In September 2004, a category-4 hurricane, Hurricane Ivan, moved through the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM) with extreme winds and waves exceeding the 100-year storm design criteria of offshore facilities in the storm path. Approximately 10,000 miles of pipelines were in the direct path of Hurricane Ivan. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) received industry damage assessment reports identifying damage to the offshore pipeline infrastructure. This project will determine the type, cause and extent of pipeline damage incurred during Hurricane Ivan and provide guidance for improving pipeline integrity/design to reduce potential damage from future GOM hurricanes.
The scope of work involves the following five main tasks:
Investigate the GOM pipeline infrastructure damage caused by hurricane Ivan. Identification and management of root causes of key areas of damage will be a focus.
Investigate how operators dealt with GOM hurricanes and what are the best early warning, emergency response, shut-down and start-up practices.
Investigate the current design and installation practices for GOM pipelines and compare with other areas of the world.
Investigate both new and proven techniques and technologies which may help mitigate pipeline damage.
Create recommendations that identifies best practices and potentially changes to codes to better protect pipelines during subsequent major hurricane events.
Work completed. MMS received the attached final report on May 23, 2006.