Jonathan Ainley, Craig Moir and Michael
Quinnell, Fugro,
discuss how metocean
studies play a vital role in oil and gas
pipeline sensing.
S
ubsea pipelines are the arteries of the offshore oil and
gas industry, and an area in which Fugro has carried out
meteorological and oceanographic (metocean) related
projects for over 25 years, rising to challenges set by
clients all over the world. Major projects include work on various
aspects of pipelines in locations including Terang Sirasun, Gibraltar
Straits, Yell Sound, Oman-India, Blue Stream - Black Sea, and
Mahakam Delta.
Fugro provides support during planning, pipelay and pipeline
operation, with some significant cost-saving solutions possible
at every stage. Sensing technologies – transducers that sense (or
detect) some characteristic of their environments – play a vital
role at all three stages in the lifecycle of a pipeline.
Metocean’s role in the planning stage
Pipeline projects worldwide have benefited from the expertise
of Fugro’s metocean skills including metocean criteria studies
(desk studies, modelling) and measurement of parameters such as
current, waves, water level, turbidity and temperature along the
planned route.
Before a pipeline is laid, the ‘where and when’ needs to
be investigated. Fugro’s geophysical and geotechnical teams
undertake site investigations, with metocean experts providing
a range of complementary services. These include preliminary
desk studies of pipeline routes at the feasibility stage, validated
by measurements using an array of sensors to identify and assess
complex issues in the design of a successful project.
sensing
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