Reelable Mechanically Lined Pipe Suited for Ultra-Deepwater Sour Service
19 September 2012
Production from deeper and more corrosive subsea reservoirs requires pipelines to cope with increasing amounts of carbon dioxide and/or hydrogen sulfide throughout the life of field. Subsea 7 and Butting have developed a unique solution that involves reel lay installation of mechanically lined pipe (BuBi lined pipe).
Over the years, Butting lined pipe has been successfully deployed in towed pipeline bundle projects, providing a cost-effective alternative to more expensive options such as solid corrosion-resistant alloys or metallurgically-clad pipe.
More recently, Subsea 7 and Butting have taken the development forward with the BuBi pipe undergoing further qualification in readiness for a world-first installation via the reel-lay method for the ultra-deepwater Guarį and Lula NE presalt project in Brazil's Santos basin. The project includes installation of several BuBi pipe steel catenary risers (SCRs) and is the largest contract award of its type to date in Brazil.
The two companies have already qualified BuBi mechanically lined pipe for reel-lay installation for flowlines and low-fatigue riser applications globally with DNV in compliance with the latter's recommended practice for new technology qualification (DNV-RP-A203), and they are now broadening the product's applications into areas of higher pressure and fatigue. In this regard, current testing has demonstrated exceptional fatigue performance to DNV Class C.
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