October 2009 Vol. 236 No. 10

Projects

Deepwater Pipeline Plows Complete Sea Trials

IHC Engineering Business (EB) worked with Saipem UK Ltd. (SUKL) on installation, commissioning and sea trials of two new EB-designed and built pipeline trenching plows aboard the Far Samson.

The main trenching plow was designed to bury pipelines up to 61 inches in diameter up to 8.2 feet below the seabed, sustain a bollard pull of over 350 tons and maintain speeds of up to 9,842 feet/hr, where seabed conditions permit. The backfill plow, an all-new EB-designed concept, sees all four of the main skids sit outside the trench enabling the plow to run on undisturbed soil, thus increasing stability and reducing risk of damage to the laid pipe.