Project Description

The 24” oil pipeline, running from Eldfisk to Ekofisk, was discovered to be leaking following a wet buckling incident. The pipeline, aged over 20 years, had buckled due to substantial local seabed subsidence. IK Subsea was contacted, leading to the immediate establishment of a project task force comprising IK Subsea personnel and key suppliers. With Eldfisk production halted, the priority was to repair and swiftly reinstate the line.

The chosen repair solution involved a 6-meter-long “banana-shaped” (bent) clamp, designed to accommodate the curvature of the buckled pipeline. After installation, the clamp was filled with grout to ensure proper bonding with the 24” line.

The project commenced on May 6th, and by May 24th, the clamp was delivered. Engineering and manufacturing commenced before the final configuration of the bent pipeline location was determined, adjusting as precise survey dimensions from the ROV inspection became available.

This concurrent approach to engineering, fabrication, and dimension settling resulted in the timely design and installation of the repair clamp within a month of detecting the leakage. The environmental impact was minimal, and Eldfisk resumed operations just a month after the line had to be shut down.