INTRODUCTION: OFFSHORE PIPELINES ARE CONVENTIONALLY INSTALLED USING EITHER LAY BARGES OR REEL BARGES. IN THE FIRST CASE, PREFABRICATED PIPELINE SEGMENTS OF AROUND 12 M IN LENGTH ARE WELDED TOGETHER ON THE BARGE AS THE PIPELINE IS BEING LAID. IN THE SECOND CASE, UP TO 25 KM OF PREFABRICATED PIPELINE IS WOUND ON A LARGE DIAMETER REEL AND THE LAYING OPERATION CONSISTS OF UNWINDING THE REEL AND STRAIGHTENING THE `PIPE. THE REEL BARGE METHOD AVOIDS THE NEED FOR LARGE SCALE OFFSHORE WELDING OPERATIONS BUT HAS THE DISADVANTAGE OF BEING APPLICABLE ONLY TO RELATIVELY SMALL DIAMETER PIPELINES. A THIRD APPROACH, WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO PIPELINES OF ARBITRARY DIAMETER, IS TO FABRICATE THE PIPELINE ON SHORE AND THEN TOW THE RESULTING LINES TO THE OFFSHORE SITE.