VBMS installs umbilical for Wintershall in Dutch North Sea

November 14, 2014

VBMS has completed a remote platform tie-back project – platform L8-P4 to L6-B – for Wintershall Noordzee B.V. in the Dutch part of the North Sea.

The scope of work for VBMS consisted of the engineering, installation and burial of a 19.5 kilometre umbilical, at a water depth of 29 meters.

VBMS has explaiend that the J-tube pull-ins were performed directly from the cable-laying vessel Ndurance via its quadrant system without any interruption or temporary lay-down of the umbilical.

VBMS says it deployed a specialised burial vessel for the post-installation jet trenching.

A follow-up as-laid survey of the umbilical route verified that the burial exceeded the requirements in order to ensure optimal protection of the umbilical, the company further explained.

L6-B platform

The L6-B platform is a remote tie-back to L8-P4 in the L blocks in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, located approximately 30 kilometres northwest of Den Helder. The platform is the newest addition to the Wintershall offshore assets in this sector.

VBMS CEO Arno van Poppel said: “As VBMS, we expanded our services with Oil & Gas SURF to allow more comprehensive and cost-effective solutions for our clients. Through thorough engineering and efficient offshore operations we enabled Wintershall to facilitate the safe and efficient installation of the control umbilical in a timely manner.”