Submarine cable installation between production platform and satellite wellhead platform of south pars gas field - phase 1 in the Persian Gulf

In this paper installation and testing operation of the submarine power, control and fibre optic cable between SPP1 production platform and SPD2 satellite wellhead platform of South Pars Gas Field Development - phase1, will be reviewed. The South Pars Gas Field Development has been conceived for the exploitation of gas and condensate reservoirs located in the Iranian sector of the Persian Gulf. The offshore and onshore installations will be required to produce, transport and process 1000 MMSCFD of the reservoir fluid. The offshore complex comprises five platforms namely, SPD1 wellhead platform, SPD2 satellite wellhead platform, SPP1 production platform, SPQ1 living quarters platform and SPF1 flare platform. The Nexans manufactured, EPR insulated, 6 kV operating voltage, 65 mm diameter, single armour submarine cable transfers power, control and telecommunication signals from SPP1 to SPD2, on a seabed route with 5100 meters length and 70 meters depth. This paper provides details on the procedure and equipment used for installation and testing the submarine cable. Preinstallation survey is required for engineering activities and also to check the status of the desired route and existing J tube bell mouth at both ends. For installation appropriate vessel and equipment such as motorized rim reel drive, tensioner, overboarding chute, bend restrictors, sand bags, Chinese fingers, positioning beacons, hang off flanges messenger wires and lines are used. Because of existence of currents near the seabed, sand bags are used to protect the cable against vortex shedding induced vibrations. ROV post lay survey is done to check the status of the cable after installation and also distance between cable and the existing 18" infield pipeline, which transfers sour gas from SPD2 to SPP1 for processing. At important stages, some electrical tests such as high potential DC test, megger test, TDR test, continuity test and OTDR test are carried out on different cores, according to internati- onal standards such as API standard. For calculation the required tension on the cable, static and dynamic conditions are considered. In dynamic condition, the forces due to hydrodynamic effects such as drag and added mass, and also heave motion of the DP2 cable layer vessel, are calculated