DeepOcean Installs Subsea Xmas Tree from Specialised IMR Vessel Edda Fauna

19 November 2012

DeepOcean has for the first time installed a subsea Xmas tree from the specialised IMR vessel Edda Fauna. This is a milestone in the company's IMR work for Statoil.

DeepOcean has three ships that work year round performing several hundred different annual inspection, maintenance and repair works annually on all Statoil operated subsea assets on the Norwegian shelf. DeepOcean is proud to perform Statoil's first Xmas tree installation (valve tree) with its specialised vessel on a drilled well before completion. Subsea tree installation is typically carried out from the drilling rig. Using an IMR vessel is a cost effective solution saving several days of expensive drilling rig time, while freeing up capacity for Statoil’s contracted drilling rigs

The operation was performed with specialised IMR vessel Edda Fauna for the fast track development project Skuld in the Norwegian Sea. Usually it is the drilling rig that puts down the Xmas tree. Installation is done in conjunction with the drilling and completion of wells. As the well was drilled, it was possible to perform the operation with the IMR vessel.

It involved heavy lifting as the Xmas tree (along with all control equipment) weighed in at 55 tons. Lifting operations are critical and rely on a small weather window. This agreement was carried out with the boat's module handling tower and lowered through the ship's moon pool.

"This is an operation which I think both we and the Statoil IMR organisation have wanted to perform for a long time. Together we succeeded with the subsea operations, and we hope this opens the way forward for several similar projects," said Sveinung Soma, Engineering Manager at DeepOcean AS.