Flowline buoyancy

What is flowline buoyancy?
- Flowline buoyancy uses buoyant modules attached at specific locations along a subsea flowline to reduce submerged weight and influence how the pipeline moves on the seabed.
Why is buoyancy used to mitigate flowline buckling?
- As flowlines heat up and cool down during operation and shutdown, they expand and contract. This can generate significant compressive, bending and shear forces. Strategically positioned buoyancy encourages controlled movement and helps manage buckling behaviour.
What is flowline buckling mitigation?
- The flowline buckling mitigation buoyancy module is designed to provide uplift at discrete locations along a flowline, promoting controlled movement and mitigating uncontrolled buckling. Its net buoyancy can be adjusted to suit individual applications.
What is a rotating buoyancy module?
- A rotating buoyancy module is designed to roll along the seabed as the flowline moves. This reduces lateral friction and helps minimise seabed berm formation, supporting more predictable flowline behaviour.
What is the difference between flowline buckling mitigation and rotating buoyancy modules?
- Both systems use buoyancy to influence flowline behaviour, but their operating principles differ. Flowline buckling mitigation modules promote controlled movement through strategically positioned uplift, while rotating buoyancy modules additionally roll across the seabed to reduce friction and berm creation.
Where are flowline buoyancy systems used?
- They are primarily used on subsea flowlines and seabed pipelines, including high-temperature and high-pressure applications where thermal expansion and contraction can create significant movement and buckling loads.
Can flowline buoyancy be designed around specific project requirements?
- Yes. Buoyancy can be engineered around the required uplift, flowline configuration, seabed conditions, operating temperatures and expected movement. The flowline buckling mitigation system allows net buoyancy to be adjusted for individual applications.
What depths can flowline buoyancy systems operate at?
- The flowline buckling mitigation buoyancy module is qualified for applications down to 3,000 metres. The appropriate operating depth and buoyancy configuration can be established as part of the project-specific design.

Breadcrumb

Flowline buoyancy

Controlling flowline movement and buckling

Flowline buoyancy provides controlled uplift at specific locations along subsea flowlines, helping manage movement caused by thermal expansion and contraction. By encouraging controlled movement and buckling behaviour, they help reduce excessive stresses and maintain the integrity of high-temperature pipelines.

Request a quote

Tagline

Heading

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Learn more

Products

Product example
Product example
Product example

Flowline buoyancy benefits

Creating predictable flowline behaviour on the seabed

Flowline buckling mitigation and rotating buoyancy modules use engineered buoyancy to create controlled movement, with rotating modules also reducing seabed friction and berm formation.

‍

Request a quote

Control buckling behaviour

Strategically positioned buoyancy encourages flowlines to move and buckle in controlled locations, helping manage compression, bending and shear forces generated during thermal cycling.

Reduce seabed friction

Rotating buoyancy modules roll across the seabed rather than sliding, reducing lateral friction and the formation of seabed berms that can restrict intended pipeline movement.

Engineered for demanding conditions

Flowline buoyancy systems are designed for challenging subsea environments, with flowline buckling mitigation systems offering adjustable net buoyancy and qualification for applications down to 3,000 metres.

Tagline

FAQ to go here lorem ipsum ac commodo sagittis quis dignissim venenatis id sed?

Lorem ipsum a arcu lectus ut nunc nisl euismod diam nibh fringilla proin cursus sed orci enim pellentesque ut et eros condimentum tincidunt aliquet tempus non velit proin in consectetur fusce cras tellus nisl quis sit quisque quis varius mauris ut sodales sed imperdiet adipiscing.

Button

REQUEST A QUOTE

Are you looking for a better solution for your project?

Request a quote or speak to member of our team.

Fields marked * are required

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.