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Subsea pipelines transport hazardous materials, including oil and gas, under bodies of water. They come in various designs, such as steel, composite, and collapsible plastic pipes. The industry is heavily regulated due to the risks of failure.
A subsea pipeline is any pipe system or part thereof that is submerged in water. The term generally refers to any type of pipeline including crude oil, natural gas, industrial byproducts, or treated sewage routed under a body of water. However, it is more commonly used to describe oil and gas piping systems that are submerged in the sea. Subsea pipeline systems include many different designs and construction specifications depending on the materials being transported. These include traditional steel lines, composite tubing and even bendable plastic tubing, each with their own advantages and installation methods.
Undersea pipelines are quite common and are responsible for transporting hundreds of millions of tons of often hazardous materials safely across the oceans each year. These materials include a wide range of fluid or gaseous media ranging from crude oil and gas to treated wastewater and fresh water. While the range of materials transported is diverse, the most common large undersea pipeline systems transport natural gas. These pipelines typically transport or discharge their products across or into oceanic expanses, although submerged pipe systems in inland waters are also quite common.
The most common type of submarine pipeline is the traditional steel variant which is usually used to transport hazardous materials such as gas, hydrocarbons and oil. Steel pipelines are usually installed by specially equipped vessels in two ways. The first is a system of full lengths of pipe held on large rolls on the deck of the vessel which are laid out behind the moving vessel in much the same manner as an underwater cable. The second method involves fabricating the pipe on board before laying it on the sea bed. Depending on the prevailing conditions, the pipeline can be laid on the surface of the seabed or buried.
Another common subsea pipeline type is the composite variety which is typically used in applications where pipes are laid in shallow coastal waters. These pipelines are usually much smaller than the steel types and are used to transport non-toxic or non-corrosive materials such as fresh water. A fairly new development in the field of submersible pipeline technology is the collapsible plastic pipe system. These pipes are made of flexible plastic material of the bellows type anchored to the seabed. One of the great advantages of this type of pipe is the ability to shut off the flow of material and allow the pipe to deflate, thus minimizing the risk of damage in rough seas.
However different these piping systems may be, they all share one common characteristic: the care and attention that goes into their planning, installation and maintenance. Undersea pipeline failures can have a catastrophic effect on the surrounding ecosystem and pose enormous risks to the health and safety of people living in the immediate vicinity. For this reason, the submersible pipeline industry is heavily regulated and the integrity of the systems is subject to continuous and rigorous scrutiny.
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