Decommissioning of Offshore Oil and Gas Installations

IBC Conference, London, 20-21 January 2000

Decommissioning of Pipelines
Per Damsleth
Chief Engineer

ABB Offshore Systems

ABB Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals
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 Contents

➤ Introduction
➤ What are the Options?
➤ Environmental Aspects
➤ Decommissioning Operations
➤ Re-certification of Pipelines
➤ Risks Associated with Pipeline Removal

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ABB Offshore Systems
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 Introduction
➤ Design lifetime of offshore pipelines ranges 7 - 20 - 50 years
➤ North Sea fields built since 1974 are becoming depleted
➤ Decisions have to be made when and how to decommission pipelines

➤ No specific regulations exist for decommissioning pipelines

➤ Responsibility of operators for protecting the environment and not
hindering third party activity
➤ Flexibility for operators to find economic and acceptable solutions

➤ Norwegian Governmental Study

➤ Buried pipelines best left alone after flushing out hydrocarbons
➤ Exposed pipelines have to be covered, eventually
➤ Trenching better and less expensive than rock dumping
➤ Removal and re-use gives lower emissions than new pipe
➤ Land disposal causes greater burden on the environment than leaving
in-situ
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 What are the options?

➤ Preservation of pipelines “in-situ”

➤ Most common solution (Ekofisk, Frigg, Forties)
➤ Flush with seawater to remove hydrocarbons
➤ Cover ends to prevent trawling net damage
➤ Monitor exposed pipelines for spans or damage until buried

➤ Removal
➤ Re-use (Q8 project, numerous studies)
➤ Recycling
➤ Disposal (Staffa flowline)

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 Ekofisk II Field Layout

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 Environmental Aspects

➤ Fishing Activity
➤ Newly decommissioned pipeline does not hinder fishing more than
operating pipeline
➤ Fishing nets can be damaged by partially decayed pipeline
➤ Rock berms covering pipelines can also damage nets

➤ Atmospheric Emissions
➤ Removal releases 1/2 as much CO2 as manufacturing new pipe
➤ Trenching releases 1/3 as much CO2 as removal

➤ Marine Pollution
➤ Most pipeline materials do not damage environment
➤ Local leaching of heavy metals from some older anodes
➤ Removal disturbs seabed sediments and spreads toxic materials

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 Pipeline Interaction with Fishing

Pipeline in a freespan Pipeline in contact with seabed

60

Fp
50

Pullover Force (kN)

40

Vertical Force, Fz
30
Horizontal Force, Fp
20

10

Lateral and vertical force 0

0.6 sec

0.2

0.8
Tp

0.4

0.6

1.2
0

1
component Time (sec)
Force-time history

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 Decommissioning Operations
➤ Preparation
➤ Flushing with seawater to 40ppm hydrocarbons
➤ Internal inspection for re-use
➤ Disconnection from structures
➤ Covering ends to avoid catching anchor lines and fishing nets

➤ Marine operations
➤ No specially adapted equipment available
➤ Reverse laying process
➤ Cut and lift in congested areas
➤ Tow short infield lines

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 Reeling Method

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 S-Lay Method

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 S-Lay Barge Layout

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 Cut and Lift Method

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 Tow Method

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 Decommissioning Operations, Cont’d
➤ Cost comparision
➤ Removal for disposal
➤ Recovery and installation
➤ Trench and backfill for preservation in-situ

ACTIVITY COST COMMENT

(GBP)
S-lay: removal for disposal 7,500,000 Offload pipe to pipe carrier vessel
Reeling: removal for disposal 9,000,000 3 trips required to empty reel
S-lay: recovery & installation 12,500,000 Onboard storage + pipe carrier
Reeling: recovery & installation 12,000,000 3 trips to new site required
Trench/backfill: for preservation 3,000,000
Table 1: Marine operations cost of pipeline removal, recovery/installation and
burial

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 Decommissioning Operations, Cont’d
➤ Weighing the options
! Few pipelines are the same, seldom interchangeable
! Recovery for re-use = twice the marine operations
! New pipe quality vs used pipe
! Contractually responsible suppliers, guarantees
! Experience? (Q8 project)

! Onshore operations
! No established re-cycling or disposal industry
! Pipe coating yards best equipped to handle large quantities of pipe

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 Re-certification of Pipelines
➤ Design Code Checks
! Available inspection and operating records are reviewed
! Corrosion most common cause of damage occurring over time
! Examples of pipelines in good or unacceptable condition

! Strength Criteria for Operation

! Finite Element analysis of global behavior and local strength
! Limit State approach
! Reliability methods

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 Magnetic Flux Inspection Pig
Type 2 sensor array
Type 1 sensor array
Permanent Magnetic Brushes

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 Internal Inspection

Girth Weld
6” diameter branch
pipe attachment
9

Light corrosion with

depths up to 15% nwt.
Corrosion with
3

pitting depths up
6

to 65% nwt.
12

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 Finite Element Analysis

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 Risks Associated with Pipeline Removal
➤ Financial
➤ Inspection not 100% complete or accurate
➤ Pipe damage during recovery
➤ Outer coating deterioration

➤ Human
➤ Marine operations
➤ Failure of pipe butt weld during recovery

➤ Life Cycle Cost

➤ Include risk cost of recovering or damaged subsea pipeline

LCC(NPV) = CAPEX(NPV) + OPEX(NPV) + RISKEX(NPV)

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 Conclusions
➤ National regulations provide the framework and incentives for
operators to plan and carry out their decommissioning projects.
Guidelines have been prepared to help evaluate proposals,
case-by-case

➤ Preservation in-situ environmentally friendly and economical

compared to removal and disposal

➤ Re-use of pipelines has potential where synergies with other

projects exist (case by case). Collaboration is important to
success.

➤ Most environmentally friendly and economical is re-use in -situ by

extending operating life of pipelines to provide transportation
infrastructure.
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 Decommissioning of Offshore Oil and Gas Installations
IBC Conference, London, 20-21 January 2000

Decommissioning of Pipelines
Per Damsleth
Chief Engineer

ABB Offshore Systems

ABB Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals
03.01.00 Page no. 25