I Pipeline Technology
Crondall Energy is at the forefront of developing new pipeline technology that will support oil and gas operators to extract remaining reserves effectively. We use an academic approach to continuously drive innovation and new product development for industry. Much of Crondall Energy's pipeline technology development is focused around pipeline buckling and we have developed methods of predicting and managing buckling to maintain production for the long term.
Key Technologies:
​
I PROBE
Crondall Energy has developed the PROBE computer program to perform a structural reliability analysis of a pipeline undergoing lateral buckling. The program simulates the buckle formation process, calculates the response of the buckles and develops stochastic information for use in the lateral buckling design process.
​
PROBE is the most sophisticated program available to the industry today for the probabilistic assessment of pipeline lateral buckling.
​
Our PROBE system was recently shortlisted in the Innovation & Technology category at the 2020 Subsea UK Awards. Learn more here. ​
I APT JIP
The Anchoring Pipeline Technology (APT) Joint Industry Project (JIP) aims to safely reduce the high cost of pipeline anchoring. The APT JIP involves a few select operators and was launched in 2017 by Crondall Energy.
​
Pipeline walking, or movement of the pipeline along its length, has occurred on many pipelines laid on the seabed- particularly in deepwater environments. The APT aims to address this ‘pipeline walking’ challenge with better ways to monitor, anchor and control walking. The project is undertaking a far-reaching developing pipeline anchoring and monitoring systems which will significantly mitigate the risk and costs associated with ‘pipeline-walking’.
​
The collaboration brings together major global operators to explore alternative and less costly solutions and working towards an established roadmap on how to manage and mitigate the pipe-walking challenge, as well as developing relevant technology and testing novel anchoring methods.
​
I 3D computational modelling of a subsea pipeline-soil interaction
Crondall Energy is sponsoring a PhD at Oxford University focused on the interface between academic research and industry practice. The objective of this research project is to develop an industry-leading 3D computational model of subsea pipeline-soil interaction – for application in the design of controlled lateral buckling. This is a 3.5 year DPhil studentship, which started in October 2018.
Many HPHT pipeline projects face a significant challenge to predict the full cyclic pipe-soil interaction response in 3D, which is inadequately represented by current design tools. This project aims to develop industry-leading computational modelling techniques that capture enough of the underlying physics to give realistic predictions, yet are efficient and robust enough to be used by pipeline engineers in real design situations. The project is strongly supported by two major oil and gas operators and will build on the success of the SAFEBUCK Joint Industry Project which was founded and run by David Bruton and Malcolm Carr from 2002 to 2011.
​
I BLUW JIN
Created by Crondall Energy, BLUW-JIN (Buckling, Lateral or Upheaval & Walking of Pipelines – a Joint Industry Network) is a forum for Oil & Gas Operator members to share and discuss their experiences and learn from other members about challenges in the field of pipeline buckling and walking, including design issues, operational challenges and how these challenges have been overcome.
​
