UT3 June July 2014

Pipelines Umbilicals 1

THE MAGAZINE OF THE SOCIETY FOR UNDERWATER TECHNOLOGYUT2 June July 2014 Contents June July 2014

4 UT2 On Vocation 8 News 14 Project Update 24 Vessels 36 Installation 42 Umbilicals 56 Pipe The Vertical Layout Machine 64 Equipment Image: Technip 81 Seabed Mining Vol 9 No 3 84 Company news 86 Photo Exhibit Society for Underwater Technology 1 Fetter Lane 92 Renewables EC4A 1BR 94 UT2 University +44 (0) 1480 370007 98 SUT Editor: John Howes [email protected]

Editorial Assistant: Polly Gonn

Sub Editor Laura Howes

Production: Sue Denham

ISSN: 1752-0592

Published by UT2 Publishing for and on behalf of the Society for Underwater Technology. Reproduction of UT2 in whole or in part, without permission, is 2 prohibited. The publisher and the SUT assumes no responsibility for unsolicited 3 material, nor responsibility for content of any advertisement, particularly infringement of copyrights, trademarks, intellectual property rights and patents, nor liability for misrepresentations, false or misleading statements and illustrations. These are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Opinions of the writers are not necessarily those of the SUT or the publishers.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Subsea Tourism UT2 on Vacation

One of the most poignant moments Jules Undersea Lodge, formerly the of the seminal 1972 filmThe La Chalupa Research Lab at Key Godfather, was when the Corleone largo, Florida. To enter the lodge, family sat awaiting news of Luca it is necessary to dive 21ft down

Subsea Tourism Brasi. The monosyllabic enforcer and enter through an opening in the had gone for a meeting with a rival bottom of the habitat. It is necessary, warlord. At the end of the scene, a therefore, that residents are certified packet was delivered to the door, SCUBA divers. containing Brasi’s vest, accompanied by a pair of fish. This was an old Large 42in round windows offer a Sicilian signal that Brasi now ‘sleeps view of the tropical mangrove habitat with the fishes’. outside.

But was that correct? A considerably Utter Inn more likely interpretation, when, Located in a Swedish lake, this coupled with the Corleone family began as a work of installation art by subsequently moving into the Jules Undersea Lodge Mikael Genberg. The single room- hotel business, is that it is a veiled the seabed by James Cameron and hotel lies 3m below the surface of reference to Brasi deciding to Richard Branson show the lengths that Lake Mälaren in Västerås, develop underwater hotels? Sadly, these recreational activities can take. the author, Mario Puzo, died five At a less extreme level, submarine years ago, and thus unable to tours in single and multi-person confirm this probability. groups are also increasingly popular.

Underwater recreation is a growing Underwater hotels are an area in sector of the tourism industry. Scuba which many see as a growth area. diving or snorkelling over shallow While some are in existence, others reefs and is are at an advanced stage of planning. popular pastime. Some couples have been married underwater. Recent Jules Undersea Lodge journeys to the deepest margins of One of the most established is the

Utter Inn Sweden with panoramic windows in all directions. It opened in June 2000 and formed the model that progressed into the Manta Underwater Room.

Manta Designed on three levels with a lounging area on the roof, the subsea viewing area offers an almost 360deg 4 panorama. At night, underwater 5 spotlights attract the shyer and more unusual marine animals. Coral is already establishing itself on the anchoring lines and around the Manta Underwater Room Manta Underwater room underwater structure. It is located Image: Jesper Anhede.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 UT2 on Vacation

The success of these projects has prompted the development of larger A wide shaft with a view of the scale ventures that are currently at the sky above gives a safe sense of planning stage. spaciousness, minimising any claustrophobic feelings some may Poseidon Undersea Resorts experience while staying in an One such is a resort located at a enclosed underwater space. private island in Fiji. The resort will be located in 40ft of water (13m) and will Elsewhere, some land hotels have be connected to land by two piers with underwater restaurants and other access and egress from elevators in facilities. each end-unit.

It will consist of 24 suites measuring 51m2 (550 ft2) and one of 102m2 ( 1100ft2). In addition, the designers Poseidon Undersea have planned a 100-seat, 279m2 Resort layout (3000 ft2) restaurant and a bar/lounge 12 meters deep at high and is combination in one end unit and a roughly 50m wide in diameter. The Deep Ocean Technology library/lounge, There will also be a Manta Resort was opened in August The Polish company Deep Ocean conference room/wedding chapel and 2008. Technology has developed the Discus theatre area. Hotel. This comprises two discs – one underwater and the other above-water.

In addition, an on-island complex will The structure sits up on five legs fixed include a total of 51 additional luxury to the seabed, and the upper disc is units. Guests will have a chance suspended above the water surface. to pilot one of four 1000ft capable These two technical will 3-passenger personal submarines in ensure that Water Discus remains our pristine 5000 acre lagoon. safe even in the event of a fairly high Ithaa Undersea Restaurant - Dine below tsunami, which can normally flood the the waves in the world’s first all-glass The company has completed all of the nearest coastal areas. underwater restaurant. necessary design and engineering for the subsea structures and is Deep Ocean Technology currently working to secure the capital necessary to begin construction. The resort will be completed approximately two years following commencement of construction.

Presidential Suite , Poseidon

6 7

Poseidon Undersea Resort bedroom

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 a32084 A4 Ad DR 18/10/2013 15:35 Page 1

Gendalo-Gehem Contract DRILLING RISERS A consortium comprising McDermott and News Indonesia’s PT Encona has been successful in (DRIL-ING RAHY-ZERZ) Leader engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Gendalo-Gehem natural gas development in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. News ENVIRONMENTAL DRILLING The contract award will be subject to various BARRIER AVAILABLE FROM CLAXTON conditions, including government and regulatory approvals and final investment decision (FID). IN A VAST RANGE OF AND Chevron is the operator of the Gendalo-Gehem BH/Aker Alliance deepwater natural gas project, which includes Baker Hughes and Aker Solutions have agreed to form CONNECTION CONFIGURATIONS. twoseparate hub developments, each with its own an alliance in order to develop technology for production floating production unit, subsea drill centers, gas solutions that will boost output, increase recovery rates and and condensate pipelines, and onshore receiving reduce costs for subsea fields. facility. The non-incorporated alliance will combine Aker Solutions’ With more riser system options than anyone else The FID for the project, with a maximum daily strengths in subsea production and processing systems with and a comprehensive variety of joint connection production of around 1.1 billion ft3 of natural gas and Baker Hughes’ expertise in well completions and artificial- options, Claxton is the number one supplier of 47 000 barrels of condensate, is planned for 2014. lift technology to deliver reliable, integrated in-well and drilling risers for sale or rent in the North Sea. BP Framework subsea production solutions. These that will help mitigate This best-in-class approach to the subsea service risk, accelerate output and extend the life of subsea fields. market is just one example of how we're defining, Aker Solutions has secured a framework agreement The alliance team also will focus on advancing the industry’s shaping and leading subsea services. to provide engineering, modifications and well-intervention capabilities to further optimise efficiency maintenance services for BP-operated oil and gas Learn more about our drilling risers at and reduce risks in subsea developments. fields offshore Norway. www.acteon.com/drillingrisers The structure of the alliance provides the flexibility for each The contract has a period of up to two years valued company to offer any products and services to design the at maximum NOK 1.8 billion, with options to extend best for customers’ production challenges. the work by as many as four years. The agreement starts on June 1, 2014, following the expiration of an “Our joint commitment will help our customers unlock the existing framework contract for similar services. vast values that come from subsea production,” said Oyvind Eriksen, Aker Solutions’ executive chairman. The agreement is for work on the fields Ula, Tambar, DEFINING SUBSEA SERVICES Hod, Skarv and Valhall. The scope includes studies, maintenance and modification project work as well as preparation work for decommissioning offshore Flyndre and Cawdor Norway. Maersk Oil has received approval from the UK and SupuraKencana Contracts Norwegian authorities to develop the Flyndre and Cawdor SapuraKencana has been awarded two new fields. The fields lie approximately 293km South East of engineering, procurement, construction, installation Aberdeen in blocks 30/13 and 30/14 of the UK North Sea and commissioning (EPCIC) contracts totalling (Flyndre and Cawdor) and block 1/5 of the Norwegian approximately US$415 million (RM1.3 billion) in North Sea (Flyndre only). areas offshore Malaysia and Thailand by Carigali and Hess. Flyndre was discovered in 1974 and straddles the UK/ Norway median line. Cawdor was discovered in 2008. The These latest awards to SapuraKencana come close fields will be co-developed as a subsea tie-back to the on the heels of several announcements by the Talisman-operated Clyde platform. Group’s divisions so far this year of about RM5 billion in new international business wins.The two EPCIC Flyndre will be developed with a single production well. contracts will contribute toward boosting the group’s The Cawdor field will be developed initially with a single order book further to a total of RM28.7 billion. production well, with potential development of two further wells based on field performance. As development The EPCIC contract award from CPOC is for operator, Maersk Oil holds a 59.966% interest in Flyndre 4 wellhead platforms and associated subsea and a 60.6% interest in Cawdor. pipelines for Block N-17 and B-17-01 Field Phase 3 Development Project in the Thailand-Malaysia The Flyndre well is expected to peak at around 10 0001 joint development area (JDA). The contract period barrels of oil per day (gross production) with first oil for this work is for approximately 39 months, with expected in 2016, with Cawdor expected to peak at work commencing in June 2014 and expected to be around 5,000 barrels per day (gross production) with completed in September 2017. production beginning in 2017.

8 The contract award from Hess Exploration is for an Total recoverable resources are expected to be 9 EPCIC for 3 wellhead platforms in the North Malay approximately 30MMboe for the initial development Basin. This contract will run for approximately 25 phase, with further upside depending on performance and months with work starting in the second quarter of further development phases. Maersk Oil’s investment in 2014 and expected to be completed by the third the field developments is expected to be approximately quarter of 2016. £300million.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Take your subsea News projects further SOFEC Safer Exploration & Production Operations Co.

News (SEPOC) has signed an engineering, procurement Developing technology- and construction (EPC) contract with SOFEC to Oil of CLOV supply of a catenary anchor leg mooring (CALM) driven solutions to meet buoy to be installed off the coast of Yemen. SOFEC Total has brought its flagship CLOV development onstream. global energy needs will be responsible for the engineering, procurement Located in Angola’s deepwater golden Block 17 that already and construction of the CALM buoy and will assist in contains Girassol, Dalia and Rosa, the field has proven and offshore commissioning activities. The CALM buoy will probable reserves of over 500 million barrels. be constructed in the Middle East, and will be delivered in Q3 2015. CLOV is an acronym for the four fields Cravo, Lirio, Orquidea

and Violeta, that comprise the development. The development Energy is at the core of Technip. With engineering, technologies and project management, The CALM buoy will moor tankers up to 300,000 DWT is based on 34 wells and eight manifolds connected by 180km in a water depth of about 32m. The buoy will be of subsea pipelines to a floating production storage and on land and at sea, we safely deliver innovative energy solutions for our clients. permanently moored with six symmetrically arranged offloading (FPSO) vessel moored in water depths of 1100– anchor legs terminating at the seabed with piled 1400m. Measuring 305m long and 61m wide, the FPSO can To find out more about Technip, its projects anchors. It will be connected to the new 36” pipeline store 1.8 million barrels of oil. Meanwhile, the gas produced on and available vacancies, please visit: using flexible submarine hoses that will allow product to CLOV will be exported via a subsea line, to the onshore Angola flow between the geostationary fixed 36” pipeline and LNG liquefaction plant. www.technip.com floating CALM buoy system. Find us on: The FPSO has the ability to handle two types of oil – light oil with Similar flexible floating hoses will provide the flow path a API gravity between 32–35deg from Oligocene reservoirs, from the rotating turntable of the CALM buoy to tankers and a more viscous 20–30deg API gravity oil from Miocene that are moored to the buoy. reservoirs. Both oil streams will be combined and processed in one single train before storage.

Fugro Fleet Expansion The contract for the subsea production equipment was won Framo subcontracted Aker Solutions to Fugro is expanding its survey fleet in the Gulf of Mexico by FMC Technologies in a $520m contract. This involved the supply a 10.6km multiphase power and Subsea Hardware Forecast to include a new AUV, Echo Surveyor VII, and a new supply of 36 wellheads, 19 subsea trees and seven manifold control umbilical (MPP umbilical) that will vessel, R/V Fugro Americas. Fugro already operates systems. A subsea multiphase pump system is then used to provide all system functions in an NOK In its World Subsea Hardware frontier areas, such as the Eastern three AUVs in the Gulf of Mexico – one Hugin (Echo boost the commingled fluid and enhance oil recovery – a first for 80 million contract. Market Forecast 2014-2018, Mediterranean and East Africa. Surveyor II), and two Bluefin (Echo Mapper) vehicles. Total at this depth. Douglas-Westwood (DW) The new multi-purpose vessel gives The main US$1.3 billion subsea contract Fugro Americas predicts that global subsea Subsea hardware spend will the company three vessels capable of operating was carried out by Subsea 7. The scope A key component of the deepwater project is the pumping hardware Capex will total $117 be the highest in Africa, Latin autonomous vehicles in the Americas. system. Total selected Framo (now OneSubsea) to supply a includes the engineering, procurement, billion. America and North America, with suction anchor, subsea pump module (Framo FDS) with two fabrication and installation of 130km of the three regions combining to As well as providing improved multibeam swath Framo Hx pumps multiphase pumps, umbilical system and a pipes. This breaks down into 40km of form almost half of the global total. coverage, the Echo Surveyor VII will support the topside power and control module (PCM). pipe-in-pipe production, 60km of water This represents growth of more acquisition of sidescan , sub-bottom profiler and injection line and 32km of gas export than 80% compared with the Expenditure continues trending CTD profiler data, and will carry various environmental pipeline preceding five-year period. In towards deeper waters with sensors to meet a wide range of offshore survey 2013, subsea tree installations around 44% of total spend in the demands. The contract also a included pair were lower than expected next five years targeting projects of hybrid riser towers, one for each with delays in crucial projects in water depths greater than The Fugro Americas is a multi-purpose vessel suited production loop, as well as a single off Brazil and West Africa. 1000m. for high-resolution geophysical surveys and seafloor hybrid riser at the end of the gas export However, DW predicts an mapping. line. Sonamet carried out a major part of increase through to 2018, with Subsea production equipment fabrication from its facilities in Lobito. major manufacturers reporting is to attract almost half of all Cal Dive strong backlogs. expenditure by component, as The Seven Eagle carried out the high-value projects are set to Cal Dive International has sold its US Gulf of Mexico installation of 80km of umbilicals, 13 The global financial crisis in come onstream after tree awards shallow-water surface diving fleet to a privately held flexible risers, jumpers and spools as well 2009 and the Gulf of Mexico oil reached record levels in 2013, company for $18.5 million and a 19.9% minority interest as the subsea pumping unit to support spill in 2010-2011 limited growth underpinning the elevated levels in the entity acquiring the assets. the dewatering of the gas export system. in subsea hardware spend in of subsea expenditure over the the 2009-2013 period. coming years. The assets sold, comprise eight surface diving vessels The Acergy Legend installed the long and miscellaneous inventory and equipment. baseline (LBL) arrays and flying leads. 10 It carried out all the metrologies and The strong growth forecast in The SURF market makes up over 11 Cal Dive also entered into a multi-year alliance surveys. The pipe-in-pipe production the next five years is due to a a third of expenditure, driven by agreement giving buyer exclusive rights to provide flowlines, as well as laying the water favourable outlook for offshore the development of remote fields, surface diving services in the US Gulf of Mexico to injection and gas export lines in J-lay and activities in the established the addition of new project phases support pipelay, decommissioning, platform installation S-lay mode, and other installation work deepwater provinces and the and the tie-back of satellite fields and other integrated services. The Seven Eagle was carried out by the Seven Borealis. start of field development in new into subsea hubs.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 News

News Keppel secures contracts worth S$368 million Keppel Shipyard and Keppel sector of the North Sea, over a period Meanwhile, Keppel Singmarine Baku Shipyard, located in Baku, Azerbaijan, was jointly Singmarine have secured contracts of 25 years. has secured a contract from Baku developed by Keppel O&M, State Oil Company of worth a total of S$368 million. Shipyard to design and carry out Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and Azerbaijan Investment In addition, the FPSO will be able to fabrication and outfitting works for a Company (AIC). Keppel O&M, SOCAR and AIC own 10%, The contract secured by Keppel handle a peak fluid rate of 460,000 Subsea Construction Vessel (SCV) 65% and 25% share in the yard respectively. Keppel O&M is Shipyard is for the conversion of a barrels per day (bpd) and 80,000 which, when completed, will be responsible for the management and operation of the yard. Floating Production Storage and barrels of oil per day (bopd), 275,000 deployed for the Stage 2 development Offloading (FPSO) vessel for Armada bpd of water injection, 20 million of the Shah Deniz field that lies some Keppel Singmarine’s work scope includes the design of the Kraken, a wholly owned subsidiary of standard cubic feet (MMscf) of gas 70km offshore in the Azerbaijan sector vessel, the fabrication of the hull strips and outfitting them Bumi Armada. handling and has a storage capacity of the Caspian Sea. with equipment and systems at its yard in Singapore. The of 600,000 barrels. hull strips will be shipped to Baku Shipyard for integration The new FPSO will be a harsh- The SCV is a project that Baku with other components fabricated by Baku Shipyard, and environment unit that is designed for Keppel Shipyard’s work scope for this Shipyard recently secured from BP completion after commissioning works and sea trials. operations in the North Sea under FPSO project includes refurbishment Exploration (Shah Deniz) Ltd, the The SCV will be built to the proprietary design by Marine a stringent regulatory regime. Work and life extension works, upgrading operator of the Shah Deniz gas field Technology Development, the ship design and development has commenced and the FPSO is of living quarters to accommodate 90 development. It is the first major arm of Keppel O&M. scheduled for delivery in 3Q 2015. personnel, installation of an internal contract secured by the shipyard The Kraken field When completed, the FPSO will be turret mooring system as well as the since its inauguration by President capable of producing the heavy-oil installation and integration of topside of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ilham Aliyev, in (14deg API) in the Kraken field, UK process modules. September 2013. Maersk Drilling orders 20K Blow Out Preventer and risers Maersk Drilling has ordered four Blow In order to have the BOPs developed, GE Oil & Gas is proud to join with BP Out Preventers (BOPs) and two risers qualified, tested and commissioned and Maersk Drilling in developing new Golden Eagle from GE Oil and Gas to be used in to enable delivery of the 20K Rigs as 20kpsi drilling system technologies to the Project 20K agreement with BP. early as 2018, the order has been meet new ultra-deepwater production The 6-level living quarters module The BOPs and risers are intended to placed with GE Oil and Gas. goals,” says Andrew Way, president of able to accommodate 140 be delivered and deployed on two GE Oil & Gas - Drilling & Surface. “By personnel, has sailed away from the Maersk Drilling 20K™ Rigs by year- drawing upon the combined exper- Sembmarine SLP yard in Lowestoft. end 2018. The order includes options tise of GE’s technology portfolio and for provision of further BOPs. The order operational excellence, we are excited Part of Nexen’s £2billion Golden is subject to BP and Maersk Drilling to provide one of the most advanced Eagle project, the unit incorporates taking the final investment decision on drilling systems the industry has to the Deck Integrated Fire Fighting a 20K Rig contract. offer.” System (DIFFS). This includes multiple nozzles installed flush to the BP and Maersk Drilling announced in “Maersk Drilling has an ambition deck which automatically extend and February 2013 a joint study agreement of becoming a significant player in spray pressurised seawater evenly to develop conceptual engineering the ultra-deepwater market and to on to the deck in case of a fire. designs for a new breed of advanced grow in what we call technically and technology drilling rigs that will be operationally challenging areas. Our critical to unlocking the next frontier agreement with BP on Project 20K fits of deepwater oil and gas resources. perfectly into this strategy, and with Called 20K Rigs, the BP-Maersk Drill- the order of the Blow Out Preventers, ing agreement will result in developing we are passing a key milestone in the deepwater drilling rigs that can safely development of a truly purpose built and efficiently operate in high-pressure 20K Rig. and high- reservoirs up to 20,000 pounds per square inch and This project has been a unique op- 350 degrees Fahrenheit. portunity to work closely with BP and co-create a new rig design that is Gary Jones, Vice President of BP’s safe and efficient and technologically 12 Global Wells Organization, says “This best-in-class. The intention and our 13 is a key milestone in progression of expectation is to see a 20K™ Rig con- BP’s delivery of Project 20K technolo- tract realized next year,” says Claus V. gies and supports our industry relation- Hemmingsen, CEO in Maersk Drilling ships toward the delivery of standard and member of the Executive Board of industry solutions”. the Maersk Group.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 News News News Cameron Introduces Cognition – Subsea Bop Condition Monitoring Solution SBM Swivel

Cameron has recently announced two new products, Using Cameron’s On Track system, Cognition SBM Offshore has extended GoM, one or more high Cognition Stack Instrumentation Infrastructure Package Knowledge Base BOP information and information from the operating range of high pressure fluid swivels and the EVO 300 Bonnet technology. Cameron President other drilling equipment on the rig can be gathered and pressure swivels by using is needed. The of Drilling and Production Systems Gary Halverson presented to the driller, as well as drilling contractor, a patented technique to industry limit is around said; “Monitoring the condition of a subsea BOP to operator, or Cameron personnel on the rig and onshore. cascade the pressure drop 520 bar (7500psi) – a limit more intelligently perform maintenance and respond over multiple seals. inadequate for deeper HP/HT to emergencies is of great importance to Cameron’s In addition to the Cognition package, Cameron fields. drilling customers. We intend to lead the industry in the is introduced the EVO 300 Bonnet. This product The 12in prototype toroidal application of monitoring technology to make drilling safer addresses drillers’ need to shear stronger, thicker swivel has been fully SBM’s development programme, and more efficient.” tubulars and seal the well bore. Building on Cameron’s qualified to 830barg (12 launched in 2009, has resulted proven EVO BOP technology, the new bonnet provides 000psig), including long term in a patented technique to allow Meeting the industry’s growing need for condition-based 54% greater ram closing vs. earlier bonnets. endurance test runs, and has the the swivel seals to accommodate monitoring and predictive maintenance, the Cognition potential to operate at over 1000 much higher . The Package offers a new way to monitor subsea blowout These new products build on Cameron’s legacy of barg (14 500psig). This swivel is resulting fluid swivel is suitable for preventer (BOP) stack functions from the surface while leadership in providing the most technologically- specifically aimed at gas or water water injection, gas injection or the stack is deployed subsea. The Cognition Package advanced drilling equipment, advancing offshore injection from FPSOs into ultra-high WAG service. provides a network of new sensors, resilient communication exploration and enabling drillers to operate safely and pressure reservoirs, such as the lower paths to transmit sensor data to the surface, and the increase performance in even the most challenging tertiary fields of the US Gulf of Mexico. During 2012 and 2013 extensive analytics, alerts and alarms to turn the data into insights offshore environments. tests were performed on the full about the condition of the subsea BOP. Toroidal swivel scale prototype, culminating in a To maximise the recovery of oil from alternating gas (WAG) injection and successful long-term endurance The Cognition package is composed of five main reservoirs, operators use a range of water dosed with chemicals such as run at 830barg (12 000psi). The components: techniques for pressure maintenance polymers. swivel design can accommodate and oil displacement. This typically operating pressures up to 1000 l An array of new sensors capture data from the requires injection of a range of To do this from an FPSO located bar (14 500 psi) and further subsea BOP, including ram position, hydraulic fluid fluids into the reservoir; enhanced in areas where the vessel needs to tests during 2014 will complete condition, stack accumulator bottle fluid volume, techniques include use of water weathervane, as is the case in the qualification at this pressure. pressure and temperature, solenoid performance, and connector unlatch pressure.

l Sensor Interface Box (SIB) aggregates data from 80-plus sensors to capture subsea stack operation data. Four SIBs each store Cognition package and Claxton Awarded Riser Contract BOP control system data, providing . Claxton has been awarded a multi- field development projects; and l Wireless Stingers provide inductive data and year contract with Det norske high-pressure, high-temperature work power transfer between the lower stack and the oljeselskap of Norway. This the largest during the contract period. LMRP. Removing metal-to-metal contacts results in single riser contract in Claxton’s more reliable long-term operation than ‘traditional’ history. The optional services include wet-mate connections. complete running services for the Running from January 2014 until June equipment and providing centralizer l The Cognition package provides four, redundant 2020 (with optional periods of 1+1 systems along with lateral and vertical ways to transmit data from the subsea BOP to the year), the contract includes high- tension rings. surface, increasing data availability in an emergency. and low-pressure risers, auxiliary equipment and services offshore Claxton has already enjoyed The data retrieval paths are: data-over-power via Norway. significant success in Norway. the main umbilicals, acoustic transducers, ROV Pictured: A complete riser package connections, or via the system’s black box. The The scope of work includes the we supplied on a previous Norwegian subsea black box records and stores three weeks of procurement of high and low-pressure project – Statoil’s Gullfaks field time-stamped data. In the event of an incident, the surface drilling risers for the lvar development. black boxes can be recovered by ROV for forensic Aasen field development; the rental of 14 data analysis. a Claxton 18.3/4in, 7000 psi subsea “With more than 4000 inventory 15 riser for the Hanz field; the rental items, we support one of the biggest 11 l Cognition Knowledge Base provides advanced of 18.3/4in, 15 000 psi high and call-off stocks of drilling risers in the analytics, alerts, alarms, and reports that synthesize 30in low-pressure surface risers for region – an inventory that is continually both real-time and historic BOP data into useful exploration wells on the Norwegian expanding,” said managing director information. The Cognition package Continental Shelf; options for other Laura Claxton.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 2013 UK and Norway Review

Alder Update

In the early weeks of 1975, Chevron made a discovery Fluids from the reservoir enter the wellbore at a while drilling in 150m of water in Block 15/29a in the temperature of approximately 305°F and at a pressure UK Sector of the central North Sea, some 28km from of 12 240 psi and a depth of 14 700ft. When they what is now the Britannia field. This well encountered a reach the subsea tree on the seabed, the fluids will Project Update Project high-pressure and high-temperature gas condensate be at approximately 10 000 psi and 275°F. A cooling accumulation in the Upper Jurassic sandstone reservoir. loop reduces the fluid temperature to approximately The wellhead shut in pressure was recorded at 9440 psi 240°F to protect the line from experiencing excessive while the reservoir temperature reached 305°F (150°C). stresses.The fluids reach Britannia at a pressure This discovery was named the Alder field. of approximately 900psi and temperature of approximately 185°F. This arrival temperature assists Alder could not have been developed when it was in the optimisation of the processing system on the discovered. In 1975, the UKCS was in its infancy as an Britannia BLP. oil and gas province and the industry was focussing on major discoveries such as Ninian, Forties and Brent. The field will be tied back to Britannia The project encompasses other technical firsts for Chevron. These include vacuum insulated tubing in the A smaller accumulation such as Alder would have been Efforts to develop Alder began in 2000, following appraisal subsea completion, a high value system that acts to uneconomic as a standalone development and neither drilling and the development of HP/HT fields such as prevent pressure build up in the annulus and protect the technology nor the infrastructure then existed to Chevron’s Erskine field. This was the first HP/HT development well integrity. It also features a high integrity pipeline develop an high temperature high pressure (HP/HT) in the UK North Sea when it came on stream in 1997. These protection system (HIPPS), a technology application field subsea safely and economically. It took over a efforts, however, were constrained by economic challenges. introduced within the last decade and designed to decade even to drill the appraisal well. protect the pipeline from high pressure. Technological advances and lessons learned from other HP/ HT developments led to another look at Alder in 2006 in an Other key features include a ring pair corrosion monitor, The umbilical is being manufactured by Technip’s attempt to move the project into field development, however, to enable real-time internal pipeline monitoring and a subsidiary, Duco in Newcastle. Pipelay is currently cost issues and other operational priorities meant that Alder reeled pipe-in-pipe system, whereby the production planned for third 2014, using Technip’s Deep Energy, was put on hold again. pipe is sleeved and protected by an outer pipe for a new vessel with twin reels, meaning that the entire insulation. operation can be carried out over just two trips. It was late 2009 when the discovery was again revisited, and development alternatives re-evaluated. Considering suitable “The 28km 10in/16in highly insulated pipeline is Design, manufacture and the trees and wellheads is being development options, the engineers went through a broad designed to control the flowing temperature and avoid done by OneSubsea while design, manufacture and supply concept selection, including a normally unmanned installation flow assurance issues, such as hydrates and wax,” said of the subsea control system, including the hydraulic and and a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) Jeremy Sekdge. “It will be installed using the reel-lay electrical components to be installed both at subsea and solution. In late 2010, the team fixed on a single subsea well method, meaning that the line will be made up in three on the Britannia BLP is with Aker Solutions. tie-back to the Britannia Bridge Linked Platform (BLP), with long sections onshore at Evanton in north east Scotland first stage reception and processing carried out by a new and reeled from a pipe-lay vessel on to the seabed.” The produced fluids will be processed at a new, module with further processing being carried out on the main dedicated module to be installed on the Britannia BLP, Britannia platform. Detailed engineering, procurement, installation and which is being constructed by ConocoPhillips acting as commissioning of the complete subsea system, substitute operator on behalf of Britannia Operator Limited. including the main subsea manifold, subsea isolation Construction is taking place by OGN at their yard at Cooling manifold on Alder Late last year, Chevron and co-venturer ConocoPhillips announced the investment decision to finally proceed with valve manifold and pipeline system is being carried out Newcastle. In all, some 75% of Alder development work is developing Alder, with first production projected for 2016 – by Technip being carried out in the UK. more than 40 years on from its discovery. The project has a design capacity of 14 000 barrels of condensate and 110 million ft3 of natural gas/day.

“Since the first discovery was made, we have accumulated considerable expertise in dealing with HP/HT fields,” said Project Manager Jeremy Skedge. “We were one of the first operators in the UK to develop these extreme fields when we brought the Erskine project into production. We also have major HP/HT developments in Australia and the Gulf 16 of Mexico with the Jack St Malo project that has resulted in 17 learning and transferring best practices within Chevron.”

Developing Alder involves a combination of enabling technology applications to meet the specific challenges of Subsea Isolation Valve at Britannia developing its HP/HT reservoir and exporting fluids. Vacuum Insulated Pipeline Insulated pipeline keeps the wellstream at 85oC

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Ichthys Update

The INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG Project reached the point of 50% completion. This coincides with the

Project Update Project semi-submersible pipelay barge SEMAC-1 arriving in the Northern Territory to commence the shallow water pipelaying work.

“The presence of the 188m long Saipem-operated vessel at the Darwin Outer Port Limits signals the start of important work on the Project’s 889 kilometre gas export pipeline (GEP) which will connect Bladin Point to the Ichthys Field in the Browse Basin.

Managing Director Ichthys LNG Project Louis Bon said that the SEMAC-1 was scheduled to start the 164 kilometre shallow water pipelay component of the GEP installation in the coming weeks. This work includes laying the first 18 kilometre section of 42-inch diameter pipe through Darwin Harbour from Middle Arm. Field Layout “The gas export pipeline will SEMAC-1 deliver gas and some condensate from our offshore central processing facility to the Ichthys “The shallow water pipelay work transfer work to Saipem’s deep water project with subsea facilities and and construction work,” Mr Ito said. acknowledge the continuing LNG Project onshore facilities at means we are starting to physically installation vessel, Castorone, which two large floating platforms (central “For INPEX, this is a major step support of our joint venture Bladin Point near Darwin so that it connect our home base in Darwin to will lay the remaining 718 kilometres processing facility and floating towards the successful start-up of participants, governments and the can be processed for export,” Mr the Ichthys Field where our semi- of pipe to the Ichthys field. production storage and offloading our flagship Ichthys LNG Project, communities in which we operate. Bon said. submersible offshore facilities will facility); an onshore project which with an operational life of be permanently moored for the life International oil and gas contracting featuring a 8.4 million tonne per at least 40 years, is integral to “With first production a little of the Project.” service provider Saipem is annum LNG plant in Darwin; and an realising our medium to long-term more than two years away, our the engineering, procurement, 889 km 42-inch gas transmission vision for growth.” Operations team is working Working from east to west in Darwin construction and installation (EPCI) pipeline. hard to prepare for start-up and Harbour, the SEMAC-1 will first feed contractor for the Ichthys LNG Managing Director Ichthys LNG commissioning, and we remain pipe to the Project’s landfall site for Project’s GEP. Mr Bon said that Today’s milestone means that half of Project Louis Bon said reaching absolutely focused on successfully a three kilometre shore-pull. This will Saipem had significant experience in the overall Project scope has been the milestone was a testament delivering the second half of this enable the SEMAC-1 to connect the this area, including on similar large completed. to the enormous effort and world-class project.” offshore component of the pipeline diameter pipeline projects. dedication of everyone involved. to the onshore component, which INPEX President Director Australia “Building one of the world’s With a 40 plus year life span, the will stretch about seven kilometres “In line with INPEX requirements, Seiya Ito said millions of man-hours largest and most exciting resource Ichthys LNG Project offers a multi- from the beach valve at Middle Saipem has put in place stringent by thousands of people across development projects certainly has generational economic opportunity. Arm to the Bladin Point onshore safety and environmental the globe had contributed to the its challenges, but we have every processing facilities. procedures. They are committed to Project reaching its half way mark, confidence in our people and our Approximately AU$10 billion working safely with commercial and which comes less than two-and-a- contractors to deliver Ichthys as has been committed to be 18 The SEMAC-1 is scheduled to be recreational harbour users,” Mr Bon half years after the final investment planned,” Mr Bon said. spent in Australia during the 19 in Darwin Harbour for about four said. decision was made in January 2012. construction phase of the Project, weeks. In total, the 164 kilometre “I would like to personally thank including more than AU$5 billion shallow water pipelay installation is “Achieving 50 per cent means our Project teams and the many in the Northern Territory and scheduled to take about 80 days. overall we have completed half of contractors and subcontractors approximately AU$3.5 billion in Location map Likened to three mega-projects in Once completed, the SEMAC-1 will one, Ichthys includes an offshore the Project’s physical fabrication involved up to now, and Western Australia.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Cygnus

Topsides infrastructure for the Cygnus gas field left the Heerema Hartlepool yard as the project takes the next step towards targeted first gas in late 2015. This is the first of four platforms for Cygnus, the largest gas discovery in the Southern North Sea in the last 25 years. The topsides Cygnus Update weigh 1,640 tonnes, and at 23 x 23 x 10 metres in size, have taken approximately 16 months to build from the first steel cutting ceremony held in December 2012.

In August 2012, GDF SUEZ placed a frame contract with Heerema Fabrication Group’s Hartlepool yard for the construction of three topsides, a compression module, two bridges and a flare tower for the four offshore platforms for the Cygnus field.

The compression module as well as the 4,000 tonne process and utilities topside for the Alpha platform are also currently under construction at Heerema, as well as the 3,500 tonne wellhead topsides for the Bravo platform, both with scheduled delivery of April 2015.

The Cygnus field has gross 2P reserves of approximately 18 billion cubic metres. By 2016, it will be the second largest individual gas producer in the UK.

6 Subsea 7 Awarded $460Million North Sea Contract

Subsea 7 has been awarded its fabrication and installation of Subsea 7’s office in Aberdeen will eight water injectors) on the Catcher, largest UK EPIC services contract, Catcher’s subsea facilities. undertake the engineering and project Varadero and Burgman fields which valued in excess of $460 million by management scope, with fabrication will be tied back to a leased FPSO. , in support of its Catcher The scope includes three pipeline work to take place at the company’s The oil will be offloaded by tankers area development, located 180km Bundles incorporating Butting BuBi Wick and Leith facilities. Offshore while the gas will be exported through 22 east of Aberdeen in Central North mechanically lined pipe, a riser activities utilising a number of Subsea the SEGAL facilities. Xodus Group 23 Sea Block 28/9. system for the Catcher floating, 7 vessels will commence in 2015. carried out the front end engineering production, storage and offloading and design study. The contract covers the provision of (FPSO) unit, and installation of Catcher area field development project management, engineering, a 10in, 60 km gas export/import plan (FDP) will entail the drilling of procurement, construction, pipeline. 22 subsea wells (14 producers and

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Vessels THE GLOBE 1/3 IS COVERED BY LAND - THE REST IS COVERED BY KONGSBERG

Vessels The complete multibeam echo sounder product range Olympic Shipping contract to Kleven

Kleven has signed a contract with Olympic Shipping for the building of an IMR vessel of MT 6021 MKII design. The contract value is around 500m 600m 2000m 7000m 11000m NOK 450 million, and the vessel will be delivered 200m from Kleven Verft in June 2015.

DOF awarded Petrobras contract

DOF has been awarded a one year contract from Petrobras for Skandi Chieftain. The contract will commence in June and in direct continuation of the existing contract with the same client.

km.kongsberg.com Vessels

Damen Shiprepair to convert Rowan Viking

Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV) l Leg Extension Scope (the 170m To make room for the crane, DSV has has been awarded the contract to legs will have to be extended to 180m moved its warehouse, demolishing remodel the Keppel Fels ‘N’ Class to be able to work in the deeper the warehouse itself and building a drilling rig Rowan Viking. Norwegian waters) special foundation that can handle the high ground pressure of 30t/m² that At 124 x 95 x 170m , this is one of Because the leg extension work the crane will create. the largest of its type active in the will be done at great heights, DSV North Sea. The Rowan Viking has has contracted Palfinger Systems The contract is being supervised by been contracted to explore the to use the latter’s unique Jack Damen Shiprepair & Conversion’s Norwegian Lundin Oil Field and will Up Maintenance Platform (JUMP) ‘Offshore & Conversion’ task force have to be converted accordingly. Systems. team. Commercial Manager Bas The work will consist of: Loohuis: “Using the Palfinger These are platforms that can be built systems and the Mammoet crane l Special Periodic Survey around, and moved up and down, will enable us to carry out other work (certification extension) the legs. Mammoet’s largest PTC while the legs are being extended, cranes will be used to hoist the 120t which will translate into a significant l Acknowledgement of leg extensions. The crane will be more improvement in turnaround time.” Compliance Scope (safety than 200m high (nearly four times modifications in accordance with the height of the covered dock at the The Rowan Viking will be at the Norwegian law) shipyard in Vlissingen). shipyard for approximately 130 days.

Island Performer named

Formally named in the Geiranger fjord, the subsea vessel Island Performer as been delivered to Island Offshore. The vessel is equipped with a large intervention tower over the main , a 250t AHC offshore crane and two deep-sea work ROVs. She is especially developed to suit the scope in the FTO contract in which Riser-less Light Well Intervention and Inspection, Maintenance, Repair are main tasks.

26 27

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Vessels CMM takes delivery of Damen PSV 3300

CMM has taken delivery of a Damen Vessels PSV (platform supply vessel) 3300. The 80m, 3300t deadweight vessel CMM Gravity will be deployed in the Brazilian waters from June 2014 on a 4+4 year contract with Petrobras.

For CMM (Compagnie Maritime Monégasque), the vessel will mark a further step in its ambitious plans to expand in the offshore space and expand its offering by developing its capabilities as an OSV operator. It is the yard’s seventh delivery of Damen’s new mid-size PSV 3300 design. This vessel will be compliant to Petrobras specifications, including Petrobras Annex V.

Next to the 728m² deck with a 1500t deck load capacity, the vessel will feature extensive tank capacities to handle different types of fluids and bulk. The vessel has a DP2 system which relies on four generator sets, two Azimuth thrusters and two bow thrusters. The 14t, 16.2m wide (moulded) vessel will be LR-classified for worldwide deployment. The most remarkable feature includes the bulb-less axe bow as developed by Damen, and the bright red that CMM has selected for its corporate colour.

“We are proud to have been awarded the Petrobras long-term charter contract”, CMM-president Christophe Vancauwenbergh said. “Our goal is to be a proactive service provider with a focus on the ever more demanding needs of our clients in conjunction with delivering quality and technical sophistication. We therefore have sought the added value of an experienced top-shelf shipbuilder”, Mr. Vancauwenbergh commented about CMM choosing Damen. “Their rapid global service and backing added to this.”

10

Vessels Vessels

Ulstein in the USA

Ulstein was recently contracted to design their first vessel to be constructed in USA. The vessel of the large and new- developed vessel design (SX165), will be constructed at Edison Chouest Offshore’s LaShip yard in Louisiana. The contract also includes options.

Edison Chouest Offshore operates a fleet of more than 200 vessels. It was important for Edison Chouest Offshore to establish themselves in the Gulf of Mexico with a large Jones Act construction vessel, and the SX165 design was selected for building such a vessel at their own shipyard. The current market situation indicates that the demand for such vessels will be strong in the coming years. A PRODUCT FOR Vessels EVERY APPLICATION Deepocean To Inspect Dong’s Subsea Assets Siem Spearfish KONGSBERG is celebrating 200 years in business during 2014. We

Vessels DeepOcean has been awarded Energy’s subsea assets in Danish and Harkand completed the project have been manufacturing underwater cameras for only one sixth of the contract for Inspection, Repair Norwegian waters. management and engineering for and Maintenance (IRM) and ROV the mobilization of Siem Spearfish that time but the same attention to quality and customer support Inspection services on Dong The contract is for two years. in Port Fourchon, Louisiana after arriving just nine days earlier from that has kept KONGSBERG in business all these years is given to the the Vard facility in Norway. Kongsberg Maritime Underwater Camera and Peripherals range. The newbuild multi-purpose service vessel (MPSV) was designed and built with input from Harkand - particularly around the deck layout to increase the efficiency for mobilization and demobilization. Lighting The mobilization included installation of a high specification survey spread, two (2) each workclass ROVs, and the riserless well intervention spread.

Siem Spearfish is now on hire and will be initially completing riserless SD and HD 3D well intervention works in water Operational Awareness, depths ranging from 6,700-ft to 8,100-ft in the Gulf of Mexico. Tether and TMS Monitoring

The 120.8m-long vessel, is Multi-purpose vessel Deep Helder equipped with a 250 AHC offshore crane with 3000m of wire and two heavy workclass Triton 4000m XLS ROVs including active heave HD and SD Inspection Edda Fonn compensated umbilical winches Reach Subsea has signed a three- familiar with and which is very built into the vessel. Siem Spearfish year time charter agreement with suitable for the services we offer can accommodate a crew of 110. Intelligent Actuators Østensjø Rederi for the ROV / to the market. This fleet expansion The impressive main deck area is subsea vessel “Edda Fonn”. is also in line with our business 1,350m2 with a strength of 10Te/ Expected commencement of the plan. We look forward to start m2, a 7.2 x 7.2m work moon pool contract is December 2014. offshore operations from “Edda and has removable aft bulwarks. Fonn” together with Østensjø.” Digital Stills Imaging “Edda Fonn is a vessel we are very Says Jostein Alendal (CEO). Harkand North America’s managing director AJ Jain said: “This latest addition to the Harkand global Edda Fonn fleet gives our clients in the region access to a state of the art vessel Tooling outfitted with the equipment and the people to meet the demands Extreme Low Light and of the deepwater IRM and light construction market.” Mid-Water Navigation

Innovative design and technology, unrivalled build quality, exceptional image quality and world wide support ensure Kongsberg Maritime’s products offer the best price-performance and reliability. 32 Image of FCV 2000D ROV courtesy of Fugro Subsea Services33 Ltd

Siem Spearfish Telephone: +44 1224 226500 [email protected] www.km.kongsberg.com UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 WIN WIN Wind Powered Water Injection

DNV GL is proposing a new concept There are clear indications that such called WIN WIN or WINd powered newest developments within offshore “Our studies show that such a stand- injection systems normally have that combines mature water a wind-powered water injection Water Injection’. and enhanced oil recovery alone system can quickly become a significant CAPEX investment, injection technology with the newest system could reduce both CAPEX may be a highly beneficial partnership. cost competitive to traditional CO2 tax, and exposure to developments in offshore wind and OPEX and drive innovation of The combination of the two solutions for injection wells far from fuel costs, and hence provide power to achieve more cost effective new technology. It could be installed technologies can open up an era of On the one hand, floating wind the platform, and even more when a substantial incentive for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). without costly retro-fittings on the synergies and mutual benefit for both turbines have recently emerged as one considers the retrofitting water assessing alternative solutions,” platform, provide access to systems industries. I see this as an important one of the most interesting sources for injection equipment into an existing says Christian Markussen, Now, industries are invited to join normally located subsea, increase part of the oil & gas industry’s work to offshore power generation, allowing facility and cope with the disruptions Subsea Business Development DNV GL in developing this concept the flexibility of injection location and reduce cost and with less emissions relatively stable production, and that this modification can have on Leader at DNV GL Oil & Gas. further in a joint industry project. reduce the installation time. The system as a positive effect,” says Johan flexibility regarding locations and production. Initial studies show it will reduce the would also be possible easy to move Sandberg, Service Line Leader - water depths. cost of water injection, avoid costly and use at new locations after the Offshore at DNV Operators can obtain a new and topside modifications and reduce closure of a well or field. GL, and who is project sponsor of the This power can be used with a variety cost-efficient way to develop marginal 34 greenhouse gas emissions. initiative. of water injection technologies, reservoirs and enhance production 35 “We want to take this concept further ranging from raw seawater injection in mature fields. The financial DNV GL studies suggest there are together with both the wind energy DNV GL’s concept intends to integrate as the simplest to LowSal water benefits will vary depending on opportunities for a new generation of and O&G industries and invite them to the compressor and water treatment injection (low salinity water from a several factors, such as the reservoir autonomous injection systems used participate in a Joint Industry Project equipment into the sub-structure of a reverse osmosis process) as the most characteristics and step-out distance to increase the reservoir pressure. (JIP) to carry out an in-depth study floating wind turbine. Combining the complex. from the production well. Traditional

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Installation

LiquiBuoy Trials DeepWater Chosen for Ocean Observatories Initiative Rope Luffing Knuckle-boom Crane

Materials technology and engineering specialists DeepWater Buoyancy has been awarded a major contract of ocean circulation and seafloor In order to provide reliable solutions for subsea installation in increasingly

Installation Aubin is set to transform subsea lifting after the to supply flotation to the University of Washington’s dynamics, which require high-speed deeper water and offshore construction in severe weather conditions, successful completion of its first operational trial Applied Physics Laboratory for the cabled observatory and accurate data acquisition Huisman, has patented the ‘Rope Luffing Knuckle Boom Crane’. of its LiquiBuoy system. The company conducted component of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). in demanding, rapidly changing rigorous testing of its liquid gel technology at The conditions. These new active heave compensated (AHC) cranes provide unparalleled Underwater Centre in Fort William to prove its The OOI, a project funded by the National Science performance by combining the benefits of a normal Rope Luffing Crane and capabilities in a number of real-life operational Foundation (NSF), is planned as an integrated DeepWater Buoyancy’s proven a traditional Knuckle Boom Crane. As such it offers a high lifting height and scenarios. infrastructure of science-driven platforms and sensor product integrity, stability and a large capacity at outreach. The main hoist system, the patented anti-twist systems to measure physical, chemical, geological and performance at depth were a critical device, and the electric drive system really set these cranes apart from Head of the firm’s subsea division, Serena Arif biological properties and processes from the seafloor to part of the University of Washington’s other cranes in the market. believes the solution offers a safer and more efficient the air-sea interface. decision to select the company. way of placing, moving and recovering structures “We’ve relied on this team of designers The capacities of the new cranes range from 400 up to 1200t and up to on the seabed. She said: “The introduction of gel The company was selected after a competitive bidding and product specialists for years,” 5000m water depth. The first crane of this type, a 900 ton Rope Luffing lifting into subsea operations has given engineers and assessment process that evaluated product stated the University’s Applied Physics Knuckle Boom Crane for Subsea 7’s ‘Seven Arctic’, is scheduled for delivery a truly transformational tool to complete projects. performance, technical specifications and pricing. Lab principal engineer Geoff Cram. in 2016. A model of this vessel including the crane will be presented at the Our LiquiBuoy system can provide an answer to a OTC Huisman booth, no. 2327. problem when traditional methods fail. “We are honoured to be chosen for the Ocean “Since DeepWater Buoyancy re- Observatories Initiative,” said DeepWater Buoyancy launched the former Flotation For the innovative and patented design proven key components are used. “The trial showed that our invention demonstrates president David Capotosto. “This is a major achievement Technologies line of subsurface By combining these components the overall construction of the precision which is second to none. It is both for our team, and we look forward to partnering with the products, we’ve been carefully crane can be kept low, whilst allowing for a high lifting capacity and large environmentally responsible and cost effective and community on the OOI.” assessing their progress as a potential lifting radius. By incorporating a knuckle in the design of the crane it is can even be deployed using a Remotely Operated supplier for this project. They possible to reduce the pendulum of the hook and, if extended, it can allow Vehicle (ROV). DeepWater Buoyancy will be delivering more than 32,000 successfully provided us with two for high lifting heights. lbs. (14,500 kg) of DeepTec syntactic foam in support of orders earlier this year, and we are LiquiBuoy is an alternative to traditional buoyancy the cabled observatory component of the OOI. pleased with their quality and delivery Furthermore, the boom of the crane can be stored vertically saving valuable systems currently on the market, such as syntactic performance. We look forward to their deck space. The main hoisting system comprises a traction and storage foam. Its liquid form allows it to be delivered Over 268 individual products will be provided as part of playing a key part in the ongoing OOI winch system and a separate heave compensation system. This means accurately onto the seabed using an ROV to control this sizable order including: 210 model CF-12 cable floats program.” both lifting/lowering and heave compensation can occur simultaneously a subsea lift. with titanium hardware, 15 spherical buoys in a range of with no performance interdependency, resulting in a better overall system sizes and 43 highly engineered custom fabricated parts– The University of Washington is performance and increased safety. A failure in main hoisting system will not “This product will enable subsea operations to be some exceeding 4000 lbs. of total uplift and depth rated leading the design, construction, and affect the heave compensator or the other way around. designed entirely differently to the way they are to 3000 meters. early operations of the regional cabled now”, she said. “One of its most significant benefits observatory (Regional Scale Nodes) Because the crane is fully electrically driven, the power consumption, is its controllability. The it has, in DeepWater Buoyancy syntactic foam systems will component of the OOI. Innovative noise levels, and the number of components are reduced. This makes the any water depth, will remain constant through the be integral to the OOI cabled observatory’s studies high-bandwidth instruments, crane more reliable than hydraulically driven cranes. It also means that water column from 10m to 3000m. connected to the 575-mile network of maintenance and operational costs are reduced. electro-optical cables, will be installed on the seafloor and in the water The main hoist system can be equipped with a double fall reeve system column at study sites in the Northeast instead of a single fall reeve system, improving the life span of the wire and Pacific Ocean off the Oregon and therewith reducing operational expenditure. Further the lifetime of the wire Washington coasts. rope is significantly extended by the combined active and passive heave compensation system on the main hoist, since the number of sheave bends “The networks will be moving data at is minimized and there is no drum crushing or wire rope cut-ins on the rates exceeding tens of gigabits per winch. second, and will be served by tens of kilowatts of power. These high rates The passive mode of the heave system includes built-in redundancy, so the demand precise, stable platforms passive system is fail-safe. During splash zone lifts, substantial reduction of that can hold up to intense subsea the dynamic on the crane and the lifted object is achieved by using pressure. the passive system as a shock absorber, and can be used to avoid any resonance during subsea lifts. The performance of DeepWater 36 Buoyancy flotation systems at such Furthermore, real-time active heave compensation can take place at a very 37 depths is critical to our project’s low power consumption level. The anti-twist device prevents twisting of the success,” stated Chuck McGuire, lower block and wire rope during subsea lifts in double fall configuration. In Lead Systems Engineer at the addition, it lowers the point of application of the wire rope, which improves University of Washington Applied the stability of the vessel and reduces the boom tip motion. Underwater trials DeepWater Buoyancy system Physics Lab.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Installation

Piling on Bøyla

Conductor Installation Services TM Installation has successfully completed its first subsea piling services contract. OPTIMIZE CIS used its new remotely operated Subsea Piling System, which makes FROM PORE TO PROCESS it possible to drive piles as large as 36ins in diameter, in water depths to 300m.

The piles were driven to permanently secure two subsea structures to the seabed and to initiate three rigid pipelines being installed by customer Technip on the Bøyla Development project offshore Norway.

Following preparation and testing of all equipment at its base in Great Yarmouth, England, CIS mobilised A hydraulic hammer on deck the full Subsea Piling System to Throughout the operation, the Subsea A hydraulic hammer, connected via Haugesund, Norway. It was then Piling System performed as intended, an electronic to the loaded onto the support vessel, from confirming that the new technology control system, is lowered into the which the four-member CIS crew reliably delivers substantial benefits. water and placed directly over the would carry out all subsea piling The subsea piling process is carried out subsea pile. Once it is accurately operations remotely using a control by an experienced CIS engineer from positioned, the pile will be driven into unit and monitoring system. a control unit and monitoring system the seabed by the hammer until it located onboard a nearby vessel. reaches its target depth. In late March 2014, the team set out with all equipment to the Bøyla field. Working as weather permitted in a maximum water depth of 120m, Positioning CIS successfully drove the three MMT has recently performed long 30in Initiation anchor piles, four 30in Subsea Accumulator Modules (SAMs) baseline (LBL) positioning in a light manifold piles and four 24in pipeline construction project with Reach end manifold (PLEM) piles. All piles Subsea for ExxonMobile Russia. were successfully driven into the seabed to their respective target The LBL was used to establish the depths, ranging from 10m–23m. right position of the two Subsea Accumulator Modules (SAMs) and The scope of work was to install three acoustic baskets at Balder two different sizes of piles, which Site D. The sites were surveyed required re-dressing the pile-driving and inspected to locate the best hammer to accommodate the possible sediment situation and second size of piles to be driven. the operations was performed from A unique approach for optimized production and increased recovery MMTs long term chartered vessel Instead of transporting the hammer Stril Explorer. The two 20t SAM on the support vessel back to port units were deployed with the heave INTEGRATE End-to-end solutions from reservoir to surface COLLABORATE Early engagement to anticipate to be re-dressed onshore, CIS compensated crane onboard and and Technip worked together to oriented with a mounted fiber optic challenges and improve decisions ENGINEER Optimal system architecture to increase life-of-fi eld formulate a more efficient solution gyro on the top beside the LBL to safely re-dress the hammer on transponder. The ROV maneuvered production CONTROL Continuous monitoring to manage changing reservoir conditions BOOST the vessel in the field. By doing 38 the SAMs in to the right orientation Production with scalable processing solutions ENHANCE Financial return over the life of the fi eld 39 so, the time invested in this task and position. was reduced, increasing vessel productivity by allowing it to remain After the recovery the units will LEARN more about our unique, unrivaled approach at www.onesubsea.com/optimization in the field to carry out other work be transported and taken into offshore. production in the Kara sea.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014

ONESUB-222_OPTIMIZE-PTP_UT2.indd 1 6/17/14 2:41 PM L6-B Installation

SPT offshore, acting as subcontractor of Scaldis Marine Contractors, successfully installed the 3 suction piles forming the foundation of SPT’s tripod substructure and minimum facilities concept utilized for the Wintershall L6-B field development. The suction piles were simultaneously installed in a record time of 3 hours. Similarly, the verticality achieved was 0.01 degree out of vertical, which is near perfect.

Scaldis Heavy Lift Vessel Rambiz transported and installed the tripod and minimal facilities topsides as one piece in a record time of only three days including sailing to the field, installation and demob 40 to port. 41

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Vertical Helix Assembly Machine VHAM! Umbilicals

equipment such as downhole safety Umbilicals Over the past year, anyone sailing director of subsidiary Technip Purpose-designed for each water depth applications, the latest are low voltage cables, signal cables, along the river Tyne past the DUCO Umbilicals. “Tomorrow’s umbilicals application, metal and fibre optic lines valves, to function. They are also used able to compete in lengths exceeding fibre optic cables, medium voltage site at Walker, Newcastle, will have will be longer, heavier, of greater carry sensor data up from the seabed to carry thermoregulatory chemicals 30km, which hasn’t always been the conductors,. Smaller reels contain filler noticed the fabrication of a 64m-tall complexity and probably will have to and downhole equipment as well such as methanol for flow assurance case. material such as polyethylene, polyvinyl windowless building. One of the be delivered within faster timescales.” as the returning supervisory control applications. chloride or cross-linked polymer. largest single storey buildings in commands back down to operate “Because thermoplastics are naturally Europe, this has now been officially With the gradual doubling of its valves,etc. Meanwhile, the tubes “The tubes are either steel and flexible, they are more suitable for “This VHAM machine differs from inaugurated as Technip’s new flagship workforce to 600, the Newcastle facility enable remote hydraulically operated thermoplastic tubes (with a hybrid of dynamic environments, accommodating many in that it can incorporate steel steel tube umbilical manufacturing is now larger than is three sister plants fatigue far better than their steel tubes,” said Ian Probyn, research and facility. combined, namely Technip Umbilicals equivalents. The relative lightness development business development née Duco Umbilicals in Houston, also means lower capacity and thus, manager at Technip Umbilicals “These This launch coincides with the Angloflex in Lobito, Angola and cheaper, installation vessels can often are normally consist of carbon, super name DUCO being phased out in Asiaflex in Johor, Malaysia. be used. duplex or lean duplex steel tubes. The a worldwide rebranding exercise Technip is reticent to specify exactly latter has a zinc coating. Some of the intended to introduce greater clarity how much this new facility cost, “About 15-20 years ago, steel tubes steel tubes are coated with a polymer to the market and improve association preferring instead, to explain that it were often specified simply because oversheath, other are separated by with other divisions in Technip. was part a continuous programme that there were concerns that methanol polymer fillers to prevent them from has seen €1.5 billion invested over the could diffuse through the thermoplastic touching. “Tomorrow’s industry will be past 3 years. This budget has financed lines. That issue has now been confronted by an inventory of fresh the construction of both the reel lay resolved,” said Rostaing. “It is vital that dissimilar metals do not technological challenges,” said ship Deep Energy and support vessel come into contact within the umbilical, Hallvard Hasselknippe, president and Deep Orient, as well as a new flexible For their part, steel tubes, are relatively as this can result in a corrosion issue.. chief operating officer, subsea, at flowlines facility in Açu, Brazil. stiffer and of much greater tensile Even within the assembly machine, all Technip.“ These will include working Umbilicals strength. They are the only alternative contact with bare tubes is restricted in water depths exceeding 3000m, both as a third option),” said for deeper waters, longer distances to polypropylene rollers or nylon longer step out distances from existing Subsea umbilicals can be defined as Rostaing. “At present, there is and harsher conditions. Even in hybrid bushings.” facilities, and operating in more the assemblies of wires and tubes a 70:30 split in favour of steel lines, steel tubing is often preferred for dispersed, colder, sourer and heavier that form the critical link between the tube, but some North Sea key applications such as operating the The extensive diameter of the turntable oil reservoirs – sometimes against a seabed equipment and the surface. operators only specify steel downhole safety valve. not only means that it can accommodate background of higher pressure and tube umbilicals. a greater number of components, but . VHAM they can also be of higher capacity, “The main advantage of At the heart of the new steel umbilical giving longer lengths without joints and “Meeting these challenges will thermoplastic tube umbilicals is fabrication facility is the 50m high result in higher quality lines. require greater demands from Guide tube that they are generally cheaper. vertical helix assembly machine (VHAM) subsea equipment in general Typically used in 300–500m built by BRASTEC Technologies of As functional units are unreeled, the and specialist umbilicals Reels Brazil. turntable also revolves to give the in particular. Investment Turntable in this advanced steel Smaller umbilical assembly machines tube umbilical facility are often designed to lie horizontally, in Newcastle will but reorienting this 90deg to the vertical help us maintain our allows the machine to be considerably global position in the larger and accommodate a much larger thermoplastic and steel number of components, maximising umbilicals supply and space and leading to greater efficiency. engineering market”. Throughout it’s length, numerous safety “As a tier 1 company, and information sensors are linked we need to wirelessly in to a central SCADA system continually invest to provide process control information. in our facilities,” said Jean-Louis At its base is a belt-driven turntable 42 Rostaing, managing upon which lie a large number of tension-controlled, sometimes counter- rotating drum spools containing Product reels on Left: Steel tube individual, pre-assembled lines. These universally rotating umbilical Right: VHAM are known as functional units and mounts turntable include steel and/or thermoplastic tubes,

UT2 June July 2014 Pre Former Umbilicals

umbilical its helical twist that adds soundproofed taping deck. There, a the umbilical through a high-pressure internal strength. Its rotational speed high speed taping head loaded with air jet dryer to completely remove any is proportional to the rate that the large 1.1m diameter reels of tape, surface moisture and ensure it does umbilicals can be assembled. 75-145mm, travel rapidly around not affect the extrusion process. The Technip say that the speed the the umbilical, tightly enveloping its line is then held tightly at each end circumference, can reach that of a contents and binding them together. of the extrusion line by caterpillar ‘400m Olympic sprinter’ (Michael tensioners. Johnson still holds the Olympic The taping head contains tension record running at around sensors that can detect if the tape The umbilical then passes through 9.2m/sec). breaks or even if the reel is ending. A a screw extruder head to provide a dedicated elevator system is used to polyethylene coating, although the The individual lines from the transport heavy tape refill drums up to facilities can handle different types of unwinding bobbins pass upwards this deck. These can be manoeuvred polymer. through guide tubes that act as into the loading device by means straighteners, taking the memory of an articulated handling arm with “The coating principle is well shape out of the reeled wire and vacuum head. Human lifting is kept to established and largely similar to Water-cooling the polymer coating tubes. a minimum. that used for flexible pipe,” said Ian Probyn. “The main difference however It then passes into a measurement Above this is the welding level where The physical movement of entire is in flexibles, the outer sheath acts head. It takes an ultrasonic wall new steel tubes can be joined or umbilical bundle up the vertical tower as a pressure barrier to keep the thickness reading, followed by a cable spliced as the reels below is enabled by a pair of pressure seawater out of the pipe. very precise recording of the cable become exhausted and replaced monitored caterpillar tensioners, (with diameter using a 6-laser system. This area has comprehensive quality a spare set to be engaged if the other For umbilicals, conversely, free- Information from this is fed back in control facilities and as such, is requires maintenance). A six-laser flooding is a functional requirement. real time back to the extrusion head, screened with x-ray resistant tiles. measurement system continually Seawater entering the umbilical informing it to change the thickness measures the circumference. equalises the pressure around the of the applied polymer coating as The line then enters the pre-former. internal components. To ensure that necessary. At its centre, is an aperture through Once at the top of the vertical lay the seawater can enter can free flood, which the core or semi-assembled tower, the umbilical must be then sometimes, holes are inserted into the The umbilical length is then umbilical passes, waiting for other routed 180deg back downwards for sheath measured by laser (in the same way components to be added. Meanwhile, storage on the ground-level carousels. that an optical mouse works), by exterior flanges incorporate wheels A series of support guides ensure the The temperature is around 130oC Tru-wheel and finally, by measuring which guide the functional units. umbilical never exceeds its (maximum when the umbilical emerges from the the movement of the caterpillar These all pass up through the lay 9m) minimum bending radius. The line extrusion head. The line is, therefore, tracks. plate which positions the parts in travels back downwards through a cooled in a controlled way using preparation for the closing die to polypropylene containment tube with a high pressure spray followed by The keynotes of the facility design brings everything together. Rollers on guide rollers arranged in ‘swans neck’ immersion baths to step the core of is its commitment to safety, quality the so-called Trafalgar box keep the ensuring a gentle turning angle. the umbilical down to a temperature control and the desire to make it as umbilical steady. of 30deg. future proof as possible. The umbilical is stored in one of Turning the umbilical 90deg over a controlled radius, assisted by roller bearings The coherent bundle then enters the two 3500t carousels located north wound helically and counter-helically A storage carousel and south of the assembly facility. to eliminate torsion and improve Closing die Assembling the necessary functional hydrodynamic stability. This is easily brings the components of the umbilical together achieved by winding the umbilical in functional would typically require more than one way as the umbilical passes from units one pass through the system (up to the south to north carousel, and the together a maximum of three). This means other way as the umbilical passes ‘in unwinding the umbilical from the reverse’, back to the south. carousel, passing it through the Coating system again, and winding it back onto the other carousel. The final stage of the manufacturing 44 operation is to give the umbilical 45 “This procedure is particularly a protective polymer coating. This useful in the manufacture of is carried out in a new horizontal dynamic umbilical,” said Ian extrusion line. Probyn. “In this, consecutive layers of components must be The process initially involves feeding

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Trencher Advances Trenching

This takes up a larger footprint on the Trenching The new third-generation T1500 Its design is based closely on the discussions, we sat down with Forum to cut stiff soils, or alternatively to lower 74%. The power we are putting in is trencher recently delivered by Forum previous XT1200 model. The principal to outline the requirements for this pressure (lp) circuits for creating the going to the swords and not lost in mother vessel. Energy Technologies’ subsidiary difference between the two, however, next generation trencher. We wanted backwash.As these HPUs are the the pipework.” Perry to Canyon Offshore, has is the increase in hydraulic power more power, but not necessarily at same units as on our XLX series of This was exactly the design spiral successfully completed its inaugural available to the jetting elements. the expense of increasing the size or ROVs, we were very aware of their Weight that Canyon wanted to avoid. They job for Maersk. Considered the most This translates as significantly weight.” performance”. Adding equipment to a trencher set Forum another design challenge, powerful water jetting trencher in the greater versatility and operational This challenge for this and other understandably increases its size therefore, that any weight increase world, it is now being deployed on performance. improvements fell to Forum’s design The amount of cutting power available and weight. Supplying this higher- had to be as limited as possible. Troll for Statoil. team at Kirkbymoorside. to a jet trencher is directly related to performance vessel would in turn, “The idea came to us when we were the volume and pressure. Additional require a thicker power umbilical. “One strategy we used was to select trenching the inter “We had envisaged that the new auxiliary pumps were incorporated to a very high performance foam to array and export vehicle would be broadly similar top up the water supply. This, in turn, increases the size of achieve maximum flotation with the cables for the in design to the T1200,” said Paul The original system was rated at the launch and recovery system. minimum weight,” said Paul Marshall. Sheringham Shoal Marshall, project engineer at Forum, 16bar. Canyon, however, recognised a wind farm”, said “using as many of the field-proven commercial advantage if this were able Gary Aylmer, components and systems as possible. to be increased to 20bar. vice president The T1200 had a single 375hp trenching and hydraulic power unit (HPU) together Accommodating these higher renewable services with two 375hp electrically driven water pressures called for a redesign of both at Helix Canyon pumps driven by a variable speed the hp pump and the entire ‘ring main’. Offshore. “While the drive (VSD). Increasing the jetting T1200 performed capacity of the new trencher, would “From the water pumps, there is a admirably, we felt mean adding to one or both of these. flexible hose that goes to a distrbution that we could have manifold called the plenum. These benefitted from “We elected to squeeze two more are made of steel plate which creates a bit more jetting 200hp HPUs into the vehicle, as more a pressure drop and increases pressure and volume water pumps would have required inefficiencies,“ said Aylmer. “From to cut through the additional variable speed drives. a programme of computational flow consolidated clays. Increasing the size of the hydraulic ring dynamic modelling, we found we could main meant that full power could be make significant improvements if we “After internal directed to high pressure (hp) systems machined these 1.3m plenums out of solid blocks of aluminium.

“The result is that we reduced the pressure losses over the manifold by

Trenching Theory Jet trenching works by lowering on the front tools. This allows smaller jetting swords down into seabed. flexible products to lay in the fluidised Water is ejected through nozzles trench before the seabed settles and positioned along the swords to create solidifies. a continuous fluidisation in the trench. Occasionally the nature of the cable or Meanwhile, a rear-mounted ‘eductor’ pipe does not allow it to sink through removes the fluidised material and the fluidised trench. This can be due, ejects it to the sides of the trench. for example, to the product weight (or This creates a continuous trench lack of it) or the time required for the behind the vehicle, so that a rigid Trenching in action product to sink versus the time the 46 pipeline can lie in the bottom. seabed takes to reconsolidate. 47

If required, a backfill tool is used to Sometimes, backwash is used. This Immediately after the water jets have destabilise the previously educted is provided by low pressure water The backwash jets on the eductor passed through, the seabed will start to trench, allowing it to collapses and injection into the trench from the rear or on the stinger maintains the settle and rapidly reach a consistency covers the product. of the main swords and aft tooling. fluidisation created by the main jets through which the product cannot sink.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 T 1500 trencher being deployed

48 49

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Project Simulation

Geotech Trenchers

Pre-cutting tool

“The original T1200 weighed 30t. One issue with some products such Rentals Even with the additional equipment we as large steel pipe, is that its inherent wanted to incorporate, we managed to stiffness prevents it from immediately bring the weight of the T1500 down to falling into the trench. This can, only 32t. however, create a stress point where part of its previous seabed support is This has meant sacrifices. One such suddenly trenched away. concerned the maximum water depth in which the T1500 could operate.”

LARS Backfill tool While its predecessor was rated for 3000m, the T1500 is limited to 1000m Gary Aylmer,”is VisualSoft by its buoyancy package. This is not to have an seen as a practical problem as Canyon Pre-cutting target area understanding already has a deepwater trencher fleet Stiff pipe can suddenly come under stress of the machines (up to 3000m). With the T1500, the at the point at which it is left hanging. This capability coompany wanted to specifically target can be prevented by pre-cutting the lip but also to the sub-1000m higher performance understand the Work Class ROV TMS burial market which accounts for most To resolve this problem the T1500 is soils. We use UTEC Geomarine to of its work. equipped with a precutting tool that analyse the soil and give a detailed sits behind the TSS pipetracker at the nozzle configuration. In many trenchers, the jetting swords front. swing down from the horizontal. This New to the XT1500 is an aft depth means that the trench depth alters the This consists of a pair of jetting swords detection tool (or Stinger) which can jetting angle. Canyon’s T750, T1200 each with a single downward-pointing be used as an alternative tool to the Pig launchers and receivers and T1500 trenchers, however, use jet. Designed to operate 50mm above eductor or backfill. Its function is an articulated vertical deployment the seabed, its function is to fluidise to exert a downwards force (up to 300kg) and measure the product Observation ROVs Personnel system. the bed and allow the pipe to fall more gently into the trench forming behind. burial depth. A pivot assembly on the main arm keeps the jetting arm and nozzles At the rear of the trencher is the aft This tool is used to offer the potential constantly point in the optimum deployment system, which is capable of a single pass burial solution to direction as it is lowered to the of interfacing with a selection of tools. clients on straight line products. maximum trenching depth of 3m. Identical to that on the T1200, the Using this in conjunction with the eductor provides the ability to control forward tool gives the rate of slurry and spoil removal a longer jetting from the trench during burial. The envelope and Moffat Hot Stabs Tooling Buoyancy ROVdrill backwash jets can be used to maintain allowing the soil’s fluidisation, to allow the product product to to lower to depth with the resulting lower sooner. particles settling out of suspension High pressure Low pressure and creating natural backfill. supply for backward cutting. These facing nozzles lie at the front of keep the soil in An alternative to the eductor is the the swords and face suspension backfill tool. This uses downward down, inwards and outwards to form the and side-pointing jets to undermine trench the adjacent undisturbed trench 50 www.f-e-t.com/subsea walls, allowing it to collapse on top 51 of the trench and hence provide a Cutting jets are arranged in three backfill cover over previously lowered groups. The top two are individually enabled, allowing all the power to flowlines. be directed to the lower portion of Depth detection the sword “The key to successful trenching,” said stinger

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 LARS

T1500 LARS Aluminium core cable

Umbilicals 2014 continues to be a busy year JDR recently launched a range of for Protea with the delivery of an inter-array cables with aluminium advanced trencher handling system conductor cores. The new to Canyon Offshore Limited. aluminium conductor core inter- array cable, which is XLPE insulated Designed to allow the safe launch and type tested to IEC 60502-2 and and recovery of Canyon’s latest CIGRE standards, is one of several trencher, the T1500, the 35t SWL JDR developments to support launch and recovery system was offshore wind cost-reduction recently mobilised on the Maersk targets. Responder and is now operational in the North Sea. JDR also investigated opportunities to transfer JDR’s experience in oil “We worked closely with the and gas markets to offshore wind Canyon Offshore project team to applications. Currently under review develop a system that was tailored is the introduction of pre-terminated to their precise requirements and inter-array cables. This technology incorporated the key features is standard in JDR’s subsea they had specified based on production umbilical products and many years of operating subsea could be used to reduce offshore trenchers. These included the ability termination costs for offshore wind to launch and recover T1500 in operators. high sea states, rapid mobilisation and demobilisation on a range JDR’s product development of support vessels and ease of director, Jeremy Featherstone, who operation and maintenance,” said will talk about JDR’s cost-reduction Tomasz Paszkiewicz, CEO of work in the Global Offshore Protea. Wind conference session B10: Cost Reduction and Innovation: The turnkey handling system was Reaching £100 per MWh, said: designed and manufactured at “JDR continues its DECC-supported Protea’s modern production facility work on high-voltage inter-array in Southern Poland and completed cables that will improve power an extensive test programme before capacity by increasing array cable being shipped to the UK. voltage ratings from 33kV to 66kV.

Following shipment to Roysth, Our engineering team is also Scotland, a team of Protea’s investigating: how dynamic ratings service engineers assisted with the could reduce cable conductor sizes mobilisation of the handling system and subsequent material costs; on the Maersk responder. and how strain sensing fibre optics can be used to minimise installation issues.”

Andrew Norman, JDR’s chief executive officer, commented: “Offshore wind is an increasingly important low-carbon contributor to the UK’s . The launch of our aluminium conductor core products and our work on high 52 voltage 66kV inter-array cables, 53 are important steps forwards in providing the tools and choices our industry needs to enable the long- term development of successful wind farm projects.”

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Umbilicals

IHC Merwede launches Hi-Traq Blue Offshore and Caley Cable Carousel for Stemat Marine Services Oceaneering Oceaneering has secured a Umbilicals IHC Merwede has officially introduced the Subsea Vehicle Team at IHC Marine engineering and subsea the world’s first four-tracked subsea Engineering Business, part of IHC cable installation contractor, Blue contract from FMC Technologies to trencher, specifically developed for Merwede, explained how the Hi-Traq Offshore Marine, and Caley Ocean supply umbilicals for the Jangkrik shallow water operations and targeted differed from existing trenching assets. Systems, have supplied a basket project located in the Muara Bakau towards cable burial in offshore wind carousel to maritime services Production Sharing Contract (PSC) farms. “Features such as the independent company Stemat for offshore cable area off the coast of Indonesia. four-track undercarriage and a flexible storage for the Nordergründe wind This new remotely operated vehicle tooling arrangement were engineered farm. The order is for super-duplex steel has been developed to be the most as integral parts of the design, and tube production control umbilicals, efficient tracked trencher, capable of have remained the main focus of the Completed in just 10 weeks, from with a total combined length tackling the full range of challenges project throughout,” he said. order to delivery, the 2200t capacity of approximately 31 miles (50 typically faced in this application. basket carousel is providing Stemat kilometers). These will be used to A high level of manoeuvrability and VSMC (Visser and Smit Marine supply hydraulic and electrical power High wave loadings and strong also sets the Hi-Traq apart from Contracting) with a flexible resource and chemical injection to the subsea currents at the seabed meant the the competition. The four-track for storing, transporting and wells in the field. vehicle had to have a minimum weight undercarriage design enables it to installing cable offshore. to guarantee safe, accurate working climb slopes with gradients of up to Product manufacturing will be and efficient trenching operations, for 20 deg. This high traction functionality The 18m diameter basket carousel performed at the Oceaneering example. gives the vehicle its name. can hold dynamically 2,200 Te Umbilical Solutions facility in Rosyth, of subsea cable. Mounted on the Scotland commencing in the fourth Varied seabed soil conditions were Hi-Traq has been successfully tested Stemat 91 barge, the carousel uses quarter of 2014, with delivery also considered in the Hi-Traq’s and demonstrated at IHC’s the Port of a modular construction with grillage, scheduled for the second quarter of design. Tyne facility in South Shields, where a enabling it to be readily mobilised to Carousel 2016. special terrain was created to mimic other vessels and barges. Chris Jones, Product Manager of subsea conditions.

IHC Merwede launches Hi-Traq Cable Survey

Oil and gas extraction on the The “Statoil Standard” Umbilicals MMT has been awarded the contract survey , incorporating geophysical Norwegian continental shelf has been are made up of electrical and for the Själland cable survey between information such as bathymetry, given a boost after Nexans recently fibre optic cables, in addition to Denmark and Sweden by Svenska surface geology and sub-bottom delivered the first of four “Statoil hydraulic and chemical lines. kraftnät. conditions. MMT will also perform Standard” umbilicals ordered by the The standardised technical a geotechnical investigation, cable company in 2012. The first umbilical and administrative procedures Svenska kraftnät and their Danish tracking and identification of cable will be employed at the Oseberg Delta developed over the course of the counterpart Energinet.dk are the crossings. field in the Norwegian part of the North Oseberg project will save time, cost transmission system owners and Sea. and materials during the execution operators of a of the project and in ongoing and 400 kV High future projects. Voltage AC cable system In December 2012 Nexans was across the awarded a contract from Statoil Öresund, to supply static and dynamic between umbilicals for three developments Sweden and on the Norwegian continental shelf: Denmark. Oseberg Delta field (North Sea), The cable Snøhvit gas field (Barents Sea) and system will be Smørbukk South (Norwegian Sea). exchanged due to its technical 54 In the autumn of 2013 the contract lifetime. 55 was extended to include the delivery of umbilicals for the Gullfaks Rimfaks MMT will Valley gas field. In total, Nexans will carry out the provide 50 kilometres of static and cable route Four-tracked subsea trencher Umbilicals dynamic umbilicals. Seabeam

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 NEW Cygnus DIVE Lined Pipe Underwater Thickness Gauge l Wrist-mountable

l Large brighter AMOLED display

l Measures through coatings Many offshore operators are based on using steel pipe. Two l On-board data logging capability important properties are strength and corrosion resistance. If the line l Topside monitoring with carries a corrosive wellstream or is subject to high pressures, however, measurements video overlayed

Pipelines: Rigid Steel it may be necessary to increase the thickness and grade of the steel l Twin crystal probe option for accordingly. This can be expensive. extreme corrosion and anchor chains One cost-effective alternative is to use the high strength and toughness Also available: of standard grade carbon- manganese steels for the body of arranty the pipe, but clad them internally ear W with the high-alloyed materials Cygnus ROV Mountables Y that exhibit better durability and Depth Rated 500m, 2000m & 4000m 3 corrosion resistance. +44 (0)1305 265533 • [email protected] • www.cygnus-instruments.com Mechanically lined pipes have proved effective for onshore use since they were launched in the mid-1990s. Compared to a Four progressively higher fatigue “We carried out mechanical and to 16in. This has been fully accepted corresponding solid-wall version, classes were selected for the test. non-destructive tests (post-reeling within the market and led to the award they can save 25–40% of costs. A Specimens were fully inspected after and fatigue), including tensile tests, of Petrobras’ Guará-Lula NE project market leader in this type of pipe is reaching each fatigue class in order hardness, toughness and corrosion in Brazil, where 70km of 8in and 9in the German company BUTTING with to confirm the absence of any failure tests, radiography, ultrasonic and dye- BuBi pipe was deployed by the Seven its BuBi (BUTTING Bi-metal) pipe. initiation, not only on the carbon steel penetrant examination. Oceans. outer pipe, but also on the corrosion- Subsea 7 has been conducting an resistant liner and at the seal welds. We also carried out a non-destructive In 2013, Statoil awarded Subsea 7 extensive testing and development examination (NDE) validation Attaching the liner a contract for the Aasta Hansteen programme to qualify the installation The endurance of the pipe and its programme. This demonstrated the project, which includs the design, of BuBi pipe using reel-lay. behaviour of the liner pipe surface welds was thus confirmed to exceed capacity to detect flaws in the pipe coating, fabrication and installation of A total of 17 test strings were throughout the reeling process down the target level of DNV fatigue class ends overlay welds and seal welds around 19km of 12-inch BuBi pipe to “BuBi pipe has been awarded tested, using carbon steel grade X65 to an accuracy of 50μm on any surface C (DNV-RP-C203). The test was at the transition between liner and be installed by reeling. a DNV certificate of Fitness for for the outer pipe and 316L stainless feature.” continued until failure in order to overlay. This development led to an Service” said Grégory Toguyeni, steel, alloy 825 and alloy 625 for the understand the ultimate resistance, inspection procedure specific to the This information appeared in Senior Welding and Materials liner. This research allowed both Subsea 7 the failure mode and location. Failure transition zone. Subsea 7’s publication Deep 7 Engineer, Subsea 7. “Two and BUTTING to understand the occurred at DNV (Class B1). significant supply and installation The test strings were made up of relation between pre-existing surface “We sectioned of a high projects have also been awarded, BuBi pipe sections welded together features on the outer pipe ID and the “We gained a good understanding number of pipe-end while further development work using the mechanised hot wire Pulsed value of the gripping force obtained of the product capability from the overlays that correlated has demonstrated the suitability Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (PGTAW) through BUTTING’s ‘push-out test’. subsequent failure investigation, such with the development of a of the product for fatigue-sensitive process with alloy 625 filler metal. as in the carbon steel pipe and liner, weld overlay procedure. applications, such as steel catenary Since then, a procedure based “All test pipes were subjected to a and failure initiation,” said Grégory This allowed us to improve risers (SCRs). on Pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding conservative cyclic bending test, Toguyeni. “We also carried out a our understanding of the (PGMAW) has also been qualified for or reeling simulation, using a radius finite element analysis using ABAQUS controls to prevent the “The main challenge associated with improved productivity. of curvature of 7.5m,” said Grégory software to model the behaviour of the formation of a gap behind the installation of BuBi lined pipe Toguyeni. “This programme was pipe in several installation and service the seal weld and getting a by reeling has been to demonstrate “We carried out a detailed laser centred around the specific Subsea 7 conditions. repeatable weld profile and that the inner pipe, or liner, does not metrology examination and the reeling technique using low internal metallurgy. 56 suffer from local buckling during the mapping of the pipe’s full internal pressurisation of the pipe.” “This detailed analysis proved itself 57 spooling process. Equally important, surface at manufacturing stage. A very efficient in interpreting and “The pipe outer it was important to demonstrate the ‘before and after’ reeling simulation Full-scale resonance fatigue testing predicting the process involved. We diameters covered by this integrity of the weld joining the liner was also carried out,” said Grégory of several pipes was conducted in found excellent correlation between development programme pipe to the outer pipe at the ends of Toguyeni. “This innovative technique accordance with DNV-RP-C203 at The reeling tests, confirming the complete ranged from 8–12in, with each joint, or seal weld.” permitted detailed monitoring of the Welding Institute in Cambridge. integrity of the pipe.” an ongoing extension up The liner prior to being attached to the pipe

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 The following pages are based on 3 papers discussing nonmetallic pipes that formed the basis of an evening meeting from the Society for Underwater Technology’s North East branch on Wednesday 21st May 2014. The event was held in Newcastle, sponsored by GE Oil and Gas. The meeting was chaired by Ian Frazer, Development Director at GL Nobel Denton Composites in Flexible Pipe Pipelines: Flexibles

Bending tests

Replacing metal components with its strength. These are separated by 1) Bonded Thermoplastic loads and how we can design composites can potentially expand anti-wear layers to limit the effect of This involves replacing the metallic systems better so this crack initiation the operational envelope of flexible the wires rubbing against each other pressure armour of a typical flexible point is kept outside the design pipe. But can this be accomplished as the pipe moves. Lastly, an external pipe with a lightweight high strength limits. using a single solution or is more than fluid sheath protects the line from thermoplastic composite layer. one type design necessary? “The composite material is made

Pipelines: Flexibles damage. “In the design, we have retained the of two components – the polymer Over the years, flexible pipes The flexible pipe designs are suitable carcass layer for collapse and liner for and the fibre. The polymer has have established a track record in for a maximum depth of 2500m. fluid seep, but the flex lock is replaced already been qualified and so we are enhancing access to deepwater Their design pressures are broadly with a structure bonded directly to the presently looking at the interface with fields such as in the Gulf of Mexico, proportional to the pipe diameter. thermoplastic liner”, said Vineet Jha the fibre. Carbon fibres are designed Brazil and West Africa. They are Typically, an 8in (internal diameter) “This will provide enhanced chemical to be resistant, but as we are typically used for transfer lines, pipe can withstand pressures of resistance. The design has been designing a product for an extreme jumpers, risers and flowlines. around 10 000psi. optimised for small to medium sour wire, twice as strong as sweet happening within the pipe. We finished environment, we need to know the diameters up to 8in. It offers weight wire and smaller in cross section. As the concept stage many years ago, an safety margins when putting the fibre Wellstream has been looking at “As the industry looks to increasingly savings around 35-40%.” we can get the same tensile strength in now we are carrying out upscaling and under large stresses. This resulted in incorporating composite materials deeper waters, have been looking a smaller cross sectional layer, it is ten more dynamic testing. specific experiments that allow us to into unbonded flexible pipelines in to incorporate composites into the 2 Unbonded thermoset times lighter.” concentrate the stresses both at the the knowledge that the lower mass classical flexible pipe design in an The second design envisages “One specific challenge we face is fibre interface and the fibre itself, in can enhance the overall system attempt to expand its operational incorporating individual cured 3 Hybrid a lack of testing standards in the order to verify how it will behave. performance. In addition, composite envelope,” said Dr. Vineet Jha, thermoset wires into the body. The third idea is a combination of the industry. We, therefore, need work with materials have the potential to allow Wellstream Flexibles, Subsea Systems, two, incorporating both composite classification societies and develop a “There are some properties that improvements in operating pressure GE Oil and Gas. “We are intending to keep our first tensile armour as well as a bonded testing plan that is acceptable across are fibre-dominated and some that and temperatures while providing three layers the same – the carcass, liner. This design targets a 3km water the industry. Another specific area are matrix dominated. For example, 2 depth, 12 000psi and 8in diameter increased CO2 and H S resistance. “Rather than create an entirely new the barrier and the flex lock, and that needs attention, is developing a bending is more matrix-dominated. Most flexible lines have four basic pipe design, however, we are looking replace the final tensile armour layer, application. It has sour gas capability, standard end fitting that is suitable for layers. at incremental change by using ‘like for like’, with composite armour able to carry fluids at 120oC and a field bonded pipe. “If you were able to split a sample a toolbox approach. This means layers,” said Vineet Jha. “The efficient life of 25 years. into two halves and visualise the The inner metal carcass is designed adding materials to provide specific unidirectional fibres provide tensile “Having used an established end stresses in the fibre and matrix to provide collapse resistance. mechanical properties to an already reinforcement in pipes of greater “To extend the operational depth and fitting for tensile armour wire, we itself,you would be able to model This is covered by an impermeable established framework rather than diameters of 8in. reduce top-tension, we wanted to concluded that we could very easily the stress better. You would be able barrier layer which prevents fluids carry out a fundamental redesign. make the pipe as light as possible,” adapt this technology and apply it to to develop a good methodology in or gasses from passing through the “The composite is more chemically said Vineet Jha. “From our toolbox, we all offerings in the whole design space, terms of addressing the challenge. In pipe wall. Outside this are the various “There are three areas in which we are (sour fluid) resistant compared with selected the bonded layer because although there are aspects of dynamic the hybrid solution we are proposing, layers that afford the flexible line specifically looking. the metal. It is four times stronger than we thought it was the most suitable, testing that we still need to address we have to understand the based on experience and testing. and highlight. interaction between the composite Then we took the three metallic layers and the metals. and polymer from the unbonded side. “We can take the pipes to extreme Carcass Carcass Simply by doing this, we were halfway loads but what we really need to “We did a lot of finite element Bonded towards our desired weight savings. understand is how a crack initiates, analysis (FEA) modelling, especially Liner how it propagates and how external to study the composite - metallic Barrier “In order to bring this concept to parameters affect this. Is it possible layer interactions, as well as high Metallic Composite market, we need to apply solid design to duplicate on a smaller scale, how it temperature creep performance. pressure pressure tools backed up by experimental fails on a larger scale? armour armour data. These includes bend test as “By changing specific layers, we well as reeling pipe analysis. We not “After carrying out testing, we found need to understand failure mode. Carbon Tensile Tensile armour only want to predict collapse, but also that we were, in fact, able to duplicate Hopefully this will be completed armour understand the interaction of the metal this controlled collapse in a big pipe. soon layer with the composite layer. That gave us a distinct advantage Insulation Insulation because we were able to understand “We are also upscaling “Recently, we have taken this project its dynamics. We were then able manufacturing capacity for both 58 Sheath Sheath further to see how the modelling to develop an online monitoring solutions and the most important 59 approach can work in terms of technique to detect defects on this in have monitoring. We can offer to verifying the test. The incorporation product. some tool It will leverage our ability to of composites requires a slightly incorporate optic fibre and develop Composite Tensile Armour Composite with Carcass Smooth Bore different way of reeling, and we We now understand better how temperature and strain sensing going need to understand exactly what is composites are affected by extreme forward,” concluded Vineet Jha.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Carbon Fibre Flexibles Intervention pipe Pipelines: Flexibles

High strength thermoplastic carbon l Lightweight It is 90% lighter in point of view of field architecture “This method has a lot of capability, but ultra deepwaters. It has the potential on Thistle for Enquest. We have fibre pipe is a relatively new enabling seawater when compared with an and riser design engineer. it can not produce pipes particularly to make significant cost savings in been monitoring it closely in the technology with the potential to equivalent steel or non-bonded quickly, especially when producing at anything over 1500m. intervening time. Saudi Aramco make a significant impact in many flexiblebe “It also has a strain to failure high diameters. This problem can be are installing hydrocarbon-carrying areas of the subsea oil and gas l High pressure It has a pressure of 2.5%,”said Martin Jones. solved by producing lines in parallel. “The reason we are able to say this, M-Pipe jumpers later this year. sector. Its inherent properties make containment capacity up to 20ksi “Although we call this a ‘flexible is because it is light, flexible has the Pipelines: Flexibles it particularly applicable for the l High strain to failure Up to 2.5% pipe’, it cannot bend as much as “The way that the pipe is manufactured opportunity to save weight and cost, Intervention deepwater riser market, however, l Extremely high fatigue capability the non-bonded multi-layer pipe means that gives flexibility in particularly in deployment,”said Martin “We can take a third of the weight without a track record, operators have l Corrosion resistant to seawater, that the industry would normally both expansion and location of Jones. “While this of great benefit, of a standard drilling riser by simply

been so far reticent to become its first H2S and CO2 Pipe will be used in term ‘flexible’. “While its minimum manufacture,”said Martin Jones. “As it some of the natural frequencies of the replacing the utility lines. We also user. But has its time finally come? Northern Canada later this year in an bending radius (MBR) is larger, it facilities can be fairly easily relocated risers are getting close to the natural have the capacity to increase line

environment with 25% H2S is, however, still significantly more to carried the country in which it is frequencies of the waves that are diameters according to pressures “The industry isn’t good at adopting l Fatigue performance Unaffected by flexible than a steel equivalent. intended to be used, this adds to the causing problems. and depths. We have been working any new technology, and for a very sour service percentage of local manufacture that is on a project to supply boost lines good reason,” said Martin Jones, l Chemical compatibility “At present, there are very few a condition of some contracts.” “We have been working closely with a for Transocean. Our aim is to go CEO of the Portsmouth (UK)-based From the point of view of injecting thermoplastic carbon fibre number of installation contractors and from the drilling depths we are now, Magma with its M-Pipe. methanol, broadly speaking, the manufacturers, and we are all keen 3) End Fittings performed case studies such as on up into the 3–4000m drilling depths polymer is unaffected by these to promote the advantages of the A critical part of any pipe is how it is BP’s block 31. which are on the horizon.” said “We are in a dangerous business, chemicals. material” said Martin Jones. “We attached to another piece of equipment Martin Jones carrying dangerous fluids, and l High temperature operation up to differentiate from our competitors, in or another pipe. With other types “Nobody is going to put in a riser the consequences of failure are 200oC (392oF) and extremely high three main areas. pipe, the end fittings can be welded systems today using this,” conceded In the early days, Magma spent catastrophic. To date, however, we pressure. There is no knockdown or secured by incorporating them Martin Jones. “It is new technology. much of the development budget have carried out over 3400 tests and performance up to 150oC. 1) Materials into the pipe’s structure. This is not We need to take small steps and seeking to fully understand and fine have already succeeded in installing l High resistance to “We use both an industrial strength always suitable with thermoplastic let operators become familiar with tune its manufacturing process and the technology elsewhere in the All the tests so far have shown that carbon fibre carbon fibre and a carbon fibre. Magma has, therefore, the technology. Our strategy is ensuring the design tools could subsea sector. there is neither permeation, nor the very high grade polymer called considered a number of end fitting to concentrate on other smaller reflect the performance. It carried blistering that is a feature of other PEEK”said Martin Jones. “We have designs. applications such as jumper spools out over 1000 tests for the pipe end “We are monitoring these applications polymers. a strong strategic relationship with and intervention lines, while slowly fittings. closely and hope they will give the l Virtually indestructible from effects Victerex that makes 80% of the “We have tried to avoid any sort of accumulating familiarity and a subsea market a greater confidence in the of rapid gas world’s PEEK bonding between composite and track record.” “We have taken a leaf our of technology and form a bridgehead its l Low thermal conductivity around metallic components. Experiments the Information Technology use in risers and flowlines.” 4W/mK, compared with 50 W/mK for 2) Build have shown that they don’t fit well Jumper Spools industry,”said Martin Jones. “When carbon steel – 10 to 12 times lower “The way we manufacture the in terms of thermal expansion and “The driver for the jumper spools developing design tools,we have Thermoplastic carbon fibre properties l Better erosion and wear resistance material is more like the way a 3D modulus,”said Martin Jones. “Instead, is exactly the same – it can be put adopted an open source approach. reads like a of desired compared to steel The thermoplastic printer deposits material rather than we have taken advantage of a property incorporated in replacement of a riser We have an aggressive development performance characteristics for a riser is often used as a bearing material, so a conventional composite pipe is of manufacturing and built up the end base spool,” said Martin Jones. programme and our strategy is to material. it has a well documented performance produced. of the pipe. This has allowed us to share the design tools with operators record. create a system based on a collar that “There are a lot of issues around riser and engineering consultants. l “It builds up a monolithic structure slides over the fitting to create a solid base spools in Angola. While they M-pipe in diameters used for risers Smoother bore. Reduced pressure drop compared to steel (20%) from the inside to the outer surface. mechanical lock. currently use heavy steel structures, “We are also working to qualify We use a combination of robots and we can provide pipe flexible enough in the M-Pipe through joint industry “In practical terms, these advantages lasers to deposit 0.2mm layers at a “To achieve the seal between the standard lengths, to take it down and products (JIPs ) and develop may be actually disadvantageous in time. The carbon fibre is the same composite and the steel ending, we bend it into place. That is big driver thermoplastic composite riser some applications,”admitted Martin industrial grade material that is employ a gasket. We use a rig to for operators looking for standardised guidance notse targetting API, DNV Jones. “It is light weight but pretty used on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. preload the end fitting by gripping the systems. GL,etc, standard.” much neutrally buoyant in water. There is a cost penalty with this, but collar and forcing it onto the flange. This means that sending a gas slug we can live with that.” Once this is relaxed, the assembly “We first used this system in 2012 through it may effectively make it forms a perfect seal. for a simple quasi static for jumper End fittings buoyant. This process allows the pipe to be strengthened locally. The Applications “It is probably cheaper, wall thickness is unlimited by the 426040 however, to add weight manufacturing process and can be Magma has focused on 3 main 61 than it would be for a changed along the length of the applications for its M-Pipe. heavier pipe to add pipe, potentially allowing the design buoyancy, however,it to build in bend stiffeners. The Riser does present a different diameter of the pipe that can be This technology can be seen as a set of challenges for the produced is between 2–24ins. useful enabler for riser systems in

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Bonded Flexibles

The main alternative to the unbonded These provide the line with pressure “Collapse resistance is easy to understand. flexible line is bonded pipe. In resistance. These are separated by If you go deeper, you have high pressure as this, the various layers are such cushion layers to prevent abrasion. at some point, external pressure is likely to as steel, fabric and elastomer are Numerous layers may be then laid exceed the internal pressure. The internal bonded together, often by means over this, including another breaker carcass has to be verified for resistance to of a vulcanisation. Its characteristic layer, followed by a rubber cover collapse induced by gas as well as external Pipelines: Flexibles advantage is its extremely low and sometimes, a metallic outer pressures. These can be destructive or non- ContiTech Oil & Marine Hoses minimum bending radius (MBR) wrap, serving as external mechanical destructive.” when utilizing tailor made technology protection. This is often covered by a A broad range of high performance Maximum reliability and performance hoses, hose lines & complete transport for our customers is guaranteed thick rubberised coating denoted as This testing is carried out in a pressurised and design. systems for oil and marine applications with our state of the art manufacture embedded moonpool protection chamber containing metrology instruments in the world’s most harsh operating and hoses to all relevant API Bonded lines are used in a variety to detect these changes as the pressure conditions. standards. of applications in the oil and marine “These number and type of layer increases. sector. These include choke and selected in the design depends on the Tailor made solutions specific to your project. kill lines as well as large diameter requirement,” said András Gáspár, “Permeability is of key importance because www.contitech-oil-marine.com hoses (up to 30in) that can be used Head of Oil Hose R&D Department at of through the liner,” said András for dredging, mud and cement Contitech. “Designs carrying pressured Gáspár. “The potential for rapid gas conduits, production systems and fluids, for example, require internal decompression has an important effect on especially the floating discharge reinforcement while others in deep the design. Once we have selected suitable hoses that are used to transfer water have to resist external pressure plastic and rubber lined material, these Continental_AD_SUT_magazin_OK.indd 1 2014.06.26. 17:48 oil from FPSOs to shuttle tankers as well. are rigorously tested in a diffusion cell so or catenary anchor leg mooring we are confident about the diffusion and “Another test we carry out is the “Prototypes are then mechanically tested is designed to extract polymetallic (CALM) export buoys. “Floating product transfer hoses may permeation rate of the specific design. The small scale blistering test. These on rigs. These include pressure and nodules such as nickel, copper, incorporate a double carcass system. goal during this development stage is to small scale tests act as a good deformation test, cycle pulsation test, Low cobalt; manganese crusts (mainly In the event that the primary carcass create some liner material that acts as a gas substitute for full scale tests. and ambient temperature bending test, cobalt, vanadium, molybdenum, Cover Reinforcement Layers fails the secondary carcass remains barrier or mitigate the gas flux to a minimum burst test, gas exposure tests, survival platinum and sulphide deposits such intact. Having been unstressed prior level. Gas diffusion may occur even in “The hose’s metallic elements are tests and fire tests. as copper, lead, zinc gold and silver Breaker layer to the failure the secondary carcass those materials that have typically very low also tested. The steel cabling mesh from the sea bed. Liner has all the required strength and permeability, it is only a matter of time. couplings and the internal carcass Case Study 1 containment capabilities to take are examined in detail by finite “In one case, we were required to develop These are gathered by the Seafloor over, thus containing the oil and element analysis modelling, for a hose able to fit in tight spaces. Statoil Mining Tool ( SMT) and pumped to a preventing oil spillage and associated crack propagation and fatigue that wanted to upgrade a Njord blow out surface production vessel. Connecting environmental damage.” may have an effect over the lifetime. preventer (BOP) stack from 5kpsi to 10kpsi. the two, are a 10in vertical riser with There was, however, a very limited space water injection lines. Developing bonded flexible pipes for Test rig around the lower marine riser package. the offshore industry requires them Continental were asked to design a having to conform with a variety of a “Conventional hoses are normally hose that could connect the moving design verification codes take into fairly straight, but about 10 years ago, vehicle with the vertical riser. This had account various parameters. This Continental came up with an idea that if to be very flexible and withstand the requires material qualification as well as “S” we modified the technology, we would be abrasive slurry being passed through Cushion Layers small scale testing. shape able to cure hoses in preformed shape. the inside. Located in 2500ft of water, Parts of a bonded flexible pipe This would gives extremely low operational any downtime for hose replacement A typical bonded pipe consists of a These tests include looking at the minimum bending radii. would be significant so it was number of basic units that can be mechanical properties, adhesion (to important to know the life expectancy assembled together. Inner carcasses rubber), fluid compatibility, swelling, A 3in, 10 000psi of a preformed choke of the liner. provide internal strength. These may aging, fatigue behaviour, blistering and kill line could have an MBR of as little be surrounded by an impervious liner resistance, fluid permeability, brittleness as 0.6m (2ft) – compared with an already “We developed a line with the in order to retain the fluids. Outside temperature and abrasion resistance. small normal bonded pipe radius of 1.3m. necessary bending radius and tested this is a breaker layer that dissipates The MBR of a 15 000psi-rated 3in it by constructing a ‘Catherine Wheel’ the internal pressure load. “The type of test selected depends on preformed choke and kill line is only just rig containing a slurry composed of the specific application,” said András larger at as 1m (3.25ft),” said András abrasive particles similar to those it will The Solwara Project. The flexibility is provided by a Gáspár. “For lines designed for use in Gáspár. The eventual line was designed be eventually required to carry. 62 Image: Nautilus 63 number of helically and counter- the Arctic Circle, for example, the most where other configurations would not have helically wound fibre reinforcement important property would be flexibility fitted. Based on these tests, we have layers. Most of the cases these are below -40 or -50oC. In such a case, estimated that the liner we designed stainless steel cables with tailor low temperature testing would be more Case Study 2 would have a life of 5 years before made construction. important than collapse testing. The Nautilus deep sea mining project replacement.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Equipment S-Boom Geophysical

cNODE transponders chosen for Ivory Field conductor anchor node Systems The Ivory field, operated by , One cNODE transponder was Equipment is located in the Norwegian Sea, interfaced to an Ashtead external gyro license PL528 near the Aasta package providing heading, pitch and By harnessing the combined power of three of their Hansteen development in just over roll. For redundancy two additional AA202 Boomer Plates to provide a single pulse, the 1400m of water. Prior to the Q4 cNODE transponders equipped with 2014 drilling campaign a suction Multi Sensor Modules, including high Applied Acoustics’ S-Boom System is re-defining conductor anchor node (CAN) was accuracy inclinometers, were fitted to the boundaries of shallow seismic surveying. Already installed with SSBL by DOF Subsea, the top of the CAN. recognised for producing high resolution seabed to a tolerance of better than ±10m in profiles, the fusion of these three transducers delivers absolute position and ±1.0 degree in A dedicated APOS survey operator a source level high enough to significantly increase inclination. station is installed in the online room to allow shared use of the HIPAP sub-bottom penetration without loss of data quality. between DP and survey. The cNODE transponders were Shallow water seismic reflection surveys interrogated in “Fast track” mode. Deep penetration >200mtr Simultaneous update of position Ultra high resolution <0.25mtr and sensor data for all of cNODE Clean, stable, repeatable pulse signature transponders was acquired every Single and multi channel streamer compatible 3 seconds in 1400m of water. Data from the gyro package and the +44 (0)1493 440355 : [email protected] : www.appliedacoustics.com inclinometers are embedded in the cNode on deck normal navigation pulse, and don’t S-Boom ad_UT2.indd 1 08/02/2012 16:58:28 require any extra telemetry messages to be transmitted.

The suction CAN was installed in its final position within tolerance. Low Cost Beacon The position, gyro and inclinometer After final installation the transponders data was telemetered acoustically and gyro package were recovered A new, compact and lightweight continuously from the time the from the CAN and an LBL array of acoustic release beacon has been suction can was hung into the water, 8 Kongsberg transponders, were launched by Applied Acoustic throughout the lowering and for the installed for the next phase of the Engineering (AAE). The model, the ROV vicsnap entire suction operation. In addition project. omni-directional 1519, is part of the As the contracted construction the gyro package displayed the company’s 1500 series that employs support vessel “Normand Reach” heading pitch and roll on an ROV LED The shared use of the vessels HiPAP spread spectrum technology for was equipped with a Dual HiPAP display. as a DP and construction survey tool added ‘uplink’ reliability. 501 SSBL/LBL acoustic positioning enhances operational efficiencies, by system, cNODE transponders Below from the online room during the providing high speed positioning and The release beacon can be operating with CYMBAL digital operation. This is the control room for communication of target transponders, operated by both the Applied Release beacon ranging and telemetry were chosen the two Kystdesign Constructor Work when the ROV is on deck and without Acoustics’ Easytrak USBL system to meet the positioning and attitude Class ROV systems and for the survey the need for a dedicated over the side and a dedicated PAM 3510 acoustic listening life up to 12 months, ensure Predominantly intended for use tolerance of the CAN installation. team. transducer pole. command/configure unit. The PAM the release beacon is ideal for long with their naval search and rescue 3510 has the added advantage term environmental and metocean dive teams, JMSDF also specified of being convenient for on-deck observations in waters down to 400m. over four hundred of AAE’s 210 cNodes over board operations as it is housed in a water- Earlier this year, Japan Maritime Self Micro/Remote transponders as proof, rugged case with a clear LCD Defence Force (JMSDF) took final the ideal beacon to attach to its display. delivery of an unprecedented contract divers. for a large number of USBL tracking The 1519 Acoustic release beacon systems and associated equipment. The contract award, issued in has a safe working load of 75kg conjunction with Toyo Corporation, (including a 4x factor of safety) and Following sea trials in Japan and a AAE’s exclusive representatives 64 a nylon release block incorporating competitive tender process early in for Japan, is AAE’s single biggest 65 a positive drive-off mechanism 2013, JMSDF took the decision to contract to date, and reaffirms the that is field proven to have a low invest in more than one hundred of company’s position as a leading susceptibility to biofouling. AAE’s Alpha Portable USBL systems, manufacturer of subsea acoustic one year after receiving an initial systems for commercial and Long life alkaline batteries, with a shipment of seven systems. military applications.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Equipment

DeepOcean selects Leopard ROV

DeepOcean has selected Saab

Equipment Seaeye’s new Leopard ROV for its new vessels. Rick Green,regional manager Netherlands at DeepOcean explained the reasoning.

“Environmentally we wanted an electric vehicle - yet one with work class performance,” said Rick TMT ROV Green. “For our application, the aboard six vessels, with the first Leopard gives us the equivalent The new Leopard, with 11 Two Total Marine Technology ROVs services such as drill support, capability of a much larger hydraulic thrusters and iCON technology has recently passed deepwater two ROVs installed aboard the new heavy construction, maintenance, work class vehicle.” acceptance tests to 3000m in the Sapura/Seadrill pipelay vessel, the and pipeline laying and inspection. With a one tonne through-frame lift The iCON North Atlantic ocean. Sapura Diamante. The Typhoon The TMT Typhoon MK2 ROV is He noted that with eight horizontal capability and a four-point docking architecture also MK2 ROVs were designed and built capable of operating at up to thrusters and three vertical thrusters system for tooling skids, more gives clear and The Typhoon MK2 ROVs are now on in Perth, Western Australia by TMT. 3000m. the Leopard can hold steady in demanding payloads can be added to enhanced information their way to Brazil as part of a five Installation on the vessels is taking strong cross-currents. In addition, the Leopard as needed. whilst independently year contract with the giant Brazilian place place in Rotterdam. TMT is the only company its large open payload bay allows managing each device on the vehicle, energy company, Petrobras. designing and building work class for ample tooling and survey Designed with the pilot in mind, the including auto redundancy that will From its facility in Perth, TMT has ROVs in Australia, and who also sensors to be installed on sliding Leopard has many inventive features keep the ROV working even with In total 12 TMT built Typhoon MK2 built the heavy work class Typhoon provide offshore ROV operation trays for rapid reconfiguration and to make life easier for the operator in multiple equipment damage. ROVs are destined for Brazil, installed MK2 ROV and provided deepwater services. easy maintenance. the field.

The combination of new chassis The pilot will find that the iCON MODUS takes delivery of ROV design, iCON intelligent architecture intelligent control system delivers with building-block capability, and better handling characteristics - Modus Seabed Intervention has taken exceptional power, means that more including pitch and roll stabilisation delivery of a new 150hp HD ROV complete interchangeable equipment can be for the best quality survey data - and with Launch and Recovery System (LARS) fitted than ever before in a vehicle of offers stable flight even when large from Schilling Robotics in Davis, California. this size. tools and sensors are deployed. The 3000m rated 150hp work-class ROV is a high performance vehicle and will be deployed by Modus across the range of its subsea operations in IRM (Inspection, Repair and Maintenance), survey, drilling and general construction support.

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DeepOcean’s Leopard will be deployed aboard the MV Deep Helder,

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Equipment

Seabotix vLBV Reaches 100 Outland SeaBotix has recently recorded the sale of its 100th Outland Technology has unveiled its latest ROV model, controller. The new hand controller includes depth, head- vectored Little Benthic Vehicle ROV or vLBV as it is the Outland 2000. Boasting twice the power and heavier ing (compass or gyro), cruise controls, and an option for known. payload of the Outland 1000, this model comes with a larger altimeter depth control. There is also an option to show frame that allows for even more room to add various tools CP contact or proximity readings on the screen. The vLBV was launched in 2011 and was the brainchild and sonars. of SeaBotix’ Senior Vice President Jesse Rodocker whose vision was to address the subsea industry’s need for a “Demand for the new Outland 2000 has been swift out small, easily deployable, compact ROV with adjustable the gate,” remarked Outland Vice President Jeffrey angle (vectored) thrusters in order to complement and Mayfield. “Two units were sold before the design of advance the capability of the well- the unit was even complete.” established SeaBotix ROV range in the offshore With the introduction of the Outland 2000, the company environment. also revamped the console for both models and made them modular, meaning one for high voltage (power The 100th SeaBotix unit) and one for low voltage (control unit). The mod- vLBV system will els also feature a brand new hand controller and tool be delivered to the Centre for Earth Observation Sciences (CEOS) Seatronics Gravitates Towards Saturn at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Aberdeen-based global rental and marine technology MacArtney upgrades MMT FOCUS-2 The purchase was supply company Seatronics has placed an order with MacArtney has performed a major upgrade of two funded by The Teledyne TSS for 12 of the new Saturn 30 subsea FOCUS-2 ROTV systems belonging to Swedish marine Canada Foundation attitude and heading reference systems (AHRS). GAPS in Mexico survey contractor, MMT. Both vehicles have been for Innovation Seatronics has also taken options on a further 38-units fitted with new state-of-the-art equipment to carry out project and sold which takes the total projected purchase to 50 systems. C&C Technologies, a prominent survey and mapping geophysical survey missions for clients within oil, gas and through MacArtney service provider for the land and offshore oil and gas renewable energy industries. Underwater Technology The new Saturn systems industry, has purchased the iXBlue fourth-generation Group’s Ocean Science are available in two GAPS USBL acoustic positioning system for the versions with surface company’s Mexico division. This will be the first time the Complementing the side scan sonar and sub bottom Department as part of a SeaBotix vLBV profiler already onboard, the MMT FOCUS-2 systems consolidated delivery of scientific and subsea models for system is directly available to customers in Mexico. have been fully equipped with a multibeam echo sounder, subsea equipment. each. an inertial navigation system and a doppler velocity The Saturn 10 systems The new system, which was launched by iXBlue early in log. These upgrades entail that a complete subsea The 300m (1000 ft.) capable vLBV is are designed to 2014, will be used to track subsea systems in shallow geophysical survey can be carried out at a speed of tested and rated for operations in sub- support the offshore and deep waters in the Gulf of Mexico and to support 6 knots and down to a water depth of 400m, with the zero conditions and will be used for bio-optical studies construction, ROV, a range of other subsea applications such as onboard MacArtney control systems and software working under ice in the Arctic. The system will be delivered surface navigation ROVs, subsea equipment placement, and diver to ensure vehicle stability and optimal data gathering complete with a range of scientific tools including and multibeam survey operations. conditions. Spectral radiance and irradiance sensors, CTD probe, sectors where reliability, Tritech MicronNav USBL tracker, two coloir cameras, competitive pricing and As part of the formal qualification program, Technical director of MMT, Martin grabber and additional inverted Valeport VA500 altimeter performance are essential. C&C staff put the new GAPS system through Wikmar, said: “The fully equipped for assisting in measurement of depth under ice. a number of challenging test scenarios. The FOCUS-2 systems will provide The Saturn 30 is designed results were extremely positive. For example, our clients with quality, high The SeaBotix vLBV ROV will be the central workhorse for as a solid-state attitude C&C Technologies was able to track and resolution data collected at field data collection of the new Arctic Biogeochemical and heading reference position a transponder, moving through very a higher survey speed than Optics Laboratory (ABOL), funded through the Canada system (AHRS) for primary shallow waters (2–3 m depth) to a range of offered by, for example, Foundation for Innovation – John R. Evans Leaders Fund surface and subsea 1 300 m. This is a level of performance that a fully equipped ROV and the province of Manitoba, Canada. ABOL will be navigation. It is a compact other commercially available equipment operating at the same a state-of-the-art facility embedded within, able to fully and highly reliable unit would struggle to achieve. water depth. This makes exploit light-matter interactions for environmental research which makes it ideal for 68 the FOCUS-2 system a very in ice-covered waters using a combination of field all sizes of vessel and Critically for C&C’s requirements in Mexico, 69 cost efficient solution for observations and laboratory studies. especially for smaller the unit is suitable for deep water (greater cable route surveys, offshore craft where space is than 4000 m) and very shallow water (less wind farms surveys and pipeline MacArtney Underwater Technology Group helped design at a premium. than 10 m) environments. The system can inspection”. and meet the final specifications required for the fully also be deployed from noisy vessels and in reflective environments such as harbours. Upgraded Focus 2 integrated bio-optical ROV system. Saturn 30 AHRS GAPS

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Equipment

3D sub-bottom profiler delivered to China Imaging Seminars Advanced MacArtney TRIAXUS ROTV for CSIRO

The Teledyne Marine Acoustic presentations presented by industry MacArtney has supplied a Currently undergoing the final Equipment Imaging Group, consisting of experts, hands-on classroom training, TRIAXUS remotely operated stages of construction, the highly RESON, BlueView and Odom and live demo workshops. towed underwater vehicle to the advanced CSIRO research vessel, Hydrographic, has opened Commonwealth Scientific and Investigator, is bound to provide a registration for Underwater During the classroom training and Industrial Research Organisation significant contribution to Australia’s Technology Seminars (UTS), taking live demo workshops, you will have (CSIRO), Australia’s national science ocean research capacity and place in Hamburg, Boston and an up-close experience with the agency, and one of the largest and deliver increased opportunity Singapore. The first seminar in 2014 latest software releases of PDS2000, most diverse agencies in the world. for participation in research has already taken place in Qiandao ProViewer, ProMapper and other programmes at a global scale. Lake, April 15-16 in China with more industry leading software suppliers, The TRIAXUS underwater vehicle than 115 delegates participating. as well as in-depth training in our will be utilised on Australia’s Marine Beyond the MacArtney TRIAXUS range of shallow water echosounder National Facility research vessel, the system, the Investigator will feature At the 3-day seminars in Hamburg and sonar systems. Last but not the Investigator. a broad range of scientific systems and Boston the theme is: least; we have planned entertainment and equipment to support scientists Hydrography in Harbours and Inland events hospitality arrangements, This instrument will be used in a in oceanography, climatology, The surface towed GeoChirp 3D incorporating a chirp sub-bottom profiler, 60 channel Waters as well as Dredge Guidance providing a favorable platform to diverse range of oceanographic fisheries, marine ecosystem, receive array together with GPS and MRU positioning solutions. and Construction Support. mingle with other attendees in an research activities. Currently environmental and geoscientific informal environment. fitted with a CTD, laser optical research. GeoChirp 3D high resolution sub- and locating buried objects in un- Over the years, Teledyne have plankton counter, transmissometer, bottom profiler provides three exploded ordnance –surveys. developed a broad product “We are continually considering fluorescence and PAR sensors, According to Ocean Science Sales dimensional acoustical images of The First Institute of Oceanography portfolio that covers all aspects ways in which we can improve our the TRIAXUS is well suited to many Manager, Hans Jørgen Hansen: shallow sub-seabed structures and (FIO), in Qingdao is its first of hydrographic, dredging seminars and have meticulously aspects of plankton research, “MacArtney is delighted to see its buried objects. It transfers the well- commercial customer. and construction work within incorporated feedback from however, utilising the CTD the TRIAXUS system contribute to the established principles of conventional harbours and shallow water inland participants in 2013. This year TRIAXUS is also intended to be capacity of such an illustrious vessel 3D reflection seismics, used in China’s internationally reputed applications. The company argues we will offer an interesting insight used in investigations of frontal and is keen to continue its close hydrocarbon exploration, to high research institution is looking that the best people to explain the into the world of technical and features, air sea interactions and and long-standing cooperation with resolution chirp sub-bottom profiler forward to applying the state benefits are the actual users. It business opportunities that arise much more. CSIRO.” technology. of the art technology in its line has, therefore, invited a selection of from Multibeam Echosounders, 2D of research. The system has industry speakers to tell their story Forward Looking Sonars and 3D It has been used in a wide variety been originally developed at the and share their experiences and Mechanical Scanning Sonars used of applications including marine National Oceanography Centre, results. for shallow water surveys.” said archaeology, imaging buried wrecks Southampton, UK with support from Tim Lysholt Jensen, Executive Vice of historical importance in the UK; Kongsberg GeoAcoustics, who now Each event is designed around President, Marketing and Product marine geology, researching landslide have made this unique technology three main components: paper Management. mechanisms in Norwegian Fjords available in the commercial market.

70 71 A buried object consisting of a small metal plate attached to a wooden pole as imaged by the 3D high resolution sub-bottom profiler. The 3D data volume is represented by two vertical and one horizontal slice through the sub-seafloor, revealing the Images Seminars abiard a vessel The TRIAXUS vehicle geometry of the buried object in great detail.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Equipment

US Navy Purchases 4 Iver3 AUVs and Modernises 3 Iver2 Systems

OceanServer Technology announced today that it has Equipment received orders for four new Iver3 autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) across three different US Navy contracts. The new vehicles will include two standard Iver3-580 units and two new Iver3-450 Nano AUVs. The Iver3 Nano AUVs represent a new class of very small lightweight AUVs weighing less than 39lbs with modern chirp based sonar.

Two new Iver3-580 systems have already been delivered to the Navy EOD Group and the other 2 will be delivered within the next few months to the The Naval Oceanography Special Warfare Center (NOSWC). OceanServer will also modernise three older Iver2 systems with higher resolution sonar and new DVL units that improve navigation and collect current profile data. The Iver platform has gained strong acceptance from Navy customers around the world for high resolution imaging in littoral waters.

OceanServer continues to lead the AUV industry in driving costs lower while offering world class sonar solutions from five different recognised vendors. The flexible vehicle design also allows for a wide range of water quality sensors, remote helm applications and in-water communications.

The Iver Platform All Iver AUV models come standard with OceanServer’s VectorMap Mission Planning and Data Presentation tool, which provides geo-registered data files that can be easily exported to other software analysis tools. This unique AUV design has enabled OceanServer to carve out a very strong position in the research space for AUVs, sensors and behavioural studies.

The VectorMap program can input NOAA ENCs or any geo-referenced charts, maps or photo images, allowing the operator to intuitively develop AUV missions using simple point-and-click navigation. The base vehicle, with a starting price at just over $50,000 gives university, government and commercial users an affordable base-platform for sensor development or survey applications in water quality, sub- surface security and general research.

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UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Outstanding Applications Equipment Reliable imaging and ancillary equipment. We understand your underwater needs. #whatsyouruse SeaBotix ROV ROV Remote Control Gemini NBI sonar image of a cable being trenched > In the majority ROV operations, Image courtesy of Subsea Dredging & Excavation Equipment strategic decisions are not made on The console site, but in remote offices. inside the vehicel In large scale offshore operations, #dredging #excavation video and data information displayed Visit: www.tritech.co.uk on the pilot’s screen can be sent to discover more. around the world. Engineers can, therefore, view the information remotely in real time. If they see Booth 16 anything of particular interest, they Visit us on can transmit instructions back to the ROV operator on site. Some platform at Hypack control rooms are large enough for 13 – 16 January engineers to sit near the pilot and control of the operations directly. UK • NORTH AMERICA • BRAZIL Visit us on:

While useful, however, this facility has been unavailable to much smaller clients chair is equipped with its own contains a computer to record dive scale inshore operations. Until now. viewing monitor. It is aimed at controlling logs and edit video recording. External Benthic Pelagic Solutions (BPSL) has underwater operations in onshore, security cameras and night lights are developed a mobile control facility inshore and coastal applications included for external onsite security that can supply a real time video and SEACON in (SC21) Initiative Ice Core Drilling Winch data feed from the ROV’s camera, to “As long as we can receive a mobile The facilities allow radio any device at any location. telecommunications signal from a 3G communications between the pilot SEACON (europe) is now a MacArtney has supplied an intelligent network, we can broadcast the our video and support officer when performing signatory of the SC21 initiative. SC21 and rugged ice core drilling winch The company has developed a picture,” said Paul Obernay, managing launch and recovery operations. incorporates over 100 high profile solution to British Antarctic Survey fully self contained Road Mobile director of Benthic Pelagic Solutions. There is also a wireless video partners companies committed to (BAS). The winch will be used to Underwater Robotic Vehicle Unit. transmission link between a diving this innovative change program deploy the new BAS rapid access This professionally converted Ford “The telecommunications link up carried supervisor and divers. It also includes that is designed to accelerate the isotope drill (RAID) which is able to Transit is equipped to an offshore out using voice over internet protocol a marine VHF Radio base station for competitiveness by raising the complete a complete 600m drilling standard and provides personnel (VOIP), allows verbal communications communications. performance of its supply chain. cycle in just one week, before being and control system full environmental at the same time as the video link to redeployed at the next drilling location. protection from the weather and total multiple officers in different locations. The generator and umbilical reel can This will result in members becoming privacy from public onlookers. be mounted onto a trailer and towed far more competitive in the The drill will collect ice chippings, “One example of its value might if a behind the vehicle. This enables international markets by the delivery which can be used for isotope It is designed to accommodate container ship has struck a quayside,” several miles of canal bank to be of more competitive solutions, whilst analysis and climate profiling, a pilot, co-pilot and two client said Paul Obernay. “Both the ship searched very quickly with a fixed maintaining profitable business and leave an access hole to allow representatives in comfort, seated owners and the port authority would umbilical length, minimising the risk growth. deployment of a temperature sensing in swivel captain’s chairs. One need to assess the damage. This facility of snagging during a long excursion cable. Both types of investigation and would allow them to work together and search. SCE is keen to demonstrate analysis will be used to identify good Rear of Vehicle do this simultaneously, providing real this move is one that will have a sites to find old ice. time instructions to the pilot if necessary. The facility has recently returned from significant affect in the form of the first phase of a UK showcase tour operational improvements, increased The entire winch system, including “Another example of this could be when and a systems test at Tritech’s base competitiveness and lower set-up a demountable cable sheave pole performing nearshore inspection of a at Ulverston who provided technical times to name just a few of the benefits and the integrated sledge, is made pipeline or telecoms cable when damage support. of SC21. from aluminium and designed to be is suspected to have taken place as a SEACON (europe)’s ‘OPTI-CON’ optical extremely light and compact. result of a previous incident. This would Road Mobile Underwater Robotic SEACON’s marketing manager, hybrid, dry-mate connector range require real-time decision making on Vehicle Unit Melanie Harrison says “Our The MacArtney ice core drilling the rectification from an office participation in SC21 will allow us to winch system is designed for speed, 74 based management team.” understand better how the industry SC21 signatories are all committed to accuracy, safety and operational 75 will be changing in the future, keep us a collaborative culture, the delivery simplicity empowered by In addition to the up to date with developments which of innovation throughout the supply automated functions and control system and in turn will enable us to continue to chain and above all strong leadership, drilling modes. viewing screens, be pro-active and wherever possible business integrity and an increased pace of change. Ice core drilling the console ahead of the curve.” winch system

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 For a demonstration, call Imenco is an EPC contractor to the maritime sector providing mechanical and electronic equipment along +44 (0)1224 701749 with bespoke engineering solutions to major oil, subsea and drilling companies worldwide. Equipment imenco.com

World’s largest inland port 4-year Salvage Contract

The Port of Duisburg is located at used single beam echosounder to James Fisher Defence (JFD) awarded Equipment the confluence of Rhine and Ruhr the wide swath bathymetry system four-year enabling contract to provide two major shipping arteries that link GeoSwath Plus. The system provides ROV support and services to Ministry central European industry as well as full bathymetry coverage of the harbour of Defence’s Salvage and Marine consumers to the seaports on the Operations team. Smart Solutions for basins with unprecedented resolution, North Sea coast. Occupying an area while at the same time cutting down on of 3350 acres including 21 basins survey time. The contract affords S&MO 24-hour, with a total size of 450 acres, the on-demand access to JFD’s Engineering Port of Duisburg moves more than The side scan data that is co-registered Support Cell for specialist support 120 million tons of goods per year. with the system can also be used with ROV maintenance, mobilisation, to detect debris as well as mapping operations, provision of spares and Duisport – Duisburg Hafen AG, the bottom types. The data provides the equipment hire services. Technical owner of the public Port of Duisburg basis for monitoring and maintaining support, advice and expertise will be OBSERVING has decided to upgrade their the most important asset of a port, its provided to S&MO by an Inchinnan- survey capability from a previously basins and shipping channels. based team of eight personnel which includes ROV Pilots, ROV Technicians, Subsea equipment subsea engineers, project engineers and project managers.

Eiva in India EIVA is expanding its activities in India. As a result, EIVA has entered into an agreement with Pan India Consultant, Sea LED 300 making it authorised EIVA reseller. A high output LED panel for ROV and In recent years, EIVA has seen continuous growth in the demand for its inspection points. Fitted with the latest hardware and software solutions from the international offshore industry. This quality LEDs producing increased has led to a number of new authorised lifespan compared to the traditional resellers throughout the world. The most recent addition to this list is Pan India Halogen and HID lights. The Sea LED Consultants headquartered in Gurgaon. 300 can be delivered with different lens Survey using a wide swath bathymetry system GeoSwath Plus angles and the light output is easily regulated from 0-100% with either SeeByte launches SeeTrack Military V4 Triac, 0-10V DC or RS232 and RS485. SeeTrack Military, now in use by 19 world navies, is to benefit from improved capabilities. These capabilities include the ability to concurrently plan and monitor multiple missions for multiple assets from a single shared user interface. It also allows a user to post-process and store the data in a shared database and visualise it in both GIS and sensor specific displays.

The software is built using a Service Orientated Architecture and provides users a simple software development kit. Operators are able to operate and 76 integrate new AUVs, diver hand-held systems, ROVs and 77 towfish sonars using a common interface. For further information call us on +44 (0)1224 701749, Military users are offered simple to use and powerful contact management databases compatible with popular tactical decision level software suites. Compatibility with or email [email protected] quoting UT06. Version 3 of the software is preserved. SeeTrack Military

UT2 June July 2014 AVIATION | DIVING | ENGINEERINGBathymetry &of DEVELOPMENT harbour basin. | LIFTING & HANDLING | SUBSEA | WORKSHOP UT2 June July 2014

IME-14-0008-UT2-pub-jun-2014.indd 1 30/04/2014 16:12 SonarWiz Side Scan Sonar Chesapeake Technology has Following the successful integration of Equipment upgraded its flagship software Sonardyne’s Solstice Side Scan Sonar with SonarWiz processing with the a Bluefin Robotics Bluefin-12 Autonomous addition of a Real-Time Acquisition Underwater Vehicle (AUV), the results of recent Server for the EdgeTech 4600 and payload testing have produced higher quality LUXUS Dropplate recently introduced EdgeTech 6205 imagery than that currently available from interferometric bathymetry systems. conventional sonar. MacArtney has developed the new is achieved using a LUXUS Multi Media LUXUS Dropplate – a simple and Controller and a Kevlar TV cable - while The EdgeTech bathymetry systems Solstice surveyed this PLEM during the trial. It innovative underwater camera integrated lifting handles make for are unique in the industry offering provided an excellent target to showcase the platform enabling marine operators easy deployment and recovery of the advanced wide swath bathymetry resolution and contrast performance of the side to perform instant and effective system. A small MacArtney hand winch with no nadir gap and true co- scan sonar. underwater investigations by can also be used. registered dual frequency side scan Solstice surveyed this PLEM during the trial. It means of three LUXUS Power LED sonar. SonarWiz now not only offers provided an excellent target to showcase the lights and any LUXUS camera. The LUXUS Dropplate is primarily data processing for the EdgeTech resolution and contrast performance of the side Manufactured from high density targeted towards oceanographic and interferometric bathymetric data, scan sonar. polyethylene with a frame shielding basic inspection applications. The but the ability to collect and map the onboard cameras and lights from system provides a flexible, off-the- real-time bathy data along with the The most recent trials of the Bluefin-12 AUV impacts on the seafloor, the LUXUS shelf alternative to custom built towed side scan data. It opens a whole new with integrated Solstice were conducted from Dropplate provides the ruggedness systems and traditional drop cameras. simpler way to collect and visualize Bluefin Robotics’ headquarters in Quincy, and stability needed for performing the data in real-time. Massachusetts, where the AUV was deployed any basic visual inspection task in This versatility in applications, coupled from Bluefin’s vessel, the R/V Resolution, to harsh underwater environments. with minimal deployment and handling perform short missions around the Boston requirements, make the LUXUS Harbour area in approximately 15 metres of The LUXUS Dropplate does not Dropplate an extremely flexible and water. Each mission consisted of legs of 500 require a specific handling system cost effective solution. The LUXUS metres, during which the AUV flew in a pattern and can be readily deployed from Dropplate can be supplied as a The OE14-408 high commonly known as ‘mowing the lawn.’ This a small boat or basic vessel of plug-and-play solution complete with resolution digital is where the vehicle makes a pass over one opportunity. Efficient operation of the cameras, lights, controller, cable and stills area and then comes right back alongside it, onboard camera and light equipment winch system. running in parallel lines that will overlap and cover the entire bottom to form an image of the sea floor. Digital Stills Camera Upgrade “We are pleased with how quickly we were able to integrate the sonar and collect high-quality Kongsberg Maritime has further supports both static and DHCP data,” said Will O’Halloran, Marine Operations enhanced its high resolution digital address protocols. Manager at Bluefin Robotics. “The imagery is stills camera the OE14-408, through some of the best I have seen in my 10 years of the addition of an Ethernet control Images can also be transferred by operating AUVs and reviewing data sets. The interface and a new, ergonomically USB or over an ad-hoc wireless Solstice sonar is an excellent payload option for designed graphical user interface. network once the camera has been our clients who want exceptional imagery from The OE14-408 with its 1/1.7in CCD returned to deck This feature reduces low-logistics, rapidly-deployable AUVs.” sensor, five time’s optical zoom and the frequency the camera needs to be 442. Through the use of intelligent achromatic doublet lens has the removed from the vehicle or lander, technology, the ambient light level is “A pipeline end manifold (PLEM) surveyed ability to capture stills images up saving the operator time and improving assessed through the camera lens during the trial provided an excellent target to to a 10 mega pixel resolution whilst cable and connector reliability. and relayed to the flash gun, ensuring show the resolution and contrast performance correcting for chromatic aberration. captured images are correctly of Solstice. This PLEM consists of a large The OE14-408 is also available with a exposed even in the poorest of lighting square template, pipe and mattress protectors; With the addition of an Ethernet full duplex RS232 or half duplex RS485 conditions. you can see where the individual elements interface the operator has the ability control interface. In this configuration of the mattress are clearly resolved in the to control all camera functions the user has the flexibility of changing The OE14-408 and OE11-442 are imagery,” commented Nick Swift, Sonardyne’s 78 remotely. Captured images, in control methods using the hand held available with 1500M or 4500M depth Business Manager for Maritime Security. 79 either RAW or JPEG format, can be I.R remote control. rated housings as standard and are “This imagery is further proof of Solstice’s stored to the camera’s 16GB internal ideally suited to scientific applications, exceptional image quality and is thanks to memory or downloaded as soon as The OE14-408 digital stills camera environmental monitoring, sea bed advanced processing techniques, inbuilt A PLEM surveyed by Solstice they are taken through the 10/100 can be used in conjunction with mapping as well as both pre and post technologies and a unique array design for Base-T connection. The camera a dedicated flash gun the OE11- development surveys. minimising multipath effects.”

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 MERMAC R-series Seabed Mining Electrical AHC winches for ROVs

The Agency for Natural Resources exploration surveys to and Energy (ANRE) will launch a ascertain the extent of drilling survey to collect geological shallow methane hydrate Remote support samples, including methane available, after previously hydrate, as an effort for ascertaining establishing its presence over ethernet the amount of shallow methane in the Sea of Japan.” hydrate resources. High capacity, low maintenance Based on the results of Methane hydrate is a solid material the regional mapping that consists of methane and water, survey in FY2013, ANRE crystallised under low-temperature will collect geological and high-pressure conditions. A samples, including considerable amount of methane methane hydrate, by a hydrate is estimated to be present survey vessel in the sea throughout Japan’s waters, and is areas offshore the Joetsu expected to become a natural gas region and offshore the resource in the future. Akita and Yamagata regions, which are areas thought to The vessel Hakureil left Shimonoseki have a high potential for the presence This survey will be Japan’s first Port in mid-June, heading to of the resource. full-fledged operation to collect sea areas offshore the Joetsu geological samples for searching region and offshore the Akita and for shallow methane hydrate.––– Yamagata regions, which are the target sea areas of the FY2014 drilling survey. Korea and ISA Sign “Methane hydrate present in Japan’s waters is categorized into Exploration Contract both shallow-type and sand-layer pore-filling type,”said a spokesman. The International Seabed Authority “From FY2013, based on the Basic and the Government of the Plan on Ocean Policy, which was Republic of Korea have signed a approved by the Japanese Cabinet 15-year contract for exploration for in April 2013, ANRE has conducted polymetallic sulphides. Offshore areas The contract was signed in Kingston on 24 June 2014 by the Secretary-General of the Authority, Nii Allotey Odunton and in Seoul on 15 June 2014 by the Honourable Minister of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, Lee Ju-Young. High performance, Flexible and low noise Under the contract, the Contractor modular design will have exclusive rights for exploration for polymetallic sulphides over 10,000 square kilometres of the seabed located in the Central Indian Ocean. 80 The application for a seabed 81 exploration contract was approved by the Council of the Authority on 26 July 2012. Worldwide solutions The vessel Hakureil Denmark Norway USA France Netherlands Germany Bahrain Australia Singapore UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Seabed Mining Auxiliary Cutter assembly commences

Nautilus Minerals has commenced the Auxiliary Cutter. This is the third and final of Nautilus’ Seafloor Production Tools. It is being built by Soil SMD in Newcastle upon Tyne. The next milestone for the SPTs will be the commencement of Factory Acceptance Testing on the already assembled Bulk Cutter. The Auxiliary Cutter will weigh in at 250t when fully assembled.

The Auxiliary Cutter is a preparatory machine that deals with rough terrain and creates benches for the other SPTs to work. It will operate on tracks with spud assistance and has a boom mounted cutting head for flexibility.

The excavation and collection of mineralised material has been split into three individual tasks, which will each be car- ried out by a different Seafloor Production Tools. The Auxiliary Cutter is designed as the pioneering tool which prepares the rugged seabed for the more powerful Bulk Cutter. These two tools gather the excavated material; the other, the Collecting Machine, will collect the cut material by drawing it in as seawater slurry with internal pumps and pushing it through a flexible pipe to the subsea pump and on to the Production Support Vessel via the Riser and Lift System..

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UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Company News

Queen’s Awards

SEACON (europe) has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. Company News Company The SEACON Group are leaders in underwater connector technology and provide an extensive and diverse range of electrical, optical and hybrid connector assemblies, submersible switches and cable system solutions for many applications within the oil & gas, defence, oceanographic and environmental markets.

The award was made in recognition of continued growth and commitment to international customers and year on year progress in revenue, customer relations and overall business development. The company saw exports in the European market grow from just over £1 million in 2010 to over £2.6 million in 2012 and global sales rise from £9.1 million to over £12.6 million in the same period.

Sonardyne has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

Subsea technology manufacturer Sonardyne International won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its 6G underwater product range. The Award for Enterprise recognises and encourages commercial success resulting from outstanding innovative achievements by businesses in the UK.

Launched in 2010, Sonardyne’s award-winning 6G (sixth Generation) technology platform was judged to have addressed users’ needs for underwater technology that is low risk, versatile and easy to use. Its performance over the previous generation technology is said to be likened to the difference between analogue and digital mobile telecommunications. 6G products have made an impact on diverse subsea operations around the world and, in 2013/14, were exported to 55 different countries.

JDR has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

JDR now exports over 80% of its output. The company’s overseas markets extend from North Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Asia Pacific markets, to West Africa, Middle East and Germany. As a result, JDR’s overseas revenues have increased by 248% since 2010.

The company’s subsea production umbilicals, subsea power cables and inter-array cables have enabled JDR to win business with oil and gas customers and enter the emerging market for renewable energy production. Additionally, JDR has evolved a full service, ofering incorporating front-end engineering design, project execution and post- delivery offshore services. Growth was accelerated through continued investment in JDR’s manufacturing facility in Hartlepool.

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UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 New Exhibit at Birch

Mexican Seas | Mexicanos features the awe- inspiring photography and fascinating research of Dr. Octavio Aburto, assistant professor of marine ecology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The exhibit takes visitors on an intimate photographic journey to four jewels of Mexico’s coastal seas and reveals stunning images of the marine life that thrives in these protected areas. The exhibit curator is Dr. Deborah Zmarzly

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UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 Renewables

Turbine for Petit Passage

Nautricity and Fundy Tidal

Renewables have signed a memorandum of Installing the turbine understanding (MOU) to develop a 500kW tidal project in Nova Scotia, Canada’s Petit Passage.

Nautricity is completing system testing of its CoRMaT and Hydro- buoy technologies at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) off the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The project at Petit Passage provides flows similar to those at the EMEC site and approach the speeds found at the FORCE site in Nova Scotia.

“We are delighted with the opportunity to partner with Fundy Tidal on the delivery of this important project,” says Cameron Johnstone, CEO of Nautricity. “This is a great platform to demonstrate how new approaches to the development of tidal energy projects can deliver benefit to both companies.

Expected deployment of the turbine in Nova Scotia will be in late Top and Above: The conta-rotating turbine. Below: Parts of the turbine summer of 2015. The magnetic field acts across the Unlike first generaton devices which Petit Passage is located rotor and rotating-stator sections are often “marinised wind turbines”, approximately 20 km northeast of of the generator as a “differential”, it’s unique contra-rotating rotor Grand Passage. CHS Chart 4118 equally splitting the torque between system has a number of advantages. indicates that currents of 7 knots the two rotors. Reactive torque It has a low capital installation cost can be expected in Petit Passage. acting on the supporting structure is and there are no expensive moorings The maximum mean speed is eliminated allowing the system to be or pilings required. approximately 2.5 m/s and the moored rather than rigidly attached to the seabed. It can be commercially viable both at small “community “ generating scale This enables the turbine to be and as large deployed arrays. The deployed in water depths from water depth is also not a material 8m – 500m. Buoyancy chambers challenge or cost driver. overall maximum current velocity is CoRMaT is a second generation tidal This doubles the relative rotational at the front and rear sections of the approximately 5 m/s. turbine. It has been designed from first speed compared with a single rotor nacelle are tuned to achieve neutral The system has improved reliability principles as a system for generating turbine, allowing the turbine to directly buoyancy. because its simple direct drive Petit Passage is approximately 3.4 km power in the tidal environment. drive a flooded, permanent magnet, generator eliminates need for long, measuring from the northern tip contra-rotating generator, without a The turbine is connected to a gearbox. There is also no need for on the Long Island side (Boars Head), It employs two closely spaced contra gearbox. tensioned mooring at a point in the complex blade pitch control. to the southern tip. rotating rotors, driving a contra water column where the flow velocity 92 rotating electrical generator. The first The flooded generator is cooled pas- is greatest and surface wave action Another aspect is ease maintenance 93 It is approximately 0.4 km wide at its rotor has three blades rotating in a sively by the water, eliminating parasitic minimized. Tidal flow induced drag narrowest point, and approximately 0.8 clockwise direction while the second energy losses associated with gearbox forces ensure that the turbine remains km at its widest. The width constriction rotor, located directly behind the first, driven water tight active oil based perpendicular to the flow at all states provides sheltered waters on one side, has four blades rotating in an anti- gearbox-generator cooling systems and of the tidal diamond, resulting in Boar’s Head Lighthouse most notably on the flood tide. clockwise direction. power absorbing shaft seals. maximum energy capture.

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 A permanent feature, UT2 looks at aspects of the industry assuming no prior knowledge. Floatover Installation Floatover is a useful technique for topsides 2 installation. Jonathan Martinez of Dockwise, talks to UT2 about the technique and aspects of its operation.

A typical fixed platform consists of a These have to be moored securely. jacket or substructure supporting the The mooring spread on these largest topsides. UT2 University crane vessels is 12 anchors of which each require a radius of 100m of When a topsides unit is built, it is chain. loaded onto a transportation barge and towed to site. Traditionally, it is An alternative to heavy lift is float then lifted by offshore crane onto the over. This technique has been used to preinstalled jacket. The capacity of lift single of up to 30 000t. the crane is matched to the size of the platform topsides. Float-over phases In smaller platforms, the topsides There are several phases involved can be lifted directly on the jacket. when installing an offshore topsides Some of the larger platforms using the float over method. These however, are divided into numerous may differ depending on assets, functional modules eg, drilling equipment and installation approach accommodation, processing, used. unilities. One method would be to place a module support frame It commences with the load-out directly on the substructure. The phase in which the integrated deck various modules can then be lifted is transferred onto the installation on this. These are then connected vessel. This uses either self-propelled together in a process known as ‘hook modular trailers or skid tracks. The up’. Offshore hook up is man-hour requirements are governed by the intensive and may require a flotel topside weight, tidal range and (floating hotel) to accommodate the quayside dimensions. The integrated temporary workforce. topside is then seafastened prior to the vessel commencing sea transport. Landing the topsides on the jacket legs An alternative to this is the integrated Skidding the topsides on the transport barge deck, in which the modules are When the topsides arrives at a stand- There must be no vertical impact vessel’s rapid ballasting system essentially connected together off location near the site, the vessel loads between topside legs and (RBS). Large quantities of water when still at the fabrication yard. undergoes final preparations. This jacket legs. There also has to be are pumped into the ballast tanks, This type of single deck structure is, includes removing the seafastenings, control over the movement of the enabling the vessel to submerge. understandably larger and heavier. starting the mooring/docking/mating vessel, both in longitudinal and During this phase, the topside’s It requires being placed onto the winches as well as the motion and transverse direction, as well as over weight is completely transferred onto offshore jacket by a heavy-lift crane. weather monitoring equipment, the alignment of the vessel. the jacket. initiating the active load-transfer An arbitrary definition of a heavy lift system and pre-ballasting the vessel. Once the vessel is positioned directly For a successful float-over operation, crane is one that can lift 200t. Many above the jacket structure and countless hours of preparation come types exist. Some are based on a Once the mooring spread has docked, the topside legs need to down to the exact moment when single crane, normally at the stern of been laid in accordance with the be aligned with the jacket legs. The the topside makes contact with the a monohull ship. The largest can lift A number of brush cleaning pigs All images: Jee Ltd field lay-out and the environmental tolerance for this alignment is to a jacket. Custom-engineered elastomer up to 2000t. conditions, the docking phase can high extend driven by the diameter of is used in the design of the LMUs then commence. the stabbing cones. to dampen the impact during load Other designs consist of a gantry transfer. system supported by two pontoons The jacket of a platform using the During the pre-mating phase, the that straddle the jacket. The deck floatover installation system is built clearance between the topside legs In the post-mating phase, the topside is lowered down from this gantry. with a gap or slot as part of its design, and the jacket legs will be reduced by sits secure on top of the jacket and Elsewhere, sheerleg cranes can be that allows the barge deck to pass ballasting the installation vessel. a clearance gap is created between used. These have a capacity of up to through. The vessel’s stern must be the topside deck support unit (DSU) 94 5000t although they are not able to aligned with this jacket slot. Fendering The mating phase is the most critical and the vessel to ensure limited 95 rotate independently of the ship. arrangements must also be set up to point of the installation, leaving contact between the two. ensure that then lateral impact loads no room for uncertainty, in the Some vessels have twin cranes that on the jacket do not exceed limit functionality of the load transferring To further limit the impact loads, can work together (tandem lift), The loads of jacket. equipment. In this phase, the topside the distance between the vessel’s largest has a capacity of 14000t. Floating the topsides between the platform legs is lowered onto the jacket by the DSU and integrated topside need to

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014

UT2 University: Floatover Installation

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles Showcase

UT2 University - Remote Technology Underwater 2014 increase, while limiting lateral and rd th vertical movement to avoid impact 3 & 4 September loads. Shanghai International Exhibition Centre After the completion of the ballasting operations to increase the clearance 88 Loushanguan Road, Shanghai, China between the DSU and the integrated topside, the vessel can be undocked from the jacket.

In the exit phase, the vessel departs from the jacket slot on its own ANNOUNCEMENT & CALL FOR PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS propulsion or with assistance from tugs. It is important during this phase that the lateral impact loads on the jacket not to exceed limit The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) is delighted to announce that it plans to run a conference loads and no vertical impact loads between the DSU and the integrated The topsides approaching the jacket covering the use of remote technology underwater and especially unmanned underwater vehicles topside. alongside the very successful Oceanology International China exhibition and conference, regarded as Reduced offshore hookup and Availability of vessel: As there are In addition, full control of the vessel’s commissioning: The capability to more transport vessels than crane Asia’s premier event for ocean science and marine technology. The SUT is OI China’s Learned Society longitudinal and transverse direction install heavy platforms as single-lift vessels, this can be an advantage as well as the alignment is important. instead of multiple lifts reduces the for project managers. Mobilisation is Patron. time required to execute offshore generally faster as the transit speed of There are advantages and hook-up and commissioning. the vessels is much higher. disadvantages using the float-over This SUT conference is intended to complement the OI China conference streams and will be targeted method. Safety: The float-over topside Cost savings: Chartering a float- at the use of remote technology underwater for engineering and marine science. installation can be designed such that over topside installation is likely to Reduced schedule interfaces: any single point failure can be dealt be cheaper than a semi-submersible Only one asset is required for the with. vessel In particular, conference sessions will be seeking to cover aspects of: float over. The same vessel is able to perform both the sea transport and • Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) the installation and the work carried out by a single contractor. Installation Market • Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) Between 2005 and 2012 the offshore Production platforms are increasing in Reduced risk: Risks due crane lift method took the lion’s size and weight as one out of six units • Remotely controlled and autonomous instrumentation to alignment of schedule of share totaling 115 (44%) of the 264 weigh more than 12 000t. For the • transportation vessel and semi- installations. Yard lift and float-over majority of type B units, the offshore Underwater gliders submersible crane vessel are installations totaled 112 (42%) and installation approach is known: 14 • Tooling and Sensor packages avoided. 37 (14%) respectively. are expected to be installed by means of float-over, 12 by crane lift • Case Studies for maintenance and / or repairs in deep water utilising remote technology and one by the yard lift, while 19 are Capacity: The capacity of float- Of the 264 topsides, 192 (73%) solutions over topside installation exceeds weighed between 4000 –12,000 t unknown or yet to be decided. A total the maximum capacity of the (type A), and 72 (27%) weighed of 47 FSPSOs fall under type B units, semi-submersible crane vessels. over 12 000 t (type B). Only 6% of but these units require a different This gives the operator more the type A topsides were installed installation approach other than float- The SUT are now seeking abstracts to be submitted from companies and / or individuals who would like to be flexibility from an installation weight by float-over. However, more than over or heavy-lift. considered to deliver a presentation at this prestigious event. The broad topics are as set out above, but the perspective. one third of the type B topsides were installed by float-over. Of the 46 type B productions units Organising Committee will consider papers of topical interest in associated technology subjects. Presentation Minimise offshore exposure within scope (non-FSPO and known abstracts should be submitted to Joyce Bremner on [email protected] hours: Work carried out offshore is Trends indicate steady growth for installation), 52% of the installation 96 considered a higher risk compared both heavy-lit crane and float-over will be conducted by float-over. 97 with work done onshore. Reducing installation methods between 2014 The majority of the 19 production the offshore exposure is desirable and 2018. An estimated 480 type A platforms whose installation approach for companies looking to reduce and 93 type B production platforms is unknown or to yet to be decided their risk exposure, resulting is safer are expected to be installed during are expected to be float-over operations. this period. installations. Background picture, courtesy of Fugro Subsea Services Limited

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014 SUT Evening Meetings

Evening Meeting, Aberdeen Wednesday, 9 April 2014 SUT Subsea Power By Chris Milner

The Aberdeen Branch of the SUT highlighted some key industry and cannot (yet) be achieved by TM held their April evening meeting milestones including Shell’s Ormen the use of autonomous vehicles at the usual venue of the Hilton Lange Compression Project and in the . OPTIMIZE Treetops hotel on the broadly- what the future may hold for titled subject of “Subsea Power” deeper water and longer step-out Our thanks is extended to all FROM PORE TO PROCESS and comprised a comprehensive applications. the above speakers and also to schedule of speakers. our Chair for the evening who Next up was John Olav Floisand, was Dr John Lawson of Chevron Ahead of the main presentations, principal engineer with OneSubsea who kept the evening flowing two colleagues representing SUT+, whose focus was on subsea and who fielded and contributed Surrinder Retour (WGK) and Lewis processing and compression and some interesting questions – Henderson (Technip) provided an who provided a history of advances which were evident for all the overview of the aims and objectives made in the recent past along presenters. of this relatively newly formed group with giving an insight in to power which was formed to address the systems for the future, through a The audience of approximately needs and interests for recent talk entitled High Power Systems – 100 enjoyed some informal graduates to the industry plus also Proven and Addressing the Industry networking afterwards over a those entering the sector from other Demands. The availability or lack tasty hot buffet. Once again, our industries. of, power was given as a limiting appreciation goes to the annual factor for compression and subsea sponsors – 2013/14 - for SUT Andrew Connelly, product line processing and, when taken along Aberdeen who are: GE Oil & Gas, manager, NASCom with Natronix with other subsea demands for Nautronix, OneSubsea, Technip, – who was a late stand-in for power the total load requirement WGK, BPP-TECH, KD Marine and Lindsay MacDonald who was billed can increase significantly. As can Subsea 7. to present - provided a Techbite be expected, some discussion presentation on acoustic command followed this, plus the previous and control, advising what role presentation, around electric Pre-OTC Networking acoustics can perform for remote current types, connector options control and monitoring subsea and and voltage ranges. The SUT Houston branch held its how this may be impacted via the Annual Pre-OTC Networking Event provision of greater power in the Concluding matters for the evening on Thursday, May 1st. The event subsea environment. was Jan Siesjo, chief engineer took place at Vintropolis Wine Bar with Saab Seaeye who spoke which included a variety of tasty Following Andrew was Kristin around Supporting Future UUV wines, eclectic beers, munchies and Elgsaasof, product manager Operations on the Seabed. networking with the best! with GE Oil & Gas who This was another interesting gave a History of presentation with good The SUT would like to thank the event Seabed Electrification examples of what can sponsors and volunteers : Quest - From Hydraulics to a Offshore, CEONA, ClampOn and Factory Floor on the Flexlife. For more information about Sea Floor. This was an the Houston branch contact: excellent talk which JodiRoberts@SUTHouston. com A unique approach for optimized production and increased recovery Left: Volunteers Amanda Lowe, Erin Grey and SUT staff Lori Smith, Jodi INTEGRATE End-to-end solutions from reservoir to surface COLLABORATE Early engagement to anticipate Roberts welcome over 400 guests at the challenges and improve decisions ENGINEER Optimal system architecture to increase life-of-fi eld registration desk. production CONTROL Continuous monitoring to manage changing reservoir conditions BOOST 98 Production with scalable processing solutions ENHANCE Financial return over the life of the fi eld 99 LEARN more about our unique, unrivaled approach at www.onesubsea.com/optimization

UT2 June July 2014 UT2 June July 2014

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