Abstract: An underwater storage tank having a flexible multilayer tank containing a working liquid is provided. The flexible multilayer tank has at least one internal electrical insulating layer in contact with the working fluid, at least one external electrical insulating layer in contact with sea water, and at least one intermediate electric conductive layer sealed between the at least one internal electrical insulating layer and the at least one external electrical insulating layer. At least one first electrical connection means is connected to the at least one intermediate electric conductive layer, the least one first electrical connection means being electrically connectable to an electrical grounded measurement instrument to assess physical integrity of the flexible multilayer tank.

Abstract: A method approximates and connects an off shore riser duct to a floating unit, includes installing a tubular coupling recipient on the floating unit at a riser coupling level, the coupling recipient having an annular side wall extending around a longitudinal axis. A pulling device is on the floating unit at a pulling device level above the riser coupling level. The pulling device pulls a line extended through the coupling recipient and connected to a pulling head at a riser duct upper end. The riser duct upper end is pulled into the coupling recipient, providing a locking mechanism to lock a coupling adapter against downward withdrawal. Extending the line along a curved deviating surface deviates the pulling direction. The curved deviating surface is formed by a deviating member connected to the coupling recipient at a distance from the longitudinal axis smaller than an annular side wall to longitudinal axis distance.

Abstract: A pipeline telescopic joint configured to compensate for dimensional changes has: a first pipe section having a first diameter; a second pipe section having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter is slidingly coupled to the first pipe section; an end assembly, which is fixed to the second pipe section an annular seat bounded by two facing cylindrical faces; and an annular gasket, which is housed within the annular seat and has a polymeric casing and a spring housed within the polymeric casing, wherein the polymeric casing is in contact with the cylindrical faces.

Abstract: A desulfurization gas process includes water vapor, CO2 and SOx (x=2 and/or 3). In a treatment unit, the gas contacts a cooled alkaline aqueous solution having a temperature lower than an initial gas temperature, water and a carbonate of an alkali metal, to cool the gas, condense some water vapor and absorb SOx in the carbonate-containing solution, produce an SOx-depleted gas and an acidic aqueous solution including sulfate and/or sulfite ions. The SOx-depleted gas and a portion of the acidic aqueous solution can then be withdrawn from the treatment unit. Carbonate of the alkali metal can be added to remaining acidic aqueous solution to obtain a made-up alkaline aqueous solution. This solution can be cooled and reused as the cooled alkaline aqueous solution. An SOx absorbent solution includes a bleed stream from a CO2-capture process, sodium or potassium carbonate, and an acidic aqueous solution obtained from desulfurization.

Abstract: A method for laying a pipeline on the bed of a body of water comprises assembling a pipeline on a laying vessel; launching the pipeline from the laying vessel; identifying a zone of the bed of the body of water that causes stresses greater than a threshold value determined for the pipeline; progressively laying the pipeline on the bed of the body of water by advancing the laying vessel; and making, through controlled plastic deformation, at least one curved section along the pipeline with a curvature concordant with the curvature assumed by the pipeline in proximity to said zone, when the pipeline is at least partly laid on the bed of the body of water and partly suspended with respect to the bed of the body of water in proximity to said zone.

Abstract: A urea production process comprises a step of synthesis of urea by reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide, where at least part of the carbon dioxide for the urea reaction synthesis is produced in an oxy-combustion process; the oxy-combustion process is specifically a flameless oxy-combustion process.

Abstract: A method of laying an off-shore pipeline (1) comprises: —installing on the seabed (3) a fixed receiving structure (4) having a redirecting device (5), —paying-out from a laying vessel (7) a pipeline (1) with the pipeline end termination device (9) vertically towards the seabed (3), —extending a damping cable (6) from the pipeline end termination device (9) through the redirecting device (5) to an underwater damping buoy (14), —connecting an underwater suspension buoy (15) to the pipeline end termination device (9), —inclining the pipeline (1) from a vertical orientation towards the horizontal orientation, using: —the suspension buoy (14) to counterbalance at least part of the weight of the pipeline end termination device (9), —the damping buoy (14) for damping the pipeline (1).

Abstract: A welding support block supports, from the rear surface of a joint to be welded, a weld pool created during a welding process. The welding support block comprises a block of metal and an outer layer of ceramic material providing a supporting surface. The ceramic material layer has a thickness between 0.25 mm and 1.5 mm. The metal material immediately beneath the ceramic material layer is made of steel. An internal line-up clamp for holding pipes in end-to-end alignment ready for welding may include multiple such welding support blocks. The use of such welding support blocks is particularly useful when laying a sour service carrying pipeline (high H2S content).

Abstract: A method approximates and connects an off shore riser duct to a floating unit, includes installing a tubular coupling recipient on the floating unit at a riser coupling level, the coupling recipient having an annular side wall extending around a longitudinal axis. A pulling device is on the floating unit at a pulling device level above the riser coupling level. The pulling device pulls a line extended through the coupling recipient and connected to a pulling head at a riser duct upper end. The riser duct upper end is pulled into the coupling recipient, providing a locking mechanism to lock a coupling adapter against downward withdrawal. Extending the line along a curved deviating surface deviates the pulling direction. The curved deviating surface is formed by a deviating member connected to the coupling recipient at a distance from the longitudinal axis smaller than an annular side wall to longitudinal axis distance.

Abstract: A method of aligning first and second pipes end-to-end in a position ready for welding. Each pipe has an end bevelled with a shape scanned and stored in memory of a control unit. At least one of the pipes has machine readable codes distributed around their circumference of the pipe. The method includes effecting relative movement of the ends of the first and second pipes towards each other, reading at least one of the codes with a reader, and ascertaining the relative movement required to align the pipes in accordance with a target orientation. The relative movement is ascertained with information provided by the read code and the shapes of the bevelled ends stored in the control unit memory. In other aspects, a closed loop control method and machine-learning may be used to align the pipes. A pipe-laying vessel including pipe handling equipment and the control unit is also provided.

Abstract: A system for power and data transmission in a body of water to unmanned underwater vehicles comprises a floating surface station for generating electric energy and receiving and transmitting data; an underwater station connectable to at least one unmanned underwater vehicle; at least one submerged depth buoy; and an umbilical, which comprises a power transmission line and a data transmission line, is mechanically and electrically connected to the surface station and to the underwater station, and is mechanically coupled to the depth buoy so that the umbilical comprises a first umbilical section that is stretched between the underwater station and the depth buoy and a second umbilical section that extends loose between the depth buoy and the surface station.

Abstract: A connection device for joining two pipe sections in a body of water has a first tubular body having a spherical face; a second tubular body having at least one spherical face; a tubular pusher arranged about the second tubular body and having a spherical face; a first mechanism for coupling the second tubular body between the first tubular body and the tubular pusher and providing a spherical coupling between the first and the second tubular body; and a second mechanism for blocking any movement about the spherical coupling of the second tubular body with respect to the first tubular body and the tubular pusher.

Abstract: A system for temporarily connecting an underwater station arranged on the bed of a body of water and a surface facility has an elongated conducting member with one end connected to the underwater station and one free end selectively and temporarily connectable to the surface facility; a marker buoy; and a cable connected to the free end of the elongated conducting member and to the marker buoy to quickly recover the free end of the elongated conductor element when it is necessary to connect the underwater station via the elongated conducting member to the surface facility.

Abstract: Intensification techniques are described for enhancing biocatalytic CO2 absorption operations, and may include the use of a rotating packed bed, a rotating disc reactor, a zig-zag reactor or other reactors that utilize process intensification. Carbonic anhydrase can be deployed in the high intensity reactor free in solution, immobilized with respect to particles that flow with the liquid, and/or immobilized to internals, such as packing, that are fixed within the high intensity reactor.

Abstract: A machine for making a protective joint has a guide system, which is selectively clampable about a pipeline on opposite sides with respect to the annular junction portion and configured for defining an annular path about the annular junction portion; at least one heating unit moveable along the annular path and configured for heating the annular junction portion and moveable along the annular path; at least one spray unit moveable along the annular path and configured for applying at least one polymer material to the annular junction portion; and an extrusion die moveable along the annular path and configured for applying a protective foil about the annular junction portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for treatment of process vapours coming from a vacuum concentration section of a urea plant, comprising a vacuum system having a plurality of successive condensation stages, connected in series by respective line portions and crossed in series by process vapours to be treated; the apparatus has at least one primary steam condensate inlet for feeding steam condensate to the vacuum system and positioned, with reference to a circulation direction of the process vapours in the vacuum system, upstream of at least one selected condensation stage, or in at least one selected condensation stage.

Abstract: A desulfurization gas process includes water vapor, CO2 and SOx (x=2 and/or 3). In a treatment unit, the gas contacts a cooled alkaline aqueous solution having a temperature lower than an initial gas temperature, water and a carbonate of an alkali metal, to cool the gas, condense some water vapor and absorb SOx in the carbonate-containing solution, produce an SOx-depleted gas and an acidic aqueous solution including sulfate and/or sulfite ions. The SOx-depleted gas and a portion of the acidic aqueous solution can then be withdrawn from the treatment unit. Carbonate of the alkali metal can be added to remaining acidic aqueous solution to obtain a made-up alkaline aqueous solution. This solution can be cooled and reused as the cooled alkaline aqueous solution. An SOx absorbent solution includes a bleed stream from a CO2-capture process, sodium or potassium carbonate, and an acidic aqueous solution obtained from desulfurization.

Abstract: A transportable modular system for emergency treatment of water polluted by liquid hydrocarbon spillage comprises: at least a first containerized treatment module, comprising a container in the form of a standard size intermodal container which houses a coalescence separator device, configured to operate an oil/water separation; a suction pipe having a first end connected to the coalescence separator device and a second end provided with an inlet connected to at least one floating skimmer; a pump positioned on the suction pipe; a water drain pipe and an oil drain pipe, connected to a water outlet and an oil outlet, respectively, of the coalescence separator device.

Abstract: A method for determining the shape and position of an underwater riser extending from a floating platform includes calculating a deformed shape of the riser by means of a numerical model of the deformed shape of the riser as a function of a plurality of acceleration values and of a plurality of position values in predetermined points of the riser, detecting acceleration values of the riser in a plurality of detection points along a longitudinal extension of the riser, detecting the water pressure values in at least some of the detection points, and calculating the position values as a function of the measured water pressure values.

Abstract: A first metal pipe is welded to a second metal pipe in a method of laying pipeline, for example from a pipe-laying vessel at sea. The metal pipes may have an outer diameter greater than 150 mm and a pipe wall thickness of greater than 15 mm. The first pipe and the second pipe are brought together prior to welding so as to sandwich a third type of metal material between the pipe ends. The thickness of the third type of material, immediately before welding may be between 0.05 mm and 2 mm. The third metal material is melted together with the metal material of the first pipe and the second pipe.