Acergy France Sas

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Brice Viellard

Florent Menet

A pipeline including an accessory such as a flowline end termination or an in-line tee is lowered to the seabed and a mudmat foundation is subsequently lowered toward the seabed for subsea docking with the accessory to provide a permanent foundation support for the accessory. Once docked and with a mudmat of the foundation landed on the seabed, weight loads of the accessory structure and the attached pipe are transferred to the mudmat to provide a permanent foundation for the accessory structure. Before and during installation of the mudmat foundation, the pipe may be allowed to become embedded in the seabed. Temporary interim support such as buoyancy may be provided to the accessory to limit embedment into the seabed.

Foundations for subsea pipeline accessories

A flowline branch structure () has at least one inner branch assembly with an inner flowline branch and at least one inner flowline pipe attached to and communicating with the inner flowline branch. At least one outer branch assembly () of the flowline branch structure has an outer branch housing disposed around the inner flowline branch and at least one outer pipe () disposed around the inner flowline pipe and attached to the outer branch housing. A generally annular space is defined between the inner and outer branch assemblies. At least one wiring element including an electrical heating element is disposed in the sealed space on an outer side of the inner branch assembly. The, or each, wiring element extends in one continuous length across an interface between the inner flowline pipe and the inner flowline branch. This reduces the number of connections necessary to create the flowline branch structure.

Growing community of inventors

Tolosa, Spain

Leire Ayestaran Basagoitia