OTC 23112

Development and Application of Reelable PiP Bulkhead Technology

J. Boi, B. Lynch and C. Sloan, Technip

Copyright 2012, Offshore Technology Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, Texas, USA, 30 April3 May 2012.

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Abstract
The benefits of reelable Pipe-in-Pipe (PiP) technology are well documented, providing exceptional passive insulation,
temperature maintenance capabilities and efficient offshore installation. This paper documents the significant progress that
has been made through 2010 and 2011 with the first implementations of reelable bulkheads on PiP projects. A reelable
bulkhead enhances PiP technology by further reducing the duration of pipelay operations and being used as an enabler in
various applications.

Traditionally bulkheads are welded during pipelay on the ramp of the installation vessel. Bulkheads may be required at
various positions along the pipeline such as at a Tee location or at the end of the PiP pipeline. Conventional insertion of
bulkheads is undertaken on critical path during pipeline installation resulting in extended durations for welding the flowline,
carrier and half shells at each end of the bulkhead, NDE and field joint coating (especially in an application with corrosion
resistant alloy bulkheads). The innovation of a reelable bulkhead aims to address the inherent issues with a welded bulkhead,
decreasing installation durations and allowing NDE to be undertaken in a controlled fabrication environment off critical path.

This paper presents the development, design and qualification programme for three distinct reeled bulkhead applications used
in North Sea projects in 2011.

Introduction
Reel-lay provides a fast, reliable and cost effective method for PiP pipeline installation. The individual carrier (outer) and
flowline (inner) pipeline joints are fabricated onshore into long pipeline stalks before being assembled by pushing the flowline
within the carrier while inserting spacers and passive insulation. The pipe stalks are spooled onto a reel-lay vessel which
transits to field and installs the pipeline. Performing the fabrication onshore, away from the vessel critical path, allows very
high quality welding, NDE and insulation application to be undertaken. Extending these clear benefits with the introduction of
reelable bulkheads is advantageous in terms of fabrication, quality and operational efficiency.

Technip have first developed and qualified reelable bulkhead technology in 2000 [OTC 14326]: it has now been implemented
in three PiP systems installed in the North Sea in 2011.

One application examined in this paper is to allow for a pressure retaining bulkhead in the PiP annular space (annular
overpressure isolator). Another example is the specific development of a PiP end bulkhead to facilitate lay-down of a fixed
length pipeline (load transfer bulkhead), hence avoiding an offshore cut and half shells. The final example involves an
injection port to be introduced into a reeled mid-line bulkhead (methanol injection Tee) without the need to cut the PiP
offshore.

FEA (Finite Element Analysis) was critical in the optimisation of bulkhead geometry during the design process, it identified
that the geometry and stiffness of nibs (bulkhead connection to the pipe joints) and the pipe either side of the bulkhead was
key to ensure the system was reelable. Standard design codes and Technip in house criteria were followed.

Other considerations such as fabrication and welding accessibility were also factored into the final design. During the iterative
design process for the Methanol Injection Tee, FEA was used to examine the deformation of a pre-drilled hole, directing the