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S-Lay
Is the one of the oldest method of laying
underwater pipelines.
It was used mainly for installations in shallow seas
It is named after the shape taken by the pipeline
beimg laid on the segment between the unit and
the bottom
A typical S-lay configuration is shown in Figure 1.
In the S-lay method, the welded pipeline is
supported on the rollers of the vessel and the
stinger, forming the over-bend.
Then it is suspended in the water all the way to the
seabed, forming the sag-bend.
The over-bend and sag-bend form the shape of an
S.
S-Lay
S-Lay
First generation S-lay barges are mainly flatbottom spud barges used for very shallow
water, swamps, and inland waters.
Second generation lay barges are also flat
bottomed barges with anywhere from four-to
fourteen-point moorings used for station
keeping.
These are the most common, and a large
number of these exist throughout the world. The
S-lay barge spread in this case consisted of:
a) anchor handling vessels
b) supply vessels
c) pipe barges
d) tugs
J-lay
To keep up with the discovery of deepwater oil
and gas fields, the J-lay system for pipeline
installation was invented. In this system,
lengths of pipe are welded in a near vertical or
vertical position and lowered to the seabed.
The J-lay configuration is shown in Figure 11.4.
In this configuration, the pipeline from the
surface to the seabed is one large radius bend
resulting in lower stresses than an S-lay
system in the same water depth.
There is no over-bend, and a large stinger
required in S-lay to support the pipe in
deepwater is eliminated.
J-lay
J-lay
Reel Lay
Reel pipelay is a method of installing
pipelines in the ocean from a giant reel
mounted on an offshore vessel.
reel bargescontain a vertical or horizontal
reel that the pipe is wrapped around.
Reel barges are able to install both smaller
diameter pipe and flexible pipe.
Horizontal reel barges perform S-lay
installation, while vertical reel barges can
perform both S-lay and J-lay pipeline
installation.
Tow Methods
In the tow methods, the pipeline is
normally constructed at an onshore
site with access to the water.
These methods can be used for
installing pipelines across inland
lakes, across wide rivers, and
offshore.
Bottom Tow
As the name indicates, the bottom tow
method pulls the pipeline along the
seabed to its final location.
The length of a single section of
pipeline is limited by the available
bollard pull of the vessel used.
The bollard pull must be greater than
the total submerged weight of the
pipeline, plus the partially submerged
weight of the end structures, times the
friction coefficient of the soil.
Off-Bottom Tow
In the off-bottom tow method, the
submerged pipeline is buoyant and
floats above the seabed at a
predetermined height during the towing.
This is achieved in the same manner as
described in the above section for
connecting the ends of bottom-towed
pipeline.
The buoyancy and chains are attached
in discrete modules for the length of the
pipeline.
Mid-depth Tow
In the mid-depth tow method, the entire length of
pipeline is kept at a considerable height above the
seabed during towing.
To achieve this, discrete buoyancy, chains, and a
large tension applied to the pipeline are required.
The tension is applied by two tow vessels pulling in
opposite directions at each end of the pipeline.
Once the pipeline reaches its desired height, the
front tow vessel applies more thrust while the back
tow vessel cuts back on its reverse thrust.
A third vessel monitors the height of the pipeline in
the middle by using a subsea transponder system.
Surface Tow
Surface tow of pipelines is similar to mid-depth
tow except that the pipeline will not require
any chains.
The two vessels, one at each end, keep the
pipeline in tension while it is towed on the
surface.
Only a survey of the final pipeline route is
required.
This method can be used for shallow water.
For deep water, a sophisticated controlled
flooding and/or buoyancy removal system is
required. Not many pipelines are installed by
this method.
Surface Tow
Pipeline Pre-commissioning
The pipeline pre-commissioning
consists of the following activities:
1. Flooding
2. Cleaning and gauging
3. Hydrotesting
4. Leak tests