Ship-shaped offshore units are some of the more economical systems for the development of offshore oil and gas, and are often preferred in marginal fields. These systems are especially attractive to develop oil and gas fields in deep and ultra-deep water areas and remote locations away from existing pipeline infrastructures. Recently, the ship-shaped offshore units have been applied to near shore oil and gas terminals. This 2007 text is an ideal reference on the technologies for design, building and operation of ship-shaped offshore units, within inevitable space requirements. The book includes a range of topics, from the initial contracting strategy to decommissioning and the removal of the units concerned. Coverage includes both fundamental theory and principles of the individual technologies. This book will be useful to students who will be approaching the subject for the first time as well as designers working on the engineering for ship-shaped offshore installations.

The concept of using flexible, reelable pipe to transport liquids, gases, and vapours is not a new one. As early as the 1940s a steel braided elastomeric pipeline was developed for the Allied Forces in order to transport fuels to support the Normandy Beacheads. In fact, the longest flexible pipeline ever constructed is likely to be that laid across the English Channel as part of 'Operation Pluto'. The methodology used to handle and instal such pipe is also not new. Ellis (1943, London) in an early patent specification identifies three basic objectives for a flexible pipelining method. These are: prefabrication of the pipe onshore; coiling of the pipe on suitable drums or reels; and using such reels to lay pipe from anchored or motorised barges. The design concept for flexible pipe is also not a new invention given that flexible hoses and umbilicals have been in service for more than sixty years. A break-through was however achieved by the French Institute of Petroleum in the early 1970s when they developed an improved steel reinforced pipe structure having a high axial loading capaci ty which utilised corrosion and hydrocarbon resistant polymers to extend pipe service lifetime. This early pipe design utilised established cable making techniques to apply steel armour and axially and radially reinforce alternating layers of polymer sheaths. The pipe was primarily developed as a flowline for use in static seabed applications.