The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of installing a range of pipeline diameters and material grades using currently available equipment and technologies.
The Shtokman Field is located on the continental shelf at a water depth of approximately 330 meters. The length of the straight-line route is approximately 550 km, reaching a maximum water depth of 375 meters in the “Kola Depression” before landfall on the Kola Peninsula near Murmansk.
The scope of the study has comprised:
- Mechanical design of the pipeline on a conceptual level
- Review of available installation contractors and lay vessel capabilities
- Evaluation of relevant installation methods including requirements and limitations
- Evaluation of environmental requirements and limitations as they will impact lay vessel operations
- Estimation of pipeline costs at screening level accurac
- Recent Shtokman survey scope
Several design concepts were developed and evaluated to cope with the expected platform excursions in extreme ice conditions, as well as thermal expansion and internal pressure effects.
