Subsea pipelines, located beneath the seabed, play vital role for the worldwide movement of fluids. These pipelines, situated within the upper layers of soil, are subjected to various loading conditions, including buoyancy, seismic activity, hydrodynamic forces, and soil swelling, which influence their uplift characteristics. The primary focus of this study is to examine the uplift characteristics of pipes using a finite element software PLAXIS 3D. The investigation considers several parameters such as bed slope, pipe diameter, embedment depth, and soil type and their effect on the critical spacing between the adjacent pipelines. The findings from the analysis reveal that the influence of bed slope on critical spacing is minimal within a range of 5–7°. However, a strong correlation is observed between the critical spacing and both pipe diameter and embedment depth. In addition, the required spacing for purely cohesive soil is found to be higher compared to \(c - \phi\) soil. In general, the results indicate that the uplift capacity of a pipe is higher when it is placed in an inclined bed compared to a horizontal bed. However, the presence of internal pressure causes a slight decrease in uplift capacity. Internal pressure from transported fluids results in upward displacement of the pipe, with the maximum displacement occurring at the center and the minimum at the edges. Accordingly, it is recommended that engineers should carefully consider critical spacing, bed slope, and internal pressure when designing and installing pipeline systems.