OTH 535 Ete THE ABANDONMENT OF ttn OFFSHORE PIPELINES = Methods and Procedures for Abandonment Prepared by John Brown Engineers and Constructors Lid for the Health and Safety Executive TO HURL / Offshore Technology Report — Health and Safety ExecutiveOTH 535 THE ABANDONMENT OF OFFSHORE PIPELINES Methods and Procedures for Abandonment Prepared by John Brown Engineers and Constructors Ltd John Brown House 20 Eastbourne Terrace London W2 6LE HSE BOOKS Health and Safoty Executive - Offshore Technology Report© Crown copyright 1997 Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to: Copyright Unit, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ. First published 1997 ISBN 0-7176-1421-2 Ail rights reserved, No part of this publication ‘may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ‘or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, ‘recording, or otherwise) without the prlor written permission of the copyright owner. ‘This reportis published by the Health and Safety Executiveas partof a series of reports of work which has been supported by funds provided by the Executive. Neither the Executive, or the contractors ‘concerned assume any liability forthe report nor do they necessarily reflect the views ot policy of the Executive. Results, including detailed evaluation and, where relevant, recommendations stemming from their research projects are published in the OTH/OTI series of reports,FOREWORD In 1987 the Department of Energy, who at that time were responsible for authorising the construction and operation of pipelines in UK, waters, undertook a major study of the problems of pipeline abandonment. The work was carried out by John Brown Engineers and Constructors Ltd and consisted of a comprehensive review of the ‘engineering, environmental and economic implications of the abandonmentof subsea pipelines at the end of their operating life. Al the present time the UK Government's main interest in abandonment is exercised through the Oil and Gas Division of the Department of Trade and Industry, In matters concerning health and safety however, the responsibility is held by the Offshore Safety Division of the Health and Safely Exceutive. The main findings of the John Brown study were published in a conference paper in 1990, Abandonment of Submarine Pipelines by JA Bray and M W Cooper, IBC Offshore Pipetine Technology European Seminar, Paris. Therehave been anumber of requests for access to the detailed information on which the work was based and in particular that affecting safety. The Offshore Safety Division of HSE have therefore agreed to publish this report which is one of the seven individual task reports prepared in the course ofthe study, Ideals with methods and procedures for pipeline abandonment and should provide an informed basis for discussion and resolution of the safety issues involved.SUMMARY This report was prepared as part ofa wide-ranging study of subsea pipeline abandonment undertaken by John Brown Engineers and Constructors Ltdon behalf ofthe Department of Energy. Itdeais with the methods and procedures which could be adopted when the normal operational use of a pipeline ceases. In particular it provides a basis for discussion of the health and safety aspects which might arise in carrying out the necessary abandonment processes. ‘The first step in abandonment of a pipeline is decommissioning, which is to take it from its operating condition and render itclean and safe on the seabed. Pipelines carry a range of fluids, many of which will leave residues after the tine has been purged of its last active product, The various tools and materials available for purging and cleaning pipelines are reviewed together with the methods to be applied for removing the differenttypes of residue. A methodology is presented for the development of the detailed procedures to be adopted for dealing with the various features encountered in particular situations. ‘The rates of decay to be expected in pipelines following abandonmentareconsidered, The various mechanisms by which coatings fail are investigated and the major causes of mechanical and corrosion-related failure are evaluated. In general estimates of residual pipeline life can be made; for example, once the cathodic protection system ceases to be effective, a well maintained pipeline witha 12mm wall thicknessmay last ‘60 years if exposed and perhaps 400 years if buried. After pipelines have been decommissioned they can if necessary be recovered. The equipment and techniquesavailable forrecovery are reviewed and analyses performed to demonstrate that certain recovery techniques can be applied. Pipelines that have ‘been loft in trenches in the seabed or covered by gravel or backfill may be left in situ subject to seabed restoration work where necessary. The recovery methods applicable are presented and the various features which ean be encountered are illustrated. Ifa pipeline is recovered, disposal of the coatings, linepipe, valves, flanges, fittings ‘ete needs to be determined. In the first instance they will have to be transported from the recovery site to either a dumping site, subject io a licence, and handling capacity may be required before the pipe is transported to an on-shore scrap yard or dump. Some of the scrap steel may be re-used in some form or re-processed. Re-use of any salvaged component in another pipeline would require re-certification, All these factors need to be taken into account and the various options are reviewed and analysed, ‘fleftin place abandoned pipelines will eventually deteriorate to the point where they may break up. The possible effects of decay are discussed and the techniques for inspection described. Methods for trenching and burial in order to prolong pipeline life are reviewed. Some pipelines may be re-used for another purpose, subject to re certification and the potential for this is described; however the likelihood of an abandoned pipeline being able to continue earning revenue is considered to be small.CONTENTS INTRODUCTION DECOMMISSIONING. 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Pipeline Purging and Cleaning .. 23 Safety of Personnel and Protection of the Environment 24 Effects and Consequences of Decommissioning, 2.5 Pipeline Stability and Spanning. 2.6 Decommissioning Procedure: 2.7 Conciusions. RATE OF DECAY .. 3.1 Introduction 3.2. Categorisation of Existing Pipelines 3.3 Pipeline Materials ... 36 3.4 Causes of Pipeline Failure 37 3.5 Pipeline Installation 38 3.6 Pipe Coatings... 39 3.7 Cathodic Protection 4 3.8 Decay Mechanisms 3.9 Flexible Pipelines 3.10 Pipeline Behaviour After Decommissioning 3.11 Materials Testing 3.12 Conelusions.. PIPELINE RECOVERY 4.1. Introduetion . 42 Pipeline Types 4.3 Access for Recovery 44 — Recovery Methods. 4.5 Recovery Equipmen 4.6 Seabed Restoration 47 Cutting Technologies. 4,8 Engineering Analysis.. 4.9 Conclusions... PIPELINE MATERIAL DISPOSAL S.1 Introduction.. 5.2 Material Transport 5.3 Material Storage and Handling. 5.4 Re-use of Pipeline Fittings and Component 5. Recycling and Dumping of Materials 5.6 Conclusions6. ALTERNATIVES TO RECOVERY .. 61 62 63 6.4 65 6.6 67 68 7. OVERALL CONCLUSIONS... 71 12 13 14 15 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: REFERENCES.. APPENDIX 1..... 187 Introduction... Implications of Non-recovery Long Term Inspection and Maintenance Trenching and Burial... Surface Covering without Burial “161 166 170 Pipeline Filling 172 Alternative Re-uses of Abandoned Pipelines. 172 Conclusions... 174 195 Decommissioning Rate of Decay, 195 Pipeline Recovery Pipeline Material Disposal Alternatives to Recovery 201 2071, INTRODUCTION When a subsea pipeline reaches the end of its operational life for commercial or engineering reasons arrangements have to be made for its abandonment, Io this context the term abandonment is used to describe the whole range of activities and options open to the owner of the line who remains responsible for its future when it is no longer needed for its original purpose. These actions range from doing nothing and leaving the pipeline to decay on the seabed, to fully cleaning it and recovering it for reuse or disposal as scrap. This report was written as part of a comprehensive study of pipeline abandonment commissioned in 1987 by the Department of Energy. It was carried out by John Brown Engineers and Constructors Ltd with the objective of providing a complete review of the engineering, environmental and economic implications of the abandonment of offshore pipelines at the end of their operating life. It deals with the methods and procedures for abandonment and should provide a useful background and framework for the discussion of the health and safety issues arising from these processes. ‘The approach taken in this study has been to develop and analyse methods based on existing technologies and equipment. The various alternatives were then examined in relation to a detailed database of 137 UKCS pipelines gathered in an earlier phase of the work. Information regarding equipment, vessels and technology was obtained from the appropriate contractors. Additional specific technical data came from published sources and direct approaches to fabricators, installation contractors, commissioning companies and scrap merchants. The report is presented in five main chapters dealing with respectively, decommissioning, rate of decay, recovery, disposal and alternatives to recovery. Inaddition there is an appendix which presents a detailed treatment showing how pre- decommissioning ‘and decommissioning procedures may be developed for typical examples of pipelines.