Van Oord develops new deepwater dredging technique

Van Oord, a Rotterdam-based private company, has developed Deep Excavation System (DES) which is a new method for preparing sea bottom profile for installing offshore pipelines.

The system has been patented by Van Oord.

Explaining the benefits of the new system, the company says the new system is an alternative to traditionally prepared seabeds for laying offshore pipelines by installing large volumes of rock.

Van Oord said that it has applied the Deep Excavation System in Australia and Norway, and that on these projects, excavating several thousand cubic metres of hard and soft soil made the installation of hundreds of thousand tonnes of rock unnecessary. Combining the excavating system and Subsea Rock Installation (SRI) can be a cost-effective solution for sea bed preparation, the company says.

Van Oord further explains that the Deep Excavation System allows dredging to take place at depths varying from 100 to at least 1,000 m. In today’s press release, Van Oord also said that their flexible fall pipe vessels Stornes and Bravenes (operational in 2016) can be equipped with this system, which has been developed in-house.

It consists of the combined application of a sophisticated grab and a Fall Pipe Remotely Operated Vehicle (FPROV). The DES has a very accurate position control system and generates only very limited turbidity, which is vital in view of potential nearby sensitive marine environment like coral, says Van Oord.

Joep Athmer, Managing Director of Van Oord Offshore, says: “Nowadays, oil and gas are being extracted more and more from isolated fields in deep water and transported over long distances. Our clients face these challenges.

“To meet their needs, we offer tailor-made solutions by applying our marine ingenuity. The Deep Excavation System is an example of this and a valuable addition to our complete package of offshore services.”

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