Page 64: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Oct/Nov 2013)

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Pipelines

Deepwater drivers

Not only is the offshore construc- tested, with all eyes now on Technip’s

A high level of investment tion industry faced with the challenge reel-layer, the Deep Blue. The vessel creates an opportunity of installing unprecedented volumes was recently contracted by Shell to lay for new entrants into the of pipe, it is also handling increasing the world’s deepest pipeline, in 2,900m water depths, high pressure, high tem- water, to support the development of pipelay vessel market, perature, and corrosive environments. the Stones feld in the Gulf of Mexico. says Douglas Westwood’s

New fow assurance technologies have Including this record-breaking

Singapore-based also been designed to optimize produc- project, North America will account tivity of subsea developments and keep for 16% of deepwater pipelines—the analyst . Thom Payne installation engineers on their toes. third-highest of all major regions,

With about 66% of forecast kilometers behind Latin America with 26%, and bout 32,000km of offshore to be installed in water depths beyond Europe with 18%. Deepwater is gener- pipelines are expected to be 500m, deepwater is fast becoming the ally defned as greater than 200m. installed over the next fve norm for the offshore pipeline industry. Brazil in particular drives demand

A years, representing a 22% increase The limits of the industry’s techni- for deepwater activity, with the over the past fve-year period. cal capabilities are continually being country accounting for 60% of global

Newbuild - the , being built by IHC Merwede, for delivery 2014 to TL Ofshore, a subsidiary of SapuraCrest, for Sapura Diamante the installation of fexible pipelines ofshore Brazil. It is one of two identical 550-ton pipelaying vessels being built by IHC at the Krimpen aan den IJssel yard, Netherlands.

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