GEOMSA's Subsea Pipeline System Design in the Gulf of Mexico: A Case Study
Technology Category
- Sensors - Environmental Sensors
- Sensors - Temperature Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Oil & Gas
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Time Sensitive Networking
- Vehicle Telematics
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
Grupo Especializado en Obras Marinas (GEOMSA) is a major developer of pipe-soil systems in the Gulf of Mexico. With over 18 years of experience in marine platform and submarine platform engineering projects, GEOMSA assesses the strength of subsea pipeline systems by determining the effect that expansion and lateral wear have on its life expectancy. The organization specializes in terrestrial pipe and industrial installation projects for hydrocarbon collection and processing. GEOMSA's mission is to reliably meet its clients' requirements.
The Challenge
Grupo Especializado en Obras Marinas (GEOMSA), a major developer of pipe-soil systems in the Gulf of Mexico, was tasked with assessing pipeline integrity under various conditions in the clay soil trenches of an underwater pipeline system. The project's objective was to increase domestic oil production in the surrounding region. The team needed to determine how the new pipeline system would react to expansion and lateral deformation considering the route's horizontal curves, the varying widths of the trench, the number of ocean floor levels above the pipeline, and how the pipeline would interact with the clay soil environment in which it was being placed. They also had to determine a logical and reliable behavior of the pipeline by simulating it inside the trench considering variables such as temperature, lateral deformations, and system stress.
The Solution
To address these challenges, GEOMSA deployed Bentley's AutoPIPE to perform the structural analysis and accurately model the geometry of the pipeline and the characteristics of the soil. The project occurred in two phases. In the first phase, the engineering team used AutoPIPE to develop a 3D model using the project's informational database that describes the types of materials needed for the pipes, connections, and valves. In the second phase, the design team input codes and regulations, design factors, design pressure and temperature, and bend radius elbows. These factors were then used to calculate how the system would interact with the soil. The engineers manipulated the parameters of the soil-pipe interaction in the model to simulate the variations in the width of the trench. They also performed several flexibility analyses so that the team could obtain stress results and deformations in the clay soil.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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