The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport announced that preparatory works for the installation of an offshore umbilical will be carried out from 54°20.34’N 011°03.51’W (Corrib Offshore Field Location) to 54° 17.00’N 009° 49.24’ W (landfall). The area of activity stretches along the route of the existing Corrib offshore gas pipeline. The Corrib natural gas field lies some 83km off the north west coast of Ireland, approximately 3,000 metres under the seabed and in waters 350 metres deep.
Works will commence in early March 2013 with a route survey and pre-cut trenching.
The vessel to be used during this initial works scope will be the Trenching Support Vessel with multipass plough “Normand Ranger” (Call sign LAMT).
Detailed scope of work
A pre-trenching route survey will be carried out on the whole length of the umbilical lay route. A trench will be constructed from the subsea facilities and wells in the Corrib gas field to approx 16km offshore by utilising a subsea plough. The plough will be pulled by the trenching support vessel and could trail as far as 1700 metres behind the support vessel.
The authorities advised that all vessels in the vicinity should keep clear of the works as these works progress along the pipeline route and should comply with requests from support vessels and safety boats.
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February 26, 2013; Image: Solstad