API SPEC 17L1: 2021 [paper]

Specification for Ancillary Equipment for Flexible Pipes and Subsea Umbilicals, 2nd Edition

This specification defines the technical requirements for safe, dimensionally and functionally interchangeable ancillary equipment that is designed and manufactured to uniform standards and criteria.

Minimum requirements are specified for the design, material selection, manufacture, testing, documentation, marking, and packaging of ancillary equipment used in flexible pipe systems and subsea umbilical systems, with reference to existing codes and standards where applicable. See API 17L2 for guidelines on the use of ancillary equipment.

The applicability relating to a specific item of ancillary equipment is stated at the beginning of the particular section for the ancillary equipment in question.

This specification applies to the following ancillary equipment:

1) bend stiffeners;
2) bend restrictors;
3) bellmouths;
4) buoyancy modules and ballast modules;
5) subsea buoys;
6) tethers for subsea buoys and tether clamps;
7) riser and tether bases;
8) subsea buoy clamps;
9) tether clamps;
10) piggy-back systems;
11) repair clamps;
12) I/J-tube seals;
13) pull-in heads/installation aids;
14) connectors;
15) load-transfer devices;
16) mechanical protection;
17) fire protection;
18) VIV (vortex-induced vibration) suppression strakes.

This specification does not cover flexible pipe and umbilical ancillary equipment beyond the connector, with the exception of riser bases and load-transfer devices. Therefore this document does not cover turret structures or I-tubes and J-tubes for example. In addition, this document does not cover storage devices such as reels, for example.

This specification is intended to cover ancillary equipment made from several material types, including metallic, polymer, and composite materials.

This specification applies to ancillary equipment used in association with the flexible pipe and umbilical applications listed in API 17B, API 17J, API 17E, and API 17K.

Annexes to this specification are not mandatory and are intended to be used as informative guidelines.