【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】By 2025, China will have put into use self-developed emergency recovery devices for 3,000-meter-depth ultra-deep-water submarine pipelines

Thread Content

Let’s give praise and encouragement to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available – feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** On July 18th, China’s first set of 3000-meter-depth ultra-deep-water submarine pipeline emergency recovery devices, developed independently by Offshore Oil Engineering Co., Ltd. (referred to as “Offshore Oil Engineering”), was put into use for the first time. The overall performance of these devices is at the world’s advanced level, marking an important breakthrough in China’s manufacturing of emergency equipment for offshore oil and gas operations. This development is of great significance for enhancing the safety capabilities in China’s offshore oil and gas exploration and development, as well as for promoting the high-quality growth of the offshore oil and gas industry. As a key device for the maintenance and repair of offshore oil and gas pipelines, the emergency recovery unit for submarine pipelines is primarily used to quickly retrieve damaged underwater pipelines, thereby improving the efficiency of pipeline repairs and reducing operational risks. The wedge-type subsea pipeline emergency recovery device put into use this time includes core modules such as a slider tensioning mechanism, high-strength wedges, a deep-water hydraulic drive system, and a deep-water drainage system. It has a safe operating load of 300 tons and a maximum operating depth of 3,000 meters, offering significant advantages such as a wide range of applications, easy operation, and safety and controllability. Emergency recovery devices for deep-sea pipelines must be capable of operating in extreme deep-sea conditions such as high water pressure, low temperatures, and severe corrosion; they also require high precision in manufacturing, sophisticated system integration, and interdisciplinary collaboration. For a long time, the technology for developing such equipment as well as the related industry have been non-existent in China. The high cost of importing such equipment along with long lead times have, to some extent, constrained the development of the deep-water oil and gas industry in our country. In response, CNOOC Engineering established a task force for the domestic development of emergency recovery devices for offshore pipelines, and worked together with domestic manufacturers to advance research on technology for 3000-meter-class ultra-deep-water wedge-type emergency recovery devices for offshore pipelines. “Over the course of 1 year, the project overcame more than 10 key technical challenges, including 3D modeling and verification, selection of high-strength materials, testing of prototype units, high-tension pull tests, and integration of hydraulic mechanisms for deep-water use. A complete system of independent intellectual property rights was developed, with 100% localization of the key components. ”Li Bin, manager of the Offshore Pipeline Operations Center at CNOOC Engineering Installation Co., Ltd., explained. At present, CNOOC Engineering has independently mastered the development and application technologies for four types of wedge-type offshore pipeline emergency recovery devices with diameters of 6 inches, 12 inches, 20 inches, and 30 inches. The safe load capacity ranges from 300 tons to 1,000 tons, and the operating depth exceeds 3,000 meters. Going forward, CNOOC Engineering will continue to increase its investment in research and development, working to upgrade the emergency recovery system for offshore pipelines to enable operation across all pipe diameters and wall thicknesses ranging from 6 to 48 inches. This will further enhance the capability for emergency repairs of offshore pipelines and ensure the safe operation of marine oil and gas equipment.