FAQs

The patent pending system was designed with an innovative cassette system to maximum the efficiency of recovery or installation activities. The cassette was designed for pipelines in the range of 2” to 14” above this diameter the efficiencies in the use of the cassette start to diminish as it needs to be changed out more frequently. We have developed larger length cassettes for pipelay handling diameters of up to 22” in shallow water lay and in decommissioning mode we substitute the cassette for deck trolley’s which can handle product diameters of up to 2m i.e. for bundle recovery.

The system was originally designed for a maximum dynamic line tension of 120 tonnes. We have developed a lower capacity unit with circa 80 tonne capacity for several of our target markets and have investigated and concluded the feasibility of a 400 tonne bundle recovery system on behalf of a European client for a deeper water project.

Our higher specification unit can work from angles as low as 5 degrees to the horizontal to 5 degrees past vertical (105 degrees from horizontal) providing a wide range of installation options for a variety of water depths. Our lower capacity unit is targeted towards shallower waters and works from 5 degrees through to 45 degrees though additional angles can be accommodated via an upgrade. A fixed angle system with reduced functionality can be supplied for angles between 5 degrees and 30 degrees.

Our system is a J-lay system but designed for a range of water depths. We use the term S-lay to define a pipeline being constructed or recovered parallel to the deck of the vessel. This requires the pipe to bend on both the seabed (touch down or pick up point) and as the pipe leaves or approaches the stern of the vessel where it has to bend to accommodate the change in angle. In our J-Lay mode the pipeline leaves or arrives at the vessel parallel to the lay tower which is inclined at an angle relative to the deck (see FAQ #3) resulting in a single bend at the touch down or pick up point on the seabed.

If you are unaware of the differences please See FAQ #4. With our shallow water J-lay system we only have a single bend during the recovery process with the most stressed point in the pipeline on the seabed. In S-lay there are two stress points both on the seabed and on the vessel where the pipeline bends into a horizontal axis. With the Laytrix system any pipeline failure due to the applied bending, stressing and perhaps corrosion in the pipeline during recovery will occur on the seabed clear of all personnel, equipment and the recovery vessel.

We use tried and tested pipe cutting equipment such as shear cutters and cutting discs provided via our partners who have track records in supplying cutting equipment for decommissioning projects.

The higher specification unit weighs in the region of 100 tonnes with the fixed angle system around 30 tonnes. Our reduced capacity system has a mass of around 70 tonnes.

The systems are defined by a maximum line tension which includes dynamics and is derived from the size of pipeline, its wall thickness, environment conditions and the maximum water depth. Our higher specification unit was designed for North Sea projects with water depths of up to 200m. Our reduced capacity system and fixed angle system are designed for water depths in the region of 80m and below.