WORLDS FIRST 4.5-IN. COILED-TUBING PIPELINE

Coiled tubing (CT) is a rapidly growing pipeline technology. Use of CT as pipeline is a new application to an existing technology. Until rec ently, CT was primarily used by service companies for CT workovers. As the technology expanded, the industry began using CT for other applic ations such as drilling, coring, logging, well cleanout operations, an d artificial lift. As the tubing mills began producing larger sizes, t he use of CT as pipelines was considered possible. The application of CT as a pipeline began in the Gulf of Mexico. The early results suppor ted the application as being a low cost, time saving, economic alterna tive to conventional welded pipe for flowlines. CT applications have b een used in 4 to 100 ft of water in the Gulf of Mexico area and the in stallation techniques have varied significantly. In 1994, the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Co. (Gupco), a joint venture company between Amoco Prod uction Co. and the Egyptian Petroleum Co., embarked on the first inter national application of the 3.5-in. coiled pipe with a dynamic lay pro cedure. The cost savings from the first two jobs were estimated to be in excess of 70% when compared to the traditional lay vessel charges. Ref. 1 presents engineering design and field experience. Subsequently, Gupco has taken a leading role in the application of CT technology wi th the 1996 installations of the first production of 4.5-in. coiled pi pe, one of which is a record-setting 62,000-ft high-pressure water sup ply line. Cost savings of this larger diameter pipe are still yielding 55% over the conventional barge lay techniques. In this paper, we wil l cover the significant findings of that engineering work and present actual field case histories on Egypt's first 4.5-in. coiled pipeline p rojects.