Lloyd’s Register certifies Baker Hughes flexible pipe solution for pre-salt subsea developments

Baker Hughes announced that it has received a design appraisal document (DAD) from Lloyd’s Register for a solution it has developed to address flexible pipe corrosion cracking (SCC) tendencies in high-CO₂ content fields, such as those found in Brazil’s pre-salt offshore fields.

The DAD certification validates the testing program and results for the solution. This follows an extensive three-year testing campaign by Baker Hughes featuring more than 120 test setups, methodologies and characterizations, including dissection of pipes recovered from field operations. The certification verifies that on top of the standard 25-30-year equipment service life, Baker Hughes can extend flexible pipes contracted service life by at least 50%, with the potential of extending the life of the pipes by 2.5 times.

Moving forward, all installed flexible pipes by Baker Hughes in Brazil will be covered by the DAD and offer operators extended operating life before replacement. In addition, the DAD enables Baker Hughes to assess and predict the integrity of flexible pipes operating for several years.

“As an energy industry, we must constantly share lessons learned to ensure safe, reliable and environmentally sound operations. Baker Hughes applied its technology expertise to pioneer a solution to solve this challenge,” said Domenico Di Giambattista, VP for Flexible Pipe Systems at Baker Hughes. “While the SCC-CO₂ phenomenon was not something we experienced with our flexible pipes, it threatened the viability of certain offshore fields that require flexible pipe for development. This certification is an important step as we invest for growth to fully deploy flexible pipe systems in tough offshore environments.”