SAGE – Risk Mitigation

The advances in design tools, manufacturing facilities and installation vessels since 1995 means that SAGE’s MEIDP has a substantially lower business risk profile, specifically:

• At least three new generation large lay vessels are being built that are potentially capable of installing pipelines in 3,500 m water depths. These include Saipem’s CastorOne, which will be ready for work around the end of 2012 and has already been awarded work in the GOM on the Walker Ridge developments, Jack-St.Malo in 2,140m, 220km 24” pipeline
• Several mills (including Indian mills) can now manufacture pipe of sufficient size and quality to allow advanced design techniques to be adopted
• New and improved design/mitigation methods for free-spans and geohazards will allow larger spans to be accommodated and minimize the need for deepwater intervention
• Work class ROV systems are now rated at +4000m, well beyond the need for MEIDP
• Rock dumping and seabed intervention vessels now currently rated for +2,000m water depths can be upgraded to 3,500m, as and when the need arises
• Better survey and positioning capabilities during pipelay will accurately identify seabed hazards so that they may be avoided
• Deepwater repair systems have been developed and are available for deployment
• New testing and commissioning philosophies are being developed (SAGE with DNV) to permit the use of higher fabrication factors during design and to remove the need for hydrotesting