Abandonment and recovery of pipelines

1. A sling section cooperable with like sling sections to form a sling for use in abandonment or recovery of a pipeline, the sling section being elongate to define opposed ends, and comprising:

a first end-piece at one end of the sling section; and

a second end-piece at the opposite end of the sling section;

wherein the sling section further comprises:

complementary connector formations associated with each respective end-piece, each connector formation being cooperable, in use when forming the sling, with a

complementary connector formation of a neighboring like sling section in the sling;

a tensile load-bearing sling element extending between the end-pieces; and

a sleeve around the sling element.

2. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein the sling section is capable of being handled by pipe-joint handling apparatus associated with a J-lay tower.

3. The sling section of claim 1 wherein the sleeve extends between, and is supported by, the end-pieces.

4. The sling section of claim 3 , wherein the sleeve is movable longitudinally with respect to at least one of the end-pieces.

5. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein at least part of an end-piece extends into an end of the sleeve.

6. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is spaced from the sling element.

7. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is more resistant to bending than the sling element.

8. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is torsionally stiffer than the sling element.

9. The sling section of claim 1 , further comprising a port for admitting water to the space between the sleeve and the sling element when the sling section is submerged in use.

10. The sling section of claim 9 , wherein the port has a filter for filtering debris from water entering the space through the port.

11. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein the sling element extends along a central longitudinal axis of the sling section.

12. The sling section of claim 11 , wherein the sleeve is coaxial with the sleeve in cross-section.

13. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein the sling element is of carbon or aramid composites, or polyethylene.

14. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein the sling element terminates in anchor parts at each end, the anchor parts being cooperable with the end-pieces.

15. The sling section of claim 14 , wherein each anchor part is received in a respective cup of an end-piece.

16. The sling section of claim 14 , wherein the anchor parts are flexibly attached to the end-pieces.

17. The sling section of claim 16 , wherein the anchor parts are pivotably attached to the end-pieces.

18. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein at least one end piece engages with the sleeve to resist relative angular movement between the end piece and the sleeve around the central longitudinal axis of the sling section.

19. The sling section of claim 18 , wherein the sling element terminates in anchor parts at each end, the anchor parts being cooperable with the end-pieces, and a pin that secures each anchor part to the end piece extends beyond the diameter of the end piece to engage with opposed formations in the sleeve.

20. The sling section of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the end-pieces has external formations cooperable with a tensioner for applying tension to the sling when a plurality of the sling sections are assembled end-to-end to form the sling.

21. A sling comprising a plurality of cooperating sling sections, wherein each sling section is elongate to define opposed ends and comprises:

a first end-piece at one end of the sling section; and

a second end-piece at the opposite end of the sling section;

connector formations associated with respective end-pieces, each connector formation being cooperable, in use when forming the sling, with a complementary connector formation of a neighboring like sling section in the sling;

a tensile load-bearing sling element extending between the end-pieces; and

a sleeve around the sling element.

22. A method of abandoning a pipeline during subsea pipelaying, the method comprising:

attaching a connector to a pipeline end;

releasably engaging a sling section to the connector to start creating a sling, wherein the sling section is elongate to define opposed ends and comprises:

a first end-piece at one end of the sling section;

a second end-piece at the opposite end of the sling section;

a tensile load-bearing sling element extending between the end-pieces; and

a sleeve around the sling element;

and, in succession, releasably engaging a plurality of like sling sections to an upper end of the sling while lowering the pipeline end into the sea.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the sling sections are releasably engaged to the upper end of the sling in a J-lay tower that launches the sling into the sea.

24. A method of recovering a pipeline during subsea pipelaying, the method comprising raising a pipeline end using a sling made up of successive sling sections releasably engaged to each other in end-to-end relation, while successively disengaging sling sections from an upper end of the sling, wherein each sling section is elongate to define opposed ends and comprises:

a first end-piece at one end of the sling section;

a second end-piece at the opposite end of the sling section;

a tensile load-bearing sling element extending between the end-pieces; and

a sleeve around the sling element.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the sling sections are disengaged from an upper end of the sling in a J-lay tower that lifts the sling from the sea.