Geotechnical Aspects of the Maui B/A Pipeline

The Maui B/A pipeline is a 15.3 km Pipeline connecting the Maui A and Maui B Platforms off the Taranaki coast of New Zealand. It is buried at least 1 m below the seabed in water depths exceeding 100 m. The pipeline conducts the product at elevated temperatures, inducing thermal instability related problems in the pipe. A number of issues needed to be examined during the design and construction of the pipeline including trench stability, backfill selection and design, thermal properties of soils, and uplift resistance of the backfill materials. The predictions made during design are compared to the observed performance of the pipeline.