Designing a subsea network goes hand in hand with flow assurance. The main aim of a successful subsea pipeline network is to minimise the production losses through pressure drops.
There is however more to it, a subsea design must also be able to withstand all potential temperatures and pressures which are possible during dynamic conditions and minimise the risk of damage (corrosion, erosion) and blockage (hydrates, wax). Finally the design must be chosen to operate as stable as possible through life of field, minimising the losses caused by slugging. As such a successful subsea design will more often than not consist of a network of a variety of diameters and materials for both water injection, gas lift and production. This main network will have to be supported by a number of chemical injection and auxiliary umbillicals which will also have to be designed with the usual pressure and design constraints taken into account. The commissioning experience at Ingen has grown from our subsea design activities. Commissioning pipelines and wells is after all a natural progression of having designed them. We have experience in commissioning of subsea pipelines, manifolds, wells and umbillicals and their associated topsides equipment. More often than not our engineers have also written or participated in writing the commissioning procedures. Similarly we have provided support and offshore representation for other campaigns such as scale squeezes and diver interventions. Our commissioning engineers have all earned their spurs in the north sea. The North Sea and the UKCS are amongst the most demanding environments for offshore work in the world, both regulatory and weather wise.
|