DeepOcean: completion of works in China and Statoil contract for NCS

DeepOcean has announced the completion of substantial works in China on the Liwan 3-1 Project, and new a new contract win for Seabed Survey Services from Statoil.

Liwan gas project

Liwan 3-1 is part of the Liwan gas project, 300 km southeast of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which also includes Liuhua 34-2 and Liuhua 29-1 fields. All three fields share a subsea production system, subsea pipeline transportation, and onshore gas-processing infrastructure.

DeepOcean commenced works on the project for COOEC Subsea in March 2012. Volantis and UT-1, the world’s most powerful free-flying jet trencher, conducted trenching and survey operations over 160 km of the 30 in. Liwan Pipeline connecting the Liwan Central Platform (CEP) in 200 m water-depth to the shore at China National Offshore Oil Corporation's (CNOOC) Gaolan gas plant.

China’s first deepwater field development

Prior to trenching, activities included construction works involving crossings along the pipeline route utilising the WROVs and technicians onboard Volantis to deploy over 100 mattresses along the pipeline in preparation for the lay campaign. Trenching activities with the UT-1 and dedicated crew achieved burial depths along the route deploying the UT-1 jetting swords to 2.5 m below the seabed for trenching of the large diameter pipeline.

Upon completion of trenching activities in August 2013 in the shallow water section of the project for COOEC Subsea, Volantis was immediately contracted by Saipem to perform subsea field development activities in the deepwater section of the Liwan 3-1 field operating ROVs in excess of 1400 m water depth. DeepOcean was responsible for various tasks infield working closely with clients to deliver safe and efficient subsea operations.

Volantis’ sea-keeping capability and innovative launch and recovery systems onboard allowed both contracts with COOEC and Saipem to operate continuously through the harsh monsoon seasons with minimal downtime operating under contract for a continuous period of over 875 days.

Tony Stokes, Director of Asia Pacific for DeepOcean said “It was a privilege to be part of such a momentous project in China. Working on both segments of China’s first deepwater field development displays the confidence our clients have in DeepOcean’s ability to deliver trenching solutions along with diver-less construction work scopes in the dynamic Asia Pacific Region.”

Norwegian Continental Shelf

DeepOcean AS, subsidiary of DeepOcean Group Holding BV, has also announced that company has been awarded a contract for Seabed Survey Services for 2015 by Statoil. The contract award covers services on Norwegian Continental Shelf.

“We are pleased to receive this award that will add at least 6 months of backlog to our 2015 order book. Winning this contract in strong competition with other established subsea contractors show DeepOcean’s competitiveness in finding suitable spreads for our clients’ requirements,” says Commercial Director Rolf Ivar Sordal.

DeepOcean plans to use the light construction and survey vessel Volstad Surveyor for the work in 2015.

Edited from various sources by Cecilia Rehn

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/06102014/deepocean-updates-completion-of-works-in-china-and-new-statoil-contract-for-ncs/