Webtool cable gripper revamped for longer subsea deployments

Hydraulic subsea tools specialist Webtool has redesigned its Webtool CRT200 cable retrieval tool for large diameter cable and longer subsea deployment in water up to 1,500 metres water depth.

The cable gripper has been redesigned with the need to use and abandon it for up to 20 days between cable recovery projects.

Designed and manufactured in the UK exclusively by Allspeeds, the CRT200 allows the recovery of damaged cable and umbilical where 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 ensures the umbilical cannot escape during retrieval; moreover, an internal clutch mechanism prevents damage from overtightening. By gripping the end of the cable, it makes subsequent handling easier, enabling the cable to be recovered to a reeler or spooler on the surface vessel, Allspeeds explains.

“With the growing need to ensure offshore subsea operations are both cost-efficient and sustainable, the ability to deploy and abandon the CRT200 Cable Gripper for up to 20 days before recovery to the surface is a significant boost to the gripper’s utilisation in cable and umbilical recovery campaigns,” says Keith Elliot, managing director, Allspeeds.

The DNV GL-approved CRT200 cable gripper weighs approximately 600 kilograms and has a maximum load capacity of 20 tonnes.