, but a number of other diverse disciplines are also involved including hydro-mechanics, heat transfer, materials, corrosion, soil mechanics and production flow management.

Offshore engineering predominantly concerns methods for the recovery of hydrocarbon resources from deep beneath the seabed, the installation of large fixed platform structures, and the laying of pipelines and associated oil/gas transport systems. Submarine pipeline engineering requires a basic engineering background, but a number of other diverse disciplines are also involved including hydro-mechanics, heat transfer, materials, corrosion, soil mechanics and production flow management.

Rigid pipelines are essentially simple structures defined by diameter and wall thickness, requiring the solution of problems relating to irregular foundations and the buckling behavior.

Flexible pipeline technology is of particular current importance. A typical flexible pipe may have many concentric layers of plastic or spirally wound steel fibers, each performing a different function. These structures combine great axial andpressure containment strength, with a high degree of bending flexibility, ideal properties for the risers connecting floating production units to subsea production wells. Recently, hydrocarbon discoveries have been made in deep water where fixed structures are not cost-effective, and the necessary equipment for oil and gas production must be installed directly on the seabed. This activity is known as subsea engineering and is presently one of the growth areas in this industry. Subsea wells, and processing and flowline systems must be installed at the seabed at depths well beyond the capability of any diver. They need to be operated reliably and safely over periods of up to twenty years.

The requirement is thus for remotely operated and smart systems for both the installation and operation of these equipments. In many locations, particularly in very deep waters where there are no pipelines taking the product ashore, reliance is placed on floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels.

These vessels process the oil from the wells and transship it to a shuttle tanker to take ashore.Other work for offshore engineers includes the harnessing of wave, current and wind energy, and the recovery of minerals from the seabed in shallow or deep water. Whatever the work, equipment must be designed, built, installed and operated so that it can work reliably, safely and efficiently for perhaps long periods of time without maintenance, and with limited supervision. This is the challenge of offshore engineering!