes -Subsea Construction and Support Operations, 2012 [6] http://www.offshore-mag.com [7] Grouped SLOR [8] (Wolbert, George S., Petroleum pipelines; Petroleum industry and trade; Petroleum pipeline industry, 1952 [9] Boyun Guo, et al, Offshore Pipelines, 2004 [10] Braestrup et al., Marine Pipelines, 2005 [11] Alf Roger Hellesto, et al, Deep Water Pipeline and Riser Installation by the Combined Tow Method, 2007 [12] http://www.bgr.bund.de [13] Gullik Anthon Jensen, Offshore Pipelying Dynamics, 2010 [14] Dominique Perinet, Acergy France and Ian Frazer, Strain Criteria for Deep Water Pipe Laying Operations, 2008 [15] http://www.oilonline.com [16] http://www.welschs.cc/reel.html [17] http://gcaptain.com/technip-begins-work-marine-containment/

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