BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. is presently developing the Northstar oilfield, 9.7 km offshore the Alaskan Beaufort Sea coast. Northstar drilling and production facilities will be located at Seal Island and the project includes constructing the first subsea oil production pipeline in the Arctic. The twin 273.1 mm (10-inch) offshore and overland oil and gas pipeline systems are described along with major aspects of the design. A limit state design procedure for pipe bending is employed to safely and efficiently address the principal marine environmental loadings caused by seabed ice gouging and permafrost thaw settlement.

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