Operation track record and repair of direct electrical heating system

Direct electrical heating is a flow assurance method for subsea flowlines. This article considers direct electrically heated flowlines that were installed at an offshore facility in 2004. In 2022, one of the piggyback cables was successfully repaired. The root cause for failure was dielectric breakd...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ISOPE - International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference. Proceedings 2024
Main Authors: Solheim, Kristian Thinn, Lervik, Jens Kristian, Faremo, Hallvard, Klusmeier, Katharina Kuhlefelt, Willumsen, Christian Brede, Børnes, Atle Harald, Iversen, Øyvind
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Direct electrical heating is a flow assurance method for subsea flowlines. This article considers direct electrically heated flowlines that were installed at an offshore facility in 2004. In 2022, one of the piggyback cables was successfully repaired. The root cause for failure was dielectric breakdown of the transition joint between the feeder cable and the piggyback cable because of high accidental axial compression forces. The accumulated operation time from 2004 to 2022 was 450 days. Fingerprints from commissioning were essential in fault location, and the fault was pin pointed with an accuracy of a few meters. Investigations of the XLPE insulation material showed that the cable was in a generally good condition. KEY WORDS: Direct electrical heating; flow assurance; repair; fault location; operation record; prolonged lifetime
ISSN:1506-1511