In offshore field development, pipeline route planning is an important task. The object is to locate feasible routes having minimal costs. This paper presents the development of a software tool for pipe line route optimization. The pipeline routing problem is formulated as an optimization problem. An object function is derived describing the cost of pipe laying. The object function includes terms for material cost and cost associated with intervention work In addition, the object function includes terms defining a feasible route. The optimization algorithm Simulated Annealing is used to solve the problem. As demonstrated by simulation examples, this algorithm is found to be a robust optimization algorithm suited for this problem.
Offshore field development includes installation of oil and gas pipelines on the seabed. Pipeline routes have to be defined, connecting the relevant locations. In the case of a complex seabed topography, it is not easy to identify feasible routes and to find the best choice. A lot of resources are put in the planning of the routes. The object is to find feasible paths that minimize the overall material and installation cost. Traditionally, the problem is solved manually. The routes are found by manual inspection of the topography. In this paper the pipeline routing problem is formulated as an optimization problem. The paper presents the development of a software tool that searches for optimal pipeline routes. In a route planning task, the following route selection criteria are considered 1. Minimize route length in order to minimize material cost. 2. Minimize number of free span and amount of intervention work. Depending on the current conditions, a free spanning pipeline can get into a state of large vibrations. To avoid this, the lengths of the spans have to be controlled.
