NUFLOW WA
Vertical Discharge Pipe | Offshore Oil Platform
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Nuflow WA successfully rehabilitated a vertical DN600 steel discharge pipe on an operational offshore oil platform. The project presented extraordinary challenges due to the remote location, high-risk offshore conditions, and the absence of any prior precedent for this type of trenchless installation.
Nuflow WA were approached after recurring failures in their overboard water discharge line. The steel pipe, exposed to a harsh marine environment, had corroded and developed a large leak. Conventional replacement would have required significant dismantling, creating unacceptable safety and cost risks for the platform’s operations. The client sought an alternative approach that could deliver structural rehabilitation while minimising downtime and offshore exposure.
THE CHALLENGE
This project was unlike any previous CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) installation:
- The 10-metre sections of DN600 liner weighed 330 kg each and needed to be suspended vertically
without detaching from the bladder. - Wet-out had to be completed on limited-capacity scaffolding within tight space and weight restrictions.
- Inflation required a bespoke system to counter 14 m of underwater pressure.
- Accommodation limits meant the entire project had to be executed by a four-person crew.
- All logistics, materials, and tools had to be mobilised to the offshore platform via boat.
- Nuflow technicians were flown to the offshore platform via helicopter.
THE SOLUTION
Over 12 months, Nuflow WA project team with assistance from Nuflow Australasia worked closely with the client to design, engineer and test a custom solution.
Key innovations included:
- Seatbelt-grade reinforcing straps stitched into the liner to manage vertical loads.
- Custom-engineered modular scaffolding designed for safe liner handling and wet-out under restricted load
conditions. - Robot-assisted sealing and dewatering system, developed for attachment at the pipe base by an ROV to allow
liner installation in a flooded vertical pipe. - Comprehensive crew training and pre-installation rehearsals to ensure safety and precision under extreme
conditions.
THE RESULT
The project was completed safely and successfully, marking a major milestone in trenchless technology. The client commended Nuflow WA for their professionalism, technical capability, and perseverance throughout the two-year journey. This achievement demonstrates how collaboration, innovation, and engineering expertise can extend trenchless rehabilitation to new frontiers, even the demanding |environment of an offshore oil rig.
MAINTAINING CRITICAL WATER ASSETS IN INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENTS
For more information on how Nuflow can assist with the structural rehabilitation of critical industrial water infrastructure, such as bore lines, rising mains, and pressure systems, get in touch with our team of specialists. We deliver trenchless solutions that are safe, efficient, and engineered to meet the demands of complex industrial environments.
