Subsea 7 to Showcase North Sea Expertise at Offshore Europe 2013

Subsea 7, a global leader in seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services contractor, will be exhibiting a range of innovative technologies that have become key features of its North Sea portfolio, focusing specifically on three principle areas of operation: SURF (Subsea, Umbilical, Risers and Flowlines), Life-of-Field, and ROV and Intervention support.

Phil Simons, who became Subsea 7’s VP UK & Canada in July, said: “We are looking forward to participating in this significant industry event, now in its 40th year.

“We feel this year’s theme of ‘looking to the future’ is positively aligned with our business vision and reputation as a global company, with world-class assets, technology and people who can deliver challenging subsea projects across the North Sea.

“As of Q2 2013, our North Sea and Canada Territory holds 41% of our global project backlog. Therefore, we felt this year’s conference would offer a dynamic setting in which to present the range of development opportunities a career with Subsea 7 can bring.”

Among the technology on display is a 56-inch cross section of a Pipeline Bundle System, which neatly incorporates all systems required to operate a field into a single product; acting an alternative to installing subsea systems.

To explain further, Subsea 7 Bundle Design Manager, Martin Goodlad will be deliver a paper, ‘Bundle Technology for the Future’ as part of the ‘Advances in subsea construction and technology’ technical session on Wednesday 4 September.

In his paper Martin Goodlad will highlight that Subsea 7 is currently experiencing the busiest period of Bundle design and installation activity it has ever had; installing a record eight Bundles during 2011/12 and a further nine being worked on by the end of 2015, which will bring the total number of bundle installed over the last 35 years to over 70.

Using a number of case studies, Martin will discuss the technical and commercial benefits of Bundle technology for new subsea structures, as well as for rejuvenating and extending existing ones.

A case in point, and the subject of the second of two Subsea 7 papers to be delivered during the same session, is the Bundle arrangement critical for the installation of a 127km long umbilical between Shetland and Laggan for the Laggan-Tormore gas fields.

Presented by Subsea 7 Pipeline Engineers Renaud Gueret and Subhajit Lahiri, ‘Umbilical lay in challenging environmental conditions’ details the equipment used for this challenging operation and the lay strategy that was devised for laying the umbilical in various water depths and current conditions.

Showcased alongside the Bundle model will be Subsea 7’s revolutionary AIV, which will be commercially available later this year from the Life-of-Field division. Its ability to recognise and respond to its surroundings, instinctively correcting its trajectory in real time based on information it gathers from its onboard sensors, the AIV will become a cost-effective, low-risk inspection tool to aid field survey and integrity management and intervention activities.

The AIV, which can be operated directly from a host facility such as an FPSO or Platform, or from infield support vessels or mobile rigs, will transform Life-of-Field projects.

Press Release, August 28, 2013