• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.414-421
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• 2022

Subsea oil and gas exploration is increasingly moving into deeper water depths, and typically, subsea pipelines operate under high pressure and temperature conditions. Owing to the difference in these components, the axial force in the pipe is accumulated. When a pipeline is operated at a high internal pressure and temperature, it will attempt to expand and contract for differential temperature changes. Typically, the line is not free to move because of the plane strain constraints in the longitudinal direction and soil friction effects. For a positive differential temperature, it will be subjected to an axial compressive load, and when this load reaches a certain critical value, the pipe may experience vertical (upheaval buckling) or lateral (snaking buckling) movements that can jeopardize the structural integrity of the pipeline. In these circumstances, the pipeline behavior should be evaluated to ensure the pipeline structural integrity during operation in those demanding loading conditions. Performing this analysis, the correct mitigation measures for thermal buckling can be considered either by accepting bar buckling but preventing the development of excessive bending moment or by preventing any occurrence of bending.