Subsea Infrastructure Development

Procedures for Subsea Umbilical Installation in Deep Water Installing subsea umbilicals in deep water requires careful planning, specialized vessels, and strict adherence to industry best practices to ensure the integrity of the umbilical and avoid costly failures. The installation process follows these steps: 1. Pre-Engineering and Planning - Route Selection & Seabed Survey: Conduct detailed seabed mapping and geotechnical studies to determine the best route while avoiding hazards such as steep slopes, boulders, and existing infrastructure. - Dynamic Analysis & Tensioning: Perform simulations to determine catenary shape, touchdown points, and required tensions under different environmental conditions. - Umbilical Design & Verification: Confirm compatibility of the umbilical with subsea terminations, bend stiffeners, and other associated structures. - Risk Assessment & Mitigation: Identify potential risks such as free spans, and impact loads from installation forces. - Permit & Regulatory Compliance: Obtain necessary approvals from regulatory bodies and stakeholders. 2. Mobilization & Vessel Preparation - Installation Vessel Selection: A deepwater-capable DP (Dynamically Positioned) vessel with a dedicated umbilical carousel or reel is required. - Equipment Readiness: Vessel Tensioners & Lay System: Ensure appropriate tensioner capacity to handle umbilical loads. - ROV Readiness: Prepare ROVs for touchdown monitoring and subsea connection tasks. - Deployment Aids: Load bend restrictors, bend stiffeners, buoyancy modules, and bellmouths as required. - Spooling & Loadout: Ensure controlled spooling onto the vessel’s carousel under monitored tension to prevent twisting or damage. Verify umbilical integrity using pre-installation electrical and hydraulic tests. 3. Umbilical Installation & Deployment -Overboarding & Deployment Initiation: Attach the umbilical to the chute or VLS (Vertical Lay System). Gradually feed the umbilical through tensioners while monitoring for anomalies. Attach buoyancy modules (if required) for controlling touchdown loads. Controlled Laydown: - Lower the umbilical to the seabed at a controlled speed to prevent excessive tension or bending strain. - Use ROVs to monitor touchdown conditions and adjust deployment speeds. - Ensure designed catenary shape is achieved. - Mid-Line Buoyancy & Free Span Management: Deploy buoyancy modules in high-sloped areas or long free spans. Key Considerations for Deepwater Installation - Tension Monitoring: Real-time monitoring of top tension and seabed touch-down force is critical. - Vessel DP Stability: The DP system must maintain stable vessel position to prevent sudden movements that could damage the umbilical. - ROV Assistance: Continuous ROV observation is necessary for seabed interaction and tie-in verification. - Environmental Constraints: Wave heights, currents, and wind speeds must be within operational limits. #subsea #offshore #oilandgas

This tech increases gas recovery on the world's first facility for gas compression on the seabed🌊 Sometimes, the most powerful innovations happen far below the surface—literally: Equinor and partners have rolled out the next generation of subsea compressor modules—boosting gas recovery for the Åsgard field in the Norwegian Sea. This isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s a leap in resource utilization and long-term value creation.    What It Does: It increases pressure in the pipelines between the wells and the Åsgard B platform.  This helps maintain production from the field as reservoir pressure naturally declines over time.  The compressor modules are installed on the seabed at 270 meters depth, making this a highly advanced subsea engineering solution (and they work kind of like lego bricks!)    Why It Matters: Åsgard was the first in the world to implement gas compression directly on the seabed (starting in 2015).  The system has delivered nearly 100% uptime over 10 years, contributing approximately NOK 175 billion (approx USD 17 bn) in added value.  With phase 2 now complete, the recovery rate from the Mikkel and Midgard fields will reach 90%, unlocking an additional 306 million barrels of oil equivalent.  This technology is a prime example of how deep collaboration and long-term innovation can extend the life of mature fields and maximize resource utilization—critical for both energy security and sustainability. What are your thoughts on this?🏗️

The big news out of Turkey - Saipem and Subsea 7 are back at it together on Phase 3 of the Sakarya gas field, the country’s largest offshore energy development. ⚡️ This latest phase is massive, with 44 new wells planned, another floating production unit, and production expected to rise to 46.5 million cubic meters of gas per day. Subsea 7 has been awarded the EPCI scope for the subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowlines, while Saipem has secured a $1.5 billion contract covering offshore pipeline installation and subsea works. What’s interesting is that this collaboration isn’t new. Back in Phase 1, Saipem laid the trunklines that first brought gas ashore, while in Phase 2, Subsea 7 delivered critical SURF and FPU scopes as Saipem continued with deepwater pipeline installation. Even before the merger that will soon unite them, the two contractors were already teaming up on multi-billion-dollar projects like Sakarya. So the question is, do you see Phase 3 as a preview of what “Saipem7” can achieve on the global stage, combining fleets, expertise, and execution strength on projects of this scale? Engineers, I’d love to hear your thoughts. 👇

Why It’s Not That Simple: The Brutal Truth About Drilling 3,000m Below Sea Level Namibia is on the edge of a transformative moment with the Venus discovery—a deepwater oil field hailed as one of the biggest offshore finds globally in recent years. But why hasn’t TotalEnergies made a Final Investment Decision (FID) yet? Let’s break it down with one cold, hard fact: > At 3,000 meters below sea level, subsea infrastructure must endure external pressure of over 300 bar (or 4,400 psi)— That's the equivalent of stacking the weight of 3 SUVs on every square inch of a pipe. To bring it closer to home: Your car tyre? Typically 2.2–2.5 bar. Venus subsea gear? Over 120x more pressure—non-stop, 24/7. And that's just the water above it. Now add: Reservoir pressures exceeding 15,000 psi Need for specialised alloys and advanced sealing systems 24/7 operational uptime with no room for mechanical error Has It Ever Been Done Before? Yes—but only a handful of ultra-deepwater fields globally have pulled it off, including: Brazil’s Pre-Salt Fields (Lula, Búzios – depths of 2,000–3,000m) Gulf of Mexico (Jack, St. Malo, and Tiber – 2,500–3,100m) West Africa (Girassol and Dalia in Angola – ~1,400–1,800m) The Venus project pushes these boundaries further due to: Greater depth High gas content in the region Technical complexity of subsea infrastructure Logistical challenges from a greenfield base in Namibia Why the Delay to FID? Because you only get one shot at getting this right. TotalEnergies is meticulously: Finalizing ESIA consultations Engineering infrastructure for extreme pressures Securing the right supply chain and partners Balancing cost, risk, and local content obligations The Bottom Line This isn’t just oil drilling—it’s extreme engineering under crushing ocean forces. Getting to FID on Venus means building systems that don’t crack, corrode, or fail in one of Earth’s most hostile environments. When Namibia finally hits first oil, it won’t just be a success story. It’ll be a technological and geopolitical milestone. #NamibiaOilAndGas #VenusProject #TotalEnergies #DeepwaterEngineering #EnergyTransition #FID #OilExploration #OffshoreEnergy #TLCNamibia #DaronNamibia #ExtremeEngineering #LocalContent #SubseaTechnology #AfricanEnergyFuture