Material Selection for Subsea Pipeline Construction under Uncertainties for Niger Delta Region

Abstract

This research work on material selection for subsea pipeline construction was carried out to analyze and recommend suitable material option that satisfies DNV-OS-F101 standard for subsea pipeline constructions which will not succumb to extreme conditions and performs well in unpredictable conditions in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Crude oil is mainly transported through pipelines, structural failure of the pipelines will severely affect oil production processes and will cause huge economic loss. Data on oil pipeline failures in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria were gathered and the major causes were; corrosion, operational error, third party activities and mechanical failures which were associated with the construction materials and structures of the pipelines. Hence, material selection for subsea pipelines is of vital importance. This paper makes use of Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) Theory to make fuzzy evaluation of different material options for pipeline construction. Statistical data and experts’ knowledge were integrated in addressing data limitation. This paper utilizes related weights and normalized scores based on experts’ judgements and with the aid of value engineering (VE) method, material criteria based on DNV-OS-F101 standard and TOPSIS Theory to achieve the best material option. The analysis has demonstrated that the estimation of TOPSIS is reliable. The outcome obtained can be used to assist the decision maker in the selection of the best material option suitable for the construction of subsea pipeline in Niger Delta region.