Geotechnical design and construction aspects of a pipeline-escarpment crossing

Zhang, J., Erbrich, C., Finnie, I., Neubecker, S., White, D.J., Deeks, A.D., Doh, G., Cumming, G., Op Den Velde, W., Brown, N. and Little, R. (2015) Geotechnical design and construction aspects of a pipeline-escarpment crossing. In Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics III: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics, ISFOG 2015. CRC Press / Balkema. pp. 495-500 .

Abstract

This paper describes geotechnical design and construction aspects of a large diameter pipeline which traverses a steep and tall escarpment in deep water on its route to shore from a hydrocarbon field offshore of Australia. Key geotechnical challenges of this crossing, which are discussed in this paper include (i) pipeline route selection, (ii) calcareous seabed conditions, (iii) deep-water earthworks necessary to profile the escarpment, (iv) overall stability assessment, and (v) evaluation of necessary pipe-soil interaction parameters in relation to pipeline performance when subject to imposed metocean and product-slugging loads. These data were also used to determine appropriate construction methods, earthworks profiling and to assess pipeline fatigue life at the crossing. Insights from escarpment profiling and pipeline installation are also presented.

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Contributors

Author: D.J. White

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