Reliability of Lateral Buckling Formation From Planned and Unplanned Buckle Sites

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Rathbone ◽  
Mahmoud Abdel-Hakim ◽  
Gary Cumming ◽  
Knut To̸rnes
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Detailed Design ◽  
High Pressure High Temperature ◽  
Global Buckling ◽  
Subsea Pipelines ◽  
Design Stress

Global buckling for exposed HPHT (High Pressure / High Temperature) subsea pipelines is an important feature that needs to be assessed during detailed design. By safely triggering controlled buckles at predetermined locations and considering the potential for rogue buckles to be triggered by seabed or pipelay out-of-straightness features, a robust design solution can be obtained. This paper presents a methodology whereby quantitative risk assessment may be carried out on the reliability of lateral buckling initiation systems, considering the pipeline in its entirety, rather than considering each intended buckle individually. This method accounts for buckle interaction when calculating the post-buckle loads, and allows simple incorporation of potential rogue sites through vertical and/or horizontal out-of-straightness. The results of the risk assessment can be defined in terms of buckle formation reliability, and design stress/strain criteria.

Evaluation of Design Premises and Uncertainties on the Thermo-Mechanical Behavior of a Subsea Pipeline

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Reis Antunes ◽  
Rafael Familiar Solano ◽  
Alexandre Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Formation Process ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Stress And Strain ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Friction Factors ◽  
Global Buckling ◽  
Pipeline Route ◽  
Seabed Bathymetry ◽  
Subsea Pipelines

Buckle formation process is a key subject for the design of subsea pipelines laid on the seabed and operating under high pressure and high temperature (HP/HT) conditions. When the controlled lateral buckling methodology is adopted triggers are placed along pipeline route in order to increase the buckle formation probability in specific locations, sharing pipeline expansion between these sites and reducing the level of stress and strain in each buckle. Despite of its importance, buckle formation process is influenced by several parameters such as the seabed bathymetry, engineered triggers, lateral out-of-straightness (OOS) and pipe-soil interaction. While the first two items above can be defined with reasonable accuracy at previous stages of design, lateral OOS will only be known with tolerable confidence after pipeline installation. The level of uncertainty related to pipe-soil interaction is also considerable since pipeline embedment and friction factors are estimated using equations that include empirical correlations and field collected data. In addition these parameters are influenced by the installation process. Due to these uncertainties, conservative premises are usually assumed in order to obtain a robust pipeline thermo-mechanical design. After pipeline installation and/or start of operation an investigation can be performed in order to confirm the assumptions considered in the design. This paper presents a comparison of premises adopted during design stage of a pipeline based on the controlled lateral buckling methodology and the feedback obtained with the post-lay survey performed. After a brief introduction, pipeline embedment, global buckling at crossings, lateral OOS and sleepers’ height are some of the subjects addressed. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are presented in order to support future similar projects.

On Pipeline Lateral Buckling: Lessons Learned and Current Design Challenges

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil A. Maschner ◽  
Basel Abdalla
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Applied Loading ◽  
Direct Design ◽  
Safety Margins ◽  
Global Buckling

The subject of lateral buckling design in recent years has by necessity become increasingly more involved as pipeline projects have moved into more difficult environments where there is a need for optimized economic solutions with assured through-life reliability. The authors have had direct design responsibility and specialist involvement with a large number of projects covering a diverse range of environments, single or PIP systems, variable product characteristics and operating conditions, external applied loading type, and geographical installation limitations. These include shallow and deep water, large thin walled and small thick walled diameter pipes, flat to undulating hard to soft seabed, variable cohesive and non-cohesive surficial soil types and various other project considerations which have impacted on the chosen design solution. The purpose of this paper will be to highlight aspects of global buckling design associated with reliable in place systems and conversely those aspects associated with integrity risks to the as-laid operational pipelines. A review of past project challenges along with a commentary as to the state of the art at the time gives an opportunity to evaluate risks and challenges being faced on current projects. Particularly, as it seeks to develop ever more cost effective designs with proven robustness but optimized safety margins for the installation and operation of HT/HP pipelines in marginal fields.

Upheaval Buckling Analysis of Partially Buried Pipeline Subjected to High Pressure and High Temperature

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Sun ◽  
Han Shi ◽  
Paul Jukes
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Resistance Force ◽  
Soil Resistance ◽  
Buried Pipeline ◽  
Buried Pipelines ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Upheaval Buckling ◽  
Global Buckling

Offshore industry is now pushing into the deepwater and starting to face the much higher energy reservoir with high pressure and high temperature. Besides the significant impacts on the material, strength, and reliability of the wellhead, tree, and manifold valve; high Pressure (HP) also leads to thicker pipe wall that increases manufacturing and installation cost. High Temperature (HT) can have much wider impact on operation since the whole subsea system has to be operated over a greater temperature range between the non-producing situations such as installation, and long term shut down, and the maximum production flow. It is more concerned for fact that thicker wall pipe results in much greater thermal load so to make the pipeline strength and tie-in designs more challenging. Burying sections of a HPHT pipeline can provide the advantages of thermal insulation by using the soil cover to retain the cool-down time. Burial can also help to achieve high confidence anchoring and additional resistance to the pipeline axial expansion and walking. Upheaval buckling is a major concern for the buried pipelines because it can generate a high level of strain when happens. Excessive yielding can cause the pipeline to fail prematurely. Partial burial can have less concern although it may complicate the pipeline global buckling behavior and impose challenges on the design and analysis. This paper presents the studies on the upheaval buckling of partially buried pipelines, typical example of an annulus flooded pipe-in-pipe (PIP) configuration. The full-scale FE models were created to simulate the pipeline thermal expansion / upheaval / lateral buckling responses. The pipe-soil interaction (PSI) elements were utilized to model the relationship between the soil resistance (force) and the pipe displacement for the buried sections. The effects of soil cover height, vertical prop size, and soil resistance on the upheaval and lateral buckling response of a partially buried pipeline were investigated. This paper presents the latest techniques, allows an understanding in the global buckling, upheaval or lateral, of partially buried pipeline under the HPHT, and assists the industry to pursue safer but cost effective design.

Optimized Solutions to Control Lateral Buckling of Pipelines With Snaked-Lay: Theoretical and Numerical Studies

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiong Guan ◽  
Per R. Nystro̸m ◽  
Hans F. Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Finite Strain ◽  
Beam Theory ◽  
Fe Analysis ◽  
Hostile Environment ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Numerical Studies ◽  
High Pressure High Temperature ◽  
Straight Beam ◽  
Offshore Development ◽  
Subsea Pipelines

Due to the offshore development moving to a more hostile environment, thermal buckling becomes an important issue needed to be considered for HPHT (high-pressure high temperature) subsea pipelines design. In order to control the lateral buckling, the snaked lay method is investigated theoretically and numerically. The buckling mechanisms of the curved beam are studied with methods considering the finite strain and simplified straight beam theory, respectively. The differences between the two methods are found to be negligible when the radius of curve is larger than a certain value. Detailed FE analysis results are given for the buckle behavior of a snaked-lay pipeline. The method to control the subsea pipeline lateral buckling is discussed and followed by a design example.

Lateral Buckling Response of Subsea HTHP Pipelines Using Finite Element Methods

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Masood Haq ◽  
S. Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Complex Function ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Parameter Study ◽  
Embedment Depth ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Structural Support ◽  
Global Buckling ◽  
Subsea Pipelines

Subsea pipelines are subject to load effects from external hydrostatic pressure, internal pressure, operating temperature, ambient temperature and external reactions (e.g. seabed, structural support). These parameters influence the effective axial force that governs the pipeline global buckling response. Other factors, including installation stress, seabed slope, soil type, and embedment depth, can influence the pipe effective force. Pipelines laid on the seabed surface or with limited embedment may experience lateral buckling. The resultant mode response is a complex function related to the spatial variation in these parameters and kinematic boundary conditions. In this paper, results from a parameter study, using calibrated numerical modelling procedures, on lateral buckling of subsea pipelines are presented. The parameters included pipe diameter to wall thickness (D/t) ratio, pipe out of straightness (OOS), operating temperature and internal pressure, external pressure associated with the installation depth, and seabed lateral and axial friction properties.

Application of Deterministic and Probabilistic Methods in Pipeline Lateral Buckling Design

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hammam Zeitoun ◽  
Maša Branković ◽  
Edwin Shim ◽  
EuJeen Chin ◽  
Benjamin Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Probabilistic Methods ◽  
Design Solution ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Pipeline System ◽  
Limit States ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Current Design ◽  
Subsea Pipelines

Subsea pipelines lateral buckling design has significantly evolved over the last years as more pipeline projects have moved into more challenging environments and into high temperature / high pressure (HT/HP) design application. Knowledge and understanding of pipeline lateral buckling has improved with design application resulting in refined and enhanced design approaches. Using current design approaches, it is now quite acceptable to control lateral buckle formation along the pipeline by using buckle triggers or to allow uncontrolled lateral buckles, provided that the various design limit states are satisfied. A number of design methodologies can be used to check the acceptability of uncontrolled buckling or to design for controlled buckling including deterministic, probabilistic buckle formation and full Structural Reliability Assessment (SRA) methods. Using SRA or probabilistic methods is usually an attractive design option as lateral buckling design involves dealing with a large number of uncertainties and variation in design parameters. These methods help to ensure the reliability of the proposed buckle initiation scheme. However, the use of these methods is also associated with a number of challenges such as the need to identify key parameters influencing the design and quantifying their uncertainties. Deterministic design approaches on the other hand are simpler to apply. However, they do not provide means to quantify the reliability of the proposed buckling scheme or the design risks. The choice of input parameters in a deterministic design is also relatively subjective which can possibly result in an overly conservative or unconservative design solution depending on the adopted design approach, selected design parameters and pipeline system being considered. Design guidelines and recommended practices such as SAFEBUCK (20) offer comprehensive guidelines to design for lateral buckling. However when faced with a range of complex variables, the designer needs to be aware of the effect of these parameters on the overall design. This paper describes the application of Deterministic and Probabilistic design approaches in lateral buckling design. The paper starts by describing these approaches, their advantages and limitations. The paper then explores a number of key uncertainties and variation in design parameters that the designer is faced with and its effect on the pipeline response.

Impact of downward releases on the risk profile in hydrocarbon process plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Fariba Askari ◽  
Colin Crowley ◽  
Hojat Kord
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Risk Profile ◽  
Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Consequence Analysis ◽  
Simplifying Assumptions ◽  
Process Plants ◽  
The Cost

Quantitative risk assessment (QRA) calculations for major hazard installations often involve consequence analysis calculations for thousands of events, and therefore, some simplifying assumptions are generally required. The simplifications are usually designed to make the analysis reasonably practicable and reduce the cost of the QRA. Nevertheless, the overall methodology and the applied parameters should be chosen conservatively to cover possible uncertainties. One of the key assumptions in many QRAs is the release direction, which is usually assumed to be horizontal. This is generally assumed to provide a conservative representation of all other possible release directions, which may occur vertically (upward or downward) or at an angle. A sensitivity analysis has been performed and presented in this paper to investigate how different release direction assumptions affect the results of consequence analysis, and eventually, QRA outcomes, i.e. individual and societal risk results. A high-pressure hydrocarbon system is considered as a case study and SNC-Lavalin’s (formerly Atkins) in-house QRA software, ‘RiskTool’, has been used to carry out the QRA modelling. The overall conclusion is that the assumption that all releases are horizontal may lead to a significant underprediction of risks for some types of high-pressure release events. This is because an unimpeded horizontal jet may entrain air, and hence, dilute much more rapidly than a jet that impinges on the ground or nearby obstacles.

Risk and Reliability Based Fitness for Service (FFS) Assessment for Subsea Pipelines

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Bai ◽  
Mohd Ashri B. Mustapha ◽  
Fangyuan Zhang ◽  
Vincent Hui Shao
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Operating Pressure ◽  
Safety Level ◽  
Pipeline Inspection ◽  
Study Report ◽  
Structure Reliability ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Subsea Pipelines ◽  
Safe Operating

The risk and reliability based fitness-for-services (FFS) assessment addressed in this paper is a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) based FFS study on subsea oil or gas pipelines. The main purpose of QRA is to determine the target reliabilities for different pipeline segments. And then, a structure reliability analysis (SRA) method is used to calculate the maximum safe operating pressure, which indicates the pipeline retaining pressure capacity. It has been revealed that the target reliability or target safety level should reflect the consequences of failure, inspection and monitoring scheme etc. But, in the traditional FFS assessment (e.g. B31G and DNV RP F101), the identification of pipeline target reliability is merely based on qualitative judgments and experience. In this paper, however, a quantitative risk assessment will be performed based on abundant data from pipeline inspection and monitoring records, pipeline environmental impact assessment (EIA) study report, pipeline corrosion study report, pipeline emergency response scheme and anything else which can affect the pipeline failure consequences. An example of pipeline FFS assessment performed at four levels has revealed that the risk and reliability based FFS results have much better consistency to the reality.

Overview of the Lateral Buckling and Walking Designs of Deepwater Pipelines in Offshore Brazil

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael F. Solano ◽  
Carlos O. Cardoso ◽  
Bruno R. Antunes
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Clayey Soils ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Buckling Behavior ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Buckling ◽  
Subsea Pipelines

Abstract Last two decades have been marked by a significant evolution on the design of HP/HT subsea pipelines around the world. The HotPipe and SAFEBUCK JIPs can be seen as the first deepened developments in order to obtain safe design guidelines for subsea pipelines systems subjected to global buckling and walking behaviors. The adopted design approach have been to allow exposed pipeline buckles globally on seabed in a safe and controlled manner. Otherwise, the walking phenomenon has been in general mitigated constraining axial displacements by means of anchoring systems. After several design and installation challenges concerning lateral buckling and pipeline walking behaviors, nowadays there is a significant amount of deepwater pipelines operating with buckle initiators (triggers) as well as walking mitigation devices in offshore Brazil. Oil and gas pipelines, short gathering lines and long export lines, installed by reeling and J-lay methods, in other words different kinds of subsea pipelines have operated on very soft clayey soils and have formed planned lateral buckles as well as rogue buckles. This paper presents the main characteristics and design challenges of the deepwater pipelines subjected to the lateral buckling behavior, also highlighting mitigation measures to constrain the walking phenomenon of some pipelines. The relevant design results are highlighted as type and number of buckle triggers, buckle spacing, type and locations of walking mitigations. Envelopment of the main design parameters are mapped in order to identify some trends. Finally, survey images of operating pipelines are presented confirming behaviors predicted in the design phase.

Interaction between Upheaval/Lateral and Propagation Buckling in Subsea Pipelines

2014 ◽  
Vol 553 ◽  
pp. 434-438
Author(s):  
Hassan Karampour ◽  
Faris Albermani
Keyword(s):  
Horizontal Plane ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Vertical Plane ◽  
Lateral Buckling ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Upheaval Buckling ◽  
Oil And Gas Pipelines ◽  
Global Buckling ◽  
Internal Pressures ◽  
Subsea Pipelines

Due to high service temperatures and internal pressures in oil and gas pipelines, axial compression forces are induced in the pipe due to seabed friction. Slender trenched pipelines can experience global buckling in the vertical plane (upheaval buckling) while untrenched pipelines buckle in the horizontal plane (lateral buckling). Furthermore, deep subsea pipelines subjected to high external hydrostatics pressures can undergo catastrophic propagation buckling. In this study, the possible interaction between upheaval/lateral buckling and propagation buckling is numerically investigated using finite element analysis. A new concept is proposed for subsea pipelines design that gives higher capacity than conventional pipelines.

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