Conduit displacement mitigation apparatus including mesh layers, methods and systems for use with subsea conduits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291287-B2
Application number	US-201514668138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Aug 13, 2012
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus, systems and methods for reducing displacement of a subsea conduit such as offshore hydrocarbon production pipeline, also referred to as pipeline walking or buckling, thus reducing the need for expensive pipeline anchoring or other mitigation solutions. A movement resistor adapted to be installed on a subsea conduit is provided having an inner portion adapted to receive and securely attach to a subsea conduit and at least one resistor portion adapted to resist induced forces. The at least one resistor portion includes a mesh layer therein that allows the passage of water but does not allow the passage of soil there through. At least one movement resistor can be installed along the length of a subsea conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A movement resistor adapted to be installed on a subsea conduit having a cylindrical wall disposed about a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the subsea conduit, the movement resistor comprising:
a. a sleeve having two ends, a sleeve diameter and an inner sleeve surface adapted to receive and securely attach to the subsea conduit; and
b. at least one resistor portion having a cross-sectional shape for resisting an axial force applied thereto, wherein the at least one resistor portion is attached to and extends radially outwardly from the sleeve and wherein the at least one resistor portion comprises a face comprising at least one generally planar mesh layer wherein the face is generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the subsea conduit when the movement resistor is installed on the subsea conduit such that the at least one mesh layer resists axial forces substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the subsea conduit;
wherein the mesh layer allows the passage of water there through and does not allow the passage of soil there through; and wherein the movement resistor is configured such that the subsea conduit extends continuously through the entire movement resistor when the movement resistor is installed on the subsea conduit.

2. The movement resistor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one resistor portion is a pair of resistor portions and each resistor portion is attached at one of the two ends of the sleeve.

3. The movement resistor of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape comprises a shape selected from the group consisting of ellipses, polygons, partial ellipses, partial polygons and combinations thereof.

4. The movement resistor of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises at least two elements attachable to one another using at least one of a clamp, a circumferential band, polymer material, a hinge mechanism and a bolt.

5. The movement resistor of claim 1 , further comprising at least one data handling device located in the movement resistor for at least one of measuring data, storing data and communicating data.

6. The movement resistor of claim 5 , wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of displacement data, strain data, temperature data, compression data, number of events data, soil property data, water current data, time data, date data and location data.

7. The movement resistor of claim 1 , wherein the mesh layer is a screen.

8. A system for conveying fluids on a seabed, the system comprising:
a. a conduit having a cylindrical wall disposed about a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the conduit located on a seabed; and
b. at least one movement resistor installed on the conduit, the movement resistor comprising:
i. a sleeve having two ends, a sleeve diameter and an inner sleeve surface adapted to receive and securely attach to the conduit; and
ii. at least one resistor portion having a cross-sectional shape for resisting a force applied thereto, wherein the at least one resistor portion is attached to and extends radially outwardly from the sleeve and wherein the at least one resistor portion comprises a face comprising at least one generally planar mesh layer wherein the face is generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the conduit such that the at least one mesh layer resists axial forces substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conduit;
wherein the mesh layer allows the passage of water there through and does not allow the passage of soil there through; and wherein the conduit extends continuously through the entire at least one movement resistor.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein multiple movement resistors are installed on the conduit at locations determined by engineering analysis to resist movement.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising at least one data handling device located in at least one of the at least one movement resistor for at least one of measuring data, storing data and communicating data.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of displacement data, strain data, temperature data, compression data, number of events data, time data, soil property data, water current data, date data and location data.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the inner sleeve surface is bonded to the conduit.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sleeve comprises at least two elements attachable to one another using at least one of a clamp, a circumferential band, polymer material, a hinge mechanism and a bolt.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the mesh layer is a screen.

15. A method for controlling displacement of a subsea conduit having a cylindrical wall disposed about a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the subsea conduit located on a seabed, the method comprising:
a. installing at least one movement resistor on the subsea conduit, the movement resistor comprising:
i. a sleeve having two ends, a sleeve diameter and an inner sleeve surface adapted to receive and securely attach to the subsea conduit; and
ii. at least one resistor portion having a cross-sectional shape for resisting a force applied thereto, wherein the at least one resistor portion is attached to and extends radially outwardly from the sleeve and wherein the at least one resistor portion comprises a face comprising at least one generally planar mesh layer wherein the face is generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the subsea conduit such that the at least one mesh layer resists axial forces substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the subsea conduit:
wherein the mesh layer allows the passage of water there through and does not allow the passage of soil there through; and wherein the subsea conduit extends continuously through the entire at least one movement resistor.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one movement resistor is installed in at least one location determined by engineering analysis.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sleeve comprises at least two elements attachable to one another; and
the at least one movement resistor is installed by placing the at least two elements around the subsea conduit and attaching the at least two elements to one another using at least one of a clamp, a circumferential band, polymer material, a hinge mechanism, and a bolt.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one movement resistor is installed by bonding the inner sleeve surface to the subsea conduit.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mesh layer is a screen.

20. A method for installing a subsea conduit on a seabed comprising:
a. installing at least one movement resistor on a conduit having a cylindrical wall disposed about a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the conduit; and
b. laying down the conduit on the seabed;
wherein the movement resistor comprises:
i. a sleeve having two ends, a sleeve diameter and an inner sleeve surface adapted to receive and securely attach to the conduit; and
ii. at least one resistor portion having a cross-sectional shape for resisting a force applied thereto, wherein the at least one resistor portion is attached to and extends radially outwardly from the sleeve and wherein the at least one resistor portion comprises a face comprising at least one generally planar mesh layer wherein the face is generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the conduit such that the at least one mesh layer resists axial forces substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conduit wherein the m

Assignees

• Chevron Usa Inc

Inventors

• Critsinelis Antonio Carlos Falcao
• Mebarkia Sid Ahmed
• Kefford Daniel Christopher
• Bougai Daria Igorevna
• Drew Dane Ryne

Classifications

• B63B21/26

  securing to bed · CPC title

• F16L1/20

  Accessories therefor, e.g. floats or weights · CPC title

• F16L1/16

  on the bottom · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• F16L1/24

  Floats; Weights · CPC title