The pipeline had been dragged out of position and broke by a passing ship’s anchor.
TDW Offshore Services was granted a contract by StatoilHydro to evaluate the situation, and develop a solution to renovate the subsea pipeline. Working in close collaboration with StatoilHydro, TDW Offshore Services set to work. Extensive testing, together with onshore installation of a special subsea clamp system (patent pending) onto a mock-up of the affected portion of the Kvitebjorn pipeline, was performed at its base in Stavanger. The use of the clamp would be to secure integrity for the pipe connector in the event that it was not possible to gain adequate holding power with the primary solution. The clamp was designed, developed and produced by TDW Offshore Services engineers as part of StatoilHydro’s solution for repair of the Kvitebjorn.
During recent years, the offshore industry has experienced several pipeline shutdowns caused by anchor drags or similar, said Rune Haddeland, managing director of TDW Offshore Services. In such situations, TDW Offshore’s engineered solutions have proven to be highly beneficial for our clients. We were extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with StatoilHydro to develop an innovative, customized solution for repair of the Kvitebjorn pipeline. I applaud StatoilHydro for their efforts to prepare for a wide range of pipeline repair eventualities.
