PRCI PR-201-019

L51659e

Stress Engineering Services, Inc.

Need: Offshore oil and gas developments are underway for water depths beyond which divers can function. The economic lifelines of these projects are the pipelines which will transport the products to shore. In preparation for the day when one of these pipelines will require repair because of a leak, the Pipeline Research Committee of Pipeline Research Council International, Inc. is funding research directed at developing diverless pipeline repair capabilities.

Benefit: Several types of damage are possible, ranging from latent weld defects on one end of the spectrum to damage resulting in parting of the pipe at the other end. This study is specifically directed toward laying the groundwork for development of a diverless pipeline repair clamp for use in repair of leaks resulting from minor pipe
defects. The incentive for a clamp type repair is costs. When compared to replacing a section of pipe, either by welding or by mechanical means, the clamp type repair requires much less disturbance of the pipe, less time, fewer operations and less equipment.

Result: This report summarizes (1) capabilities of remotely operated vehicles (ROV's) and associated systems, (2) highlights areas for further research and development, (3) describes the required capabilities of the diverless repair clamp, (4) investigates some
alternatives to the diverless clamp, (5) overviews the state of the art in leak repair clamps, and (6) critiques several possible generic clamp concepts.

Product Details

Published:

08/01/1993

Number of Pages:

95

File Size:

1 file , 1.6 MB