Subsea Intervention

OT5301
SUBSEASYSTEMSENGINEERING
ASSIGNMENT1
SUBSEAINTERVENTION
PREPAREDBY:
ASEPNURULHAQ
A0081910M
DEPARTMENTOFCIVIL&ENVIRONMENTALENGINEERING
NATIONALUNIVERSITYOFSINGAPORE
OT5301SubseaSystemsEngineeringAssignment1(SubseaIntervention)
AsepNurulHaq(A0081910M)
Contents
1
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................2
SubseaWellIntervention......................................................................................................................3
2.1
Whatissubseawellintervention?................................................................................................3
2.2
Whatarethevarioustypeofsubseawellintervention?..............................................................3
2.2.1
LightIntervention..................................................................................................................3
2.2.2
MediumIntervention............................................................................................................4
2.2.3
HeavyIntervention................................................................................................................4
2.3
Whataretheactivitiesofsubseawellintervention?...................................................................4
2.4
Whataretheequipmentsinvolved?............................................................................................5
2.5
Whatisusedtointervenethewells?..........................................................................................11
2.6
Whyyouhavetodosubseaintervention?.................................................................................13
2.7
Whenyouhavetodo?................................................................................................................13
2.8
Howmuchisthecostofsubseawellintervention?...................................................................13
2.9
Whichcompanyofferssubseainterventionservices?...............................................................14
SubseaROV/ROTIntervention...........................................................................................................15
3.1
WhatissubseaROV/ROTintervention?....................................................................................15
3.2
WhatarethevarioustypeofsubseaROV/ROTinterventionactivity?.....................................15
3.2.1
Sitesurvey...........................................................................................................................15
3.2.2
DrillingAssistance...............................................................................................................16
3.2.3
InstallationAssistance.........................................................................................................17
3.2.4
OperationAssistance..........................................................................................................18
3.2.5
Inspection............................................................................................................................18
3.2.6
MaintenanceandRepair.....................................................................................................20
3.3
HowdoyouperformsubseaROV/ROTintervention?...............................................................20
3.4
WhataretheequipmentinvolvedinsubseaROV/ROTintervention?......................................20
3.4.1
ROVInterventionSystem....................................................................................................20
3.4.2
ROVMachine......................................................................................................................25
3.4.3
RemoteOperatedTool(ROT).............................................................................................28
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................30
Page1of30
1 Introduction
Subsea intervention by definition means intervention that is done subsea or underwater. Upon
literature study, writer found that various sources define subsea intervention differently. From
Wikipedia & Subsea System Engineering Lecture Notes from Prof. Loh Way Lam, writer learns that
subsea intervention relates more to well intervention that is done subsea. Yong Bai define subsea
intervention as all types of work that is done subsea by using ROV and coined the term ROV
Intervention. In this paper, writer will cover the definition of subsea intervention from both sources.
Belowchartshowswhichcategoryeachdefinitionliestoeasereaderintheunderstandingofwhatisthe
differencebetweenthosedefinitions.
Subsea
Intervention
SubseaROV/
ROT
Intervention
SubseaWell
Intervention
Light
Intervention
Medium
Intervention
Heavy
Intervention
ROV
Intervention
ROT
Intervention
Figure1SubseaInterventionDefinition
Asbothdefinitionofsubseaintervention,theyareentitledtohavetheirownseparatechapterinterms
ofthekeycomponentsthatthispaperneedstocover,whichare:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Whatissubseaintervention?
Whatarethevarioustypeofsubseaintervention?
Whatyouhavetodoinsubseaintervention?
Whatisinvolvedinsubseaintervention?
Whyyouhavetodosubseaintervention?
Whendoyouhavetodosubseaintervention?
Howyoudoasubseaintervention?
Page2of30
o Howmuchisittodoasubseaintervention?
o Whoisdoingsubseaintervention?
This paper will first cover the definition of subsea intervention by Wikipedia and Loh Way Lam and
continuewiththedefinitionofsubseainterventionbyYongBai.
2 Subsea Well Intervention

2.1 What is subsea well intervention?
Asubseawellinterventionisanyoperationcarriedoutonasubseaoilorgaswellduring,orattheend
ofitsproductivelife,thataltersthestateofthewellandorwellgeometry,provideswelldiagnostics,
managestheproductionofthewelloractivityrequiredtosafelyabandonssubseawells.
2.2 What are the various type of subsea well intervention?

Subsea well intervention falls into 3 types, light intervention, medium intervention and heavy
intervention.
2.2.1
Light Intervention
Ituseswirelineandslickline.Activitiesinvolvedare:
o
o
o
o
Logging
Lightperforating
Zoneisolation
Plugsetting/removal
Figure2LightIntervention
Page3of30
2.2.2 Medium Intervention

Itusescoiledtubing,wirelineandslickline.Activitiesinvolvedare:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
2.2.3
Flowlineintervention
Wellcommissioning
Wellabandonment
Downholepumpchangeout
Acidizingorfracjob
Sandorscalecleanout
Watershutoff
Scraping
Downholevalveretrieval
Replacement
Casingleakrepairs
Heavy Intervention
Activitiesinvolvedare:
o
o
o
o
Scalemilling
Completionchangeout/repair
Redrillorsidetrack
Christmastreechangeout
2.3 What are the activities of subsea well intervention?
Pumping
Thisisthesimplestformofinterventionasitdoesnotinvolveputtinghardwareintothewellitself.
FrequentlyitsimplyinvolvesrigginguptothekillwingvalveontheChristmastreeandpumpingthe
chemicalsintothewell.
WellheadandChristmastreemaintenance
Thecomplexityofthisoperationcanvarydependingontheconditionofthewellheads.Scheduled
annualmaintenance may simplyinvolvegreasingandpressuretestingthevalueonthehardware.
Sometimesthedownholesafetyvalveispressuretestedaswell.
Slickline
Slicklineoperationsmaybeusedforfishing,gaugecutting,settingorremovingplugs,deployingor
removingwirelineretrievablevalvesandmemorylogging.
Page4of30
Braidedline
This is more complex than slickline due to the need for a grease injection system in the rigup to
ensure the BOPs can seal around the braided contours of the wire. It also requires an additional
shearsealBOPasatertiarybarrierastheuppermastervalveontheXmastreecanonlycutslickline.
Braided line includes both the coreless variety used for heaving fishing and electricline used for
loggingandperforating.
Coiledtubing
Coiledtubingisusedwhenitisdesiredtopumpchemicalsdirectlytothebottomofthewell,suchas
inacirculatingoperationorachemicalwash.Itcanalsobeusedfortasksnormallydonebywireline
if the deviation in the well is too severe for gravity to lower the toolstring and circumstances
preventtheuseofawirelinetractor.
Snubbing
Also known as hydraulic workover, this involves forcing a string of pipe into the well against
wellborepressuretoperformtherequiredtasks.Therigupislargerthanforcoiledtubingandthe
pipemorerigid.
Workover
Insomeolderwells,changingreservoirconditionsordeterioratingconditionofthecompletionmay
necessitatepullingitouttoreplaceitwithafreshcompletion.
2.4 What are the equipments involved?

Thefollowingaretheequipmentinvolvedinsubseawellintervention.
1. TheVessel(WorkPlatform)
o Lightinterventionvessel
An example of a light intervention vessel is the Helix Well Enhancer. Light intervention vessel
usuallyhasthefollowingspecification:
DynamicPositioningSystem,toallowthemtomaintainpositionduringsubseaintervention
activity
Offshore crane/ module handling tower, for performing subsea riserless well intervention
services
Moonpool,toallowROV/interventiontooldeployment
ROVcapabilitysuchasROVcontrolroom
Liquidcargodischargesystems,topumpmud/producttowell
Operatingdepth600m
100Tecrane
1,100m2maindeckspace
7x7mmoonpool
Page5of30
Figure3LightInterventionVessel(HelixWellEnhancer)
Mediuminterventionvessel
AnexampleofamediuminterventionvesselisUlsteinXBow.Asidefromthebasicrequirement
ofaninterventionvesselsuchasDynamicPositioningSystem,MoonpoolandROVcapability,a
medium intervention vessel usually has larger deck area, crane and moon pool as detailed
below:
Size:120mlongx25mbreadth
Operatingdepth2500m
150TeCrane
Deckarea1380m2
8mx8mmoonpool
Figure4MediumInterventionVessel(UlsteinXBow)
Page6of30
Heavyinterventionvessel
AnexampleofaheavyinterventionvesselistheQ4000ownedbyWellOps,comparedtolight
andmediuminterventionvessel,itskeydifferentiatorare:
Semisubmersible,size:95mx64m
Operatingdepthin3000m
600Tederrickcrane,350Temaincrane,160Tesecondarycrane
12mx6mmoonpool
Figure5HeavyInterventionVessel(HelixQ4000)
Page7of30
o OffshoreSupportVessels
Support vessels transports personnel, cargos, fuel, cement, mud, fresh water, etc to distant
deepwaterfield.Theyhaveanchorhandling,towing,mooring,emergencyresponse/rescueand
firefightingcapacities.Theyarealsoequippedwithdynamicpositioning.
Figure6AkerPSV22OffshoreSupportVessel
MultipurposeSupplyVessels
Multipurpose Supply Vessels carry and onloading/ offloading supplies and services to offshore
installations. They also have fire fighting capacities and dynamic positioning capabilities. The
vesselsarealsodesignedtostoreandtransportdrinkingorindustrialwater,drillingmud,fuel,
methanolorcementandalsoforROVoperations.
Figure7HOSStronglineMultipurposeSupplyVessel
Page8of30
Figure8HOSIronhorseMultipurposeSupportVessel
2. TheSubseaVehicle(InterventionSupport)
ThesubseavehicleforinterventionsupportistheROV(remoteoperatedvehicle).
Figure9ROV
Page9of30
VehicleDutieswithinanInterventionare:
Survey(Visualonly)
o Wellpositionestablishment/Depthcorrelation
o LeakDetection
o Interfacecondition(priortointervention)
o Valvepositionverification
o Connectorpositionverification
o Etc..
WellPreparation(Variesdependingonintervention)
o Obstructionremoval(manipulator)
o Guideline/Guidewireestablishment(manipulator)
o Protectivecoverremoval(manipulator)
o Liftlineestablishment(manipulator)
o TreeCap/WellheadConnector/etc.
o Etc..
WellIntervention(Variesdependingonintervention)
o ValveActuatorOverride(TDU/Piston/TTool)
o Temporary/Permanent
o WellheadConnectorOverride(HydJack)
o Subassemblyretrieval(SpecTooling/Piston/TTool)
o Choke/ControlModule/Cap/MPFM/etc.
o Liftlineestablishment(manipulator)
o TreeCap/WellheadConnector/etc.
o Heavyliftguidance(thrust)
o FunctionHotstabbing(Hydraulically/Electrically)
o Measurement
o Gasket/Sealchangeout(manipulator)
o SurfaceCleaning(manipulator/Brush/Jet)
o VideoSupport
o Etc..
ROVwillbefurtherdetailedinSection3SubseaROV/ROTIntervention.
3. TheInterventionSystem(TemporaryWellControl)
TheinterventionsystemprovidestheabilitytoreenteraSubseawell(onatemporarybasis)witha
varietyoftools:
o Toeithereffectaphysicalchangeofstateinwell
o Toestablishdataofwellcondition
It also establishes additional well control hardware onto well, beyond that typically resident in
Subsea tree and allows the insertion and removal of intervention tooling into the well, whilst the
wellremainspressurized.
Page10of30
Figure10SubseaInterventionHardware
4. TheSubseaTree(PermanentProductionControl)
Thesubseatreeispositionedonseabed,locatedonsubseawellhead.Viacontrolsystem,thesubsea
treeprovideswellcontrolbetweenwellitselfandseabedpipelinefacilities.
Figure11SubseaTrees
2.5 What is used to intervene the wells?

1. Slickline
Monofilamentwireusedtomechanicallyconveytoolsintowellbore.
Hightensilewirespooledonandoffapowereddrum
Page11of30
Figure12Slickline
2. Wireline
Multistrandcableformechanicalconveyanceoftoolsintowellbore,aswellasprovidean
electrical/fiberopticcommunicationpathtotheoperator.
Hightensilecablespooledonandoffapowereddrum
Figure13Wireline
3. CoiledTubing
Rolled & Welded continuous length of steel tubing which is used to convey tools, provide
communicationpath,aswellasprovideafluidflowpath.
Coiledtubespooledonandoffareel,utilizinganInjectorsystem.
TubecanhaveintegratedWireline
Page12of30
Figure14OffshoreCoiledTubing
2.6 Why you have to do subsea intervention?

Duringthelifeofafield,interventionsandworkoversareperformedto:
Improve/maintain/optimizefieldrecovery/productionlevels.
Repairwellboremechanicalfailures
Terminate/suspendproduction
2.7 When you have to do?

Weneedtoperformsubseainterventionwhen:
Wellproductionrateisdeclining(i.e.duetosandproduction)
Damage/scheduledperiodicalreplacementtotheequipment
2.8 How much is the cost of subsea well intervention?

Subsea intervention cost depends on the type of intervention, the vessel used for intervention, the
complexityandthedurationofintervention.Table1showsthesummaryofsubseainterventioncost.
Table1SubseaInterventionCost
InterventionVessel
SubseaTree
InterventionHardware
LightIntervention
$150K~200K/day
MediumIntervention
$150K~300K/day
$3,000~6,000K
$6,000~30,000K
HeavyIntervention
$360K~840K/day
Page13of30
2.9 Which company offers subsea intervention services?

The following Table 2 shows some of the prominent companies that provide subsea intervention
services,theserviceprovidedalongwiththecompanysasset.
Table2SubseaInterventionServiceProvider
Company
AkerSolutions
Oceaneering
ServiceProvided
Slickline
Wireline
Wirelinetractor
Logging
Welltestfacility
Coiledtubing
Fluidhandlingandwellcontrol
Processing
Constructionandmaintenance
WellAbandonment/WirelineServices
HydrateRemediation
SubseaPumping
Facilities/Vessel
Skandi Aker (monohull subsea well
intervention vessel) capable of service up
to3,000mwaterdepth
MSVOceanIntervention
WellOps(Helix Riser based and riserless Through WellEnhancer

Energy
TubingWellIntervention
Seawell
Solution)
Saturationdiving
Q4000
IRM
SlicklineServices
ElectricLineServices
CoiltubingServices
CementingServices
StimulationServices
Well Testing and Production Flowback
Services
Subseatreeinstallationandrecovery
Riser based and riserless subsea well
andfielddecommissioning
Flowlineandumbilicalabandonment
CasingCuttingandwellheadrecovery
Surface drilling and surface casing
Page14of30
installation
SlimHoleDrilling
Riglesssubseawellabandonment
Construction: including tiein and
installation of heavy umbilical and small
diameterridgedflowlines.
Pipelineblockageremediation.
EmergencyWellControlsupport.
VetcoGrey
Tooling Systems and Equipment for
diverless, ROV based Intervention
Operations:
TieinandConnectionTools
ComponentReplacementTooling
InsertChokes
SubseaControlModules
MultiphaseFlowmeters
CleaningTools
InspectionTools
ROVToolingSkids
TorqueTools
SpecialPurposeTooling
3 Subsea ROV/ ROT Intervention

3.1 What is subsea ROV/ ROT intervention?
Subsea intervention is any operation carried out subsea utilizing ROV (remotely operated vehicle) or
ROT(remotelyoperatedtool),suchas:
Sitesurvey;
Drillingassistance;
Installationassistance;
Operationassistance;
Inspection;
Maintenanceandrepair.
Aboveactivitieswillbedetailedinthefollowingsection.
3.2 What are the various type of subsea ROV/ ROT intervention activity?
3.2.1
Site survey
Asitesurveyhastobecarriedoutbeforeoffshoreactivitiessuchasdrillingandinstallationtoobtainthe
seabedsprecisebathymetryandproperties.
Page15of30
Figure15SeabedMappingwithanROV
Detailedseabedmappingthroughprecisebathymetrymaybeperformedbyaseabedreferencesystem
withdifferentialpressuresensorsandacousticdatatransmission,whichmaybedeployedandretrieved
by an ROV. Seabed mapping can also be performed by an ROV carrying a multibeam echo sounder
(MBE) or a sidescan sonar (SSS) as shown in Figure 15. A subbottom profiler (SBP) for subbottom
profilingmaybeusedtoassessthequalityofseabedpropertiesforoffshoreinstallationfoundation.
3.2.2
Drilling Assistance
Drillingactivitiesforproductiondrillingandcompletionnormallyinclude:
DeploymentofacousticunitssuchastranspondersorbeaconsbyanROVforsurfaceorsubsea
positioning;
BottomsurveybyvisualobservationfromaROVwithvideoandstillcameras;
Structuresettingandtesting(ifneeded)ofpermanentguidebase(PGB),temporaryguidebase
(TGB),Xmastree,BOP,etc.;
Asbuilt(bottom)surveybyROVvisualobservationwithsupplementalequipment.
During the entire process, the observation tasks with video cameras (often with scanning sonar as
supplemental acoustic observation) make up the majority of ROV drilling assistance. Tasks include
conductingthebottomsurvey,monitoringtheloweringofthe structureandtouchingdown,checking
thestructuresorientationandlevelwithagyrocompassandbullseye,respectively,andperformingan
asbuilt survey. Some necessary intervention work may have to be done with ROVs or ROTs during
structuresettingandtesting:
Acoustictransponderorbeacondeploymentandrecovery;
Debrispositioningandremovalfromseabedandtree,includingdroppedobjects;
Page16of30
StructurepositionassistancewithROVpull/push;
Guidewiredeployment,recovery,andcuttingduringemergencyconditions;
Rigging(e.g.,shackleconnectionanddisconnection);
Cementcleaningonguidebasewithbrushorwaterjet;
Valveoperationwithhydraulictorquetoolorhydraulicstabin;
ROVoperableguideposts,replacement,andpinpullrelease;
ControlpodreplacementifsuitableforROV(otherwiseROT);
Anodeinstallationbyclampandcontactscrew.
3.2.3
Installation Assistance
Theinstallationofasubseaproductionsystemfromthewatersurfacetotheseabedcanbedividedinto
twoparts:
Subseaequipmentinstallation(e.g.,manifolddeployment,landing);
Pipeline/umbilicalinstallation(e.g.,initiation,normallayandlaydown).
Theinstallationmethodsforsubseaequipmentmaybedividedintotwogroups.Largesubseahardware
withweightsover300tonne(metricton)canbeinstalledbyaheavyliftvesselwherethecranewireis
longenoughtoreachtheseabedandthecraneisusedtobothputtheequipmentoverboardandlower
it.Asoftlandingtotheseabedmayberequiredusinganactiveheavecompensationsystemwiththe
crane. Alternatively, it may be installed with a drilling tower on a drilling rig, which can have a lifting
capacityuptoabout600tonne.Forsmallersubseahardware(maximumapproximately 250tonne),a
normalvesselequippedwithasuitablecraneforoverboardingthehardwaremaybeused.Thevessel
normallywouldnothavealongenoughcranewiretotheseabed,sothehardwareistransferredfrom
thecranewiretoawinchwithahighcapacityandalongenoughwireforloweringtheequipmenttothe
seabedoncethehardwarepassesthroughthesplashzone.Inbothinstallationgroups,ROVsareused
forobservationandverificationandforengagementandreleaseofguidewiresandhooks.
Subsea structures are widely positioned underwater using the long baseline (LBL) method in which
transducersusedforpositionmeasuring,agyrocompassfororientationmeasuring,adepthsensorfor
depthmeasuringmaybemountedontostructurebypackage(s)thatwillberetrievedbytheROV.The
orientationcontrolmaybeassistedbytheROV,andtheROVhastoverifyviacamerathatthestructure
is aligned and level before the structures final setdown. ROVs may also be used to install chokes,
multiphasemeters, and subsea control modules. For seal pressure tests, ROVs can be used for hot
stabbing.
ROVs can be used to assist in the installation of a dead anchor for pipeline/umbilical laying initiation.
TheycanalsobeusedtoconnectthepullinlineforJtubeorItubeinitiation.Duringnormalinstallation
andpipeline/umbilicallaydown,thetouchdownpointisoftenmonitoredwithROVsinfrontandbehind.
The connections between subsea production equipment and flowlines and subsea equipment and
umbilicalsmaybecompletedthroughflyingleadsfromtheumbilicalterminationassembly(UTA)tothe
tree/manifold,welljumperfromthetreetothemanifold,jumperfromthemanifoldtothePLET.The
Page17of30
flyingleadsmaybehandledandpulledinbyanROVdirectly.Jumperscanbedeployedfromavessel
withspreaderbar(s),andthenpositionedandconnectoractuatedwiththeassistanceofanROV.
3.2.4
Operation Assistance
Mainproductionactivitiesnormallyinclude:
Flowcontrol by chokes and valves operated by hydraulic actuators through control pods and
umbilicalsorexternallybyROVorROTintervention;
Monitoringofflowtemperatureandpressurebyrelevantmeasurementmeters;
Chemicalandinhibitorinjectionforcorrosion,waxing,andhydrateformationresistance;
Flowseparationofliquids,gases,andsolids(filtering);
Flowboostingbypumping;
Flowheatingorcooling.
Duringtheoperationphase,ROVsarenormallynotrequiredexceptfornoncriticalvalveactuationand
possiblyintermittentstatuschecks,takingsamples,etc.
3.2.5
Inspection
Inspectionmaybeneededonaroutinebasisforthestructuresexpectedtodeteriorateduetoflowline
vibration,internalerosion,corrosion,etc.
Inspectionincludes:
Generalvisualinspection,includingcathodicmeasurementsandmarinegrowthmeasurements;
Close visual inspection additionally requiring physical cleaning for close visual inspection, CP
measurements,andcrackdetectionbymeansofnondestructivetesting(NDT);
Detailed inspection including close visual inspection, crack detection, wall thickness
measurements,andfloodedmemberdetection;
Routine pipeline inspection including tracking and measurement of depth of cover for buried
pipelines,whichisalsoapplicableforcontrolumbilicalsandpower/controlcables.
Page18of30
Figure16PolatrakROVIITipContactCPProbe
Cathodicprotection(CP)potentialmeasurementsmaybecompletedbyCPprobeasshowninFigure16.
ThistypeofmeasurementisnormallycarriedoutbyaworkclassROV.Cleaningmaybeperformedbyan
ROVwithbrushingtoolsorhighpressurewetjetsandgritentrainmentasshowninFigure17.
Figure17RotatingBrushToolandWaterJettingTool
Crack detection may be performed by an ROV with magnetic particle inspection (MPI), eddy current,
alternatingcurrentfieldmeasurement(ACFM)methods,etc.
Page19of30
3.2.6 Maintenance and Repair

Maintenance activities include repair or replacement of modules subject to wear. Maintenance is
normallyperformedbyretrievingthemoduletothesurfaceandsubsequentlyreplacingitwithanewor
othersubstitutemodule.
Retrievalandreplacementhavetobeanticipatedduringsubseaequipmentdesign.Somemodulessuch
as multimeters, chokes, and control pods are subject to removal and replacement. A completed
replacement may have to be carried out due to the significant wear on or damage to nonretrievable
partsofsubseaequipment.
Due to the difficulty and expense of maintenance and repair, the operation may be continued with
regularmonitoringifthedamagedmoduleisnotreadilyreplacedanddoesnotpreventproduction.
3.3 How do you perform subsea ROV/ ROT intervention?

Thereare2methodsthatareusedtocompletethosetasks,whichare:
1. ROVs(remoteoperatedvehicles)forinspection,cleaning,andsoon,and
2. ROTs(remoteoperatedtools)formodulereplacementandsubseatiein.
TheabovemethodusesROVandROTwhichwillbeexplainedinthefollowingsection.
3.4 What are the equipment involved in subsea ROV/ ROT intervention?
3.4.1
ROV Intervention System
Figure18ROVSystem
Page20of30
An ROV system used in subsea engineering, as shown in Figure 18, can be divided into the following
subsystems:
ControlroomondeckforcontrollingtheROVsubsea;
WorkoverroomondeckforROVmaintenanceandrepair;
Deckhandlinganddeploymentequipment,suchasAframeorcrane/winch;
UmbilicaltopowerROVsubseaandlaunchorrecoverROV;
TethermanagementsystemtoreducetheeffectofumbilicalmovementontheROV;
ROVforsubseaintervention.
3.4.1.1 ROV Categories

ROVcanbedividedintofiveclassesassummarizedinTable3.
Table3ROVClasses
Class
I
GeneralDefinition
Pureobservation
II
Observationwith
payloadoption
III
Workclassvehicles
IV
Seabedworking
vehicles
Prototypeor
development
vehicles
DetailedDefinition
Pure observation vehicles are physically limited to video observation.
Generally they are small vehicles fitted with video cameras, lights, and
thrusters. They cannot undertake any other tasks without considerable
modification.
Vehiclescapableofcarryingadditionalsensorssuchasstillcolorcameras,
cathodicprotectionmeasurementsystems,additionalvideocameras,and
sonar systems. Class II vehicles should be capable of operating without
thelossoforiginalfunctionwhilecarryingatleasttwoadditionalsensors.
Vehicles large enough to carry additional sensors and/ or manipulators.
Class III vehicles commonly have a multiplexing capability that allows
additional sensors and tools to operate without being hardwired
through the umbilical system. These vehicles are larger and more
powerfulthanClassesIandII.
ClassIIIAWorkclassvehicles<100hp
ClassIIIBWorkclassvehicles100to150hp
ClassIIICWorkclassvehicles>150hp
Seabedworking vehicles maneuver on the seabed by a wheel or belt
traction system, by thruster propellers or water jet power, or by
combinationsofanyofthesepropulsionmethods.
ClassIVvehiclesaretypicallymuchlargerandheavierthanClassIIIwork
class vehicles, and are configured for specialpurpose tasks. Such tasks
typically include cable and pipeline trenching, excavation, dredging and
otherremotelyoperatedseabedconstructionwork.
Vehiclesinthisclassincludethosebeingdevelopedandthoseregardedas
prototypes.Specialpurposevehiclesthatdonotfitintooneoftheother
classesarealsoassignedtoClassV.TheAUViscurrentlyassignedtoClass
V.
Page21of30
3.4.1.2 Topside Facilities

Suitable deck area and deck strength, external supplies, and ease of launch and recovery should be
providedondeckforsafeandefficientoperationofROVs.
ROV control stations vary from simple PC gaming joysticks to complex and large offshore control
containers/rooms on the platform or vessel. The control stations contain video displays and a set of
operator/ROV interface controlling mechanisms. A typical control container consists of operator
console,lighting,electricaloutlet,firealarmandextinguishers,etc.
3.4.1.3 ROV Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS)
The LARS consists of a winch, winch power unit, crane/Aframe with fixed block, and ROV guiding
system.
Generally speaking, launch and recovery activities can be achieved by a simple rope with uplift force.
However, to facilitate the deployment and recovery of the rope, a reel/drum is used, and a motor is
usuallyusedtorotatethereelandprovidetheupliftforce.Themotormaybeeitherahydraulicmotor
oranelectromotorwith/withoutagearboxusedtoreducetherotaryspeedandincreasethetorque
force.Thesystemofmotor,reel/drum,baseframe,andotherancillarystructuressuchasabrakeand
clutchisnormallycalledawinch.Afixedblock,sustainedattheendofacraneboom/Aframebeam,is
usedtochangetheupwarddirectionoftherequiredwinchforcetoadownwarddirectionandposition
thewinchonthelowerstructure,forexample,thedeck.
TorestrainROVmotionwhileitisbeingloweredfromtheairtothewatersurfaceaLARSisused.This
helpsprevent,forexample,damagetotheumbilicalbythebilgekeelifsidedeploymentisbeingused.
TheLARSmaybeequippedwithadockinghead,cursor,orguiderails,asshowninFigure19,Figure20,
andFigure21.
Page22of30
Figure19SnubberRotatorDockingHead
Figure20WireGuidedCursor
Page23of30
Figure21GuideRailSystem

3.4.1.4 Umbilical and TMS
OnecharacteristicdifferencebetweenanROVandanautonomousunderwatervehicle(AUV),isthatthe
ROV has an umbilical that runs between the support vessel and the ROV to transport
hydraulic/electronic power from the vessel to the ROVand information gathered from the ROV to the
surface. The AUV, on the other hands, is a robot that travels underwater without tethering to the
surface vessel/platform. An ROV is usually armored with an external layer of steel and has torque
balance capacity. The diameter and weight of the umbilical should be minimized to reduce the drag
Page24of30
forceduetowavesandcurrentsaswellasliftingrequirementsduringlaunchandrecoveryoftheROV
fromthewatertothesurface.Normallytheumbilicalhasnegativebuoyancy,andtheumbilicalmaybe
attached with buoyancy, for example, every 100 m (328.1m) to avoid entanglements between the
umbilicalandsubseaequipmentortheROVitselfduringshallowwateroperation.
A tether management system (TMS) is used to deploy the ROV for deepwater applications where the
umbilical with negative buoyancy can launch and recover the TMS and ROV. The connection cable
betweentheROVandTMScanbeanumbilicalcalledatetherthathasarelativelysmalldiameterand
neutralbuoyancy.TheTMSisjustlikeanunderwaterwinchformanagingthesofttethercable.ATMS
hastwosignificantadvantages:
1. ROVscanbemovedmoreeasilyduetodeletingtheforceimpliedbytheumbilical,whichmay
bethesameastheflyingresistanceoftheROVitselfinawaterdepthof200m(656.2ft)and
increaserapidlywithincreasingwaterdepth.
2. ThereisnoneedtousetheROVsownthrusterstogettheROVdowntotheworkingdepthnear
theseabed.ApoweredTMS,i.e.,installingsomethrusterstoTMScagesmaybecarriedoutto
accountforlargedragforceonTMSduetosignificantcurrents(e.g.,currentvelocityof1to1.5
knots)insomeareas.
TheTMSisdesignedtomanagethetetherandcanbeeitherattachedtoaclumpweight,mainlyforthe
observation ROV, or to a cage deployment system, as shown in Figures 238 and 239, mainly for
workclassROVs.
3.4.2
ROV Machine
3.4.2.1 Characteristics
Configuration
MostworkclassROVshavearectangularconfigurationandanopenAlbasedframethatsupportsand
protectsthethrustersforpropulsion,underwatercamerasformonitoring,lightsandotherinstruments
suchasclosedcircuittelevisionforobservation,thegyrocompassforheadingdetection,depthgauges
for depth detection, an echosounding device for altitude detection, and scanning sonars for
environmentinspection.
Most ROVs are near neutral buoyancy underwater. They do have a little buoyancy to make sure the
ROVs can float to the water surface during emergency conditions or if they break. An ROV moves
downward with a vertical thruster. Generally, the buoyancy is provided by synthetic foam material
abovetheAlbasedROVframe.AnROVsweightistypicallyintherangefrom1000to3500kg.Examples
canbeseenfromthetableinAnnexAofAPIRP17H.Thehigherbuoyancycenterandlowerweightof
gravityensurethattheROVprovidesgoodstabilityperformance.
Page25of30
OperationDepth
Traditionally,ROVshadbeendesignedandbuiltforoperationsinwaterdepthsof100to1000m(328to
3280ft), primarily supporting drilling operations, including seabed surveys, water jetting, and seal ring
installation, as well as providing light construction support and inspection work. These ROVs have
payloadcapacitiesofaround250kgwithpowerrangingfrom40to75hp.
Astheoilandgasindustryhasprobedintodeeperanddeeperwaters,demandhasincreasedforROVs
that provide diverless solutions for such tasks as remote interventions and pipeline/umbilical tieins.
Table4liststheoperationalwaterdepthsoftypicalROVs.
Payload
ThepayloadcapacityofanROVislimitedby:
ROVpower;
Structuralintegrity;
Manipulatorloadantorquecapacity;
Currentcondition.
PayloadcapacitiesfortypicalROVsarelistedinTable4.
Table4OperationalWaterDepth&PayloadCapacityofTypicalROVs
ROVName
OperationalWater
Depth(m)
1572
PayloadCapacity
(kg)
113
Hysub60
PioneerHP
SuperScorpio
MRV
2000
1500
914
1500
100
100
220
Diablo
2000
250
TritonXLS
SCV3000
HydraMagnum
HydraMillennium
INNOVATORTM
Maximum
3000
3000
3144
3144
3500
300
100
227
318
499
Challenger
Page26of30
3.4.2.2 Navigation System

ThenavigationofROVincludesgeneralnavigationandaccuratenavigation.Thedeckreckoningmethod
and hydroacoustic method are used for general navigation. The hydroacoustic method is the most
widelyusedtodayviatheLBLsystem,inwhichthereisaresponderarrayontheseabed,atleastone
transpondersetontheROV,andonereceiversetonthevessel.
Accurate navigation is used to lead the ROV to the target object. A gyrocompass provides the ROV
heading and a viewing system is used that comprises imaging sonar/low light cameras and lights.
Normallythepowerofasubsealightisbetween250and500W.AnROVmightalsohave750to1000W
ofpowerforlargelightsand100to150Wofpowerforsmalllights.ThereisalsoacubicTVtoprovide
3Dobjectconfigurations,thatis,toobtaindataabouttargetthicknessanddistancebetweentheROV
andthetarget.
3.4.2.3 Propulsion System
ThepropulsionsystemforanROVconsistsofapowersource,controllerforanelectricmotororaservo
valvepackforahydraulicmotor,andthrusterstoadjustthevehiclecondition(trim,heel,andheading)
andtopropelthevehiclefornavigatingfromtheTMStotheworksite,andviceversa.
Being the main part of an ROV propulsion system, the underwater thrusters are arranged in several
ways to allow for proper maneuverability and controllability of the vehicle through asymmetrical
thrustingandvaryingtheamountofthrust.Thethrustersneedtobeadequatelysizedforcounteringall
oftheforcesactingonthevehicle,includinghydrodynamicandworkloadforces.Thereareawiderange
ofthrustersfromelectricallypoweredtohydraulicallypowered.Ingeneral,electricalthrustersareused
forsmallervehicles,whilethehydrauliconesareusedforlargerandworkclassvehicles.Typicalelectric
andhydraulicthrusterexamplesareshowninFigure22TypicalElectricandHydraulicThrusters.When
selectingthrustersforanROV,thefactorsofpower,efficiency,pressure,flow,weight,size,andforward
/reversecharacteristicsshouldbetakenintoaccount.
Page27of30
Figure22TypicalElectricandHydraulicThrusters
3.4.2.4 Viewing System

A wide range of underwater video cameras are used in ROVs for viewing purposes, typically for
navigation,inspection,andmonitoring.
Cameraimagesensorsincludelowlightsiliconintensifiedtargets(SITs),chargecoupleddevices(CCDs),
andHADsforhighdefinitionimages.SomecamerasareequippedwithLEDlightsprovidingillumination
forcloseupinspectionandeliminatingtheneedforseparatelighting.Imagescapturedbyacameraare
transmitted as video signals through the tether and umbilical to a video capture device on the water
surface.
3.4.2.5 Manipulators
AnROVisnormallyequippedwithtwomanipulators,oneforROVpositionstabilization,normallywitha
five function arm, and the other for intervention tasks, normally with a sevenfunction arm.
Manipulatorsystemsvaryconsiderablyinsize,loadrating,reach,functionality,andcontrollability.They
may be simple solenoidcontrolled units or servovalve controlled position feedback units. The end of
the arm is fitted with a gripper, usually consisting of two or three fingers that grasp handles, objects,
andstructuralmembersforcarryingoutanactivityorstabilizingtheROV.
3.4.3
Remote Operated Tool (ROT)
AnROTsystemcanbedividedintothefollowingsubsystems,asshowninFigure23:
Deckhandlinganddeploymentequipment,suchasAframeorcrane/winch;
ControlsroomondecktocontroltheROTsubseaoperation;
WorkoverroomondeckforROTmaintenanceandrepair;
Page28of30
Umbilical/liftwiretopowertheROTsubseaanddeployorrecoveranROV;
TheROT.
Figure23ROTSystem
AROTismainlyusedformodulereplacement/changeoutandflowlinetiein,bothofwhichrequirea
handlingforcelargerthanthatofanROV.ROTsareusuallydeployedonliftwiresoracombinedliftwire/
umbilical,andthelateralguidanceispoweredbyanumbilicalwithdedicatedthrusters,ROVassistance,
orguidewires.
The ROT system should provide for safe locking of the replacement module during handling,
deployment,normaloperation,andemergencyconditionssuchaspowerfailure.
TherearethreegenerationsofROTfortieintools:
AfirstgenerationROTistwoseparatetoolsthatpullinandconnectindividually.
AsecondgenerationROTisacombinedtoolthatpullinsandconnectstogether.
AthirdgenerationROTisanROVmountedpullinandconnectiontool.
Page29of30
Bibliography
YongBai,Q.B.(2010).SubseaEngineeringHandbook.Houston,USA:Elsevier.
YongBai,Q.B.(2005).SubseaPipelines&Risers.Elsevier.
LohWayLam.SubseaSystemEngineeringLectureNotes.NUS.
Variousinternetwebsite
Page30of30

Subsea Intervention

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Subsea Intervention

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OT5301

2 Subsea Well Intervention

2.2 What are the various type of subsea well intervention?

2.2.2 Medium Intervention

2.3 What are the activities of subsea well intervention?

2.4 What are the equipments involved?

2.5 What is used to intervene the wells?

2.6 Why you have to do subsea intervention?

2.7 When you have to do?

2.8 How much is the cost of subsea well intervention?

2.9 Which company offers subsea intervention services?

WellOps(Helix Riser based and riserless Through WellEnhancer

3 Subsea ROV/ ROT Intervention

3.2.6 Maintenance and Repair

3.3 How do you perform subsea ROV/ ROT intervention?

ROV Intervention System

3.4.1.1 ROV Categories

3.4.1.2 Topside Facilities

3.4.2.2 Navigation System

3.4.2.4 Viewing System

Remote Operated Tool (ROT)

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