11 BACKGROUND Pipeline is the most efficient and cheapest mode of trimsportation ofthe hydrocarbons to land for processing and distribution, Extensive business and engineering considerations go into the pipeline installation process. Offshore pipeline installation process has a proven track record. However many technical challenges are encountered besides weather, water depth and installation vehicle capability and need to be addressed carefully during an installation process Pipeline engineering is a science in its own right. Many advances have been made in the installation process and the design of mstallation velucles. There are various types of mmstallation methods and the choice is made based on the project requirements and many other factors. Reel lay used in the thesis is one of the fastest mtallation methods as the pipeline is welded in an onshore facility and spooled into the «reel as very long segments, Figure 1.1 shows a reel lay vessel with vertical reel Figure 1 1Reel Lay Pipeline Installation Vessel - Seven Oceans [31] In addition fo pipelines, many inline and end stmctures Like Wye, Tee joints, Pipeline End Terminals (PLET) and Sleds are installed in the catenary between pipe segments. Advanced modem technology has made it possible to develop smaller and remote fields. It is economically beneficial to process their output at existing fields nearby. Inline structures facilitate future tie-in of pipelines coming fom these fields. This would avoid the installation of separate trunk Lines 13)Figure 1. Very Large Inline Sled [28] Some of these mline structures are very large and can weigh as much as 136 metne tons [28] as shown mm Figure 1.2. These large inline structures introduce many installation challenges due to increased weight in the catenary and suffer additional environmental loads. Also they might necessitate changes to the installation process itself imcuding vessel and process modifications and contingency operations. During installation they impose huge stress and bending on the pipeline. If the allowable limit of the pipe strength is breached then it will result in a phenomenon called local buckling shown im Figure 1.3 which results im the gross deformation of the pipe. In deep water, local buckling might initiate a more global instability where, driven by extemal pressure, the collapse propagates along the pipeline, offen at high velocity. This phenomenon is known as propagation buckling (5. P13]. This might eventually result in the flooding of pipeline and require an expensive and time consuming abandonment and recovery operation to complete the installation, Figure 14 shows the installation of an Inline structure.is: Figure 1.3Local Buckling in Pipeline (30] Figure 1 Ainline Structure (Tee) Installation [6] Proper considerations and analysis nmst be made to select the optimal installation method and process to overcome the technical difficulties Buckling is the chief failure mode during istallstion. The main focus of the installation analysis is to ideutify the safe limiting seastare that would keep the buckling uilizatioa of the pipeline under the allowable limits. The industry practice is to use buoyancy modules to improve the Limiting sea state for mstallation. ‘The era buoyancy provided by the buoyancy module reduces the weight of the inline stucure and consequently stress and bending moment in the pipeline However it is very had to generalize the buoyancy requirement far instllation process. The buoyancy requiremans vary depending on 2 munber of project parameters including the weight and shape of the imlne structure, water depth and vessel capabilities. Extensive analysis is required to amrive at the optimal configuration of buoyancy. Figure 1.5 shows the installation of an inline structure wit buoyancy modules attached. ILTon the ramp State buoy attached to PLET deplovrnent PLET on the ran for initiation. Dynamic boy for ILT deployment Figure | Slnstallation of Tnline Structe with Buoyancy Modules [29]