The development of oil and gas fields offshore requires specialized pipeline equipment. The structures must be strong enough to with stand the harshest environments, and ensure that production is not interrupted and remains economically feasible. However, recent events in the Gulf of Mexico have placed a new importance on maintenance and reliability. A new section; Condition Based Maintenance (CBM), introduces the subject of maintenance, written by Tian Ran Lin, Queensland University of Technology, and Yong Sun, CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering.

Two of the main...