Hydraulic systems specialist, Webtool, has developed a gripping and lifting tool for recovering subsea umbilical and cable for offshore oil and gas and decommissioning projects. The Cable Retrieval Tool (CRT200), developed in consultation with international certification body and classification society, DNV GL, allows the safe and controlled recovery of damaged cable and umbilical, up to 8in (203 mm) diameter.
Current methods of recovering umbilicals for repair or replacement are laborious, time consuming and expensive. They involve trenching the seabed around the cable or umbilical to allow a double choke sling to be attached using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
The hydraulically operated CRT200 cable gripper provides cable recovery whereby the gripper, guided by an ROV, is lowered onto the end of the cable without requiring preliminary clearing of the soil around the cable. The mechanically locked gripping action is designed to prevent the umbilical from escaping during retrieval; moreover, an internal clutch mechanism prevents damage from overtightening. By gripping the end of the cable, it makes subsequent handling much easier, enabling the cable to be recovered to a reeler or spooler on the surface vessel.
Fabricated from corrosion resistant materials, the cable gripper weighs approximately 500 kg, has a lifting capacity of 20-tonne and is available with hydraulic hotstab or torque bucket interface options.
“Working in consultation with DNV GL, we’ve designed the CRT200 gripper to provide offshore contractors with a highly effective way of recovering umbilical and cable from any water depth,” says Keith Elliot, engineering director at Allspeeds Ltd., the designer and manufacturer of Webtool.
Image: Cable Gripper/Webtool
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