Multifunctional Plough Completes First Job for Assodivers

Subsea equipment designer and manufacturer Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) said its Multi-Mode Pre Lay Plough, delivered to Greek offshore contractors Assodivers Ltd in Spring this year, has completed its first offshore job in the Baltic sea.

The Multi-Mode Pre Lay Plough is the newest addition to SMD's power cable installation and protection product range. This plough has configurations for boulder clearing, trenching and backfill. The boulder clearance pass clears a 13.0m wide route including surface and submerged boulders. The trenching pass creates an engineered ‘Y’ trench profile with a secure power cable pocket for subsequent lay process. The backfill pass moves the cut spoil excluding boulders back over the product for maximum cover. All three modes have responsive and controlled steering and a fully integrated sensor suite for as built survey of performance.

Assodivers’ new plough features all three configurations, said Paul Davison, Managing Director for SMD’s Subsea Business.

“Having multiple configurations available means this one plough can be set up to carry out a campaign of route clearance and power cable installation and cover processes making it economical in both cost and time, minimizing lay risk and maximizing lay speed,” Davison said. “Assodivers are the first client who have this capability in a single vehicle.”

The equipment was mobilized on board Assodivers’ DP-2 Construction Support Vessel, the Aethra, directly from SMD’s quayside access point.

Offering a full turnkey solution, SMD delivered a 20ft Control Cabin and a 60Te stabilizing frame operational in up to sea state 5 via their dedicated Deck Equipment business. The team were able to integrate the 60Te stabilizing frame with Assodivers’ existing A-Frame.

The scissor type stabilizing frame used in conjunction with the A-Frame is designed to maintain plough orientation and reduce side to side movement during launch and recovery; fore and aft motion is restricted by the tow wire.

Technical Manager from Assodivers, Aggelos Tziotakis, commented, “We are excited with the opportunities that have arisen from the use of a unique tool such as the multi-mode pre-lay plough; The vehicle has already performed its maiden work in the offshore fields of the Baltic with very successful results.”

Assodivers also has two SMD Atom Work Class remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems in its fleet.