wiredInUSA November 2017

Pipeline and cable project

Offshore plant races to completion

Image: DeepOcean Group

A Joint Industry Project (JIP) is focussing on the development of a new design and certification standard for equipment for pipeline and cable offshore operations, addressing the lack of standardization in the most common terms used within the oil and gas industry. Phase 1, entitled “Mapping the big picture”, has focused on the identification and clarification of the differences between equipment types and the standard lifting appliances, and the building blocks and functional groups in the pipeline and cable operation deck spread. A key attribute of phase 1 was the drafting of a glossary for the definition of common terms used across the industry. Data analyzed during phase 1 has identified and recorded various processes across the industry regarding equipment for pipeline and cable offshore operations. Phase 2 will focus on the development of a separate standard for the pipeline and cable operations equipment that will harmonize the position of individual stakeholders.

DeepOcean has completed the installation and burial of all 91 inter-array cables at Dong Energy’s 573MW Race Bank wind farm off the UK’s Norfolk coast. DeepOcean’s construction vessel, Edda Freya , completed the 106km cable installation while the T2 trencher and free flying UT1 trencher, operated from the Volantis vessel, achieved the target burial and dealt with abrupt changes in seabed material. The Race Bank project is thought to be Dong’s most complex to date, due to its location at a challenging work site with strong currents, shallow waters, widely varied seabed soils and consistently strong winds. The work included route engineering, pre- lay grapnel runs, and the cable protection system installation. The DeepOcean contract was awarded by Dong Energy, which sourced the cables from JDR Cables. The wind farm is expected to be fully commissioned in 2018.

wiredInUSA - November 2017

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