The project is being delivered for Total and its partner Dong UK, in which the company deployed its SCAR1 trenching tool to remove up to 1000 boulders which were delaying progress on cable laying and umbilical installation work.
The SCAR system was originally developed as a subsea plough, however it was redesigned and fabricated to suit Total’s requirements and mobilised within a ten day window.
The clearing plough worked at depths of 640m with at optimum performance was up to 1,000m of seabed per hour.
Ecosse Subsea Systems managing director Mike Wilson told the success of the project has created a fresh solution for other exploration companies faced with complex seabed clearance issues.
"Boulder clearance during seabed preparation is a real problem for some operators and is so arduous and expensive that often they opt to move the route of the pipeline," he said.
"Our SCAR system is extremely robust, easily mobilised, can work in the harshest environments and in up to depths of 3000 metres."
