Fatigue Assessment

Summary
Methodology for fatigue life assessment is discussed. Fatigue life dependants for the gas lift lines
are described. Actual parameters for the calculations are identified. Currently missing input data
and its replacement data are highlighted.

References:
/1/ PD 5500: 2003 Specification for Unfired fusion welded pressure vessels,
Annex C Assessment of vessels subject to fatigue
/2/ EN 13445-3: 2002 Unfired pressure vessels Part 3: Design
Chapter 18 Detailed assessment of fatigue life
/3/ DNV-RP-D101: 2008 Recommended Practice Structural Analysis of Piping Systems
Chapter 3.12 Fatigue calculations; App. J Fatigue Calculation Ex.
/4/ PROMECH Extended fatigue assessment as done on Greater Ekofisk assets
/5/ A.ALMAR-NSS Fatigue Handbook Offshore Steel Structures,
Tapir, Trondheim, 1985

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Introduction
Fatigue is a failure mode that will occur under severe cyclic conditions, e.g. a pipeline subjected to
waves. If a large enough number of load fluctuations are allowed then fracture will eventually
occur. The load itself may not be large enough to cause immediate failure, but it is the number of
load fluctuations that causes failure.

Fatigue failure will occur at the weakest part of a piping system were the stress level is highest.
Welds are normally weaker than smooth pipe since there will always be small imperfections or
fractures in any weld. The size of these imperfections relates to the weld quality. If the cyclic stress
range goes above the lower threshold for fatigue these small imperfections or cracks will start to
propagate/grow and may reach a critical size ending in fatigue failure.

Damage may appear for every load cycle, and the damage accumulates. When the accumulated
damage has reached a critical level (critical crack size) failure will occur.

The most important component under fluctuating stress and strain is called the stress range (or
amplitude). A stress range is the algebraic sum between a peak stress and its subsequent valley.

One method to calculate fatigue life is based on the SN Miner-Palmgren approach. Here the cyclic
stress range, S, is related to the number of cycles to failure, N. SN-curves have been made on the
basis of laboratory tests. In welded piping systems, the weld constitutes the weak link considering
fatigue strength. Fatigue design of piping is therefore based on SN data obtained from realistic
welded specimens. The SN-curve for metals has the form:

S rm N a
where Sr is the cyclic stress range, N is the number of cycles to failure, whereas m and a are
constants.

The m and a constants represent the different fatigue curves and the values depend on which weld
detail is under consideration.

For further background information please see below sections Extended fatigue assessment/4/ and
Fatigue analysis of wellhead flowlines/3/.

There are 30 gas lift lines to be installed on Valhall Flank North and South, 15 on each platform.
All gas lift lines are made of 2 seamless 6Mo pipe.

In order to estimate the fatigue life of these lines one has to address the fatigue life dependants.
The following dependents are identified based on the reference documentation listed below.

A. Fatigue Curve
B. Imposed Displacements
C. Number of Cycles
D. Piping Restraints
E. Pipe Material

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A. Fatigue Curve
The m and a constants depict which fatigue curve to be used. They are dependant on which weld
detail is under consideration as well as how the weld is tested. There are two welds details that are
applicable for the Valhall Flank gas lift lines.
- According to EN 13445-3 table 18-4 they are detail no. 7.1: Full penetration butt welded
neck flange and detail no. 1.5: Full penetration butt welds. The fatigue class is decided
based on what kind of testing is performed. If testing group 1 or 2 is applicable then fatigue
class 63 may be used as long as full penetration is assured, if testing group 3 is applicable
then fatigue class 40 is to be used. The lower fatigue class number used results in the
shorter calculated fatigue life.
- According to PD 5500 fatigue class E is applicable for the two weld details as long as full
penetration can be assured as well as the weld is proved free from significant defects by
NDT testing.

In order to use the correct fatigue curve one needs to know the weld detail, welding method and
how it is tested.

According to EN 13445-3
For the Valhall Flank gas lift lines fatigue curve 40 is conservatively chosen and the
stipulated m and a constants are:
m = 3 a = 1,28 x 1011 for stress range cycles 102<N<5x106
14
m = 5 a = 1,11 x 10 for stress range cycles 5x106<N<108

According to PD 5500
For the Valhall Flank gas lift lines fatigue curve E is chosen and the stipulated m and a
constants are:
m = 3 a = 1,04 x 1012 for stress range cycles N<107
m = 5 a = 2,29 x 1015 for stress range cycles N>107

B. Imposed Displacements
All loads with a cyclic nature are to be considered for the gas lift lines. The piping will be subject
to pressure cycles, thermal cycles and forced displacement cycles which stem from ocean waves.
The waves deflect the riser conductor giving horizontal movements of the wellhead (x-mas tree).
The major contributor for the fatigue life for gas lift lines are the wellhead horizontal
displacements. The effect of the waves on the riser pipe in relation to horizontal wellhead
movements depend on the supporting of the conductor. Conductor centralizers are normally
installed in order to limit the shacking of the wellheads. These should be tight in order to limit the
horizontal movements as much as possible. Any reduction of wellhead horizontal displacement
will reduce the cyclic stress range and subsequently affect the fatigue life significantly.
Conductor analysis is normally performed where the horizontal displacements of the wellhead may
be found.

For the Valhall Flanks the only source for the horizontal deflections are found on the existing stress
isometrics done by Heerema Tnsberg. Here 10mm horizontal deflections are stipulated.

Hence, 10 mm is used for 8 approach directions of the waves N, S, W, E, SW, NE, SE, NW.

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 C. Number of Cycles
Another major contributor to the fatigue life is the number of cycles for each stress range. The
number of horizontal displacements for the wellhead and subsequently the gas lift lines is related
to the number of waves acting on the riser conductor. Wave occurrence diagrams are used for
finding the number of cycles anticipated to act on the riser conductors. These are usually found in
environmental or oceanographic design data reports for the oil field in question. The Valhall field
is in the vicinity of the Greater Ekofisk area as explained in report no.: S/EPT/073/04 July 2007
Valhall Field Oceanographic and Meteorological Design Data Summary. The Ekofisk
environmental data chapter 3.3 Fatigue Waves shows all wave occurrences over a 30 year period
from 8 approach directions in table 3.3-1. See section Fatigue Waves below.
An extreme conservative approach to fatigue life calculations would be to consider all waves,
regardless of wave height, to deflect the wellhead the full 10mm horizontal movement. This is not
implemented in the Valhall Flank gas lift fatigue calculations.
A conductor analysis would show which wave heights are to be taken into consideration. A
conductor analysis for the gas lift wellheads are not currently found so an analysis for an Ekofisk
2/4M riser is used, ref. page 13 and 39 of doc.: Riser Analysis, ConocoPhillips Ekofisk II
Development Project, 2/4M. H042729, Rev NC.
For this riser it is considered that only wave heights 4m and above has impact on the fatigue life.
For this reason only wave occurrences for waves H=4 and above are considered in the fatigue life
calculations for the Valhall gas lift lines. The following table is used:

Table 3.3-1 adjusted to include only waves 4m and above

H T
OMNI N NE E SE S SW W NW
(m) (s)
23 14,3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
22 14,2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
21 14,1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
20 13,9 16 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 9
19 13,7 69 5 5 4 0 0 0 17 38
18 13,5 140 11 7 4 4 4 4 33 73
17 13,3 207 17 12 7 2 5 5 50 109
16 13,1 369 31 21 12 6 12 8 89 190
15 12,9 555 44 30 21 10 21 14 138 277
14 12,7 1 204 91 61 51 27 60 34 311 569
13 12,5 1 806 127 86 88 50 115 65 483 792
12 12,3 3 614 235 158 206 125 295 177 995 1 423
11 12,0 10 801 639 427 719 482 1 099 747 3 014 3 674
10 11,7 22 931 1 229 811 1 789 1 285 2 774 2 172 6 377 6 494
9 11,3 49 164 2 406 1 553 4 492 3 333 6 661 5 999 13 443 11 277
8 10,8 120 630 5 511 3 438 12 828 9 485 17 187 17 839 32 184 22 158
7 10,2 253 768 11 195 6 431 32 117 23 348 35 344 46 434 64 806 34 093
6 9,6 611 210 27 986 15 010 80 924 60 165 81 321 123 101 151 335 71 368
5 9,0 1 527 886 75 925 37 682 202 023 159 893 194 080 332 811 364 497 160 975
4 8,5 3 960 500 224 893 102 415 497 579 437 659 485 630 912 612 903 023 396 689
TOTAL 6 564 876 350 348 168 147 832 864 695 874 824 608 1 442 022 1 540 800 710 213

The actual fatigue wave data for the Valhall Flank platforms should be provided.
Also provided should be riser analyses showing the magnitude of horizontal wellhead
deflection as well as which wave height occurrences to consider for calculating the gas lift line
fatigue life.

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D. Piping Restraints
The supporting of the gas lift lines closest to the wellhead depicts the stress range. The more
restraints there are the higher the stress range will be as the flexibility of the piping is reduced. The
restraints also affect the natural frequency of piping systems. A natural frequency above 4 Hz is an
indication that the piping is adequately supported. For piping connected to wellheads this goal is
often not obtained since it directly affects the fatigue lifetime.

For the gas lift lines the supporting is designed to keep an acceptable fatigue life over 30
years and the natural frequency as far as possible over 4Hz. For some gas lift lines the
natural frequency objective is not reached. It is considered more important to keep the
fatigue life acceptable. The fatigue life and the lowest natural frequency results are to be
stipulated on the stress sketch for each gas lift line. Friction effects are included as a friction
factor of 0.3 is included for the guide supports closest to the wells.

E. Pipe Material
The SN-curves are related to 22mm thick pipe and an E-modulus equal to 209000 MPa. The stress
range must be corrected for other thicknesses and other materials. Values below 22mm and values
above 20900 MPa are not permitted in the calculations. For further background see below section
Extended fatigue assessment/4/.

The applicable pipe wall thickness is 8.74mm for the gas lift lines.
The E-modulus used is for ambient condition and is 200000 MPa. This is conservative since
the operating temperature for the gas lift lines is -25 C.

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Extended fatigue assessment/4/

Theoretical background

Wave loadings at the conductors initiate displacements and rotations at the X-mas trees. Since the number of
complete load cycles in the X-mas tree movement case is well above 7000, an additional fatigue check load
case must be investigated. This may be done according to provisions in PD5500, Specification for unfired
fusion welded pressure vessels, annex C.

The fatigue strength of a unit is usually governed by the fatigue strength of details as e.g. welds and its
fatigue strength is assessed on the basis of S-N curves in which the repeated stress range Sr is plotted
against the number of cycles to failure, N.

The S-N curves for assessment of weld details have the following form:

S rm N A

with:
N number of cycles to failure
Sr repeats stress range
m constant depending on fatigue class and number of cycles
A constant depending on fatigue class and number of cycles

The equations are derived from fatigue tests based on specimen of maximum 22 mm thickness and an E-
module of 2.09*105 MPa. Taking into account different material and plate thickness, the following equation
is derived:

m/4
22 1
N A m
e S r 2.09 105

E
with:
e maximum of greatest thickness including corrosion allowance or 22 mm
E Modulus of elasticity

Fatigue damage can according to the Miner Palmgren equation, be evaluated by the cumulative effect of
different types of stress cycles, where the following condition shall be met:

ni
N 1
i
with:
ni number of times each stress cycle, Sri, will occur during the life of the structure
Ni fatigue life (number of cycles to failure) corresponding to S ri, obtained from
appropriate S-N curve

According to the design code, the fatigue assessment shall be based on the primary plus secondary stress
category and the full stress range is to be used.

Analysis approach

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On most installations, conductor analysis has been undertaken. Displacements and rotations at the location
of the x-mas tree, where flow lines and gas lift lines are connected, are determined based on a range of
significant wave heights and associated number of occurrences for 8 approach directions of the waves.

Since the vertical displacements at the x-mas tree due to wave motion are negligible, the horizontal
movements are basis for the fatigue analysis.

Depending on the size of the calculated displacements, the wave heights are classified in blocks and the
total number of cycles, n, is determined for the four main directions; North-South, East-West, Northeast-
Southwest and Northwest-Southeast.

Stress analyses are performed based on the maximum deflections found in each block applied in the
considered four main directions. The corresponding stress range is found based on the calculated Caesar II
code stress (scode = sqrt(Sb2+ 4St2). The total number of cycles to failure N and the fatigue damage are for
each block and main direction determined according to PD 5500 using fatigue class E (all welds subjected
to NDT and fault free).

Frictional effects in supports may be of significance in the fatigue analysis cases and must be evaluated as
they tend to increase the stiffness of the piping system related to the applied x-mas tree deformations.

Production flow lines must be checked for flow induced fatigue loads, but this does not apply to gas lift
lines as they are exposed to one-phase flow only.

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Fatigue analysis of wellhead flowlines/3/
Wellhead flowlines must be subjected to a comprehensive fatigue analysis given the fact that they are
exposed to high cycle loadings from Xmas tree movements and flow induced vibrations.
As ASME B 31.3 only to a limited degree takes into account fatigue damage, a more detailed fatigue
calculation according to PD5500 should be performed for all flowlines and gas lift lines.

Wave loadings at the conductors initiate cyclic loads at the Xmas trees and an additional fatigue check
should be performed.

The flow induced loads with the largest contribution to the fatigue life are not the design slug loads, but
rather loads generated by minor density fluctuations in the well stream. These flow induced loads are not
applicable for gas lift or water injection lines.

According to PD5500, the fatigue assessment shall be based on the primary plus secondary stress category
and the full stress range is to be used.

The design lifetime of flowlines and gas lift lines should be 30 years unless otherwise specified by
Company. Frequent inspection should be initiated after 1/3 of the estimated lifetime.

Frictional effects in pipe supports may be significant in fatigue analysis since they tend to increase the
system resistance to Xmas tree movements, ref EN13480 12.2.10.3.1. These effects tend to be of importance
in systems where there are one or more supports (not spring only) relatively close to the Xmas tree and
where no line stops prevents the lines from moving relatively to the other supports.

When preliminary evaluations indicate that frictional effects may be of significance, these effects shall be
more thoroughly investigated through incorporation in the fatigue load cases.

In order to do a representative analysis, the analyst should bear in mind that the fatigue wave loads (Xmas
tree movements) represents oscillations around a steady state deformation pattern created by well growth,
weight, temperature and pressure. Hence, the friction loads should be based upon the reaction loads from
these steady state solutions.

The results from fatigue analysis should be reported in the pipe stress report. Any spool not meeting the 30
years fatigue life design requirement shall be identified. Design life time is to be stated on the Stress
Isomeric Drawing for the pipe.

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