Site Representative (CSR), besides the Captain and Chief Engineer of the vessel. All were gung-ho about the readiness of the project.


Getting into Action I was presented with test certificates of rigging and crane operators’ certificates – current and valid. I inspected all the freshly minted rigging complete with color coding. Everything was found in order. Weather report from Fugro couldn’t have been more conducive and favourable. I noted that the welder qualifications were complete and the WPS/PQR was in place.


I noted that all parameters specified in the approved Pipe-lay procedure were met. The stinger was already lowered into the water to the requisite angle. After informing my base office, I issued the CoA (Certificate of Approval) for retrieving the pipeline lying at the seabed.


It was no ordinary pipeline – they were 18”/4” Piggyback pipelines – 18” for the hydrocarbon and the 4” for venting. They are held together by the Piggyback blocks placed between the two pipelines at regular intervals. The piggyback blocks and the pipelines are held in place by flexible straps made of special material.


The much anticipated moment arrived. The project team was now ready for the Normal Lay of the pipeline for the next several kilometers. As usual I had the honor of checking and satisfying myself of the readiness in all respects and then issued the CoA for the Normal Lay.


The Stinger


Pipe Recovery On issuance of the CoA, the vessel was aligned with the location of lay-down head of the pipeline at the seabed. The vessel was in DP mode. A&R wire was lowered into the seabed and the same was hooked on to the laydown head with the help of ROVs. The pipelines were recovered successfully by application of pull by the A&R winch. The load of the pipes was transferred slowly and systematically to the Tensioners.


Once the tensioners took charge of the pipeline, the winch was relieved of the tension. The lay-down heads of both the pipelines, big and small, were severed with clinical precision.


The Normal Lay Hunky-dory! New pipes were welded at the inner end of the pipe strings. The pipeline was progressively pushed into the waters by the tensioners. Piggyback blocks were added by the crew with impeccable regularity. ROVs were pressed into service to keep track of pipelines’ progression to the seabed.


After the initial euphoria and several hours of delight gradually tapered, something amiss was noticed at the ROV console. The pipelines, big and small, ordained to be together, enforced to be so by means of the piggyback blocks, were no longer together. They were ‘separated’. Several re-runs of the ROV confirmed the unwelcome news.


The shock The above news was a jolt for all or a bolt from the blue (or better still, bolt from the blue water, shall I say?). This was something completely unanticipated.


The Report • June 2019 • Issue 88 | 49


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