AGR Seabed Intervention

Solving the toughest subsea challenges

AGR Seabed Intervention Capability

• ISO 9000, ISO 14000 & OHSAS 18000 accredited

• Lead contractor or subcontractor
• Bases in Singapore, Aberdeen, Houston & Perth
• Design and Project Engineering capability
• Work with installation contractors to develop specific
solutions
• World’s most powerful portable excavation spread
ClayCutter X Route Preparation System

Difficult seabed
ClayCutter X Route Preparation System

Scarp Crossings
 ClayCutter X
Route Preparation System

opening up new possibilities in

pipeline installation
950m water depth; 5m wide; 8.5m deep; 3,500 m3
Typical excavation site before…
…and after
Scarp Excavation – high angles and deep trenches
Operating Modes
• 2 jetting manifolds for
stiff soils
• 4 side cannons for
levelling and high-volume
excavation
• Leading edge cannons can
be fitted for boulder
• System optimised for
clearance
each job
Ormen Lange Field, Norway, 2011
Ormen Lange field - challenges

• Subsea development in deep water - 950m

• Storegga slide area – highly uneven seabed
• Impossible to lay pipe without pre-lay seabed intervention
High level of excavation accuracy
High Pressure Pumps – 3,000 hp each
High Pressure Pumps

The pumps are key to the success of ClayCutter X

• Each pump delivers from 180m3/hr at 190 bar differential
pressure to 450m3/hr at 135 bar
• Pump ends designed for continuous service
• MTU 65 litre V16 marine diesels – tight control over
emissions
• Pumps designed from day 1 to be used together
• Computer control over speed and pressure – crucial when
using more than one centrifugal pump in parallel
Pumps on Deck
ClayCutter X Results

Ormen Lange Southern Extension & Mid North projects

• 60 individual sites excavated
• 28,500m3 approx. soil excavated
• Excavation rate up to 500 m3/hr in 15-25kPa Soils
• Seabed strengths vary between 15 & 440 kPa
Coiled Tubing
Deployment

• ClayCutter X deployed
from rock dump vessel
• ClayCutter X orientation
and survey provided by
powerful fall pipe ROV
• 4.5” ID composite coiled
tubing provides conduit
for high pressure water
from surface
800m composite coiled tubing on powered reel
Coiled Tubing
Deployment

• ClayCutter X deployed
below fall pipe ROV
• ROV provides
orientation & survey
support
• Manifold in FPROV
manages flow path
ClayCutter X Benefits

• Opens up previously impossible routes for pipe-lay

• Reduces overall seabed preparation time & cost
• Route preparation maximises pipeline lifespan
• Smoothed pipeline profile improves flow assurance
• Simple, robust design maximises uptime
• Tool mode can be changed subsea to deal with varying soils
without recovery to deck
• Water depth from nearshore to 2,000m
• Mobilise to vessel of opportunity
 Pumped Excavation

• What about areas where

we have no access from
above?
• Or where we need greater
accuracy?
• AGR can supply two
distinct types of Pumps for
specific requirements
 Ejector Pumps

• Used where sediment contains a

high level of debris
• Extremely robust
• No moving parts
• Suction head to 5 bar
• Suction hose up to 14 inch – can
shift rock up to 8 inches

AGR ejector pump being deployed with

dedicated LARS/umbilical winch
AGR Disc Pumps

• Used where discharge zone is far

from suction/pump skid
• Extremely high flow through
area
• Minimal wear
• Suction head to 5 bar
• Longest discharge of any slurry
transport system – up to 1,500m
• Easy to deploy and recover
Pump skid and LARS

• Pump skid sits on seabed

up to 50m from excavation
area
• Control cabin houses
variable speed drive
• ROV friendly hose
connections
 SeaVator™
Mass Flow Excavation
System

Cost effective seabed solutions

SeaVator
• The use of a large, downward orientated propeller to move
seabed sediments
• Low pressure, high volume
• Can be used with or without high-pressure jets
• No contact with seabed or seabed architecture
SeaVator Applications

• Pipeline & umbilical route preparation

• Seabed levelling and sand wave clearance
• Template clearance
• Pipeline free-span rectification
• Pipeline crossing corrections
• De-burial and rock dump removal
• Rapid location and exposure of buried equipment
• Trenching of subsea pipelines and umbilicals
• Can work safely on live pipelines
Sand Wave Clearance

Post-Excavation 3D DTM - Isometric view

 Freespan
Free Span Correction
Rectification
Template Clearance/Asset Recovery
SeaVator Equipped With V-Jets
SeaVator Benefits

• Quick & easy to mobilise

• Modest vessel requirements
• Work on live pipelines
• Wide range of product diameters
• No contact with seabed assets
• Simple and reliable for maximum uptime
• 6m to 3000m capability
Typical SeaVator Operating Limits

• Trench pipelines up to 50” diameter and cables or

umbilicals down to 4” – easily change between different
products
• Continuous trenching with V-Jets in soils up to 10kPa;
bigger pumps improve capability
• Water depth minimum 6m
• Water depths up to 3000m
• Up to 3.5 knots current
• Maximum sea state 5/6 or Hs 3.5m
• Dedicated LARS makes handling safe even in heavy seas
– No need for vessel crane or ROV support
E-Vator

• New ultra deepwater

excavator
• Design depth 3,000m
• Auto heading
– Improved station keeping
– Semi-autonomous tracking
• On board EV Jets
• Proven technologies
integrated into new tool
• Small vessel footprint
• Reduced reliance on
vessel DP
AGR website - product selector
Contact us...

Contact AGR about Seabed Intervention at the following

office:

Union Plaza
1 Union Wynd
Aberdeen
AB10 1SL
Tel: +44 1224 629000

Email: seabed.intervention@agr.com