The recent acquisition of Aberdeen-based Aquatic Engineering & Construction has enhanced Acteon's seabed-to-surface credentials and, in particular, has bolstered the group's ability to undertake complex offshore operations from the back of a dynamically positioned boa
In this article, we examine Aquatic’s industry-leading powered-reel systems for flexible pipe laying and retrieval.
There was a time when laying most flexible pipelines, umbilicals or mooring cables demanded a specialist vessel with a fixed reel or a carousel with a dedicated drive system – in essence a huge, permanent winch. It was common for such vessels to spend as much time going to and from the manufacturing facility to collect the product to be laid, each time involving a transpooling operation, as was devoted to the actual offshore installation process.
The advent of modular, tower-drive reeling systems changed all that. Separating the reel and its drive and putting the drive towers on tracks capable of being fitted to the decks of a variety of vessels improved operational flexibility, opened the way for multiple-reel installation projects and made the whole process safer, faster and more economic.
Aquatic has been at the forefront of this area of offshore technology since 1994 and has used its knowledge and experience to continually improve these modular secondgeneration powered-reel systems.
Equipment manager George Mackintosh describes the thinking behind Aquatic’s development efforts and market offering: “We have concentrated on further reducing the cost of reeling operations and making life easier for the installation contractor. One of the ways we have achieved this is by designing equipment that breaks down into components small enough to be transported by sea or road in standard open-topped containers. Even our largest drive towers, which weigh around 30 t, can be put together or dismantled by our technicians in less than 24 hours. This avoids the contractor having to bring a vessel to pick up the systems from us – we can freight them to wherever they are needed.”
The company has recently extended this concept and is now able to offer an industry-standard 9.2-m reel that comes in readily transportable parts – and that has full DNV accreditation. Mackintosh sees this as providing particular advantages for single-reel operations involving a specialist product at a remote location where returning the reel at the end of the project inevitably raises financial and logistical issues.
As well as improving the technology, Aquatic has geared up to provide customers with an integrated installation package. Given the objectives of the installation project and the specifications of the product to be laid, Aquatic can supply all the necessary equipment – not just powered reels but also power packs, tensioners, stern chutes and so forth. When necessary, deck engineering can be undertaken to adapt the system to the chosen vessel, installation procedures can be prepared, and the logistical side of the project taken care of. Finally, the customer will have the benefit of experienced personnel to support the entire project, both on- and offshore.
Aquatic’s business philosophy is about providing reliable and efficient reeling equipment backed by first-class service. “I am proud of what we have achieved at Aquatic; we have introduced some key innovations and we are working on ideas that will move the process even further forward,” says Mackintosh. “For example, at the moment, we are working on new designs that will make better use of the available deck space and permit the equipment to be fitted to a wider range of vessels. We also have a four-track, 40-t pipe-lay tensioner due for completion by the end of this year. This will complement our largest 400-t tower-drive systems and enable us to perform installations in deep water.
“Our reputation is, however, largely based on never letting our customers down – delivering reliable, fit-for-purpose equipment on time. This is a feature of our business that we are determined to maintain.”
Another side to the company
Aquatic has two main lines of business. In addition to its powered-reel systems, there is a flourishing manpower services side to the company, as general manager Suzanne Morrison explains. “The reels form the higher-profile part of the business, but we provide an equally valuable service to operators around the world with the provision of qualified people – project managers, engineers, technicians and marine operations specialists. At the last count, we had about 350 people out on contract. We have developed lasting relationships with several companies through our strenuous efforts to understand their operational objectives. The business is about more than simply supplying good individuals – you have to think in terms of performing a specific project or business function.”