Patent ID: 8585097

Claim:
A pipe stalk for a pipe-in-pipe pipeline, said pipe stalk comprising an outer pipe and at least one inner pipe located within the outer pipe, and having a retaining assembly, the retaining assembly in a first configuration comprising at least one first abutment provided on an inner surface of the outer pipe, at least one second abutment provided on an outer surface of the at least one inner pipe circumferentially offset from the at least one first abutment so that there is no overlap between the at least one first abutment and the at least one second abutment blocking axial movement of the at least one first abutment and the at least one second abutment past each other, and at least one key member in an annular space between the at least one inner pipe and the outer pipe positioned so as to overlap the at least one first abutment and the at least one second abutment and to block axial movement of the at least one first abutment and the at least one second abutment past each other, the first configuration preventing axial movement of the at least one inner pipe with respect to the outer pipe, the retaining assembly in a second configuration comprising the at least one first abutment and the at least one second abutment in the same relative circumferential positions as in the first configuration, the second configuration not including the at least one key member, the second configuration allowing axial movement of the outer pipe with respect to the at least one inner pipe.