Patent GB-1107541-A (GB)
Title: Laying an underwater pipeline from a floating vessel
IPC: F16L1/20
Filed: 1965-03-22
Abstract: 1,107,541. Laying under-water pipe lines. SHELL INTERNATIONALE RESEARCH MAATSCHAPIJ N.V. 22 March, 1965 [23 March, 1964], No. 12098/65. Heading F2P. A method of laying a pipe-line on the floor of a body of water from a vessel floating on the surface comprises anchoring one end of the pipe-line to the floor of the body of water, moving the vessel relative to said one pipe end in a direction it is desired to lay the pipe and paying out the pipe-line, controlling movement of the vessel and payout of the pipe-line to hold the tension in the pipe-line within a predetermined range sufficient to maintain the stresses in the pipe-line at a permissible level, terminating the pipe-line on the vessel to form another end, securing a drawline between said another end and the vessel, and paying out the drawline in a controlled manner to lower the other end to the floor of the body of water. In the embodiments of Figs. 1-5, a towed laybarge 10, having a pipe guide structure 20 and a reel mechanism 12 which is provided with control means to regulate both tension and payout rate, is anchored by a line 15 and a drawline 17 to the floor 22 near a wellhead 23. The drawline 17 is attached to the end of the pipe-line 13 and vessel moved such that the pipe-line is drawn off the reel and the tension in the pipe-line maintained within a preselected range, the anchor line 14 being simultaneously payed out at a controlled rate. The end of the pipe-line may be attached to the wellhead after it reaches the floor by remote control means or divers. The vessel then continues to lay the pipe-line therefrom to a facility 24, the pipe-line tension being maintained to limit the stresses therein. The pipeline is then terminated, the end lowered by a drawline 25, and the connection to facility 24 made. In the embodiments of Figs. 6-10 (not shown), a self-propelled barge (40), having a central derrick (44) and guide structure (46), is positioned near a wellhead (26) which is located by marker buoys (34, 37) on drawlines (33, 36). The pipeline (51) is secured to the end of line (36) and line (33) is drawn in at a controlled rate by a winch (43) on a further barge (38) until the pipe-line is connected to the arm (30) of the wellhead. During this period, the barge (40) is maintained on station by a tiltmeter line (42) arranged to act through control means operating the propulsion units (41). The barge is then moved to payout the pipeline, component sections (50) being added at the derrick as necessary and the tension being maintained at the selected value. When the barge approaches an installation (53) to which it is intended to connect the pipe, the end of the pipe-line is lowered by drawline (54, 54) whilst the barge is again maintained on station by tilt-meter line (42). Figs. 11 and 12 (not shown), illustrate two barges utilizing a verticallypositioned reeling drum and a vertical guide structure respectively. The axial pipe tension may be measured and controlled by several alternative ways such as by directly measuring the axial tension at the barge and controlling this tension through the reeling meohanism. Alternatively, for a particular angle of departure of the pipe from the barge, the horizontal or vertical tension components may be measured, for example by strain gauges on the guide structure, and the related axial tension controlled by adjustment of the barge propulsion units or by the pipe handling equipment. An exemplary set of calculated or experimental curves relating water depth, permitted maximum stresses, pipe tensions and angle of departure of the pipe from the barge for four pipes are illustrated in Fig. 13 (not shown), whereby the control of pipe tension may be effected by controlling said angle of departure. These curves also give the permitted barge moveback, e.g. barge back-up under the effects of winds, &c., without exceeding the stress limits. The payout of the pipe-line and movement of the vessel in the direction of pipe layout need not take place at the same time. The vessel may be moved without paying-out the pipe line until the horizontal tension at the surface reaches an optimum value. The vessel is then maintained on station whilst paying out the pipe-line until the tension falls to a lower predetermined limit corresponding to maximum allowable pipe bending stresses. The vessel is then moved without paying out slack until the horizontal tension again increases to the optimum value and the procedure repeated. Reference has been directed by the Comptroller to Specification 1,016,439.