Offshore pipeline installation

The pipeline requirements for offshore developments depend on a variety of factors ranging from the overall configuration of the development to the type and nature of the products to be transported. The combination of lengths, diameters, and materials are, consequently, endless. Methods available for the construction of pipelines, on the other hand, are limited to proven techniques that have developed over the last 30 or so years. They have been designed to cope with pipeline requirements, whilst at the same time generating a reasonable rate of return for the contractors that employ them. The decisions surrounding the developments of methods, and how they are chosen to suit the particular requirements of a project, are described in the following paper.