Evaluation of Underwater Pipeline Design Criteria Due to Safety
Requirement based Hydrodynamic and External Load
Widi Agoes Pratikto, Raditya Danu Riyanto, Silvianita, Rendatiyarso Laksono,
Muhammad Ilham Maulana, Wetta Inggrid Sari, Abiyani Choirul Huda and Liany Ayu Catherine
Department of Ocean Engineering, Faculty of Marine Technology, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember,
Surabaya, Indonesia
Keywords: Pipeline, Free Span, Rock Berm.
Abstract: Several problems can be solved by piping engineers to protect pipelines so it can be resistant to environmental
and man-made hazards. Factors that can damage the pipeline are usually shipwrecks, faults in dropping and
pulling anchors, dredging activities, fishing activities, and the exploration of undersea. Burial pipelines are
the solutions most often used by engineers for the protective pipeline. However, the burial of the pipeline
cannot always be applied due to unfavorable seabed issues or if there are other factors. This paper will explain
the results of research related to the pipeline by calculating the dimensions of rock berms to protect pipelines
from external loads and analysis of the free span pipeline to check the feasibility of being exposed to
environmental loads.
1 INTRODUCTION
The Oil and Gas Industry is an important sector in
national development both in terms of meeting the
needs of energy and industrial raw materials in the
country as well as producing foreign exchange so that
the management needs to be done as optimal as
possible. The underwater pipeline is one of the most
efficient long-distance transportation infrastructure for
oil and gas for the transfer of oil and gas production
both from exploration on land, near the coast and from
the deep sea with effective and efficient methods.
Failure in the pipeline system can be caused by various
problems, such as free span (due to environmental
loads), and anchor loads (external loads) from ships
that are leaning in the Madura Strait area. A free span
occurs due to vibration or commonly known as the
Vortex-Induced Vibration (VIV) phenomenon that
occurs in parts of the pipe that touches the seabed.
Stability analysis of the pipeline from the environ-
mental load (wave and current) is very important
because it can determine feasibility design of the
pipeline (length of the free span) that has been installed
so that in the future preventive steps can be planned for
the best. Pipeline protection from external loads is also
important because if the pipeline is hit by anchor load
it can cause damage such as buckling and pipe leakage
so that it disrupts the oil and gas distribution process
and causes environmental pollution.
2 RESEARCH DATA
In this study, the area to be analyzed is the Madura
Strait, and the pipeline that will be designed for rock
berm protection and free span analysis are the Block
BD pipeline. In the analysis of concrete armor design
(rock berm) design, an external load size calculation
will be performed. External loads have a big role in
damaging the pipeline system on the seabed, in this
case, the movement anchor from the seabed. In
determining the size of the anchor, an analysis of ship
mobility that often crosses the study area will be
carried out, namely the Madura Strait. The following
are the data used in this study:
Table 1: Ship Sailing Data in the Madura Strait.
(source: PT. Pelindo III)
Ship Type In 2012
Container Ship 2040
General Cargo Ship 2144
Bag Cargo Ship 558
Fuel Tank Ship 1264
Liq. Bulk Non Fuel Ship 447
Dry Bulk Ship 616
Barge 5908
Passenger Ship 1889