Subsea Infrastructure Damage: Anaconda Pipeline Extension

The MTS Houston Section luncheon to be held on 26th January 2012 will feature a presentation by Mike Stark on the advent of the Anaconda Pipeline Extension in the US Gulf of Mexico. When hurricanes strike the Gulf of Mexico, the damage to platforms can be serious and extremely visible. Less visible is the related impact to subsea infrastructure, including pipelines. Bringing these subsea assets back online can be both complex and challenging. 

Gulf of Mexico deepwater production facilities and pipelines connect back to older shelf platforms and shallow water pipeline systems. So hurricane damage to shelf infrastructure has a major impact on the deepwater systems. The Anaconda Gas Pipeline System carries gas production from deepwater developments Marco Polo, Constitution, and Phoenix, connecting back to the shelf in the Eugene Island area. In 2008 Hurricane Ike caused severe damage in the Gulf, primarily to shallow water infrastructure. The existing Anaconda Pipeline System was impacted when two shallow water platforms were destroyed, cutting off downstream connections and gas delivery.

 

On 26th January 2012, Mike Stark with Enterprise Products Partners will discuss the newly installed Anaconda 20" Pipeline Extension. He will provide an overview of the challenges, solutions and operations undertaken over the past two and a half years to re-establish and extend the deepwater Anaconda Gas Export System after Hurricane Ike.

 

The Anaconda Extension was a challenging two-phase project. The first phase involved re-establishing the pipeline system's downstream connection in order to restart gas production from the deepwater facilities. The phase was completed in early 2009 and involved the completion of a temporary subsea by-pass in EI-371.

 

The second phase involved evaluating alternatives, determining the best option and constructing a long term solution for the export pipeline system. During this phase, the new 46-mile Anaconda 20" Extension connecting EI-371 to SS-207 was installed, commissioned, and the temporary by-pass disconnected. Gas began flowing through the new system in July 2011.

 

The Anaconda Pipeline Extension is a 46.25-mi, 20" OD pipeline from a subsea tie-in EI - 371 to the Manta Ray Offshore Gathering Co., LLC's platform in SS-207 in water depths of 428 feet to 101 feet. The Anaconda Pipeline Extension is a gas pipeline from facilities upstream including Marco Polo TLP (GC-608), Constitution SPAR (GC-680) and Helix/Phoenix FPU (GC-237).

 

Mike Stark is Director, Offshore Pipelines & Facilities for Enterprise Products Partners, with overall responsible for the company's offshore pipelines and facilities installations, including the Anaconda Gas System. Mr. Stark has 38 years of experience in the offshore oil and gas construction and subsea industry.