High-temperature wells on remote wellhead platforms typically require high facilities costs due in part to large wellhead coolers and associated utilities. Coolers are required due to temperature-based design limitations on buried, subsea pipelines. In May 1999, commissioning of a high temperature (300 degree F design) subsea flowline was completed. This high-temperature design allows for the elimination of the wellstream cooler and associated facilities. Thermal expansion, cathodic protection consumption, and coatings degradation are among the major design concerns that were addressed early in the project. Sand free expansion boxes allow the flowline to expand longitudinally on either end of the line, freeing the buried flowline from the natural constraints of sand. The cathodic protection design utilized an attenuation model, which resulted in the installation of two remote anode sleds, one on either end of the flowline. The flowline is coated with a high-temperature fusion bonded epoxy. Both cathodic protection and coatings are being monitored in situ to confirm design assumptions. Start up was monitored by divers, underwater cameras, and survey equipment.
Coolerless design: achieving the high-temperature pipeline goal
2000
7 Seiten, 1 Quelle
Conference paper
English
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