New Design Concepts for Pipelines Buried in Permafrost

Abstract

This paper outlines some of the recent design developments and construction support efforts of the authors and their colleagues that reduce the capital cost and enhance the design integrity and environmental performance of pipelines buried in permafrost.</jats:p> <jats:p>These new design concepts can significantly reduce the expected cost of a major northern gas pipeline relative to historical conceptual costs.</jats:p> <jats:p>Recent North Slope of Alaska oil developments have successfully utilized new design concepts for warm buried crossings of major rivers to achieve certain environmental and economic objectives. The fully buried oil pipeline from Normal Wells, NWT, originally designed as a cold pipeline, has successfully operated in recent years as an ambient temperature system. These developments widen the application and improve the potential cost advantage of buried oil pipelines over above grade pipelines in permafrost.