Diver-less deep-water pipeline connection sets new standard

With the production hub far from existing pipelines and platforms, and with the route to shore crossing rugged terrain and sensitive marine habitats, this part of the project presented significant additional problems, writes Anne Feltus. It decided to link Perdido to ExxonMobil's Hoover Offshore Oil Pipeline System (Hoops), in 4,500 feet of water some 70 miles away. That meant making the deepest tie-in ever to an operating pipeline without pre-existing tie-in points. The engineer removed a section of the pipeline and installed a piggable, Y-shaped connection system in its place. Because Hoops was operating, downtime had to be minimised; additionally, the connection system had to be reconfig