Saipem’s Grip & Metal Seal Connector, a patented technology for subsea pipeline repair, has received the Statement of Qualified Technology for sour service applications from DNV, the global independent expert in assurance and risk management.
The Grip & Metal Seal Connector has been developed by Sonsub, Saipem’s centre of excellence for underwater technologies, automation and digital solutions. It is a unique diver/diverless solution for pipeline repair interventions as well as for pipeline tie-ins at a water depth of up to 2,000 m. The technology has been specifically developed for clad/lined pipelines with highly corrosive fluids and can also be used on carbon steel pipes with corrosion allowance. Its key features, including permanent repair, restoration of the pipe’s full structural integrity, no internal diameter reduction, a lightweight design and the ability to manage pipelines with multiple wall thicknesses, are characteristics not available in any other commercial product on the market.
A full-scale test program on a prototype connector is presently underway in accordance with DNVGL-RP-F113, the recommended practice for subsea pipeline repairs. Upon completion of this program, a DNV type approval certification will be filed and issued, thus allowing Sonsub to commercialise the Grip & Metal Seal Connector in key prospective areas, primarily in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the Middle East.
The qualified connector, together with the other technologies developed by Saipem for emergency intervention on subsea pipelines, consolidates Saipem’s offering in the asset integrity segment by providing owners of major strategic pipelines the guarantee of a rapid restoration of their asset’s operability, even after complex incidents.
