Subsea Pipeline Major Accident Event (MAE) and Safeguards Protection

แสดงความเห็นโดยpongsakorn monturatเขียนแล้วในPetroleum Exploration Safety

Major Accident Event (MAE) from the pipeline

Major Accident Event (MAE) is an accident with significant consequences or catastrophic incident in terms of human safety, environmental impact, and property damage.

The example MAE from subsea pipeline such as;

  • Pipeline leak, spill, or rupture;
  • Subsea infrastructure damage;
  • Subsea blowout or overpressure; and
  • Anchor dragging or vessel impact

Any damage and leakage of subsea pipeline can lead to the release of large quantities of oil, gas, or other hazardous substance into the marine environment. This can result in environmental pollution, damage to marine ecosystems, and impacts on the marine life and coastal communities.

Example the cause and safeguards protection

Subsea pipeline crashing during laydown operation

  • Site survey and route selection to check the potential of steep slopes, geological faults, or unstable sediment.
  • Maintain the minimum distance of existing pipeline (if any)
  • Design the suitable pipe wall thickness by considering the hydrostatic pressure, currents, seabed movement, potential impacts from marine crash, potential impacts from the drop objects.
  • If necessary, install the concrete mattress, or rock berm to prevent the pipeline movement.
  • If necessary to crossover the existing pipeline, provide the suitable sleeper.
  • Periodic General Structure Inspection (GSI) and Geotechnical Test & Inspection (GTI)
  • Stop production of the nearby pipeline during installation.
  • Utilize the ROV as supportive monitoring system during installation.

Pipeline Aging

  • Consider the cathodic protection;
  • Extent the pipeline life cycle by considering the interior lining and exterior coating;
  • Periodic Inline Inspection (ILT) by smart pigging

Pipeline Support Aging

  • Install the strain gauge, tiltmeter, or displacement sensor;
  • Preventive Maintenance Program;
  • Geotechnical monitoring such as soil moisture monitoring; slop stability analysis, or ground movement monitoring.

Rigging failure during transferring the pipe from barge to pipe laydown vessel

  • Training & Qualification of operation person;
  • Load calculation or engineering calculation;
  • Load inspection;
  • Equipment inspection such as hook, rigging gear, shackle, sling, anchor system;
  • Securing the load by tag line to control movement; and
  • Environmental considerations.

Anchor pilling of vessel damages.

  • Design and select the proper anchor (material, dimension, and configuration);
  • Installation of coating system or cathodic protection system;
  • Periodic geotechnical investigation i.e. soil composition, bearing capacity, potential of scour or erosion.
  • Selection the vessel that equipped with Dynamic Positioning (DP) system; and
  • Mooring analysis and mooring system.