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About Us > Case Histories
Ormen Lange – Umbilical Leak, November 2006
In late 2006 Brinker Technology applied their pipeline integrity expertise to develop Telepath™ - an innovative tool for locating leaks in subsea umbilicals through a combination of analytical and numerical modelling. Telepath™ was put to use in November 2006 when, on behalf of Norsk Hydro, the technique was used to successfully locate a leak in one of the two main umbilicals which controls the Ormen Lange Field. Production from Ormen Lange will feed into the Langeled pipeline, which runs from the west coast of Norway to the east coast of Britain and is the longest export pipeline in the world, supplying the UK with 20% of its annual gas demand. The main umbilicals are approximately 120km long and by using Telepath™ Brinker were able to accurately locate a leak 30km from the shore.
An ROV deployed in the area physically verified that there was fluid exiting the line, however, in umbilical bundles the eventual egress of fluid can be a considerable distance from the actual line failure due to the presence of additional outer sheath(s). Therefore Norsk Hydro have now contracted Brinker to implement their core technology, Platelet Technology®, to enable the exact location of the leak to be found.
Bernie Anson, Chairman and CEO of Brinker Technology is quoted as saying: “Telepath™ has proven highly effective in this instance and will be an excellent addition to our tool box of pipeline integrity management solutions in 2007. The technique will aid DSV operations by enabling leaks to be found quickly and easily thus significantly reducing the necessary downtown and associated operational costs.”
Shell - Brent Bravo Cell Fill Line Leak, August 2005
Although a Platelet® solution is not an off the shelf product and must be tailored for each specific application, Brinker Technology is able to fast track its usual manufacturing and testing procedure to provide rapid response solutions in time critical situations. An excellent example of this was when, on 18th August 2005, the Shell-operated Brent Bravo platform developed a leak in one of its cell fill lines, which are used to transport fluids to and from the storage cells. Found during a survey as part of an upgrade project, the leak was located a short distance from where the cell fill line penetrates the concrete wall at the bottom of the utility leg and was therefore in a very inaccessible location for the application of an external seal.
On Friday 19th August Brinker Technology was contacted by Shell and invited to discuss the potential of preparing and deploying a Platelet® solution to stem the leak. At this stage the leak was believed to be in the general location of a previous defect that had been clamped and then encased in concrete, making a traditional leak sealing solution even harder to implement.
Over the weekend of 20th/21st August, whilst awaiting approval to begin manufacturing Platelets®, Brinker Technology carried out initial computational modelling to assess Platelet® conveyance and entrainment rates. This meant that once approval was received on the morning of 22nd August Brinker was able to begin Platelet® manufacture immediately.
On Tuesday 23rd August, a Brinker engineer was flown to the platform to oversee the Platelet® operation. The first Platelet® injection took place that evening at around 20.20. After temporary cessation of flow Platelets® were seen to extrude from the pipeline and the leak flow resumed. This was due to a change in the leak flow rate from 2 litres/second at the time of initial contact to 9 litres/second at the time of Platelet® injection; thus the Platelets® were not optimised for this situation. However the Brinker beach team were able to redesign and manufacture additional batches of Platelets® that were shipped offshore for deployment the following day.
At 19.00 on Wednesday 24th August, a batch of 4 Platelets® were injected; after less than 90 seconds flow from the leak stopped completely. The leak was monitored throughout the evening and the Platelet® seal held. This seal held for 19 days until a gelling operation was conducted to provide the double isolation required before a permanent repair could be put in place.
In this instance Brinker Technology’s reaction time, from receiving the call to providing a seal, was only 5 days which included considerable redesign and manufacture as the data on the nature of the leak changed with time. This operation is a good example of the very high level of support and service offered by Brinker Technology as part of any Platelet ™ operation. The ability to react quickly and effectively as new information emerges under adverse conditions sets the technology apart from the majority of other integrity management solution.
BP Foinaven Water Injection Leak - September 2004
The first commercial implementation of Platelet Technology® was in September 2004 on a subsea water injection pipeline in BP's Foinaven field. The leak was located just downstream of a complex pipeline connection, therefore traditional sealing methods, such as clamping, were not favourable. A solution was required to last over the winter period until a planned shutdown in spring 2005 (6-9 months).
In order to minimise the number of Platelets® to be injected Computational Fluid Dynamics was used to ascertain the behaviour of the Platelets® in the vicinity of the leak. A full scale flow loop was then constructed to enable these results to be physically tested. Further chemical and mechanical tests were then carried out to test the integrity of the seal and to enable it's longevity to be predicted.
The next important stage was to design the Platelet® injection and retrieval systems which also required thorough testing prior to offshore implementation.
The Platelet® deployment was a complete success, the leak having been sealed within 24 hours from the start of the offshore operation. As a result of the the Platelet® seal line pressure increased by 20 bar with a consequential increase in water injectivity which in turn had an immediate impact on reservoir production. |
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