Assessing the Risk of Overpressure from

Liquid Thermal Expansion

Stephanie Cicchini, Jeff Zhang

Wood Process Solutions

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Outline
• Introduction
– Liquid Thermal Expansion
– Background on Metocean (Meteorology & Oceanography)
• Modelling
– Methodology
– Benchmarking against Field Data
• Applications & Mitigation Measures
– Application 1: Subsea Tree Cavity
– Application 2: Offshore Hydrotesting Activities
– Application 3: Trapped Fluids during Operation
2 A presentation by Wood.
Introduction

3 A presentation by Wood.
Metocean – Location of Various Fields in WA
colder T (°C) warmer

Seawater Depth (m)

Min

deeper
Mean
Max

(Ref. Hengesh, J.V., Dirstein, J.K. and Stanley, A.J., “Landslide Geomorphology Along the Exmouth Plateau Continental Margin, North West Shelf,
Australia”,. Published in the Australian Geomechanics Journal, Special Offshore Edition, December 2013, p.71-92.)

4 A presentation by Wood.
Metocean – Diurnal Tides

5 A presentation by Wood.
Modelling

6
Contributing Factors to Liquid Thermal Expansion

Fluid
properties
Seawater
Pipe
temperature
variation properties

Liquid
Thermal
Expansion

7 A presentation by Wood.
Fluid Properties
Liquids Uses
• Commonly used as inhibitor to prevent/reduce hydrate formation
MEG • Used for hydrotesting / leak testing
• Flooding medium after subsea installation
• Used for hydrotesting / leak testing
Water
• Flooding medium after subsea installation

Required fluid properties:

8 A presentation by Wood.
Pipe Properties
Wall Material Uses
• Pipeline
Steel • Main production system piping
• Umbilicals carrying inhibitors and chemicals for subsea injection

Required pipe properties:

9 A presentation by Wood.
Equation for Liquid Thermal Expansion
API 521 methodology used to give the pressure increase in a closed vessel due to
thermal expansion

10 A presentation by Wood.
Equation for Liquid Thermal Expansion

Fluid Compressibility: Fluid Thermal Expansivity:

5.80E-04
4.10E-05
5.60E-04
3.90E-05 5.40E-04

χ (1/bar)

αv (1/°C)
3.70E-05 5.20E-04
5.00E-04
3.50E-05
4.80E-04
3.30E-05 4.60E-04
20

20
96

96
172

172
248

248
325

325
3 P (bara) 3 P (bara)
401

401
8 8

477
477

13 13
18 18

553
553

T (°C) 23 28 T (°C) 23 28

11 A presentation by Wood.
Model Schematic

Ambient = Seawater
Pipe Wall Elasticity Insulation/Burial (optional)

Closed Node Closed Node

12 A presentation by Wood.
Benchmarking (Field Data vs Cubic EoS vs High Accuracy EoS)
Benchmarking - Fluid Temperature

ΔP / ΔT (bar/°C)

Temperature
Measured Field Data 9.7 – 11.1
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36
~22 (CPA) Time (h)
Out of Box Standard Tools Measured Field Cubic EoS HighAccuracy EoS
~21 (PR78)
(e.g. Cubic EoS) Benchmarking - Pressure
~16 (RKSA)

High Accuracy EoS 10.6 (CSMA)

Pressure 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36
Time (h)
Measured Field Cubic EoS High Accuracy EoS
13 A presentation by Wood.
Parameters

Sensitive Not Sensitive

Change in Fluid Temperature (ΔT) Wall Elasticity (E)

Fluid Thermal Expansivity (αV)

Diameter to Wall Thickness Ratio
(D/t)
Fluid Compressibility (γ)

Wall Coefficient of Expansion (αl)

Insulation Thickness

14 A presentation by Wood.
Applications and Mitigation Measures

15
Application 1 – Subsea Tree Cavity
Challenge:
– Large ΔT experienced from hot
production fluids heating up the
tree cavity
Approach:

CFD Accurate Pressure

increase due
(complex fluid to thermal
geometries) properties expansion

Mitigation:
– In design: Account for liquid thermal expansion in design of subsea tree cavity.
Remove actuated valves where not required.
– In operation: Avoid trapped liquid situations such as dual isolation.
16 A presentation by Wood.
Application 2 – Offshore Hydrotesting Activities
Requirement:
– Hydrotesting requires testing the system at high
pressures for extended periods (e.g. 24 h at a holding
pressure above design).
Challenge:
– Stabilizing pressure with varying seawater temperatures.
– Pressures above design, approaching burst limit.
Approach:
Pressure
Seawater Accurate
increase due
temperature fluid
to thermal
variations properties expansion

Mitigation:
– In design: Account for liquid thermal expansion in design of subsea systems
(e.g. pipelines, structures, valves).
– In operation: Address through bespoke procedures.
17 A presentation by Wood.
 Application 3 – Trapped Liquids during Operation
Challenge:
– Unplanned shutdown of pumps / valves
– Seawater temperature swings → pressure increases → possibly exceed design pressure
(a) colder
(b)
T (°C) warmer

Min
Mean
Max

Approach:
– As per Application 2.
Mitigation:
– In operation: Selecting an appropriate pump discharge PSV set point.
Pressure / temperature monitoring and high alarms.
18 A presentation by Wood.
Key Take-Aways

Fluid
• Liquid thermal expansion can lead to properties
increase in pressures possible above design. Seawater
Pipe
temperature
variation properties
• An approach was developed to assess
extent of liquid thermal expansion & Liquid
Thermal
possible mitigations. Expansion

• Challenge in varying seawater temperature / nearby hot production fluids

resolved by:
– Appropriate modelling techniques & accurate input data
– Introducing mitigations

19 A presentation by Wood.
For further information, please contact Stephanie Cicchini or Jeff Zhang
stephanie.cicchini@woodplc.com
jeff.zhang@woodplc.com

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