Energy safety in the pipeline

Written by Denice Rice Tuesday, 19 August 2008 16:35

THE SAFETY of the thousands of kilometres of undersea pipes that crisscross the ocean floor off WA became a political hot potato in recent months after an explosion put Apache Energy’s main gas pipeline out of action and plunged the state into an energy crisis.

However, it’s heat of a different sort that has researchers at the University of Western Australia examining the pipelines that carry oil and gas across our ocean floors in terms of possible climate change issues.

Professor Greg Ivey from UWA’s School of Environmental Systems Engineering is studying the possible threat to offshore pipelines by climate change / Image: Courtesy UWA

“For the safety of everyone we have to explore the marine environment and to quantify, for example, the loading or forces exerted on structures by internal waves and currents,” says Professor Greg Ivey from UWA’s School of Environmental Systems Engineering.

Professor Ivey is leading the WA Marine Science Institution’s offshore and coastal engineering research to look at how changes in the ocean environment as a result of global warming could affect the safety of pipelines.

According to Professor Ivey, there are a number of concerns about the safety of undersea pipelines and it is imperative to understand the physical and environmental implications of climate change on the coastal environment.

“For example, over the next 25 to 50 years, will there be an increased incidence of cyclones on the North-West Shelf? Will they be stronger? Will their geographical extent change? These are current research questions, and the answers could have engineering implications,” he says.

“As exploration moves further offshore, these pipelines are becoming longer and are being laid in deeper water.

“There are a number of proposals to install more pipelines, with some companies looking at laying lines up to 1000km long.

“We still have a poor understanding of the ocean physics. The NW Shelf is also one of the most energetic parts of the global ocean with very large tides and the occasional cyclone.

“We will examine marine issues such as the effects of shore stabilisation, sea level rise, tides, internal waves and the implications for engineering activities.

“We plan to be in a position to forecast ocean conditions, particularly near the bottom where any pipelines will be laid, before companies venture into new areas.”