Pipeline Technique - Subsea Oil and Gas Pipelines in Deep and Ultra Deep Waters

Pipeline Technique is an international group of companies that specialise in the construction of subsea oil and gas pipelines in deep and ultra deep waters. We deliver project management, engineering, welding, testing and coating services for the offshore installation of J-lay, S-lay and Reel lay pipeline projects. We provide onshore and offshore solutions for the evermore difficult conditions in recovering oil and gas resources as a result of the ever-growing demand for energy. Our target is to be involved in projects from concept to completion.

Engineering, welding and testing services for pipeline projects

We understand the technical and commercial issues, which allows us to offer a tailored service to match the requirements of any project. Pipeline Technique's modular production facilities allow operation in any location, with short set-up time. They provide the flexibility to cater for any project requirement, such as double jointing, multi jointing, spooling and riser tower fabrication, and could even be used for drill riser fabrication and pin and box couplings.

The company was established by individuals with significant experience of pipeline construction from the design stage through detail engineering and procurement to construction, installation and commissioning. Additional personnel have been recruited along the way to allow the company to provide a full range of services and to manage its business effectively and safely. Our team consists of welding engineers, project managers, human resource and QHSE managers, operations and technical support staff.

With our highly skilled core crew, we are able to train local employees and develop local content in any location. Our on-site training programmes run from one month to six months for several different disciplines, including automatic pipeline welders, bevel machine operators and site supervisors to name but a few. We are constantly developing skilled and qualified local personnel who are capable of running a high-quality production process.

Automatic welding systems for pipeline and riser applications

We dedicate resources to research and development in order to improve our welding methods and shorten production processes. One of our R&D themes is the development of equipment. Two prominent pieces of equipment that help us reach high criticality welds time after time are the HALO automatic welding system and the laser / camera inspection system, both designed and developed in-house.

The in-house developed HALO automatic welding system has been designed to meet the most demanding pipeline and riser applications. Each element of the system incorporates a number of unique features to increase operational efficiency, repeatability and to simplify maintenance. HALO is easy to operate and perfectly suitable for local welders, as the weld procedures are developed in our welding centre before the production stage. The bug is remote controlled and the welders are able to move freely around the pipe. All parameters are set and the system is blocked to prevent welder interference; this guarantees consistency and repeatability during the projects.

The laser camera system can scan the root profile on the inside of the pipe to detect flaws and defects in the first stage of the weld. The video and laser footage is shown on the operator's screen, which allows our staff and our clients to improve quality control and record all data.

Pipeline construction in deep and ultra-deep waters

Over the past decade, Pipeline Technique has been specialising in narrow gap automatic welding of 5G, 2G and 1GR welding positions. We have built up experience for the installation of steel catenary risers in deep water zones like the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa. This makes Pipeline Technique one of the most experienced welding contractors when it comes to the development and production of SCRs, having installed 25 SCRs in the deepest water, and with the largest diameter and wall thickness combinations. More than 30,000 critical welds were performed for the Thunder Horse, Mardi Gras and Atlantis projects for BP in the Gulf of Mexico.

Deep water welding experience

Our deep water experience was tested on our most complex and recent project in the deep waters of West Africa during the completion of Block 31 Phase 1 for BP this month. For Block 31, we welded corrosion-resistant alloy lined and clad pipe to material grade API 5L X65, along with forgings up to 40mm thick.

Pipeline Technique developed automatic GMAW welding procedures using our HALO system to help construct a fatigue sensitive riser system, which had challenging NDT acceptance criteria. API 1104 was the national specification used. However, there was a governing specification issued by the client which was much more stringent due to the fatigue sensitive nature and meant that no root defects were allowed. During development and production, all welds were inspected by our laser camera system; defects within 1.5mm of the internal diameter or outside diameter were limited to 0.5mm in height by 12mm in length.