Generative design for early-stage optioneering in subsea layout design

The conceptual stage of large infrastructure construction projects, such as subsea layout design, is time-consuming, costly, and reliant on significant human effort. Generative Design (GD) is a powerful tool for decision support, reducing design timelines, and improving the quality of decision-making through the rapid automatic exploration of large design spaces. In this paper, a generalized GD approach is introduced for flow network design, which is then applied to subsea layout design. Various algorithmic strategies address practical challenges and constraints, yielding feasible design options for subproblems, including drill center clustering, manifold positioning, process host positioning, and flowline design. The proposed systematic design process flow facilitates the iterative refinement of layout options based on designer preferences, promoting adaptive decision-making. When applied to a real-world oil and gas field in Angola, this GD approach generates several feasible subsea layouts ranked by total development cost, showcasing its potential for cost-effective and safer designs.