A method and a system for installing a non-metallic pipeline assembly, the method comprising the steps of: forming a pipe assembly by coupling a load bearing member and counter weight to a non-metallic pipe; floating the pipe assembly proximate to the water surface until in position, then; permitting the pipe assembly to sink to the sea bed.

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for supporting a portion of a pipeline for conveying produced fluids in a subsea environment to facilitate movement of the portion of the pipeline over a seabed in response to stresses on the pipeline. The portion of the pipeline is supported on a rigid support structure having rotatable components that rotate about an axle attached to the rigid support structure such that the rigid support structure and the portion of the pipeline can move over the seabed. The apparatus and method eliminate the need for costly mud mats or suction piles to accommodate movement in the subsea pipeline and prevent pipeline walking. By facilitating movement of the portion of the pipeline, lateral deformation and axial displacement of the portion of the pipeline can be reduced or eliminated.

A method of sealing an annulus of an electrically trace-heated pipe-in-pipe structure including introducing a flowable filler material to mold a sealing mass in situ is disclosed. The sealing mass closes a restriction at which the annulus is narrowed radially and embeds at least one heating element that extends generally longitudinally through the restriction. The structure includes an inner ring spaced within an outer ring to define the annulus between the rings. The annulus is narrowed radially by one or more projections that extend radially into the annulus from at least one of the rings toward the other of said rings. The restriction may include multiple bores, each of which may contain a sealing mass around a respective heating element in the bore.

The invention relates to a protection assembly for mounting in an underwater support structure, and to a method of installing such an assembly. According to one aspect of the invention, the protection assembly comprises at least one bend protection device (20a, 20b) coupled to a retaining device (18). The bend protection device (20a, 20b, 26) and the retaining device (18) together provide a through-going passage (32) for receiving an elongate member which is to be protected. The support structure (12) has an opening (16) through which the elongate member is passed, and the retaining device (18) is configured to be received in the opening (16) in the support structure and to engage with the support structure to resist subsequent withdrawal from it. Installation of the protection assembly comprises grasping an end portion of the protection assembly with a releasable clamp (100), arranging a pulling line to pass through the opening in the support structure to the mechanical clamp and securing the pulling line to the mechanical clamp (100), drawing the retaining device of the protection assembly into the opening (16) in the support structure using the pulling line and engaging the retaining device with the support structure, and releasing the clamp (100) from the protection assembly.

A pipe (14) extending between a surface end (20) and a bottom end (22) thereof, and defining an internal passage (24) ending at the bottom end (22) and at the surface end (20). A dynamic closing member (30) at the bottom end (22), which opens above a threshold pressure applied from the exterior towards the interior of the pipe (14), and closing below the threshold pressure. The threshold pressure is defined as a function of at least one parameter representing the heaving of the pipe under the effect of variation in height of the water in which the pipe extends.

A method of sealing an annulus between inner and outer pipe sections of a pipe-in-pipe system includes positioning a sealing mass in the annulus in contact with the inner and outer pipe sections. Deforming the sealing mass occurs, for example by shearing and compression, by effecting relative longitudinal movement between the inner and outer pipe sections. Fixing the inner and outer pipe sections against reverse relative longitudinal movement to maintain deformation of the sealing mass is then performed. The inner pipe section and a displaced outer pipe section may be fixed by welding them to respective pipes of an adjoining pipe-in-pipe structure. Opposed ramp surfaces, each being similarly inclined relative to the longitudinal direction, extend into the annulus from respective ones of the pipe sections such that the sealing mass may be compressed between the ramp surfaces.

A joining device of a continuous conduit is for changes in slope of seabeds. The continuous conduit defines a longitudinal direction substantially coinciding with the longitudinal direction of structural development of the continuous conduit. The continuous conduit has a longitudinal structural continuity and a fluidic continuity. The joining device includes a joint that includes at least one first joining branch, at least one second joining branch and at least one third joining branch. The first joining branch extends along the longitudinal direction and provides longitudinal structural and fluidic continuity of the continuous conduit and connects with a piece of the continuous conduit. The second joining branch provides longitudinal structural continuity of the continuous conduit. The third joining branch provides fluidic continuity of the continuous conduit. The second joining branch is exclusively suitable for providing the longitudinal structural continuity of the continuous conduit, and is unsuitable for providing the fluidic continuity.

A fairing for suppressing a vortex induced vibration (VIV) of a tubular including an encircling member dimensioned to encircle a tubular, the encircling member having a first side that extends toward a second side when the encircling member is positioned around a tubular. The fairing further including a support member positioned between the first side and the second side, the support member having a channel formed therein, and an opening to the channel is positioned between the first side and the second side. In addition, the fairing includes a tail member positioned within the channel, the tail member having a substantially planar surface that extends radially outward from the channel.

A fairing device and method for the reduction of vortex-induced vibrations or motions, the minimization of drag about a substantially cylindrical element immersed in a fluid medium, comprising; a fairing rotatably mounted about the cylindrical element, the fairing comprising a shell with a mainly cylindrical cross-sectional shape with an outer diameter (D) following the outer diameter of the cylindrical element from an upward stagnation point of 0 degrees to at least 90 degrees, and which at 90 degrees continues as two fin-like portions in an aft direction, further comprising that the fin-like portions are convexly curved aft of 90 degrees thus tapering towards each other and defining a tail end opening or gap less than the fairing standoff height. A method for mounting, storage, and deployment of the fairing device is also disclosed.

A separation duct for encompassing an elongate member. The duct includes longitudinal internal spacers extend longitudinally in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the duct. A longitudinal plane for each spacer is substantially parallel to the longitudinal plane of the other spacers. The spacers support the elongate member and resist slippage of the duct relative to the elongate member. The duct may be used to provide separation and protection for elongate members of a range of outside dimensions.