Flexible Riser

Flexible pipe has been a successful solution for deep and shallow water riser and flowline systems worldwide. In such applications the flexible pipe section may be used along the entire riser length or limited to short dynamic sections such as jumpers. 2H Offshore’s experience covers all these applications from the shortest wellhead jumpers, used on top tensioned risers, to the deepest and longest catenary riser solutions.

Many of the analysis methods and design techniques developed for flexible pipe in the early 1980s have been extensively developed and enhanced by 2H to meet the challenges offered by steel catenary risers. These same enhanced methods are now routinely applied to flexible pipe allowing efficient and accurate assessment of flexible pipe response even under the most severe and complex loading conditions.

Typical issues covered include:

• Pipe cross section specification
• Material selection
• Global analysis
• End fitting specification
• Bend restrictor/stiffener design and specification
• Testing and qualification
• Installation and pull-in procedures
• Operational procedures
• Inspection and monitoring
• Repair

2H personnel have over 25 years engineering experience with flexible pipe covering specification, engineering, procurement, installation, operation and inspection. Sister company Aquatic provides flexible pipe installation services and equipment such as powered reels for flexible pipe installation.

As the age of the installed flexible pipe based riser increases, it has become increasingly important to monitor these systems. Furthermore it has become necessary to apply systematic integrity management methods to maintain integrity and capture degradation before it results in catastrophic failure.

2H Offshore provides such integrity management services to the oil majors using risk based approaches and have developed monitoring solutions to detect structural degradation of critical interfaces typically at the vessel adjacent to the end fittings.

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