EP-4739936-A1 - LAYER SUPPORT

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing support at a desired position to an outermost layer of a flexible pipe and a flexible pipe assembly are disclosed. The method comprises: prior to or during terminating flexible pipe body, that comprises an outer sheath and an outermost layer that is coaxial with and radially surrounds the outer sheath, with an end fitting, removing a portion of the outermost layer to reveal an exposed portion of the outer sheath; during or subsequent to terminating the flexible pipe body with the end fitting, providing at least a section of a first portion of a securing device radially around at least a re-covered region of said an exposed portion; and providing at least a section of a further portion of the securing device radially around a residual end region of the outermost layer proximate to said an exposed portion thereby providing support at a desired position to the outermost layer of the flexible pipe body.

Inventors

• BORGES JUNIOR, Orlando Luiz De Souza
• PIRES, FABIO DE SOUZA

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Energy Technology UK Limited

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240702

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method of providing support at a desired position to an outermost layer of a flexible pipe, comprising the steps of: prior to or during terminating flexible pipe body, that comprises an outer sheath and an outermost layer that is coaxial with and radially surrounds the outer sheath, with an end fitting, removing a portion of the outermost layer to reveal an exposed portion of the outer sheath; during or subsequent to terminating the flexible pipe body with the end fitting, providing at least a section of a first portion of a securing device radially around at least a re-covered region of said an exposed portion; and providing at least a section of a further portion of the securing device radially around a residual end region of the outermost layer proximate to said an exposed portion thereby providing support at a desired position to the outermost layer of the flexible pipe body.
2. 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: during or subsequent to providing at least a section of the further portion radially around the residual end region, urging a radially inner facing securing surface of the further portion against a radially outer surface of the residual end region.
3. 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: during or prior to providing at least a section of the first portion radially around at least the re-covered region, wedging a tapered neck portion of a first collar member between the outermost layer, at the residual end region, and at least one insulation layer, of the flexible pipe body, that is disposed between the outer sheath and the outermost layer.
4. 4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: wedging the tapered neck portion between the outermost layer and the insulation layer via arranging an inner surface of the outermost layer at the residual end region over a tapered drive surface of the tapered neck portion thereby flaring the residual end region radially outwardly.
5. 5. The method as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, further comprising: during urging the securing surface against the outer surface of the residual end region, clamping the residual end region between the securing surface and the tapered neck portion.
6. 6. The method as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, further comprising: during urging the securing surface against the outer surface of the residual end region, clamping the residual end region between the securing surface, that is oblique with respect to a longitudinal axis of the flexible pipe, and the drive surface.
7. 7. The method as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising: urging the securing surface against the radially outer surface of the residual end region via providing at least a section of a securing body, that comprises the securing surface, of the further portion at least partly over the first portion.
8. 8. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: urging the securing surface against the radially outer surface of the residual end region via urging a deformable portion of a further collar, that comprises the securing surface and is arranged radially around the residual end region, against a radially inner tapered surface region of the further portion thereby urging the deformable portion radially inwardly.
9. 9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: during urging the deformable portion against the tapered surface region, securing a first annular body of the first portion that is located at a first end region of the first portion distal to said an exposed portion, to a further annular body of the further portion that comprises the inner tapered surface region.
10. 10. The method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising: during or subsequent to providing at least a section of the first portion radially around at least the re-covered region, securing the first portion and/or the further portion to the end fitting.
11. 11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: securing the first portion and/or the further portion to the end fitting via providing a still further collar member radially around at least a section of a jacket of the end fitting; and securing a further end region of the first portion and/or an end region of the further portion to the still further collar member.
12. 12. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: providing at least a section of a first portion of a securing device radially around at least a re-covered region of said an exposed portion comprises securing a radially inner surface of the first portion to said an exposed region via an interference fit.
13. 13. Apparatus for providing support at a desired position to an outermost layer of a flexible pipe, comprising: a securing device comprising a first portion that comprises a through passageway that extends from a first end of the first portion to a further end of the first portion, and in which at least a re-covered region of an exposed portion of an outer sheath of a flexible pipe is locatable, and a further portion comprising a radially inner facing securing surface, a section of the further portion being at least partly locatable radially around a residual end region of an outermost layer of the flexible pipe that radially surrounds a covered portion of the outer sheath; wherein the first portion is couplable to or integrally formed with the further portion.
14. 14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: a securing body of the further portion comprising a tubular region, at least a section of which is locatable radially around the first portion, and a conical region that comprises the securing surface, the securing surface being oblique with respect to a longitudinal axis of the through passageway.
15. 15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: a first collar member that comprises a body portion and a tapered neck portion that is locatable between a radially inner surface of the residual end region and at least one insulation layer, the tapered neck region having a tapered drive surface that is oblique with respect to the longitudinal axis.
16. 16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: a further collar member of the further portion comprising a deformable portion that comprises the securing surface.
17. 17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: a radially inner facing tapered surface region of the further portion that is urgable against the deformable portion to urge the deformable portion radially inwardly.
18. 18. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 17, further comprising: a still further collar member disposed at an end region of the securing device and that is securable to an end fitting of the flexible pipe.
19. 19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 18, further comprising: a conical body of the first body portion that extends between the first collar member that is located at the further end of the first body portion, and proximate to a widened region of the conical body, and a first annular body that is located at the first end of the first portion and proximate to a narrowed region of the conical body, wherein the first collar member and the first annular body are connected via at least one elongate element that extends through the conical body.
20. 20. A flexible pipe assembly, comprising: a segment of flexible pipe body comprising an inner fluid retaining layer, an outer sheath that is coaxial with and disposed radially outside of the inner fluid retaining layer and that comprises an exposed portion proximate to at least one terminal end of the flexible pipe body, and an outermost layer that is coaxial with and radially surrounds a covered portion of the outer sheath; an end fitting disposed at the terminal end of the flexible pipe body; and a securing device comprising a first portion that is at least partly disposed radially around at least a re-covered region of an exposed portion of the outer sheath and a further portion that is at least partly disposed radially around a residual end region of the outermost layer.

Description

LAYER SUPPORT The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing support at a desired position to an outermost layer of a flexible pipe and a flexible pipe assembly. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to supporting an outermost layer, that optionally is an abrasion resistant layer, of flexible pipe body at a desired position on a flexible pipe via a securing or supporting device. Flexible pipes are widely used in the oil and gas industry in offshore applications for the transportation of oil, gas, water, or other fluids from one location to another. Flexible pipe is particularly useful in connecting sea-level supporting structures and subsea locations (which may be deep underwater, say 1000 metres or more), where the pipe may act as a riser. A flexible pipe is generally formed as an assembly of flexible pipe body and one or more end fittings. Flexible pipe body may have an internal diameter of typically up to around 0.6 metres (e.g. diameters may range from 0.05 m up to 0.6 m). Due to their location, flexible pipes are exposed to a range of challenging conditions that may have high pressures, seawater, high tensile strain, and corrosive environments. Flexible pipe body is therefore composed of several concentric polymeric, metallic, and/or composite layers. For example, pipe body may include polymer and metal layers, or polymer and composite layers, or polymer, metal and composite layers. Layers may be formed from a single piece such as an extruded tube or by helically winding one or more wires at a desired pitch or by connecting together multiple discrete hoops that are arranged concentrically side-by-side. Depending upon the layers of the flexible pipe used and the type of flexible pipe some of the pipe layers may be bonded together or remain unbonded. The polymeric layers generally provide sealing from fluid ingress and the metallic layers structural rigidity. Some flexible pipes have been used for deep water (less than 3,300 feet (1 ,005.84 metres)) and ultra-deep water (greater than 3,300 feet) developments. It is the increasing demand for oil which is causing exploration to occur at greater and greater depths (for example in excess of 8202 feet (2500 metres)) where environmental factors are more extreme. For example, in such deep and ultra-deep water environments, ocean floor temperature increases the risk of production fluids cooling to a temperature that may lead to pipe blockage. In practice, flexible pipes are conventionally designed to perform at operating temperatures of -30°C to +130°C and pipe body are being developed for even more extreme temperatures. Increased depths also increase the pressure associated with the environment in which the flexible pipe must operate. For example, a flexible pipe may be required to operate with external pressures ranging from 0.1 MPa to 30 MPa acting on the pipe. Equally, transporting oil, gas or water may well give rise to high pressures acting on the flexible pipe from within, for example with internal pressures ranging from zero to 140 MPa from bore fluid acting on the pipe. As a result, the need for high levels of performance and environmental resilience from certain layers such as a pipe carcass or a pressure armour or a tensile armour layer of the flexible pipe body is increased. It is noted for the sake of completeness that flexible pipe may also be used for shallow water applications (for example less than around 500 metres depth) or even for shore (overland) applications. The innermost layers of flexible pipe body often include an inner sheath which can be an extruded non-porous polymer layer that confines a bore fluid to its internal circumference, and often a carcass, a spirally wound interlocking metal structure which forms the very innermost layer. The carcass prevents the collapse of the inner liner and also protects the liner from abrasive particles. When a carcass layer is present in the flexible pipe body, the inner sheath is referred to as a barrier layer. When a carcass layer is not present in the flexible pipe body, the inner sheath is referred to as a liner. The outermost sealed or fluid tight layer of a flexible pipe is typically the outer sheath, an extruded non-porous polymer layer that protects the pipe’s structural elements from the environment around the flexible pipe and prevents the ingress of seawater. A flexible pipe can however include additional layers located radially outside of the other sheath. These additional layers can for example include insulation layers and/or an outermost protective layer that often helps protect the outer sheath (and any insulation layers) from abrasion related damage due to contact with rough or sharp substances in the environment. The layers that are disposed radially outside of the outer sheath are typically not sealed (or fluid tight) in order to reduce the axial compression experienced by a flexible pipe in use. For some flexible pipes that inc