GAP Launch: Methodology, Constraints and Challenges

Abstract

MURPHY Sabah Oil Co. Ltd. has developed the Kikeh Field located offshore Malaysia in the South China Sea in a water depth of 1325m. This field development is based on a Floating Production Storage and Offloading unit (FPSO) and a Spar Dry Tree Unit (DTU). Fluids are transported in fluid transfer lines (FTL) using SBM’s newly developed and patented Gravity Actuated Pipe (GAP) system. The launch of the first GAP took place on the 8th and 9th of May 2007 in Bintulu (Malaysia). This was the first major milestone in the GAP system installation campaign. The overall length of the GAP, the weight of both towheads, the constraints imposed by the selected site and the need to cope with the environmental data made it a very challenging operation. This paper describes the constraints, pre-launch activities and the onshore and offshore spread used during the main steps of the launch.