Joint integrity specialist Hydratight completed an upgrade project on a section of subsea pipeline for the John Brookes joint venture, on the North West Shelf of Western Australia.
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Connector being lowered for John Brooke's project. Image from Hydratight. |
Hydratight was contracted by Quadrant on behalf of the John Brookes joint venture. Hydratight engineered, manufactured, delivered and supported the installation of an 18in MORGRIP connector on the John Brookes subsea pipeline located 54km northeast of Quadrant’s Varanus Island facilities.
“This was an exciting project to be part of due to strict safety and environmental expectations in place. These included working closely with a DNV inspector who flew in from Singapore to witness all aspects of the upgrade. It also meant an independent critique of our manufacturing procedures,” Mark Till, Hydratight engineer said. “The component parts were of extremely high specifications and we had strict rules on forging and manufacturing. These included the use of a compliant biodegradable mineral hydraulic fluid used for activating the tensioners and flushing and cleansing all tooling. We ensured no other unassessed hydraulic fluid was used.”
A representative from Quadrant Energy oversaw the factory acceptance test of the completed connector in the UK, before witnessing a second test and diver training on arrival in Australia.
Bespoke features were included on the engineered product. These included corrosion resistant alloy cladding, composite graphite seals, Hydratight’s ball and taper technology and also the company’s subsea tensioning equipment.
The MORGRIP series of connectors is known for a leak-free record since they were first installed in the 1980s as an alternative to welding. They take less manpower and fewer man hours during commissioned projects. The technology is a permanent solution, yet the connector can be detached and reused.
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