Reef Subsea on Right Track (UK)

Reef Subsea announced today that its subsidiary company. Reef Subsea Power & Umbilical, has placed an order for a Heavy Duty Cable Plough, which will expand the company’s capabilities and position it as a true leading contractor in subsea trenching and cable installation.

Reef Subsea Power & Umbilical, based in the North-east of England with offices in Aberdeen, has recently placed the order for the new plough with subsea equipment manufacturer Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD), to be delivered in late 2012. This acquisition will position Reef Subsea at the forefront of trenching technology to assist its clients in the oil and gas, renewables, power and telecommunications sectors.

The plough will accommodate cables and subsea umbilicals up to 200 mm outer diameter and 3 metre bending radius. It will also have strong tow force, with power to pull up to 150 tonnes. It will be equipped with subsea loading and unloading capabilities, and will have a unique feature allowing it to cut a trench at shallow trench depths (~1 to 1.5m) or at deep trench depths (2.4m) with minimal risk to the product compared to a conventional plough. It is well suited to consolidated soils, including stiff clays.

In addition, Reef Subsea Power & Umbilical had already placed an order in 2011 for a Q1000 Jet Trencher, which is due to be delivered end of September. The trencher optimises trenching performance for a large variety of products and sizes, and will result in trench depths up to 3 metres. It will be configured to operate in water depths of up to 2,000 metres, in unconsolidated soils and clays up to 125 kPa. The trencher will be equipped with high-function jetting power, as well as two high-pressure, high-flow pumps with complete control over water flow, and dedicated launch and recovery systems (LARS).

Reef Subsea Power & Umbilical specialises in subsea installation, burial and trenching services. The company has recently been involved in two of the world’s largest wind farm developments offshore of the UK, Thanet and Greater Gabbard. In July of this year, the company was awarded a £40m contract with Gwynt y Mor Offshore Wind Farm Limited, to install and bury all the inter-array cables for the farm, which is expected to be the largest in Europe.

Tim Sheehan, Reef Subsea Chief Operating Officer, said: “These latest acquisitions to Reef Subsea Power & Umbilical places the Group at the top of its sector, and the new trenching system will allow it to answer the needs of clients in a large range of soil conditions. These technologies, coupled with those of Reef Subsea Dredging & Excavation, which is positioned at the forefront of seabed dredging & excavation business, place Reef Subsea Group as a leading seabed contractor.”

Daryl Lynch, Managing Director of Reef Subsea Power & Umbilical, said: “Gaining these new assets is sure to place Reef Subsea Power & Umbilical at the head of subsea installation & trenching sectors. The company has already built up a sterling reputation with its work on high-profile wind farms, such as Thanet, Greater Gabbard and Lines, plus the recent award of Gwynt y Mor project in 2013. With the introduction of the new plough and the jet trencher, we are well prepared to handle forthcoming wind farm and oil & gas developments in the UK, as well as in European and Nordic waters.”

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Press Release, September 10, 2012