OIL States MCS says it has successfully completed an underwater, remotely controlled, “fully castellated” cutting operation using one out of a series of eight new-build external cutting manipulators (ECM).
The company has built and tested the first in a series of tools covering a tubular range of 12-60in diameter.
But why castellated rather than a straight slice?
According to Oil States MCS, this approach provides an opportunity for contractors operating smaller crane vessels to take on the decommissioning of large offshore structures.
The castellation, as opposed to a square cut, maintains structure integrity in two planes during the decommissioning of subsea structures, particularly when removed in sections or small bits, known in the trade as “piece small”.
The ECM cutting nozzle follows a pre-planned profile around the leg/pile, with each step precisely controlled and monitored in real time at the surface by an operator using a laptop computer.
Key elements of the ECM fully remote/fully castellated subsea cuts include:
All cutting activities are conducted fully remotely from the deck of the crane vessel without the need for diver intervention.
The ECM software-driven control systems are already “fully field proven and precise”.
Tools can perform castellated, square or angled cuts without a need for recovery.
Verification of the cutting operation is monitored real-time.
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