Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK -- Subsea 7 has completed the Girassol pipeline repair project for Total E&P Angola.

For the diverless project, Subsea 7 performed the design, manufacture, testing, and operation of a new deepwater pipeline repair system (PR) for a damaged 12-in. (30-cm) water injection pipeline. The PRS system comprises a set of permanent equipment such as the spool deployment frame, rigid spool piece, end connection skids, and two mechanical pipeline connectors together with a suite of ROV-deployed or operated tools for preparing and aligning the pipeline prior to the connector installation.

Project management and engineering was performed at Subsea 7’s office in Aberdeen, UK and the in-country works supported from the company’s facilities in Luanda, Angola. The offshore phase comprised two separate phases. In the first phase the permanent works equipment was installed on the seabed at the damage location. In the second phase the ends of the damaged pipeline were lifted, prepared, and aligned before the mechanical connectors were installed, set, and tested with annulus tests onto the previously installed spool piece. Final confirmation of the repair was achieved by a pipeline leak test from the Girassol FPSO, which was completed in December 2009.

The Girassol field is in a water depth of approximately 1,350 m (4,429 ft).

01/19/2010