NDC Industry Funded PhD: Longevity and fate of pipeline polymer coatings

About the Project

An exciting opportunity is available for a student to join leading researchers at the UK National Decommissioning Centre (NDC), University of Aberdeen, to study the time-dependent degradation of the polymer coatings on left-in-place subsea pipelines providing valuable new insights to inform decommissioning decisions.

The studentship is jointly supported by industry and the NDC.

Project Description

An understanding of the long-term degradation of derogated offshore infrastructure is important for planning decommissioning options. This depends on several factors such as the marine environment, the type of coatings used, the chemical composition of fluids interacting with the structures, and relevant regulatory guidance. Pipelines are one of the major components of offshore energy infrastructure. Subsea pipelines are mostly made of carbon steel or duplex stainless steel and are externally coated with polymer or concrete for insulation, corrosion protection and stability. Upon cessation of hydrocarbon production, the pipelines are sometimes left-in-place, and the polymer coatings may degrade over time due to the harsh subsea environment. An understanding of the time-dependent degradation of the polymer coatings on left-in-place subsea pipelines is needed to inform decommissioning decisions.

This PhD project aims to develop an understanding of the long-term degradation of polymer coatings on subsea pipelines and provide a quantitative assessment of potential leaching of chemical constituents from the coatings into the surrounding environment. In addition, the project will investigate the potential impact of micro and macro plastics formed from the degraded polymers on the benthic environment. Techniques that may be used include laboratory experiments, numerical simulation and theoretical analysis.