Monitoring apparatus for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline termination system

Abstract

A subsea pipeline termination system may include a pipeline end termination (PLET) pipe tail, a PLET assembly having a movement allowance feature, a jumper, and a monitoring apparatus. The monitoring apparatus of the subsea pipeline termination system may include a sensor device configured to measure a displacement parameter associated with movement of the movement allowance feature of the PLET assembly. The monitoring apparatus may also include a controller communicably coupled to the sensor device. The controller may be configured to obtain a measurement made by the sensor device. The controller may be configured to communicate the measurement.

Description

MONITORING APPARATUS FOR TRACKING MOVEMENT IN A SUBSEA PIPELINE TERMINATION SYSTEMTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application is related to subsea pipeline networks and related structures and, more particularly, to systems and methods for monitoring apparatuses fortracking movement in a subsea pipeline termination system.BACKGROUND

[0002] Subsea pipeline systems are subject to thermal and pressure loading that can lead to axial expansion and axial and lateral displacement during operations. A subsea pipeline termination system, which includes a pipeline end termination (PLET) pipe tail (i.e., the interface pipe between the PLET piping and the pipeline), a PLET assembly (including a sliding mechanism), and ajumper, can be designed as an integrated system to accommodate pipeline axial movement and alleviate or withstand stresses imposed by the thermal and pressure loading. A PLET assembly is a component of a subsea pipeline system that provides a termination of a pipeline as well as a connection to a subsea structure (e.g., a manifold, a tree). The PLET assembly is designed to withstand the environmental (e.g., subsea), installation, and operational conditions of the subsea pipeline system. PLET assemblies have hubs to connect with jumpers that link to other parts of the subsea system (e.g., a manifold, a Christmas tree) and provide access points for pigging, testing, and intervention operations..

[0003] The PLET assembly may include a sliding mechanism, which enables the whole system (including the PLET pipe tail, the PLET assembly and ajumper) to move as an integrated set to accommodate pipeline axial expansion. This movement is limited to the course range of the sliding mechanism. The proper functioning of the PLET sliding mechanism helps keep the pipeline termination system within the design strain envelopes of the jumper and PLET pipe tail. Furthermore, when there are deviations from the original design basis and pristine as-built conditions of the system (e.g., corrosion, unexpected changes in fluid properties (e.g. souring, aggressive chemicals, spent acid return), operation conditions (e.g. operational temperature and pressure), a full understanding of the sliding behavior history is fundamental to evaluate the impact of movement on short term integrity, long term integrity, and fitness of the system. The sliding movement, which is currently the only measurable visual parameter, is usually checkedinfrequently during subsea surveys using markers painted on the PLET structure adjacent to the sliding mechanism.

[0004] The current method of monitoring movement of a PLET is based on visual inspection of the markers. This method is unreliable, can be inaccurate, can lack timeliness, and does not capture the history of sliding behavior against the continuously varying operational conditions and pressure and temperature cycles. Visual inspection requires divers or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to approach the PLET and observe the markers during operation and production shutdowns, which can be affected by poor visibility (e.g., due to currents, due to turbulence caused by a diver or ROV) and / or marine growth. Other issues such as aging and deterioration of the markings help make visual inspection of the markers problematic. In addition, the sliding mechanism of a PLET may be compromised due to aging, deposits, marine growth, corrosion, external factors, issues that may arise during installation and operations, and / or other potential problems. The snapshot visual inspection also does not provide continuous or real-time data on the PLET movement during operational cycles, which can be critical for the integrity and safety of the Pipeline System and its pipeline termination system. Furthermore, visual inspection is expensive and time-consuming, in part because it requires mobilization of personnel, one or more vessels, and equipment. Moreover, the jumper and PLET pipe tail are both strained as the slide mechanism is activated because of the loads imposed by the pipeline under thermal and pressure effects. It is desirable to implement additional monitoring on strains imparted to jumpers and the PLET pipe tail to build a complete picture of how the pipeline termination system is behaving.SUMMARY

[0005] In general, in one aspect, the disclosure relates to a subsea pipeline termination system. The subsea pipeline termination system may include a pipeline end termination (PLET) pipe tail, a PLET assembly comprising a movement allowance feature, a jumper, and a monitoring apparatus. The monitoring apparatus may include a sensor device configured to measure a displacement parameter associated with movement of the movement allowance feature of the PLET assembly. The monitoring apparatus may also include a controller communicably coupled to the sensor device, where the controller is configured to obtain a measurement made by the sensor device and communicate the measurement.

[0006] In another aspect, the disclosure relates to a system for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline termination system. The system may include a PLET assembly of the subsea pipelinetermination system, where the PLET assembly is a subsea pipeline component having a movement allowance feature. The system may also include a monitoring apparatus having a sensor device and a controller. The sensor device of the monitoring apparatus may be configured to measure a displacement parameter associated with movement of the movement allowance feature of the PLET assembly. The controller of the monitoring apparatus may be configured to obtain a measurement made by the sensor device and communicate the measurement.

[0007] In yet another aspect, the disclosure relates to a method for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline termination system. The method may include obtaining a measurement of a displacement parameter associated with movement of a movement allowance feature of a subsea pipeline component of the subsea pipeline termination system. The method may also include evaluating the parameter against a range of acceptable values for the parameter. The method may further include determining, based on evaluating the parameter against the acceptable values, a condition of the pipeline network while the pipeline network is in service.

[0008] These and other aspects, objects, features, and embodiments will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The drawings illustrate only example embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope, as the example embodiments may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the example embodiments. Additionally, certain dimensions or positions may be exaggerated to help visually convey such principles. In the drawings, reference numerals designate like or corresponding, but not necessarily identical, elements.

[0010] FIG. 1 shows a subsea field system in which example embodiments can be used.

[0011] FIG. 2 shows a system for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline network according to certain example embodiments.

[0012] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a controller of a monitoring apparatus of the system of FIG. 2 according to certain example embodiments.

[0013] FIG. 4 shows a diagram of a computing system according to certain example embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 5 shows a diagram of a subsea field system that includes a subsea pipeline network according to certain example embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 6 shows an example of a subsea pipeline termination system of the subsea pipeline network of FIG. 5 according to certain example embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the subsea pipeline component of the subsea pipeline network of FIG. 5 according to certain example embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 8 shows a diagram of a subsea pipeline system according to certain example embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a method for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline network according to certain example embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The example embodiments discussed herein are directed to systems and methods for tracking movement in subsea pipeline networks. Subsea pipeline networks that are evaluated using example embodiments may have any of a number of configurations (e.g., flowlines, risers, jumpers) and / or components (e.g., flexible joint and stress joints elements at top of risers, pipeline end terminations, buckle arrestor, connectors, pipe in pipe, coating and insulation, sensor clamp, buoyancy modules, buckle mitigation such as sleepers, crossing). The environment in which some or all of a subsea pipeline network is located may vary. Evaluation of the movement of a subsea pipeline network, including sections thereof, using example embodiments is designed to occur in real time while the subsea pipeline network is in service.

[0020] In some cases, movement of a subsea pipeline network that is evaluated using example embodiments is used in field operations (e.g., drilling, completing, transporting, and / or producing a subterranean resource that is extracted from a subterranean formation). A subsea pipeline network may be in service for any duration of time (e.g., one month, one year, one decade, over 100 years) and may be continuous or have multiple interruptions or pauses and be subject to varying conditions (fluid, operating regimes, metocean environmental loading, vessel motions). Example embodiments of systems and methods for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline network may be rated for use in varying conditions during the field life of the subsea pipeline network (or sections thereof). In some cases, a subsea pipeline network (including sections thereof) that is evaluated using example embodiments may be located, at least in part, under water (e g., a sea, an ocean, a lake), also called subsea herein, as part of a subsea field system.

[0021] Example embodiments may be designed to help subsea pipeline networks comply with certain standards and / or requirements. Examples of entities that set such standards and / or requirements may include, but are not limited to, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Petroleum Institute (API), the International Standards Organization (ISO), the Environmental Protection Agency (EP A), Bureau Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Also, as discussed above, example systems for tracking movement in subsea pipeline networks (or portions thereof) may be used in hazardous environments, and so example systems for tracking movement in subsea pipeline networks (or portions thereof) may be designed to comply with industry standards that apply to hazardous environments.

[0022] If a component of a figure is described but not expressly shown or labeled in that figure, the label used for a corresponding component in another figure may be inferred to that component. Conversely, if a component in a figure is labeled but not described, the description for such component may be substantially the same as the description for the corresponding component in another figure. The numbering scheme for the various components in the figures herein is such that each component is a three-digit number, and corresponding components in other figures have the identical last two digits. For any figure shown and described herein, one or more of the components may be omitted, added, repeated, and / or substituted. Accordingly, embodiments shown in a particular figure should not be considered limited to the specific arrangements of components shown in such figure.

[0023] Further, a statement that a particular embodiment (e.g., as shown in a figure herein) does not have a particular feature or component does not mean, unless expressly stated, that such embodiment is not capable of having such feature or component. For example, for purposes of present or future claims herein, a feature or component that is described as not being included in an example embodiment shown in one or more particular drawings may be capable of being included in one or more claims that correspond to such one or more particular drawings herein.

[0024] Example embodiments of systems for tracking movement in subsea pipeline networks will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of systems for tracking movement in subsea pipeline networks are shown. Systems for tracking movement in subsea pipeline networks may, however, be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of systems for tracking movement in subsea pipeline networks to those of ordinary skill in the art. Like, but not necessarily the same, elements (also sometimes called components) in the various figures are denoted by like reference numerals for consistency.

[0025] Terms such as “first”, “second”, “outer”, “inner”, “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, “lower”, “distal”, “proximal”, “on”, and “within”, when present, are used merely to distinguish one component (or part of a component or state of a component) from another. This list of terms is not exclusive. Such terms are not meant to denote a preference or a particular orientation, and they are not meant to limit embodiments of systems for tracking movement in subsea pipeline networks. In the following detailed description of the example embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the description.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a field system 100 (also sometimes more simply called a system 100) in which example embodiments can be used. The system 100 in this case includes a floating structure 103 in the form of a semi-submersible platform that floats in a large and deep body of water 194. Part (e.g., the topsides 107) of the floating structure 103 is above the water line 193, and at least part (e.g., part of the hull 101) of the rest of the floating structure 103 is in the water 194 (subsea) below the water line 193. The floating structure 103 in this case is used for subterranean field operations (also called subsea field operations herein), in which exploration and production phases (also called stages) of the subsea field operation are executed to extract one or more subterranean resources 111 (e.g., oil, natural gas, water, hydrogen gas) from and / or inject resources (e.g., carbon monoxide) into the subterranean formation 110 via a wellbore 120.

[0027] In alternative embodiments, as when a subsea operation is close to land, the structure 103 can be land-based rather than floating. In other alternative embodiments, as when a subsea operation is in water 194 with shallow depths, the structure 103 can be mounted on the seabed 102 with the topsides 107 raised above the water line 193. Further, in some cases, a field operation involves multiple wellbores 120 that originate from the same proximate location (sometimes calleda pad) on the seabed 102. In such cases, the wellbores 120 can be drilled one at a time, and the wells from a pad can be on production simultaneously. Also, in such cases, there can be one subsea Xmas tree 140 for each wellbore 120.

[0028] To extract and transport a subterranean resource 111 from a wellbore on production, a subsea pipeline system 199 of the field system 100 is used. The subsea pipeline system 199 in this case includes one or more subsea Xmas trees 140, one or more subsea manifolds 142, one or more subsea pipelines 148, piping 188, and other components (e.g., PLETs, support structures, jumpers). In this example, a subsea Xmas tree 140 is disposed toward the top of the wellbore 120 at the seabed 102. Piping 188 (e.g., jumpers) transfers the subterranean resource 111 from the subsea Xmas tree 140 to a subsea manifold 142. Additional piping 188 (e.g., jumpers) transfers the subterranean resource 111 from a subsea manifold 142 to one or more subsea pipelines 148.

[0029] There can be one or more of a number of components and / or systems (e g., a subsea pump, a subsea compressor, a subsea process cooler) positioned between a subsea Xmas tree 140 and the subsea pipelines 148 to assist in extracting and / or conveying the subterranean resource 111. There can be one or more communication links 105 and / or power transfer links 187 between one or more of the subsea components (e.g., the subsea Xmas tree 140, a subsea manifold 142, one or more of the subsea pipelines 148, the ROV 173) and one or more components (e.g., a generator, a controller) disposed on the topsides 107 of the floating structure 103 (or land-based structure 103 or other type of structure 103, as the case may be).

[0030] The subsea Xmas tree 140 is a stack of vertical and horizontal valves, spools, pressure gauges, chokes, and / or other components installed as an assembly on a subsea wellhead. The subsea Xmas tree 140 is configured to provide a controllable interface between the wellbore 120 and production facilities (e.g., via the subsea pipeline 148). The various valves of the subsea Xmas tree 140 can be used for such purposes as testing, servicing, regulating, and / or choking the stream of produced subterranean resources 111 coming up from the wellbore 120.

[0031] A subsea manifold 142 is an assembly of headers, pipes (e.g., similar to the piping 188) and valves. A subsea manifold 142 is configured to transfer the subterranean resources 111 from a subsea Xmas to one or more of the subsea pipelines 148. In some ways, a subsea manifold 142 acts as a type of flow regulator to distribute the subterranean resource 111 among the various subsea pipelines 148. Similarly, if there are multiple wellbores 120, as from a common pad and / or from multiple pads, a subsea manifold 142 can receive the subterranean resource 111 from one ormore of those wellbores 120 and distribute the subterranean resource 11 1 to one or more of the subsea pipelines 148.

[0032] Each subsea pipeline 148 (also sometimes called a submarine pipeline 148) is a series of pipes, coupled end to end, that is laid at or near to the seabed 102. A subsea pipeline 148 moves the subterranean resource 111 from the area of the wellbore 120 to some other location, typically for a midstream process (e.g., oil refining, natural gas processing). In some cases, the subsea pipeline 148 includes a PLET and / or other component that includes a movement allowance feature. In such cases, the PLET may include one or more example monitoring apparatuses (discussed below).

[0033] The piping 188, also located subsea, can include multiple pipes, ducts, elbows, joints, sleeves, collars, and similar components that are coupled to each other (e.g., using coupling features such as mating threads) to establish a network for transporting the subterranean resource 111 from the subsea Xmas tree 140, through the subsea manifold 142, to one or more of the subsea pipelines 148. Each segment of the piping 188 may be or include one or more jumpers. Each component of the piping 188 can have an appropriate size (e.g., inner diameter, outer diameter) and be made of an appropriate material (e.g., steel) to safely and efficiently handle the pressure, temperature, flow rate, and other characteristics of the subterranean resource 111 at the depth in the water 194. In some cases, one or more parts of the piping 188 may be or include a movement allowance feature (e.g., an elbow or U of a jumper). In such cases, the piping 188 may include one or more example monitoring apparatuses (discussed below).

[0034] One or more ROVs 173 are used in the water 194 to perform inspections and / or maintenance. Each ROV 173 may be tethered to the structure 103 by one or more cables that may serve as communication links 105 and / or power transfer links 187. Each ROV 173 may operate at the direction of a user or automatically (e.g., according to some protocol). Each ROV 173 may include one or more sensor devices 160 and / or one or more controllers 104, which may be substantially the same as the sensor devices and the controllers discussed below with respect to the monitoring apparatuses. Each ROV 173 may be configured to communicate with (e.g., send instructions to, receive data from)) one or more of the example monitoring apparatuses. In some cases, a ROV 173 herein may be or include an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).

[0035] Each communication link 105 can include wired (e.g., Class 1 electrical cables, electrical connectors, Power Line Carrier, RS485) and / or wireless (e.g., sound or pressure wavesin the water 194, optical signals, acoustic signals, radio frequency signals (e g., Wi-Fi, Zigbee, cellular networking, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), ultrawide band (UWB), WirelessHART, ISA100), visible light communication (VLC) technology. A communication link 105 can transmit signals (e.g., communication signals, control signals, data) from one component (e.g., a controller) of the system 100 to another (e.g., a valve on the subsea Xmas tree 140).

[0036] Each power transfer link 187 can include one or more electrical conductors, which can be individual or part of one or more electrical cables. In some cases, as with inductive power, power can be transferred wirelessly using power transfer links 187. A power transfer link 187 can transmit power from one component (e.g., a battery, a generator) of the system 100 to another (e.g., a motor on the subsea manifold 142). Each power transfer link 187 can be sized (e.g., 12 gauge, 18 gauge, 4 gauge) in a manner suitable for the amount (e.g., 480V, 24V, 120V) and type (e.g., alternating current, direct current) of power transferred therethrough. In this case, the communication links 105 and the power transfer links 187 are in the form of electrical cables.

[0037] In many cases, the subterranean resource 111 is extracted from the subterranean formation 110 through the wellbore 120 at a relatively high pressure. In such cases, the pressure of the subterranean resource 111 needs to be lowered to within a range of acceptable values before the subterranean resource 111 can be delivered to and transported through the subsea pipeline 148. A common way to reduce the pressure of the subterranean resource 111 is to use a choke (a type of valve) at the Xmas tree 140 so that the subterranean resource 111 can safely be delivered to the subsea pipeline 148. As defined herein, the Xmas tree 140, the subsea manifold 142, the subsea pipelines 148, the piping 188, and other components (e.g., a subsea compressor, a subsea pump assembly, a subsea evaporator, a pigging device, a valve, an example subsea jumper) used in the system 100 to produce the subterranean resource 111 and positioned in the water 194 are referred to herein as components of a subsea pipeline system 199.

[0038] One or more RO Vs 173 may be used in the water 194 to perform inspections and / or maintenance on one or more of the subsea pipeline system 199. Included with a ROV 173 may include a controller 104 and / or one or more sensor devices 160. Each controller 104 of a ROV 173 may be substantially similar, at least in part, to a controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 discussed below with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3, and each sensor device 160 of a ROV 173 may be substantially similar, at least in part, to a sensor device 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275 discussed below with respect to FIG. 2.

[0039] The ROV 173 may also include other equipment (e.g., a motor, a propeller) to help the ROV 173 move in a controlled manner within the water 194. The ROV 173 may be tethered (e.g., physically with a cable, wirelessly) to a base station that is located at or near the topsides 107 of the floating structure 103. Each controller 104 of a ROV 173 may be a type of computer device discussed below with respect to FIG. 4. If a sensor device 160 of a ROV 173 includes functionality of some or all of a controller, then the sensor device 160 may be a type of computer device discussed below with respect to FIG. 4.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a system 200 (also sometimes called a field system 200 herein) for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline system 299 according to certain example embodiments. Referring to the description above with respect to FIG. 1, the system 200 of FIG. 2 includes multiple subsea pipeline components 250 located in the water 294, one or more users 251 (including one or more optional user systems 255) located above the water line 293, a network manager 280 located above the water line 293, and one or more sensor devices 360 located above the water line 293. Each subsea pipeline component 250 includes an optional movement allowance feature 249 and an optional monitoring apparatus 275. Each optional monitoring apparatus 275 of a subsea pipeline component 250 can include one or more sensor devices 260, one or more controllers 204, and / or one or more energy storage devices 266.

[0041] The components shown in FIG. 2 are not exhaustive, and in some embodiments, one or more of the components shown in FIG. 2 may not be included in the example system 200. Any component of the system 200 can be discrete or combined with one or more other components of the system 200. Also, one or more components of the system 200 can have different configurations. For example, one or more of the sensor devices 360 may be disposed in the water 294 rather than above the water line 293. As another example, the system 200 may include multiple monitoring apparatuses 275 that share a single controller 204. As another example, a controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 may be a stand-alone device, part of the subsea pipeline component 250, and / or remotely located (e.g., part of the controller 104 of a ROV 173, located topsides 107) from the subsea pipeline component 250.

[0042] In some cases, the users 251 (including the associated user systems 255), one or more of the sensor devices 360, and / or the network manager 280 can be located on the topsides (e.g., topsides 107) of a structure 103 (e.g., a floating vessel, a jack-up rig, a land-based structure. In addition, or in the alternative, one or more users 251 (including any associated user system 255),one or more of the sensor devices 360, and / or the network manager 280 can be located elsewhere (e.g., in a remote office building on land, in the water 294).

[0043] A user 251 can be any person that interacts, directly or indirectly, with the network manager 280, one or more monitoring apparatuses 275, and / or any other component of the system 200. Examples of a user 251 may include, but are not limited to, a business owner, an engineer, a company representative, a geologist, a consultant, a contractor, and a manufacturer’s representative. A user 251 can use one or more user systems 255, which may include a display (e.g., a GUI). A user system 255 of a user 251 can interact with (e.g., send data to, obtain data from) the network manager 280, one or more of the sensor devices 360, a controller 204 and / or a sensor device 260 of one or more of the monitoring apparatuses 275, and / or another component of the system 200 via an application interface and using the communication links 205. The user 251 can also interact directly with the network manager 280, one or more of the sensor devices 360, a controller 204 and / or a sensor device 260 of one or more of the monitoring apparatuses 275, and / or another component of the system 200 through a user interface (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touch screen).

[0044] A user system 255 of a user 251 interacts with (e.g., sends data to, receives data from) the network manager 280, one or more of the sensor devices 360, a controller 204 and / or a sensor device 260 of one or more of the monitoring apparatuses 275, and / or another component of the system 200 via an application interface (discussed below with respect to FIG. 3). Examples of a user system 255 may include, but are not limited to, a cell phone with an app, a laptop computer, a handheld device, a smart watch, a desktop computer, and an electronic tablet.

[0045] The network manager 280 is a device or component that controls all or a portion (e.g., a communication network, a controller 204) of the system 200. The network manager 280 may be substantially similar to a controller 204, discussed below. For example, the network manager 280 may include a controller that has one or more components and / or similar functionality to some or all of the controller 204. Alternatively, the network manager 280 may include one or more of a number of features in addition to, or altered from, the features of the controller 204. As described herein, control and / or communication with the network manager 280 may include communicating with one or more other components of the same system 200 or another system. In such a case, the network manager 280 may facilitate such control and / or communication. The network manager 280 may be called by other names, including but not limited to a master controller, a networkcontroller, and an enterprise manager. The network manager 280 may be considered a type of computer device, as discussed below with respect to FIG. 4.

[0046] Each sensor device 360 is configured to measure one or more parameters associated with the subsea pipeline system 299. For example, a sensor device 360 may be configured to determine the degree to which a valve within the subsea pipeline system 299 is open or closed. In some cases, a number of sensor devices 360, each measuring a different parameter, may be used in combination to determine and confirm whether a controller 204 (or some other controller within the system 200) should take a particular action (e.g., operate a valve, operate or adjust the operation of a pump motor, instruct a sensor device 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275 to make a measurement). When a sensor device 360 includes its own controller (e.g., similar to a controller 204), or portions thereof, then the sensor device 360 can be considered a type of computer device, as discussed below with respect to FIG. 4.

[0047] The subsea pipeline system 299 of the system 200 may have any of a number (e.g., 5, 10, 50, 100, 1000) of subsea pipeline components 250. In this case, there are X subsea pipeline components 250 (subsea pipeline component 250-1 through subsea pipeline components 250-X). If a subsea pipeline component 250 includes a movement allowance feature 249, then the subsea pipeline component 250 may also include a monitoring apparatus 275. If a subsea pipeline component 250 does not include a movement allowance feature 249, then the subsea pipeline component 250 does not include a monitoring apparatus 275. In other words, a subsea pipeline component 250 may include a monitoring apparatus 275 only if the subsea pipeline component 250 includes a movement allowance feature 249. Not all subsea pipeline components 250 are configured with a movement allowance feature 249, and so the number (in this case, X) of subsea pipeline components 250 exceeds the number (in this case, Y) of movement allowance features 249 in the subsea pipeline system 299.

[0048] Each subsea pipeline component 250 may be any device, apparatus, assembly, or other component that is part of the subsea pipeline system 299. Examples of a subsea pipeline component 250 may include, but are not limited to, a jumper, a PLET assembly, a PLET pipe tail, a pipe of a subsea pipeline (e.g., subsea pipeline 148), a subsea manifold (e.g., subsea manifold 142), a subsea Xmas tree (e.g., subsea Xmas tree 140), a subsea pump, a subsea valves, subsea piping (e.g., piping 188), a subsea compressor, a subsea evaporator, a subsea generator, and asupport structure (e g., a bracket, a frame, a pad) (or portion thereof) that is used to support part of the subsea pipeline system 299.

[0049] A movement allowance feature 249 of a subsea pipeline component 250 is a feature that allows for some amount of movement of some or all of the subsea pipeline component 250. Such movement may be driven, by way of non-limiting examples, by stresses, strains, vibrations, pressure, changes in pressure, temperature, changes in temperature, and / or metocean factors (e.g., current at the seabed 102). Examples of a movement allowance feature 249 may include, but are not limited to, an elbow (e.g., in a jumper), a U shaped configuration (e g., in a jumper), a weld (e.g., in a jumper, in a PLET pipe tail, in a PLET assembly), and a sliding mechanism (e.g., in a PLET assembly). In this case, there are Y movement allowance features 249 (movement allowance feature 249-1 through movement allowance feature 249-Y).

[0050] The subsea pipeline system 299 may include at least one example monitoring apparatus 275. In this case, there are Z monitoring apparatuses 275 (monitoring apparatus 275-1 through monitoring apparatus 275-Z). Each monitoring apparatus 275 of the system 200 may include one or more controllers 204, one or more sensor devices 260, and one or more optional energy storage devices 266. The number (in this case, Z) of monitoring apparatuses 275 in the subsea pipeline system 299 may be the same as, or less than, the number (in this case, Y) of movement allowance features 249. In other words, not every movement allowance feature 249 in the subsea pipeline system 299 may have an example monitoring apparatus 275.

[0051] In some cases, a monitoring apparatus 275 may include one or more of a number of other components. For example, a monitoring apparatus 275 may include one or more indicating lights that may indicate one or more conditions. For example, an indicating light of a monitoring apparatus 275 may emit a red light when there is a problem detected by the monitoring apparatus 275, a yellow light when there is an abnormal condition detected by the monitoring apparatus 275, or a green light when the monitoring apparatus 275 does not detect any problems or abnormal conditions. As another example, an indicating light of a monitoring apparatus 275 may emit a green light when communications (e.g., with a sensor device 260, with the network manager 280, with a user system 255) with the controller 204 are occurring or a red light when attempted communications with the controller 204 have failed. The operation of such an indicating light of a monitoring apparatus 275 may be controlled by a controller 204 of the same monitoring apparatus 275 or of a different monitoring apparatus 275.

[0052] A controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 is configured to communicate with and in some cases control one or more of the other components (e.g., a sensor device 260 of the monitoring apparatus 275 and, in some cases, one or more components (e.g., a sensor device 260, a controller 204) of another monitoring apparatus 275. A controller 204 is configured to perform a number of functions that include, but are not limited to, obtaining and sending data, evaluating data, following protocols, running algorithms, and sending commands. A controller 204 may include one or more of a number of components. As discussed below with respect to FIG. 3, such components of a controller 204 may include, but are not limited to, a control engine, a communication module, a timer, a counter, a power module, a storage repository, a hardware processor, memory, a transceiver, an application interface, and a security module.

[0053] When there are multiple controllers 204 (e.g., one controller 204-1 for monitoring apparatus 275-1, another controller 204-Z for monitoring apparatus 275-Z), whether within a single monitoring apparatus 275 and / or among multiple monitoring apparatuses 275, each controller 204 may operate independently of each other. Alternatively, one or more of the controllers 204 may work cooperatively with each other. As yet another alternative, one of the controllers 204 may control some or all of one or more other controllers 204 in the system 200. Each controller 204 may be considered a type of computer device, as discussed below with respect to FIG. 4. A monitoring apparatus 275 may have any number of controllers 204.

[0054] Each sensor device 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275 includes one or more sensors that measure one or more parameters (e.g., pressure, flow rate, temperature, voltage, current, distance, proximity, strain (e.g., longitudinal strain, lateral strain, volumetric strain, shear strain), corrosion). Examples of a sensor of a sensor device 260 can include, but are not limited to, a temperature sensor, a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a strain gauge, a stress gauge, a linear variable differential transformer, a displacement transducer, a corrosion sensor, a voltmeter, an ammeter, an infrared sensor, and a camera. A sensor device 260 may be integrated with a subsea pipeline component 250 to measure a parameter associated with movement of a movement allowance feature 249 of the subsea pipeline component 250. A sensor device 260 may measure a parameter (e.g., continuously, in discrete increments, at random intervals, upon the occurrence of some event, based on instructions received from a controller 204) over a period of time or at a single time.

[0055] For example, a sensor device 260 may be configured to measure a parameter (e.g., distance, pressure, temperature, strain, corrosion) associated with an amount of flex in a movement allowance feature 249 in the form of an elbow or U shape of a subsea pipeline component 250 in the form of a subsea jumper at a point in time or over time. As another example, a sensor device 260 may be configured to measure a parameter (e.g., proximity, distance, pressure, temperature) associated with the position of a movement allowance feature 249 in the form of a sliding mechanism of a subsea pipeline component 250 in the form of a PLET at a point in time or over time. A monitoring apparatus 275 may have any number of sensor devices 260.

[0056] In some cases, any of the sensor devices (e.g., a sensor device 260, a sensor device 360) of the field system 200 may be an integrated sensor. An integrated sensor has both the ability to sense and measure at least one parameter and the ability to communicate with another component (e.g., a controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275, a user system 255). The communication capability of a sensor device that is an integrated sensor may include one or more communication devices that are configured to communicate with, for example, a controller 204 and / or another sensor device. For example, an integrated sensor device may include a sensor to measure one or more parameters and a transceiver (e.g., similar to transceiver 324 discussed below) that sends and receives communication signals using one or more communication links 205.

[0057] Each integrated sensor device may use one or more of a number of communication protocols. This allows the integrated sensor device to communicate with one or more components of the field system 200. The communication capability of an integrated sensor device may be dedicated to the sensor device and / or shared with a controller 204 and / or one or more of the other sensor devices. If the communication capability of an integrated sensor device is dedicated to that sensor device, then the integrated sensor device may include one or more components (e.g., a transceiver, a communication module), or portions thereof, that are substantially similar to the corresponding components described below with respect to a controller 204.

[0058] In certain example embodiments, as discussed above, a sensor device (e.g., a sensor device 260, a sensor device 360) of the field system 200 may include an energy storage device (e.g., similar to an energy storage device 266) that is used to provide power, at least in part, to some or all of the sensor device. The optional energy storage device of the sensor device may operate at all times or when the sensor device is operating. Further, a sensor device may utilize or include one or more components (e.g., memory, storage repository, transceiver) found in acontroller 204. In such a case, a controller 204 may provide the functionality of these components used by the sensor device. Alternatively, the sensor device may include, either on its own or in shared responsibility with a controller 204, one or more of the components of a controller 204. When a sensor device (e.g., a sensor device 260, a sensor device 360) includes its own controller (e.g., similar to a controller 204), or portions thereof, then the sensor device may be considered a type of computer device, as discussed below with respect to FIG. 4.

[0059] Each energy storage device 266 of a monitoring apparatus 275 is configured to provide power to one or more other components (e g., a controller 204, a sensor device 260) of the monitoring apparatus 275. An energy storage device 266 may be or include a battery, a supercapacitor, and / or some other facilitator of stored energy. The power provided by an energy storage device 266 may be of a type (e.g., alternating current, direct current) and level (e.g., 12V, 24V, 120V) that may be used by one or more of the controllers 204 and / or one or more of the sensor devices 260 of the monitoring apparatus 275. When an energy storage device 266 is or includes a battery, the battery may be rechargeable and be made of any chemical compounds (e.g., lithium ion, alkaline). In some cases, the operation (e.g., output, charging settings) of an energy storage device 266 may be controlled by a controller 204. A monitoring apparatus 275 may have any number of energy storage devices 266 arranged in series and / or in parallel with each other. In some cases, a monitoring apparatus 275 may have no energy storage devices 266.

[0060] Communication between the network manager 280, the users 251 (including any associated user systems 255), the controllers 204, the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, and any other components of the system 200 can be facilitated using the communication links 205, which are substantially the same as the communication links 105 discussed above with respect to FIG. 1. Similarly, the transfer of power between any two components of the system 200 can be facilitated using power transfer links 287, which are substantially the same as the power transfer links 187 discussed above with respect to FIG. 1.

[0061] FIG. 3 shows a system diagram of a controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 of the subsea pipeline system 299 of FIG. 2. Referring to the description of FIGS. 1 and 2 above, the controller 204 of FIG. 3 may include multiple components. In this case, the controller 204 of FIG. 3 includes a control engine 306, a movement assessment module 323, a data evaluation module 325, a communication module 307, a timer 335, a power module 330, a storage repository 331, a hardware processor 321, a memory 322, a transceiver 324, an application interface 326, and,optionally, a security module 328. A controller 204 (or components thereof) can be located at or near the various components of the system 200. In addition, or in the alternative, a controller 204 (or components thereof) can be located remotely from (e.g., in the cloud, at an office building) the various components of a system.

[0062] The storage repository 331 can be a persistent storage device (or set of devices) that stores software and data used to assist a controller 204 in communicating with one or more other components of a system, such as the users 251 (including associated user systems 255), the sensor devices 260 of the monitoring apparatus 275, a controller 204 and / or a sensor device 260 of one or more other monitoring apparatuses 275, the network manager 280, and the sensor devices 360 of the system 200 of FIG. 2. In one or more example embodiments, the storage repository 331 stores one or more protocols 332, one or more algorithms 333, and stored data 334.

[0063] The protocols 332 of the storage repository 331 can be any procedures (e.g., a series of method steps) and / or other similar operational processes that the control engine 306 of a controller 204 follows based on certain conditions at a point in time. The protocols 332 can include any of a number of communication protocols that are used to send and / or obtain data between the controller 204 and other components of the system 200. Such protocols 332 used for communication can be a time-synchronized protocol. Examples of such time-synchronized protocols can include, but are not limited to, a highway addressable remote transducer (HART) protocol, a wirelessHART protocol, and an International Society of Automation (ISA) 100 protocol. In this way, one or more of the protocols 332 can provide a layer of security to the data transferred within the system 200. Other protocols 332 used for communication can be associated with the use of Wi-Fi, Zigbee, visible light communication (VLC), cellular networking, BLE, UWB, and Bluetooth.

[0064] The algorithms 333 can be any formulas, mathematical models, forecasts, simulations, and / or other similar tools that the control engine 306 of the controller 204 uses to reach a computational conclusion. For example, one or more algorithms 333 can be used, in conjunction with one or more protocols 332, to assist a controller 204 (or portion thereof, such as the movement assessment module 323) to determine an amount of movement of a movement allowance feature 249 based on measurements made by one or more sensor devices 260. As another example, one or more algorithms 333 can be used, in conjunction with one or more protocols 332, to assist acontroller 204 (or portion thereof, such as the data evaluation module 325) to receive measurements made by one or more sensor devices 260.

[0065] As another example, one or more algorithms 333 can be used, in conjunction with one or more protocols 332, to assist a controller 204 (or portion thereof, such as the movement assessment module 323) to generate and revise a range of acceptable values (e.g., based on measurements taken over time by one or more sensor devices 260 and / or sensor devices 360) for movement of a movement allowance feature 249 of a subsea pipeline component 250. As yet another example, one or more algorithms 333 can be used, in conjunction with one or more protocols 332, to assist a controller 204 (or portion thereof, such as the movement assessment module 323) to determine whether a measurement made by a sensor device 260 falls outside a range of acceptable values for movement of a movement allowance feature 249 of a subsea pipeline component 250.

[0066] As still another example, one or more algorithms 333 can be used, in conjunction with one or more protocols 332, to assist a controller 204 (or portion thereof, such as the movement assessment module 323) to determine whether the movement of a movement allowance feature 249 of a subsea pipeline component 250 is within design guidelines. As yet another example, one or more algorithms 333 can be used, in conjunction with one or more protocols 332, to assist a controller 204 (or portion thereof, such as the movement assessment module 323) to establish new design guidelines for a movement allowance feature 249 of a subsea pipeline component 250.

[0067] Stored data 334 can be any data associated with a movement allowance feature 249 of any subsea pipeline component 250 of the subsea pipeline system 299, a movement allowance feature 249 of any subsea pipeline component 250 of another subsea pipeline network, the sensor devices 260 of the monitoring apparatuses 275, the other components (e.g., the user systems 255, the sensor devices 360, the network manager 280) of the field system 200, other equipment (e.g., motors, pumps, compressors) of the subsea pipeline system 299, the energy storage devices 266, measurements made by the sensor devices 260, measurements made by the sensor devices 360, strain allowances, corrosion effects on strain allowances, design specifications, threshold values, tables, results of previously run or calculated algorithms 333, updates to protocols 332, user preferences, and / or any other suitable data. Such data can be any type of data, including but notlimited to historical data, present data, and future data (e g., forecasts). The stored data 334 can be associated with some measurement of time derived, for example, from the timer 335.

[0068] Examples of a storage repository 331 can include, but are not limited to, a database (or a number of databases), a file system, cloud-based storage, a hard drive, flash memory, some other form of solid-state data storage, or any suitable combination thereof. The storage repository 331 can be located on multiple physical machines, each storing all or a portion of the communication protocols 332, the algorithms 333, and / or the stored data 334 according to some example embodiments. Each storage unit or device can be physically located in the same or in a different geographic location.

[0069] The storage repository 331 can be operatively connected to the control engine 306. In one or more example embodiments, the control engine 306 includes functionality to communicate with the users 251 (including associated user systems 255), the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components in the system 200. More specifically, the control engine 306 sends information to and / or obtains information from the storage repository 331 in order to communicate with the users 251 (including associated user systems 255), the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components of the system 200. As discussed below, the storage repository 331 can also be operatively connected to the communication module 307 in certain example embodiments.

[0070] In certain example embodiments, the control engine 306 of the controller 204 controls the operation of one or more components (e.g., the communication module 307, the timer 335, the transceiver 324) of the controller 204. For example, the control engine 306 can activate the communication module 307 when the communication module 307 is in “sleep” mode and when the communication module 307 is needed to send data obtained from another component (e.g., a sensor device 260) in the system 200. In addition, the control engine 306 of the controller 204 can control the operation of one or more other components (e.g., a valve, another controller 204 of the monitoring apparatus 275, a controller 204 of one or more other monitoring apparatuses 275), or portions thereof, of the field system 200.

[0071] The control engine 306 of the controller 204, through the use of one or more protocols 332 and / or algorithms 333, may implement machine learning as a way to evolve over time with new data and associated changes that may result from the new data. The control engine 306 mayuse, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi -supervised learning, and / or reinforcement learning, as those terms are known in the art of machine learning. In this case, these types of machine learning are effective with sufficient data (e.g., measurements from sensor devices 260, other data obtained from a user 251) and use of algorithms 333 that automatically build mathematical models using sample data - also known as “training data”.

[0072] The learning algorithms 333 that may be used and trained by the control engine 306 may include, but are not limited to, instance-based learning algorithms, artificial neural network algorithms, deep learning algorithms, and ensemble algorithms. Instance-based learning algorithms typically build up a database of example data and compare new data to the database using a similarity measure in order to find the best match and make a prediction. For this reason, instance-based methods are also called winner-take-all methods and memory-based learning. Focus may be put on the representation of the stored instances and similarity measures used between instances. Instance-based algorithms may be computationally expensive for very large datasets since they save all training instances / data points and are sensitive to data noise.

[0073] Artificial neural networks may be fairly similar to the human brain. For example, artificial neural networks may be made up of artificial neurons, take in multiple inputs, and produce specific outputs. Artificial neural networks may be an enormous subfield comprised of a large number of neural network architectures and hundreds of algorithms and variations for different types of problems. Artificial neural networks may be biologically inspired computational simulations for certain specific tasks like clustering, classification, or pattern recognition.

[0074] Deep learning algorithms may be a modern update to artificial neural networks by building much larger and more complex neural networks. With deep learning, many methods may be applied to very large datasets. Various architectures may be applied for deep learning algorithms. Deep learning may have a high computational cost because much of its development requires advanced processing, storage hardware, and ML platforms / APIs.

[0075] Ensemble algorithm methods may be models composed of multiple weaker models that are independently trained and whose predictions are combined in some way to make the overall prediction. Various combination techniques (e.g., averaging, max voting, bagging / bootstrapping (sampling subsets of original complete dataset), boosting) may be applied. Unlike other standard ensemble methods where models are trained in isolation, the boosting technique may employ an iterative approach, training models in succession, with each new model being trained to correctthe errors made by the previous ones. Models may be added sequentially until no further improvements may be made.

[0076] The control engine 306 of the controller 204 can communicate with one or more other components of the field system 200. For example, the control engine 306 can use one or more protocols 332 to facilitate communication with the sensor devices 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275 to obtain data (e.g., measurements of various parameters, such as strain, distance, corrosion, temperature, and / or pressure), whether in real time or on a periodic basis and / or to instruct a sensor device 260 to take a measurement. The control engine 306 can use measurements of parameters taken by sensor devices 260 during a stage of a field operation, as well as stored data 334, one or more protocols 332 and / or one or more algorithms 333, to determine an extent (e.g., a distance, an amount of strain, a direction, an amount of time) of movement, strain, and / or other parameter of a movement allowance feature 249. In addition, or in the alternative, the control engine 306 can use measurements of parameters taken by sensor devices 260 during a stage of a field operation, as well as stored data 334, one or more protocols 332 and / or one or more algorithms 333, to determine whether the measured parameters (e.g., distance, strain) of a movement allowance feature 249 fall within design allowances for the movement allowance feature 249. In this latter case, the control engine 306 may make its determination in light of an amount of corrosion (e.g., measured by a sensor device 260, observed by a user system 255 in the form of a ROV) on or near the movement allowance feature 249. Such a determination can be made in real time or on a periodic (e.g., every 30 seconds, every 24 hours, every week, every 90 days) basis.

[0077] The control engine 306 may generate and process data associated with control, communication, and / or other signals sent to and obtained from the users 251 (including associated user systems 255), the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components of the field system 200. In certain embodiments, the control engine 306 of the controller 204 may communicate with one or more components of a system external to the field system 200. For example, the control engine 306 can interact with an inventory management system by ordering replacements for components or pieces of equipment (e.g., a sensor device 260, a valve, a motor) within the monitoring apparatus 275, within the subsea pipeline component 250, and / or within the field system 200 that has failed or is failing. As another example, the control engine 306 can interact with a contractor or workforce scheduling system by arranging for the labor needed toreplace a component or piece of equipment in the field system 200. In this way and in other ways, the controller 204 is capable of performing a number of functions beyond what could reasonably be considered a routine task.

[0078] In certain example embodiments, the control engine 306 can include an interface that enables the control engine 306 to communicate with the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the user systems 255, the network manager 280, and the other components of the field system 200. For example, if a user system 255 operates under IEC Standard 62386, then the user system 255 can have a serial communication interface that will transfer data to the controller 204. Such an interface can operate in conjunction with, or independently of, the protocols 332 used to communicate between the controller 204 and the users 251 (including corresponding user systems 255), the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components of the field system 200.

[0079] The control engine 306 (or other components of the controller 204) can also include one or more hardware components and / or software elements to perform its functions. Such components can include, but are not limited to, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), a direct-attached capacity (DAC) storage device, an analog-to-digital converter, an inter-integrated circuit (I2C), and a pulse width modulator (PWM).

[0080] The data evaluation module 325 of the controller 204 is configured to evaluate the measurements received from the sensor devices 260 that are in communication with the controller 204. For example, the data evaluation module 325 may be configured to validate a measurement (e.g., in terms of absolute value, in terms of expected value based on recent measurements, in light of measurements made by other sensor devices 260 and / or one or more sensor devices 360) made by a sensor device 260. If a measurement is not validated, the data evaluation module 325 may be configured to notify the control engine 306 that the sensor device 260 may be faulty, possibly including a rationale as to how this conclusion was reached. As another example, the data evaluation module 325 may be used to manipulate a raw measurement received from a sensor device 260 into a format used by another component (e.g., the movement assessment module 323) of the controller 204.

[0081] The movement assessment module 323 of the controller 204 is configured to assess movement of a movement allowance feature 249. For example, the movement assessment module323 may be configured to receive measurements output by the data evaluation module 325, process the measurements using one or more protocols 332 and / or one or more algorithms 333, and evaluate the result to determine and / or characterize the movement of the movement allowance feature 249. As another example, the movement assessment module 323 may be configured to determine, using one or more algorithms 333, one or more protocols 332, and / or stored data 334, whether a measurement made by a sensor device 260 falls outside a range of acceptable values for movement of a movement allowance feature 249 of a subsea pipeline component 250.

[0082] As still another example, the movement assessment module 323 may be configured to determine, using one or more algorithms 333, one or more protocols 332, and / or stored data 334, whether the movement of a movement allowance feature 249 of a subsea pipeline component 250 is within design guidelines (e.g. strain design allowance). In some cases, the movement assessment module 323 may be configured to make this determination based on an amount of corrosion (e.g., as measured by a sensor device 260) on or near the movement allowance feature 249. As yet another example, the movement assessment module 323 may be configured to establish, using one or more algorithms 333, one or more protocols 332, and / or stored data 334, new design guidelines for a movement allowance feature 249 of a subsea pipeline component 250.

[0083] The communication module 307 of the controller 204 determines and implements the communication protocol (e.g., from the protocols 332 of the storage repository 331) that is used when the control engine 306 communicates with (e.g., sends signals to, obtains signals from) the user systems 255, the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components of the field system 200. In some cases, the communication module 307 accesses the stored data 334 to determine which communication protocol is used to communicate with another component of the field system 200. In addition, the communication module 307 can identify and / or interpret the communication protocol of a communication obtained by the controller 204 so that the control engine 306 can interpret the communication. The communication module 307 can also provide one or more of a number of other services with respect to data sent from and obtained by the controller 204. Such services can include, but are not limited to, data packet routing information and procedures to follow in the event of data interruption.

[0084] The timer 335 of the controller 204 may track clock time, intervals of time, an amount of time, and / or any other measure of time. The timer 335 may also count the number ofoccurrences of an event, whether with or without respect to time. Alternatively, the control engine 306 may perform a counting function. The timer 335 is able to track multiple time measurements and / or count multiple occurrences concurrently. The timer 335 can track time periods based on an instruction obtained from the control engine 306, based on an instruction obtained from a user 251, based on an instruction programmed in the software for the controller 204, based on some other condition (e.g., the occurrence of an event) or from some other component, or from any combination thereof. In certain example embodiments, the timer 335 can provide a time stamp for each packet of data obtained from another component (e.g., a sensor device 260) of the monitoring apparatus 275 or, more generally, the field system 200.

[0085] The power module 330 of the controller 204 obtains power from a power supply (e.g., AC mains) and manipulates (e.g., transforms, rectifies, inverts) that power to provide the manipulated power to one or more other components (e.g., the timer 335, the control engine 306) of the controller 204, where the manipulated power is of a type (e.g., alternating current, direct current) and level (e.g., 12 V, 24 V, 120 V) that can be used by the other components of the controller 204. In some cases, the power module 330 can also provide power to one or more of the sensor devices 260 of the monitoring apparatus 275.

[0086] The power module 330 can include one or more of a number of single or multiple discrete components (e.g., transistor, diode, resistor, transformer) and / or a microprocessor. The power module 330 may include a printed circuit board, upon which the microprocessor and / or one or more discrete components are positioned. In addition, or in the alternative, the power module 330 can be a source of power in itself to provide signals to the other components of the controller 204. For example, the power module 330 can be or include an energy storage device (e.g., a battery). As another example, the power module 330 can be or include a localized photovoltaic power system.

[0087] The hardware processor 321 of the controller 204 executes software, algorithms (e.g., algorithms 333), and firmware in accordance with one or more example embodiments. Specifically, the hardware processor 321 can execute software on the control engine 306 or any other portion of the controller 204, as well as software used by the users 251 (including associated user systems 255), the network manager 280, and / or other components of the field system 200. The hardware processor 321 can be an integrated circuit, a central processing unit, a multi-core processing chip, SoC, a multi -chip module including multiple multi-core processing chips, or otherhardware processor in one or more example embodiments. The hardware processor 321 can be known by other names, including but not limited to a computer processor, a microprocessor, and a multi -core processor.

[0088] In one or more example embodiments, the hardware processor 321 executes software instructions stored in memory 322. The memory 322 includes one or more cache memories, main memory, and / or any other suitable type of memory. The memory 322 can include volatile and / or non-volatile memory. The memory 322 can be discretely located within the controller 204 relative to the hardware processor 321. In certain configurations, the memory 322 can be integrated with the hardware processor 321.

[0089] In certain example embodiments, the controller 204 does not include a hardware processor 321. In such a case, the controller 204 can include, as an example, one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), one or more insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and / or one or more integrated circuits (ICs). Using FPGAs, IGBTs, ICs, and / or other similar devices known in the art allows the controller 204 (or portions thereof) to be programmable and function according to certain logic rules and thresholds without the use of a hardware processor. Alternatively, FPGAs, IGBTs, ICs, and / or similar devices can be used in conjunction with one or more hardware processors 321.

[0090] The transceiver 324 of the controller 204 can send and / or obtain control and / or communication signals. Specifically, the transceiver 324 can be used to transfer data between the controller 204 and the users 251 (including associated user systems 255), the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components of the field system 200. The transceiver 324 can use wired and / or wireless technology. The transceiver 324 can be configured in such a way that the control and / or communication signals sent and / or obtained by the transceiver 324 can be obtained and / or sent by another transceiver that is part of a user system 255, a sensor device 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and / or another component of the field system 200. The transceiver 324 can send and / or obtain any of a number of signal types, including but not limited to radio frequency signals and sound waves.

[0091] When the transceiver 324 uses wireless technology, any type of wireless technology can be used by the transceiver 324 in sending and obtaining signals. Such wireless technology can include, but is not limited to, optical signals, acoustic signals, radio frequency signals (e.g., Wi-Fi,Zigbee, cellular networking, BLE, UWB, Bluetooth), VLC. The transceiver 324 can use one or more of any number of suitable communication protocols (e.g., ISA100, HART) when sending and / or obtaining signals.

[0092] Optionally, in one or more example embodiments, the security module 328 secures interactions between the controller 204, the users 251 (including associated user systems 255), the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components of the field system 200. More specifically, the security module 328 authenticates communication from software based on security keys verifying the identity of the source of the communication. For example, user software may be associated with a security key enabling the software of a user system 255 to interact with the controller 204. Further, the security module 328 can restrict receipt of information, requests for information, and / or access to information.

[0093] A user 251 (including an associated user system 255), the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components of the field system 200 can interact with the controller 204 using the application interface 326. Specifically, the application interface 326 of the controller 204 obtains data (e.g., information, communications, instructions, updates to firmware) from and sends data (e.g., information, communications, instructions) to the user systems 255 of the users 251, the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and / or the other components of the field system 200. Examples of an application interface 326 can be or include, but are not limited to, an application programming interface, a web service, a data protocol adapter, some other hardware and / or software, or any suitable combination thereof. Similarly, the user systems 255 of the users 251, the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and / or the other components of the field system 200 can include an interface (similar to the application interface 326 of the controller 204) to obtain data from and send data to the controller 204 in certain example embodiments.

[0094] In addition, as discussed above with respect to a user system 255 of a user 251, one or more of the sensor devices 260, one or more of the sensor devices 360, one or more of the other controllers 204, one or more of the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and / or one or more of the other components of the field system 200 can include a user interface. Examplesof such a user interface can include, but are not limited to, a graphical user interface, a touchscreen, a keyboard, a monitor, a mouse, some other hardware, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0095] The controller 204, the users 251 (including associated user systems 255), the sensor devices 260, the sensor devices 360, the other controllers 204, the energy storage devices 266, the network manager 280, and the other components of the field system 200 can use their own system or share a system in certain example embodiments. Such a system can be, or contain a form of, an Internet-based or an intranet-based computer system that is capable of communicating with various software. A computer system includes any type of computing device and / or communication device, including but not limited to the controller 204. Examples of such a system can include, but are not limited to, a desktop computer with a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet or intranet access, a laptop computer with LAN, WAN, Internet or intranet access, a smart phone, a server, a server farm, an android device (or equivalent), a tablet, smartphones, and a personal digital assistant (PDA). Such a system can correspond to a computer system as described below with regard to FIG. 4.

[0096] Further, as discussed above, such a system can have corresponding software (e.g., user system software, sensor device software, controller software). The software can execute on the same or a separate device (e.g., a server, mainframe, desktop personal computer (PC), laptop, PDA, television, cable box, satellite box, kiosk, telephone, mobile phone, or other computing devices) and can be coupled by the communication network (e.g., Internet, Intranet, Extranet, LAN, WAN, or other network communication methods) and / or communication channels, with wire and / or wireless segments according to some example embodiments. The software of one system can be a part of, or operate separately but in conjunction with, the software of another system within the overall system (e.g., the field system 200).

[0097] FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a computing device 418 that implements one or more of the various techniques described herein, and which is representative, in whole or in part, of the elements described herein pursuant to certain example embodiments. For example, a controller 204 (including components thereof, such as a control engine 306, a hardware processor 321, a storage repository 331, a power module 330, and a transceiver 324) can be considered a computing device 418. Computing device 418 is one example of a computing device and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to scope of use or functionality of the computing device and / or its possible architectures. Neither should the computing device 418 be interpreted as havingany dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in the example computing device 418.

[0098] The computing device 418 includes one or more processors or processing units 414, one or more memory / storage components 415, one or more input / output (I / O) devices 416, and a bus 417 that allows the various components and devices to communicate with one another. The bus 417 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The bus 417 includes wired and / or wireless buses.

[0099] The memory / storage component 415 represents one or more computer storage media. The memory / storage component 415 includes volatile media (such as random access memory (RAM)) and / or nonvolatile media (such as read only memory (ROM), flash memory, optical disks, magnetic disks, and so forth). The memory / storage component 415 includes fixed media (e.g., RAM, ROM, a fixed hard drive, etc.) as well as removable media (e.g., a Flash memory drive, a removable hard drive, an optical disk, and so forth).

[0100] One or more I / O devices 416 allow a user 251 to enter commands and information to the computing device 418, and also allow information to be presented to a user 251 and / or other components or devices. Examples of input devices 416 include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a cursor control device (e.g., a mouse), a microphone, a touchscreen, and a scanner. Examples of output devices include, but are not limited to, a display device (e.g., a monitor or projector), speakers, outputs to a lighting network (e.g., DMX card), a printer, and a network card.

[0101] Various techniques are described herein in the general context of software or program modules. Generally, software includes routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and so forth that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. An implementation of these modules and techniques are stored on or transmitted across some form of computer readable media. Computer readable media is any available non-transitory medium or non-transitory media that is accessible by a computing device. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media includes “computer storage media”.

[0102] “Computer storage media” and “computer readable medium” include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, computer recordable mediasuch as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which is used to store the desired information and which is accessible by a computer.

[0103] The computer device 418 is connected to a network (not shown) (e.g., a LAN, a WAN such as the Internet, cloud, or any other similar type of network) via a network interface connection (not shown) according to some example embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many different types of computer systems exist (e.g., desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal media device, a mobile device, such as a cell phone or personal digital assistant, or any other computing system capable of executing computer readable instructions), and the aforementioned input and output means take other forms, now known or later developed, in other example embodiments. Generally speaking, the computer system 418 includes at least the minimal processing, input, and / or output means necessary to practice one or more embodiments.

[0104] Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more elements of the aforementioned computer device 418 is located at a remote location and connected to the other elements over a network in certain example embodiments. Further, one or more embodiments is implemented on a distributed system having one or more nodes, where each portion of the implementation (e.g., monitoring apparatus 275-1, monitoring apparatus 275-Z) is located on a different node within the distributed system. In one or more embodiments, the node corresponds to a computer system. Alternatively, the node corresponds to a processor with associated physical memory in some example embodiments. The node alternatively corresponds to a processor with shared memory and / or resources in some example embodiments.

[0105] FIG. 5 shows a diagram of a subsea field system 500 that includes a subsea pipeline system 599 according to certain example embodiments. FIG. 6 shows an example of a subsea pipeline component 550 of the subsea pipeline system 599 of FIG. 5 according to certain example embodiments. FIG. 7 shows a detailed view of the subsea pipeline component 550 of the subsea pipeline system 599 of FIG. 5 according to certain example embodiments.

[0106] Referring to the description above with respect to FIGS. 1 through 4, the subsea pipeline system 599 of the subsea field system 500 of FIG. 5 includes a wellbore 520 drilled into a subterranean formation 510 and through which a subterranean resource 511 may be extracted, a subsea pipeline component in the form of a subsea Xmas tree 540 positioned at the top end of thewellbore 520 in the water 594 on or near the seabed 502, a subsea pipeline component in the form of a subsea manifold 542 positioned in the water 594 on or near the seabed 502, a jumper 559 that is connected to the subsea Xmas tree 540 and the subsea manifold 542, a subsea pipeline component 550 in the form of a pipeline termination system positioned in the water 594 on or near the seabed 502, and a subsea pipeline 548 coupled to the subsea pipeline component 550.

[0107] The subsea field system 500 of FIG. 5 also includes a ROV 573 that moves within the water 594. The ROV 573 includes one or more controllers 504 and one or more sensor devices 560. The ROV 573 may be tethered (e.g., physically with a cable, wirelessly) to a base station located at or near topsides (e.g., topsides 107) of a floating structure (e.g., floating structure 103). The ROV 573 may be substantially similar to the ROV 173 discussed above with respect to FIG. 1. For example, the ROV 573 may also include other equipment (e.g., a motor, a propeller) to help the ROV 573 move in a controlled manner within the water 594. A sensor device 560 of the ROV 573 may include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a GPS sensor, a camera, and / or some similar sensor to allow for controlled movement in the water 594. The ROV 573 may also include one or more illuminating devices (e.g., a spotlight) that are designed for use in the water 594.

[0108] A controller 504 of the ROV 573 may be configured to communicate with one or more other components of the field system 500 in the water 594 using communication links 505 that are wireless. For example, one or more sensor devices 760 positioned on or near the pipeline termination system (the subsea pipeline component 550) may communicate with the controller 504 of the ROV 573 (e g., when the ROV 573 is within a communication range of the sensor device 760) to allow the controller 504 to obtain measurements made by the one or more sensor devices 760. In such a case, the sensor devices 760 may measure, for example, a displacement and / or a strain associated with movement of a movement allowance feature 649 and / or a movement allowance feature 749 of the subsea pipeline component 550. In some cases, the ROV 573 may additionally perform other functions (e.g., communicate with other sensor devices, perform visual inspections) in the water 594. The communication links 505 and the sensor devices 760 are substantially the same as the communication links and sensor devices, respectively, discussed above.

[0109] The various components of the subsea pipeline system 599 of FIG. 5 are substantially the same as the corresponding components of the subsea pipeline systems discussed above, with the added details included below. The subsea pipeline component 550 (in this case, the subseapipeline termination system) shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 includes a PLET assembly 656, ajumper 649 connected to the proximal end of the PLET assembly 656, and a PLET pipe tail 652 connected the distal end of the PLET assembly 656. The subsea pipeline component 550 also includes an example monitoring apparatus 775 having a controller 704, an energy storage device 766, and three sensor devices 760 (sensor device 760-1, sensor device 760-2, and sensor device 760-3).

[0110] The jumper 649 of the subsea pipeline component 550 is or includes a movement allowance feature 749-1 in the form of an elbow and / or welds in the jumper 649 adjacent to and / or where the jumper 659 connects to a vertical section of piping at the proximal end of the PLET assembly 656 of the subsea pipeline component 550. The movement allowance feature 749-1 of the subsea pipeline component 550 is designed to allow for movement 709 between the subsea pipeline component 550 and the subsea manifold 542 by flexing (e.g., inward, outward).[0U1] The monitoring apparatus 775 of the subsea pipeline component 550 includes a sensor device 760-1 that is positioned at or near the movement allowance feature 749-1 and is configured measure one or more parameters (e.g., strain) associated with movement 709 of the movement allowance feature 749-1. The sensor device 760-1 may be coupled to the jumper 649 or proximal end of the PLET assembly 656 using a securing device 757-1 (e.g., a clamp, a brace, a bracket, a magnetized feature) in such a way as to effectively measure the one or more parameters associated with movement 709 of the movement allowance feature 749-1.

[0112] The PLET pipe tail 652 of the subsea pipeline component 550 is or includes a movement allowance feature 749-2 in the form of one or more pipe sections and / or welds in the PLET pipe tail 652 adjacent to and / or where the PLET pipe tail 652 connects to the distal end of the PLET assembly 656 of the subsea pipeline component 550 and / or where the PLET pipe tail 652 connects to the subsea pipeline 548. The movement allowance feature 749-2 of the subsea pipeline component 550 is designed to allow for movement 709 between the subsea pipeline component 550 and the subsea pipeline 548 by flexing (e.g., inward, outward).

[0113] The monitoring apparatus 775 of the subsea pipeline component 550 includes a sensor device 760-3 that is positioned at or near the movement allowance feature 749-2 and is configured measure one or more parameters (e.g., strain) associated with movement 709 of the movement allowance feature 749-2. The sensor device 760-3 may be coupled to the PLET pipe tail 652 or the distal end of the PLET assembly 656 using a securing device 757-3 (e.g., a clamp, a brace, abracket, a magnetized feature) in such a way as to effectively measure the one or more parameters associated with movement 709 of the movement allowance feature 749-2.

[0114] The PLET assembly 656 of the subsea pipeline component 550 is or includes a movement allowance feature 649 in the form of a sliding mechanism and / or welds in the PLET assembly 656. The movement allowance feature 649 of the PLET assembly 656 of the subsea pipeline component 550 is designed to allow for movement 709 within the PLET assembly 656 of the subsea pipeline component 550. For example, the movement allowance feature 649 may be in the form of a telescopic sliding mechanism with two sections of pipe that are designed to allow for lateral movement 709 by shrinking (one pipe section slides into another pipe section) or expanding (one pipe section slides away from another pipe section).

[0115] The monitoring apparatus 775 of the subsea pipeline component 550 includes a sensor device 760-2 that is positioned at or near the movement allowance feature 649 and is configured measure one or more parameters (e.g., displacement) associated with movement 709 of the movement allowance feature 649. The sensor device 760-2 may be coupled to some portion of the PLET assembly 656 and / or a support structure 756 of the subsea pipeline termination system (in this case, the subsea pipeline component 550) using a securing device 757-2 (e.g., a clamp, a brace, a bracket, a magnetized feature) in such a way as to effectively measure the one or more parameters associated with movement 709 of the movement allowance feature 649.

[0116] In some cases, displacement that occurs with the movement allowance feature 649 of the PLET assembly 656 results in strain on (but not displacement of) the movement allowance feature 749-1 and / or the movement allowance feature 749-2. Such strain may be, for example, in the form of stretch or compression. The allowance of the strain on the movement allowance feature 749-1 and / or the movement allowance feature 749-2 is defined in the system design and manufacturing requirements (e.g. quality of welds). If the the movement allowance feature 749-1 and / or the movement allowance feature 749-2 (or other parts of the subsea pipeline component 550) is corroded, the allowance for strain levels is reduced. The strain measurements made by the sensor device 760-1 and / or the sensor device 760-3 may be used to determine whether measured peak stresses are higher than the maximum allowable (e.g., per design specifications, in light of corrosion). In addition, or in the alternative, the strain measurements made by the sensor device 760-1 and / or the sensor device 760-3 may be used to determine whether the strain cyclical regimes induces fatigue damage that may compromise the integrity of the movement allowance feature749-1 (on one side of the movement allowance feature 649) and / or the movement allowance feature 749-2 (on the other side of the movement allowance feature 649).

[0117] The controller 604 of the monitoring apparatus 775 of the subsea pipeline component 550 is communicably coupled to the sensor device 760-1, the sensor device 760-2, and the sensor device 760-3 using communication links 705. In this case, the controller 704 may also provide power to the sensor device 760-1, the sensor device 760-2, and the sensor device 760-3 using power transfer links 787. Alternatively, one or more of the sensor devices 760 may include a separate energy storage device (e.g., a battery) so that the controller 704 does not provide power to those one or more sensor devices 760. The communication links 705 and the power transfer links 787 are substantially similar to the communication links and the power transfer links discussed above. The controller 704 obtains measurements made by the sensor devices 760-1, the sensor device 760-2, and the sensor device 760-3 and determines, for example, whether the measurements fall outside a range of acceptable values for movement 709 of the movement allowance feature 749-1, the movement allowance feature 649, and the movement allowance feature 749-2, respectively, of the subsea pipeline component 550.

[0118] The ROV 573 may be configured to communicate with the controller 704 of the monitoring apparatus 775 using the communication links 505 (e.g., when the ROV 573 is within a communication range of the controller 704 and / or one or more of the sensor devices 760). In such a case, the controller 704 may obtain measurements taken by the one or more sensor devices 760 of the monitoring apparatus 775 from the controller 704. If the controller 704 has processed (e g., validated, filtered, assessed) the measurements, the results of that processing may be obtained by the controller 504 of the ROV 573. The ROV 573 may also send instructions, updates (e.g., to an algorithm 333, to a protocol 332, to stored data 334), tables, and / or other information to the controller 704 of the monitoring apparatus 775 using the communication links 505. The ROV 573 may also obtain other information (e.g., the status or charge level of the energy storage device 766, failure or suspected failure of a sensor device 760) from the controller 704 of the monitoring apparatus 775 using the communication links 505.

[0119] If a sensor device 760 has its own controller (e.g., similar to the controller 704) and / or has its own communication capabilities (e.g., includes a transceiver and a communication module), the ROV 573 may be configured to communicate with the sensor device 760 of the monitoring apparatus 775 using the communication links 505 (e.g., when the ROV 573 is within acommunication range of the sensor device 760). If the sensor device 760 has processed (e.g., validated, fdtered, assessed) the measurements, the results of that processing may be obtained by the controller 504 of the ROV 573. The ROV 573 may also send instructions, updates (e.g., to an algorithm 333, to a protocol 332, to stored data 334), tables, and / or other information to the sensor device 760 of the monitoring apparatus 775 using the communication links 505.

[0120] FIG. 8 shows a three-dimensional diagram of a subsea pipeline system 899 according to certain example embodiments. Referring to the description above with respect to FIGS. 1 through 8, the subsea pipeline system 899 of FIG. 8 includes six subsea Xmas trees 840 that are positioned at the top of six wellbores 820 (subsea Xmas tree 840-1 atop wellbore 820-1, subsea Xmas tree 840-2 atop wellbore 820-2, subsea Xmas tree 840-3 atop wellbore 820-3, subsea Xmas tree 840-4 atop wellbore 820-4, subsea Xmas tree 840-5 atop wellbore 820-5, and subsea Xmas tree 840-6 atop wellbore 820-6), three subsea manifolds 842 (subsea manifold 842-1, subsea manifold 842-2, and subsea manifold 842-3), four subsea pipelines 848 (subsea pipeline 848-1, subsea pipeline 848-2, subsea pipeline 848-3, and subsea pipeline 848-4), six subsea pipeline components 850 (each in the form of a PLET assembly) each with its own example monitoring apparatus 875 (subsea pipeline component 850-1 with monitoring apparatus 875-1, subsea pipeline component 850-2 with monitoring apparatus 875-2, subsea pipeline component 850-3 with monitoring apparatus 875-3, subsea pipeline component 850-4 with monitoring apparatus 875-4, subsea pipeline component 850-5 with monitoring apparatus 875-5, and subsea pipeline component 850-6 with monitoring apparatus 875-6), and a number of jumpers 858 that provide fluid communication between the subsea pipeline components 850, the subsea manifolds 842, and the subsea Xmas trees 840. Each of these components of the subsea pipeline system 899 are substantially the same as the corresponding components discussed above.

[0121] The subsea pipeline system 899 also includes a ROV 873 having one or more controllers 804 and one or more sensor devices 860. The ROV 873 may be configured to communicate with one or more of the controllers and / or one or more of the sensor devices of each of the monitoring apparatuses 875 using the communication links 805 (e.g., when the ROV 873 is within a communication range of a controller and / or a sensor device of a monitoring apparatus 875). In such a case, the controller 804 of the ROV 873 may obtain measurements taken by the sensor devices of the monitoring apparatuses 875. If the controller of a monitoring apparatus 875 has processed (e.g., validated, filtered, assessed) the measurements, the results of that processingmay be obtained by the controller 804 of the ROV 873. The ROV 873 may also send instructions, updates (e.g., to an algorithm 333, to a protocol 332, to stored data 334), tables, and / or other information to a controller of a monitoring apparatus 875 using the communication links 805. The ROV 873 may also obtain other information (e.g., the status or charge level of an energy storage device, failure or suspected failure of a sensor device) from a controller of a monitoring apparatus 875 using the communication links 805.

[0122] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart 998 of a method for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline system 299 according to certain example embodiments. While the various steps in this flowchart 998 are presented sequentially, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that some or all of the steps may be executed in different orders, may be combined or omitted, and some or all of the steps may be executed in parallel. Further, in one or more of the example embodiments, one or more of the steps shown in this example method may be omitted, repeated, and / or performed in a different order.

[0123] In addition, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that additional steps not shown in FIG. 9 may be included in performing this method. Accordingly, the specific arrangement of steps should not be construed as limiting the scope of the method for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline system 299 according to certain example embodiments. Further, a particular computing device, such as the computing device discussed above with respect to FIG. 4, may be used to perform or facilitate performance of one or more of the steps for the method shown in FIG. 9 in certain example embodiments. Any of the functions performed below by a controller 204 may involve the use of one or more protocols 332, one or more algorithms 333, and / or stored data 334.

[0124] The method shown in FIG. 9 is merely an example that may be performed by using an example system described herein. In other words, systems for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline system 299 may perform other functions using other methods in addition to and / or aside from those shown in FIG. 9. Referring to the description above with respect to FIGS. 1 through 7, the method shown in the flowchart 998 of FIG. 9 begins at the START step and proceeds to step 981, where one or more measurements of a parameter (e.g., displacement, strain) associated with movement (e.g., movement 609, movement 709, movement 809) of a movement allowance feature 249 is obtained. As used herein, the term “obtaining” may include collecting, receiving, retrieving, accessing, generating, etc. or any other manner of obtaining measurements. The measurementsmay be made by one or more sensor devices 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275 of a subsea pipeline component 250 that includes the movement allowance feature 249. In some cases, a measurement may be made by a sensor device (e.g., sensor device 360, sensor device 960) that measures a parameter (e.g., current direction, current rate, pressure, temperature) that may influence the movement of a movement allowance feature 249.

[0125] The measurements may be obtained by a controller 204 of the monitoring apparatus 275 or another monitoring apparatus 275 in the subsea pipeline system 299. In addition, or in the alternative, the measurements may be obtained by a controller 504 of a ROV 573. The measurements may be obtained by a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) using the application interface 326, the communication module 308, one or more protocols 332, and / or one or more algorithms 333. Some or all of the measurements may be stored by the controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) as stored data 334. The measurements may be obtained at any interval (e.g., instantaneously, continuously, periodically, randomly). In some cases, one or more of the measurements may be obtained by a user 251 (or an associated user system 255) and then provided to a controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 and / or a controller 504 of a ROV 573. The measurements may be obtained over time (e.g., a month, a year, 5 years, 10 years, 25 years).

[0126] In step 982, the measurement of the parameter is evaluated against a range of acceptable values. The measurement may be evaluated by the data evaluation module 325 and / or the movement assessment module 323 of a controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 and / or a controller 504 of a ROV 573. The range of acceptable values (e.g., distance design allowances, strain design allowances, adjustments to allowances based on corrosion) may be part of the stored data 334 that may be generated and maintained by the control engine 306 of a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504). In some cases, the data evaluation module 325 may additionally validate, format, organize, and / or otherwise handle that measurements so that the measurements may be evaluated properly. The data evaluation module 325 and / or the movement assessment module 323 may evaluate the measurement once the measurement has been obtained. Alternatively, the data evaluation module 325 and / or the movement assessment module 323 may evaluate one or more measurements one some other basis (e.g., every 30 minutes, after every tenth measurement is obtained, randomly). The data evaluation module 325 and / or the movement assessment module 323 may evaluate one or more measurements using one or more algorithms 333, one or more protocols 332, and / or stored data 334.

[0127] In some cases, evaluation of a measurement of a parameter measured by a sensor device 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275 and / or the range of acceptable values may be based, at least in part, on measurements taken from other subsea pipeline systems 299. For example, a measurement of a parameter measured by a sensor device 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275 of the current subsea pipeline system 299 may be evaluated, at least in part, using measurements of the parameter associated with movement of one or more movement allowance features (e.g., similar to the movement allowance features 249) of one or more subsea pipeline components (e.g., similar to the subsea pipeline components 250) of one or more other subsea pipeline networks (e.g., similar to the subsea pipeline system 299). In addition, or in the alternative, measurements of other parameters (e.g., metocean data) made by one or more other sensor devices (e.g., sensor device 960) in the water 294 proximate to a subsea pipeline component 250 of the subsea pipeline system 299 may be used, at least in part, to evaluate a measurement of the parameter measured by a sensor device 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275.

[0128] In step 983, a condition of the subsea pipeline system 299 (or portion thereof) is determined based on evaluating the measurement. In some cases, the condition of the subsea pipeline system 299 (or portion thereof) may be determined by the movement assessment module 323 of a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504). In certain example embodiments, rather than determining the condition of the entire subsea pipeline system 299, a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) may assess the condition of one or more movement allowance features 249 of one or more subsea pipeline components 250. In some cases, multiple controllers 204 may simultaneously determine the condition of one or more movement allowance features 249 of one or more subsea pipeline components 250, and then one of those controllers 204 (or another controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504)) may aggregate these assessments to determine the condition of the subsea pipeline system 299 overall.

[0129] The condition of the pipeline system 299 (or portion thereof) may be determined while the subsea pipeline system 299 (or portion thereof) is in service. A condition of the subsea pipeline system 299 (or portion thereof) may include, but is not limited to, a remaining useful life (e.g., estimated) of one or more subsea pipeline components 250 (including movement allowance feature 249 thereof), a recommended design change to a movement allowance feature 249 of one or more of the subsea pipeline components 250 of the subsea pipeline system 299, an actual fatigue cycle (e.g., determined in real time, determined over time) of a subsea pipeline component 250(including a movement allowance features 249 thereof), one or more relatively vulnerable subsea pipeline components 250 of the subsea pipeline system 299, and a level of urgency to repair one or more subsea pipeline components 250 of the subsea pipeline system 299.

[0130] In step 984, a determination is made as to whether there is a difference between an actual condition and a forecast condition with respect to the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof). The determination as to whether there is a difference between an actual condition and a forecast condition with respect to the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof) may be made by the movement assessment module 323, the control engine 306, and / or some other part of a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) using the communication module 308, one or more protocols 332, one or more algorithms 333, and / or stored data 334 (e.g., threshold values) of a controller (e g., controller 204, controller 504).

[0131] In order to make this determination, information about the actual condition of the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof) may be obtained from a user 251 (including an associated user system 255), the one or more sensor devices 560, the one or more sensor devices 660, the one or more sensor devices 760, the one or more sensor devices 860, the one or more sensor devices 960, the one or more controllers 504, the one or more controllers 604, the one or more controllers 704, and / or the one or more controllers 804. Information about the actual condition of the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof) may be based on design, installation, repair, maintenance, replacement, calibration, and / or physical interaction with the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof). The information about the actual condition of the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof) may be obtained by a controller 204 of monitoring apparatus 275 and / or a controller 504 of a ROV 573 using one or more communication links 205.

[0132] In certain example embodiments, a determination as to whether there is a difference between an actual condition and a forecast condition with respect to the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof) may be based on a quantifiable difference (e.g., measured values versus estimated values, actual degree of degradation versus estimated degree of degradation). Such a quantifiable difference may be based on a threshold value (e.g., set by default, set based on historical calculations, based on input from a user 251) and / or based on instructions from a user 251 (including an associated user system 255) and / or the network manager 280.

[0133] In certain example embodiments, the movement assessment module 323, the control engine 306, and / or some other part of a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) may be configured to determine whether a difference between an actual condition and a forecast condition with respect to the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof) may be based on faulty data (e.g., a failed or failing sensor device 260) obtained by a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) and used to determine the condition of the subsea pipeline network 299 as opposed to an algorithm 333 that needs to be adjusted. If there is a difference between an actual condition and a forecast condition with respect to the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof), then the process proceeds to step 985. If there is not a difference between an actual condition and a forecast condition with respect to the subsea pipeline system 299 (including portions thereof), then the process proceeds to step 986.

[0134] In step 985, one or more of the algorithms 333 is adjusted. An algorithm 333 (e.g., a model) may be adjusted by the control engine 306 of a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504). In certain example embodiments, an algorithm 333 may be adjusted using a self-learning process, as discussed above. Each algorithm 333 may be adjusted (also sometimes referred to as tuned or trained) using one or more protocols 332 and / or one or more other algorithms 333. Adjusting an algorithm 333 may include tuning portions thereof, including but not limited to inputs, parameters, protocols 332, algorithms 333, tables, and decision trees. An algorithm 333 may be adjusted in any of a number of different ways. For example, an algorithm 333 may be adjusted using a blind test, selected from some period of time (e.g., 12 months throughout a calendar year). The remaining raw dataset may be split (e.g., 80% and 20%) between training and 20% testing during the model training. The difference between the blind test dataset and 20% testing dataset is that the former was not seen by the model or other type of algorithm 333 during training / tuning / adjusting.

[0135] When logic or decisions trees are used, the decision trees may be trained in succession so that each new (or modified) model or other type of algorithm 333 may correct errors found in the previous version. Also, the parameters defining one or more decision trees may be adjusted. For instance, various parameters of a model or other type of algorithm 333 may be selected and iteratively tuned by performing a grid search using an n-fold cross-validation method on the training dataset.

[0136] As another example, the number of logic trees may be changed. As still another example, the learning rate (sometimes called eta or the rate of shrinkage) after each iteration may be changed. As yet another example, the number of samples required in order to add a node to a decision tree may be changed. As still another example, the maximum number of nodes from the root to a leaf in a decision tree (also referred to as the maximum depth of a decision tree) may be changed. As still another example, the sub sampling ratio of the data samples used to train a model (or other type of algorithm 333) or a logic tree may be changed. As yet another example, the subsampling ratio of columns of the data samples used to build a new logic tree may be changed. As still another example, the minimum loss reduction required to make a split on a leaf node of a logic tree may be changed. In some cases, one or more algorithms 333 may be directly adjusted by a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504). Alternatively, a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) may provide feedback data that allows the control engine 306 to assess and adjust one or more of its algorithms 333. When step 985 is complete, the process proceeds to step 986.

[0137] In step 986, a determination is made as to whether there is an additional measurement. The additional measurement may be of a parameter (e.g., displacement, strain) associated with movement (e.g., movement 609, movement 709, movement 809) of a movement allowance feature 249. The measurements may be made by one or more sensor devices 260 of a monitoring apparatus 275 of a subsea pipeline component 250 that includes the movement allowance feature 249. In some cases, a measurement may be made by a sensor device (e.g., sensor device 360, sensor device 960) that measures a parameter (e.g., current direction, current rate, pressure, temperature) that may influence the movement of a movement allowance feature 249.

[0138] An additional measurement may be obtained by a controller 204 of the monitoring apparatus 275 or another monitoring apparatus 275 in the subsea pipeline system 299. In addition, or in the alternative, an additional measurement may be obtained by a controller 504 of a ROV 573. An additional measurement may be obtained by a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) using the application interface 326, the communication module 308, one or more protocols 332, and / or one or more algorithms 333. Some or all of the additional measurements may be stored by a controller (e.g., controller 204, controller 504) as stored data 334. The additional measurements may be obtained at any interval (e.g., instantaneously, continuously, periodically, randomly). In some cases, one or more of the additional measurements may be obtained by a user251 (or an associated user system 255) and then provided to a controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 and / or a controller 504 of a ROV 573.

[0139] In step 987, information is communicated. The information is communicated by the controller 204 of the monitoring apparatus 275. The information that is communicated may vary depending on the capabilities of the controller 204. For example, when the controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 has only minimal capabilities (e.g., merely time-stamping and storing measurements in a storage repository 331 with no algorithms 333 to run, having a communication module 308 and a transceiver 324), the information that is communicated may be only the measurements. As another example, when the controller 204 of a monitoring apparatus 275 has advanced capabilities (e.g., a storage repository 331 that includes algorithms 333, having a communication module 308 and a transceiver 324), the information that is communicated may be the measurements along with results of algorithms, assessments of a subsea pipeline component 250, etc. The information that is communicated may be received by a ROV 173 using communication links 105. When Step 987 is complete, the process proceeds to the END step.

[0140] Example embodiments may be used to track, in real time, movement in a subsea pipeline network. Example embodiments may be used to evaluate some or all of a subsea pipeline network. Example embodiments may be used to make or suggest real time adjustments to a subsea pipeline network (or portions thereof) so that the subsea pipeline network may have an extended useful life in spite of the harsh environment in which the subsea pipeline network operates and / or the stresses and strains that the subsea pipeline network experiences over time. Example embodiments may be used with new subsea pipeline network or retrofitted into existing subsea pipeline networks. Example embodiments may provide a number of benefits. Such other benefits may include, but are not limited to, reduced use of resources, cost savings, increased flexibility, improved design standards, and compliance with applicable industry standards and regulations.

[0141] Although embodiments described herein are made with reference to example embodiments, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications are well within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the example embodiments described herein are not limited to any specifically discussed application and that the embodiments described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. From the description of the example embodiments, equivalents of the elements shown therein will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and ways of constructing other embodiments using the present disclosurewill suggest themselves to practitioners of the art. Therefore, the scope of the example embodiments is not limited herein.

Claims

1. CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A subsea pipeline termination system comprising: a pipeline end termination (PLET) pipe tail; a PLET assembly comprising a movement allowance feature; a jumper; and a monitoring apparatus comprising: a sensor device configured to measure a displacement parameter associated with movement of the movement allowance feature of the PLET assembly; and a controller communicably coupled to the sensor device, wherein the controller is configured to: obtain a measurement made by the sensor device; and communicate the measurement.

2. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus further comprises a second sensor device configured to measure strain parameter associated with a second movement allowance feature of the jumper, wherein the second movement allowance feature comprises at least one of a group consisting of a weld, an elbow, and a straight pipe section, wherein the controller of the monitoring apparatus is further configured to compare the second measurement made by the second sensor device with a strain allowance for a design of the second movement allowance feature, and wherein the controller is further configured to communicate a result of comparing the second measurement with the strain allowance.

3. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus further comprises a second sensor device configured to measure a strain parameter associated with a second movement allowance feature of the PLET pipe tail, wherein the second movement allowance feature comprises at least one of a group consisting of a weld and a straight pipe section, wherein the controller of the monitoring apparatus is further configured to compare the second measurement made by the second sensor device with a strain allowance for a design of the second movement allowance feature, and wherein the controller is further configured to communicate the second measurement with the strain allowance.

4. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises at least one of a group consisting of an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a strain gauge, a stress gauge, a linear variable differential transformer, and a displacement transducer.

5. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 1, wherein the sensor device and the controller are integrated with each other.

6. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 1 , wherein the sensor device is configured to measure the parameter over a period of time.

7. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to monitor a fatigue cycle of the subsea pipeline component based on an amount of displacement of the movement allowance feature in the form of a sliding mechanism in association with a strain level at the jumper and the PLET pipe tail.

8. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 1, further comprising: an energy storage device that is configured to provide power to the sensor device and the controller.

9. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate the measurement to a remotely operated vehicle using wireless data transmission via optical signals, acoustic signals, or radio frequency signals.

10. The subsea pipeline termination system of Claim 1, wherein the sensor device is secured to a portion of the subsea pipeline termination system using a securing device in the form of a clamp.

11. A system for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline termination system, the system comprising: a PLET assembly of the subsea pipeline termination system, wherein the PLET assembly is a subsea pipeline component comprising a movement allowance feature; and a monitoring apparatus comprising: a sensor device configured to measure a displacement parameter associated with movement of the movement allowance feature of the PLET assembly; and a controller communicably coupled to the sensor device, wherein the controller is configured to: obtain a measurement made by the sensor device; and communicate the measurement.

12. The system of Claim 11, further comprising: a second subsea pipeline component comprising a second movement allowance feature; and a second monitoring apparatus comprising: a second sensor device configured to measure a second displacement parameter associated with movement of a second movement allowance feature of the second subsea pipeline component of the subsea pipeline network, wherein the controller is communicably coupled to the second sensor device, and wherein the controller is further configured to: obtain a second measurement made by the second sensor device; and communicate the second measurement.

13. The system of Claim 11, further comprising: a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) submersed subsea, wherein the ROV is configured to communicate with the controller of the monitoring apparatus.

14. The system of Claim 11, further comprising: a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) submersed subsea, wherein the controller of the monitoring apparatus is disposed on the ROV, and wherein the controller obtains the measurement from the sensor device when the ROV is within a communication range of the sensor device.

15. A method for tracking movement in a subsea pipeline termination system, the method comprising: obtaining a measurement of a displacement parameter associated with movement of a movement allowance feature of a subsea pipeline component of the subsea pipeline termination system; evaluating the parameter against a range of acceptable values for the parameter; and determining, based on evaluating the parameter against the acceptable values, a condition of the pipeline network while the pipeline network is in service.

16. The method of Claim 15, wherein the condition comprises a remaining useful life of the subsea pipeline component.

17. The method of Claim 15, wherein the condition comprises a recommended design change to the movement allowance feature of the subsea pipeline component.

18. The method of Claim 15, wherein the parameter is further evaluated using measurements of the parameter associated with movement of the movement allowance feature of an additional subsea pipeline component of the subsea pipeline termination system.

19. The method of Claim 15, wherein the measurement is among a plurality of measurements obtained over time.

20. The method of Claim 19, wherein the range of acceptable values is based on the plurality of measurements taken over time.

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