A Three-stage Hybrid Multi-criteria Model for the Selection of Material for Subsea Pipeline Design Considering Several Environmental Scenario.

Abstract

Subsea pipelines are such a crucial part of offshore oil and gas production, therefore their design and construction should be as efficient and cost effective as possible. Proper material selection is critical for a successful operation and a longer pipeline lifespan. For the selection of a design material with the highest reliability under dynamic environment as the one obtained in the oil and gas industry, a three-stage hybrid multi-criteria model have been proposed. The hybrid multi-criteria model, which is based on an integrated Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model and the VlseKriterijumskaOptimizacija I KompromisnoResenje (VIKOR) model, is used for the evaluation and selection of a suitable and high reliability-based design material for the subsea pipeline design by considering several operational and environmental scenario the pipes might encounter in the field. With the vast amount of engineering materials available to the design engineer, selecting a suitable and high reliability-based material for the subsea pipeline design is a tedious and demanding task especially under a dynamic environment scenario. In this paper, ten subsea pipeline material alternatives of different types, with seven criteria, have been critically examined under a three case scenario. Results from the evaluation show that, for the first case study scenario -sour service hydrocarbon transport in deep waters-, 22% Cr stainless steel is found to be the best choice material, for the second case study scenario, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer is selected as the best. While for the third case study scenario, carbons steel and polymers material is found to be the most reliable material choice.