Page 47: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (May/Jun 2014)

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To date, the longest steel tube umbilical

A large-bore center tube umbilical cross A large-bore center tube umbilical cross business development manager, Technip section. section. Photo from DUCO.

Umbilical Systems. manufactured by DUCO was a 126km-long subsea production systems and “Over the years we have extended system for Shell’s Mensa project, 140mi. remote control, power, communica- the helix machine as requirements have southeast of New Orleans in Mississippi tions, and chemical supply services. increased. But a few years ago, we could

Canyon Blocks 686, 687, 730 and 731.

They can be static or dynamic see we would need greater capacity, to

The Newcastle facility also created what (when through the water column) meet market needs,” he says. it believes is the world’s largest subsea and based on thermoplastic or steel “We went back to the drawing board umbilical, in terms of outer diameter, at tube design. and designed the dream machine.” The 325mm, and weight, at 205kg/m, for BP’s

According to global engineering result is a 50m-high, 10 level, VHAM group Technip, around 70% of global tower, fabricated by Brazil’s BRASTEC

Skarv development in the Norwegian subsea developments now require subsea developments now require Technologies. By moving to vertical

North Sea. steel tube umbilicals, as the subsea sector steel tube umbilicals, as the subsea sector assembly, following a design used for moves into deeper waters. moves into deeper waters. DUCO’s Houston facility, the ? rm is able

To meet demand, DUCO, part of To meet demand, DUCO, part of to incorporate a greater number of larger components on counter rotating, individ-

Deepwater drives

Technip Umbilical Systems, has built a Technip Umbilical Systems, has built a component product bobbins, increas- ually tension-controlled bobbins. High new automated vertical helix assembly ing capacity, and maximizing space and capacity bobbins carry steel tube, for machine (VHAM), housed in a dedi- production line ef? ciency. hydraulic and chemical ? uid, and ? ber cated building, to manufacture steel tube optic and electrical cables, and smaller manufacturing expansion

Vertical manufacturing umbilicals. bobbins contain product such as “? ller,”

The facility, due to be of? cially opened To create an umbilical system using the typically polyethylene (PE) or polyvinyl this month (May), is ? anked by two new VHAM, a large-bore center tube, or a chloride (PVC), but also cross-linked PE storage carousels, new quayside, and reel center bundle (“? rst pass bundle”), is fed (XLPE), for use in higher temperature transporters, all controlled via a wireless on polymer rollers into the building, then applications, used as packing between network. into the center of the VHAM, via a pit functional components, to keep product

DUCO – created through a joint ven- beneath the machine. in place and to maintain the umbilical’s ture between Dunlop and Co? exip – has The chain-driven revolving VHAM overall circular shape.

been manufacturing at Walker Riverside deck, houses and pays out the umbilical Operational, the VHAM’s linear in Newcastle since 1990, the company was reaching capacity for steel tube

Product feeds up umbilicals manufacture on its existing into the machine.

Photo from DUCO.

horizontal helix assembly machine, says

Ian Probyn, research and development

The VHAM deck houses and pays out umbilical components from bobbins.

Photo by Elaine Maslin. oedigital.com May 2014 | OE 49 048_OE0514_DW3_Newcastle.indd 49 4/18/14 7:07 PM