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U.S. Department of the Interior
Minerals Management Service
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region |
Safety Alert No. 222
July 14, 2004 |
Contact: Elizabeth
Komiskey
(504) 736-2418 |
Riser Flexible Joints
Recently a small oil spill
occurred in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of a leak from a steel catenary export riser.
Through visual inspection by divers it was determined that the flexible joint on
the riser was the source of the spill. After shutting in the pipeline and removing
the flexible joint, a preliminary inspection found damage on the flexible joint in the
elastomeric seal area near the rotating ball. As a precaution, the operator
inspected a second flexible joint on another steel catenary export riser on the same
facility even though a leak had not been detected. The results of that inspection
indicated similar damages to the elastomeric seal area near the rotating ball.
It is not known if these two cases are
isolated nor what caused the damage to the flexible joints. Given the potential for
failures in similar riser designs, MMS recommends that lessees, operators, right-of-way
holders, contractors, and others in the offshore oil and gas industry who have installed,
operate, and are responsible for the maintenance of flexible joints on any steel catenary
risers perform an inspection of all flexible joints as soon as possible to ensure
that these flexible joints do not have similar problems. If inspections identify problems
and failure is considered imminent, lessees, operators, or other responsible parties
should immediately initiate repair procedures.
MMS may update this Safety Alert if
additional information about the cause of the damage to the flexible joint becomes
available
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