Pipelines/flowlines/risers

Operator Reviews Decommissioning Options for Deepwater Flowlines and Risers

The paper reviews an operator’s deepwater field project offshore Mauritania, for which several techniques were considered with respect to decommissioning a subsea pipeline system at water depths of 700 to 960 m.

Flexible pipe cutter.
Fig. 1—Flexible pipe cutter.
Source: OTC 30397

The complete paper reviews an operator’s deepwater field project offshore Mauritania, for which several techniques were considered with respect to decommissioning a subsea pipeline system at water depths of 700 to 960 m. Options included preservation for potential future use, leaving in situ, and full recovery. The paper covers only the operator’s deepwater subsea flowline and riser decommissioning experiences and reviews activities from planning and concept to operational activities such as pigging, flushing, cleaning, disconnection, and retrieval.

Case Study

The operator’s deepwater field is 80 km from the Mauritanian coastline. It has been in production since 2006 but has become uneconomical.

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