James Fisher Subsea Excavation (JFSE) has developed a new tool capable of trenching large diameter pipelines in a single pass.
The Twin T8000 was developed to support SapuraKencana Mexicana’s trenching requirements. The offshore construction company needed more than 14km of a 36” pipeline with concrete coating to be trenched one metre on top of the pipe.
The tool was developed utilising JFSE’s patented T8000 technology.
The Twin T8000 has a total maximum output of 16,000 litres per second and had to achieve 0mm + 300mm accuracy of trench on this project. There were 15 crossings to negotiate.
Tomas Valdes Aldama , technical engineer at SapuraKencana Mexicana, said: “We were impressed by the professionalism, innovation and commitment to delivering great results demonstrated by the JFSE team. Due to there being a tight window, we required this pipeline to be trenched in a single pass. The results from the Twin T8000’s inaugural project have been great and it is certainly a technology we will consider utilising again in the future.”
The Twin T8000 equipment spread was mobilised on board the offshore supply vessel, Ocean Carrier, in the Gulf of Mexico as part of SapuraKencana Mexicana’s contract for the procurement and construction of a sour gas pipeline for Pemex covering five fields.
Graham Murdoch, technical director at JFSE, explained: “Although we designed the Twin T8000 with this particular project in mind, the technology will greatly benefit clients with large diameter trenching needs. The proven combination of power and controllability of this tool is second to none. JFSE is proud to be a true partner to our clients, providing a trusted and innovative service. This maiden project for the Twin T8000 for SapuraKencana Mexicana perfectly illustrates that mutual trust and respect. We look forward to rolling out this technology worldwide to support more clients.”