Pipelines, Flowlines & Risers
Pipelines, flow lines and risers contain the hot, pressurised oil and gas piped up from seabed installations to shore and for processing. GL Noble Denton's pipeline engineers provide knowledge and experience of design codes and ensure that this valuable cargo arrives safely.
Offshore and Subsea Pipelines
Subsea pipelines present very different engineering challenges as faced by onshore lines. They must deal with higher external pressures and colder temperatures, and unless buried or trenched in the seabed, subsea pipelines are subject to currents and tidal movements.
In addition to providing pipeline services through all project stages - from conception to operation to decommissioning - we add value to our clients' projects and assets by ensuring that client and regulatory requirements are met.
Onshore Pipelines
Our expertise helps covers upstream, in-field gathering and export systems for high-pressure transmission trunk lines through to low-pressure downstream distribution systems. This knowledge extends to issues including choice of a pipeline route, materials (we understand the problems caused by fluids carried within pipelines) to laying technique. Whether installed above or below ground, GL Noble Denton experts ensure client and regulatory requirements are met.
Design
GL Noble Denton offers design appraisal, certification and classification of structures of all types (steel, concrete, fixed, floating) and a full range of subsea pipeline, flow line and riser design consultancy services including:
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Conception
- Consulting for process design
- Technical feasibility study
- Technical due diligence
- Environmental impact study
- Risk assessment
Basic / detailed engineering
- Design verification / certification (incl. free span, on-bottom stability and crossings)
- Technical and environmental due diligence
- Consulting
- Owners representative
- Risk assessment (various safety studies, e.g. HAZID / HAZOP, FMEA, RAM, etc.)
- Design modelling and recalculations
- Stress and fatigue analysis
- HSE assessment
- Risk assessment
GL Noble Denton's comprehensive consultancy, engineering and project management services cover all aspects of your subsea pipeline, flow line, and riser projects, including:
- Route planning and survey oversight
- Mechanical design (wall thickness, grade, coatings, corrosion, sour service)
- Stability
- Spanning and crossings
- Vortex-induced vibration
- Thermal expansion and pipeline thermal management and insulation design
- Engineering-critical assessment
- PLETs and in-line sleds
- Flexible pipelines and risers
- Steel catenary risers
- Free-standing risers - single-line and bundled-hybrid
- Top-tension risers including tensioning systems
- Drilling / completion risers
- Fatigue
- Vortex-induced motion fatigue
- Material selection, welding and specifications
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Build
To ensure projects remain on track and budget during the manufacturing / fabrication phase, GL Noble Denton provides comprehensive project support services including:
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- Procurement services and construction supervision
- Vendor evaluation, management, oversight and inspection
- Third-party supervision
- Planning / scheduling
- Materials testing
- Cost-estimating and control
- Document control
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Install
GL Noble Denton's engineering expertise and our practical marine operations experience allows us to lead the way in pipeline, flow line, and riser installation in both shallow and deep water.
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GL Noble Denton is very familiar with the world's fleet of installation vessels, their capabilities and limitations. As an independent company we can assist you in finding the best vessel for your installation campaign.
The range of GL Noble Denton's involvement covers:
- Installation-vessel evaluation and inspection
- Load-out supervision
- Supervision during deployment of subsea hardware
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Operate
Reliability of subsea pipelines and risers is key to the success of any field, making integrity management extremely important. While attention is paid to extending operating life, preserving adequate safeguards for human life and the environment is of overriding importance.
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- Periodic condition assessment
- Optimised inspection and maintenance programmes
- Asset integrity management
- Risk awareness programmes, various safety studies and audits
- Corrosion assessment (e.g. consultancy for intelligent pigging activities)
- Free-span assessment
- Re-certification
- Material testing
- Pipeline development (e.g. consultancy, assessment of pipeline systems)
- Damage evaluations (including 1:1 testing, material testing and detailed finite element analyses)
From baseline assessments through routine inspection and maintenance, corrosion management to failure investigation, GL Noble Denton's all-inclusive services ensure subsea pipelines and riser assets are working to their full potential.
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Pipeline Integrity Management
Pipeline integrity management services help preserve and improve their performance in the most economical manner, whilst complying with safety and environmental regulations.
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Pipeline integrity management services include:
- External corrosion management
- Fitness for service assessments
- Geotechnics and ground movement
- In-line inspection services
- Integrity management systems audits
- Investigation of pipeline incidents
- Survey of the pipeline route (onshore)
- Pipeline upgrading
- Welding technology services
- Grouted Tee® from GL Noble Denton is used for live pipeline intervention. This is a high-quality alternative to traditional welded or mechanical pipeline tees.
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Pipeline Inspection and Testing Services
Oil and gas pipelines are capable of carrying high-temperature, high-pressure crude oil to freezing, liquefied natural gas. Pipes are vulnerable to attack by internal and external corrosion, cracking, third-party damage and manufacturing flaws. Our resources include:
Spadeadam Test Site, UK
The Spadeadam Test Site is a world-class test facility where full-scale destructive and non-destructive experiments can be fulfilled, discreetly and with complete confidentiality.
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The
Spadeadam Test Site is unique, fully modernised site carries out research, investigative testing and technical project work and is frequently used to test pipeline materials and fittings, which are tested to destruction to ensure they can be used safely both on and offshore.
The testing can demonstrate that items are fit for purpose, test new products, techniques or processes, or provide data to validate computer models. Typical projects undertaken involve some or all of the following features:
- Flammable or toxic gases or liquids
- High pressures or temperatures
- Cryogenic liquids including LNG
- High explosives
- Large-scale test rigs
- Rapid data capture
- Risk of loss of containment
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Pipeline Software Tools
GL Noble Denton offers Pipeline Software Tools like SynerGEE® Gas for Network Modelling and Analysis, Pipeline Simulator (SPS) for flow simulation, GALIOM the Asset Integrity Management (AIM) software tool and UPTIME combining decision support tools with a data management system.
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Network Modelling and Analysis
SynerGEE® Gas models and analyses closed conduit networks of pipes, regulators, valves, compressors, storage fields and production wells.
Pipeline Simulator
Pipeline Simulator (SPS) is the worldwide leader in the flow simulation of natural gas and liquid transmission systems. The SPS family includes a complete range of compatible simulation solutions from the planning desktop through operator training and qualification, and into online systems including leak detection and predictive simulation.
GALIOM
GALIOM is an asset integrity management (AIM) software tool, which determines risk and shows the technical integrity of an asset. Moreover, it develops a targeted inspection and maintenance programme. GALIOM is a combined AIM and risk-based inspection tool that can be used for any oil, gas or petrochemical facility or power plant.
UPTIME
UPTIME combines GL Noble Denton's powerful decision support tools with a data management system to address pipeline risk and integrity management. UPTIME helps improve your knowledge of the condition of your oil and gas pipelines and to target your integrity expenditures for maximum benefit.
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