It has been a while in the organization as pipeline design engineer. So these are the basics knowledge and skills for a pipeline engineer to progress further as authority.
- FEED: At least completed the cycle of a pipeline project. From sketching a route on a piece of paper to preparing datasheet to procure material.
- Mechanical Design: Your pipeline is safe for the next 25 years without bursting, crushed by the water pressure and buckling. Someone had designed considering the highest pressure the pipeline will see.
- Stress Design: A bit of stressful too, performing it. You open a tap, your garden hose kind of jerking, likewise end of pipeline will move once pressure and temperature is introduced.
- Construction & Commissioning: All the mother father of the construction methods. Mainly it asks you to explain and relate them with the design. Why choosing this and not the others.
- Corrosion Control & Monitoring: Mann... MCI engineers can talk forever about corrosion. A lot of ways to corrode with various causes. As basic as water to other nasty ingredients coming out from the well CO2, H2S, Organic Acid. The pipeline engineer? They carried out the selection of external coating and cathodic protection while MCI helps you to calculate the corrosion allowance.
- Inspection & Maintenance: Throughout the years the inspection philosophy had changed from time-based (timely prescribed what to do) to risk-based (prioritizing the inspection of higher risk pipeline). It takes the whole organization to setup a culture of integrity management. What's important? Maintaining the reliability of supply at the highest level and your customer will be happy.
- Shore Approach: Now the pipeline reaching the shoreline. Would you let it tangibly cross the beach while public is enjoying a picnic? Ways to design it by burying the pipeline against all the loadings from wave and current.
- Riser Design: There is a section of pipeline traverse vertically. Either attached to the platform leg or dangling it free. The loadings must be taken safely by the platform leg or by the hang-off point at the platform.
- Ancillaries Design: Anything that attached to the pipeline to help it function must be properly designed. All the flange, flexjoint, fairings, strakes, support & mattresses, etc.
- Linepipe Manufacturing: Knowing all the types of it is important while designing the pipeline. From Longitudinal Seam Arc Welding (LSAW) to Electrical Resistance Welding (ERW) to seamless (SLS). The best thing? Trip(s) to the factory. Assigned in a project, you will be held responsible from the specification to the delivery.
- Project Engineering Management: Perhaps most of the time you are doing this at project. From preparation of scope of work, dealing with DOSH, planning for EIA, etc. Well, this is probably the earliest topic you'd be able to complete.
Having grasped above sets you grow technically. How long? More than 10 years to complete but even more to gain ingenuity.
