Services and Products
The offshore energy industry is centered around the use of production platforms. A production platform is a large structure used to house workers and machinery needed to drill for and produce oil and natural gas from reservoirs below the ocean floor. The operations of the production platform can deliver oil and gas production directly onshore by pipeline or to a floating storage unit or tanker loading facility. Historically, production platforms have been located on the continental shelf, but as technology continues to improve, drilling and production operations in deeper water have become both feasible and profitable. A typical production platform may have as many as thirty wellheads from which it is producing. Directional drilling allows subsea reservoirs to be accessed at both different depths and at remote positions up to 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the production platform. Many production platforms have remote wellheads attached by umbilical connections, which may be single wells or a manifold center for multiple wells. An umbilical cable supplies necessary requirements to an apparatus.
Services
We provide a wide variety of project engineering and management services, including the design, installation and retrieval of subsea equipment and systems, connection and termination operations and commissioning. We pride ourselves on the ability to collaborate with the engineering departments of oil and gas operators, installation contractors and subsea equipment manufacturers to find the quickest, safest, and most cost-effective solutions to address all manner of issues in the subsea world. We also provide installation, retrieval, storage and management services in connection with the use of our products.
Project Management. Our installation management team specializes in deep water subsea developments. We are often contracted by our customers to assist with the preparation and evaluation of subsea development bids and requests for quotes. Our experience comes from working with installation contractors, oil and gas operators, controls suppliers, umbilical manufacturers and other subsea equipment manufacturers, who often hire us to help ensure that a project progresses smoothly, on time and on budget.
Project Engineering. Our engineers have experience ranging from the initial conceptual design phases through manufacturing and installation, and concluding with topsides connections and commissioning. Our experience provides us with a level of “hands on” and practical understanding that has proven to be indispensable in enabling us to offer customer solutions to the many problems encountered both subsea and topsides. Because of our wide knowledge base, our engineering team is often hired by oil and gas operators, installation contractors and subsea equipment manufacturers to provide installation management and engineering support services. Our engineering team has been involved in most of the innovative solutions used today in deepwater subsea systems. We specialize in offshore installation engineering and the writing of practical installation procedures. We deal with issues involving flying leads, compliant umbilical splices, bend stiffener latchers, umbilical hardware, hold-back clamps, and the development of distribution system components. We are heavily involved in the fabrication of installation aids to simplify offshore executions, and offer hydraulic, fiber optic, and electrical testing services and various contingency testing tools.
Installation Support and Management. Our installation management services are centered around the utilization of standardized hardware, proven, well-tested installation techniques, and an experienced, consistent team that has proven to be safe and skilled in all aspects of the installation process. We pride ourselves on supporting installation contractors through our installation management and engineering services, installation aids and equipment, and our offshore installation support services, including spooling operations, offshore testing, and flying lead installation support. Many installation contractors find it beneficial to utilize our services to help reduce on-board personnel since our specialized technicians can perform multiple tasks. We have designed and fabricated many different installation tools and equipment over the years. We have been involved in the design of the following pieces of equipment to help make installations run as smoothly as possible: steel flying leads, steel flying lead deployment systems, umbilical hardware and termination systems, umbilical bell mouths, lay chutes, rapid deployment cartridges, horizontal drive units, mud mats, flying lead installation and parking frames, umbilical termination assembly stab & hinge over systems, and numerous other pieces of offshore equipment. Our team has vast experience with the installation of flexible and rigid risers and flowlines, umbilicals, flexible and rigid jumpers, steel tube and thermoplastic hose flying leads, pipeline end terminations (“PLETs”) and manifolds.
Spooling. Our experienced personnel are involved in the operation of spooling equipment on many projects, including operations for other companies to run their spooling equipment. We have developed a very efficient (in both time and cost) system for spooling, utilizing our horizontal drive units, under-rollers, tensioners, carousels and rapid deployment cartridges.
Pull-In Operations. We are involved in the pull-in operations for most of the major umbilical projects in the Gulf of Mexico. Our familiarity with offshore systems is important, and our pull-ins run smoothly because the same engineers who plan the pull-in operations are also involved in supervising the offshore operations. Our offshore servicemen comprise the topside umbilical support team and are familiar with the umbilical termination hardware. These same servicemen are often involved in terminating the umbilicals at the manufacturers’ yard several weeks prior to the installation. Everything is thoroughly tested prior to installation, including winches at the rental contractor’s yard and after set-up on the platform. Load cells are tested onshore, and the same load cells are used to test the system offshore. This eliminates variables and validates the condition of the pull-in system. We then perform pull-ins under more controlled conditions with increased confidence, resulting in safer operations.
Terminations. Deep Down and members of its team have been involved in umbilical terminations since 1988. The Company’s team was involved with the designs for the armored thermo plastic umbilicals at Multiflex, the first steel tube umbilical in the Gulf of Mexico for the Shell Popeye® umbilical, and the standardization of many steel tube umbilical terminations. We have also pioneered the concept of the compliant Moray® section that enables a traditional helically wound umbilical to be used for direct well step outs, or long field flying leads. Our management believes we are the only company that can terminate umbilicals provided by any manufacturer with the same termination system.
Testing Services. Umbilical manufacturers, control suppliers, installation contractors, and oil and gas operators utilize our services to perform all aspects of testing, including initial Factory Acceptance Testing (“FAT”), Extended Factory Acceptance Testing (“EFAT”) and System Integration Testing (“SIT”), relating to the connecting of the umbilical termination assemblies, the performing of installations, and the completion of the commissioning of the system thereafter. To execute these services, we have assembled a variety of personnel and equipment to ensure that all testing operations are done in the safest and time-efficient manner, ensuring a reduced overall project cost. We also work hard to utilize the most detailed digital testing and monitoring equipment to ensure that the most accurate data is provided to our clients. As far as testing is concerned, we have been hired to perform coiled tubing flushing, cleaning, and hydro testing, umbilical filling, flushing, pressure, flow rate, and cleanliness testing, load out monitoring and testing, installation monitoring, post installation testing; system commissioning, umbilical intermediate testing, and umbilical termination assembly cleanliness, flow, and leak testing. We believe we have one of the best filling, flushing and testing teams in the business. Deep Down employs a variety of different pumping systems to meet industry needs and offers maximum flexibility. Deep Down’s philosophy is to flush through the maximum number of lines at the highest flow rate possible to maximize efficiency. We have assembled a comprehensive list of offshore pumping units and an assortment of chemical pumping skids. Our equipment can be used to pump all of the standard offshore water based chemicals as well as all offshore commissioning fluids such as Methanol and diesel. The Company has been involved in the design, procurement, testing, installation, and operation of the testing equipment. Deep Down’s engineers and service technicians can also assist in writing the testing procedures and sequences from simple FAT to very extensive multiple pressures and fluids testing up to full system SIT procedures.
System Integration Testing. We have led the revolution into the digital age with our use of digital transducers to provide much greater levels of accuracy compared to information gathered off of conventional chart recorders. We have a wide variety of digital pressure transducers, flow meters, and temperature gauges. We have two wire data systems (4 port and one 16 port) as well as 25 individual digital pressure and temperature recorders that are often employed for installation monitoring activities. In addition to these units, the Company also has three desks set up with data systems that are capable of tracking from 4 to 15 individual sensors simultaneously. This, in combination with subsea handling equipment, experienced personnel, and a fully equipped facility, render Deep Down ideal for managing SIT operations.
Commissioning. Deep Down has been involved in most of the topside connections and commissioning projects in the Gulf of Mexico since its formation in 1997. Our commissioning team is often identified early in the project and participates in all aspects of planning and risk assessment for the project. Due to the limited time associated with project commissioning, it is extremely important to perform detailed planning and engineering prior to arrival at the offshore production platform location to reduce any possible shut in or down time. Our engineers and technicians work closely with the project managers and production platform engineers to help ensure that all aspects of the installation or retrieval project, including potential risks and dangers, are identified, planned for, and eliminated prior to arrival on the production platform. Due to the different requirements for testing and commissioning of subsea systems, we have an assortment of pumps and equipment to deploy to ensure a safe and efficient commissioning program. We have experience handling all types of commissioning fluids, including asphaltine dispersants, diesel, methanol, xylene, corrosion inhibitors, water-based control fluids, oil-based control fluids, 100% glycol, paraffin inhibitors, and alcohol.
Storage Management. With more than 50,000 square feet of internal high quality warehousing capacity and 300,000 square feet of external storage, our facility in Channelview is strategically located to cover Houston's Ship Channel area. Our warehouse is designed to provide clients with flexible and cost effective warehousing and storage management options. Our professional and experienced warehouse staff, combined with the very latest in information technology, results in a fully integrated warehousing package designed to deliver clever solutions to client needs. Among other capabilities, we are capable of providing long-term specialized contract warehousing; long and short term storage; modern materials handling equipment; undercover loading areas; quality security systems; integrated inventory management; packing and repacking; computerized stock controls; and labeling.
Products
We provide installation support equipment and component parts and assemblies for subsea distribution systems. We believe the key to successful installations of hardware is to design the subsea system by considering installation issues first, working backwards to the design of the hardware itself. This is why we have been instrumental in the development of hardware and techniques to simplify deep water installations. We design, manufacture, fabricate, inspect, assemble, test and market subsea equipment, surface equipment and offshore rig equipment that are used by major integrated, large independent and foreign national oil and gas companies in offshore areas throughout the world. Our products are used during oil and gas exploration, development and production operations on offshore drilling rigs, such as floating rigs and jack-ups, and for drilling and production of oil and gas wells on offshore platforms, tension leg platforms and moored vessels such as floating production storage and offloading vessels (“FPSO”). We have significant involvement in umbilical and steel flying lead installations in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the world. A few of our major product lines are highlighted below.
Flying Leads. We have developed a method to pull individual steel tubes, hoses, or electrical cables to create a loose steel tube flying lead or short umbilical. We can manufacture steel flying leads up to 10,000 feet in length with any J-plate desired, with or without electrical cables included. We have built flying leads with up to 14 tubes. Additional lines or electrical and fiber optic cables can be added to produce any combination required for the transportation of various fluids, chemicals or data. The flying leads are then fitted with our terminations and Morays® that are attached to the multiple quick connection plate, and finished off with the our elastomeric bend limiters. The non-helix wound design allows for our flying leads to be very installation friendly with minimal-bending stiffness. A compliant Moray® consists of a 20-foot flexible flying lead with an electro-hydraulic Moray® that is connected to a full-sized umbilical with the installation tension being applied through an armor pot and slings extending by the compliant section. A Moray® is the termination head on the flying lead and connects the tubing assembly to the junction plate.
Bend Stiffener Latchers. Our spring-loaded bend stiffener latcher is used in dynamic installations on floating vessels. Umbilical stiffener latching mechanisms have always caused installation problems as well as expensive diver operations for expansion developments. We believe we have conceived the very first remote operated vehicle (“ROV”) installable latching mechanism. During the umbilical installation, the bend stiffener latcher can be latched in with a ROV and the umbilical can be pulled up the remaining distance and hung off. This allows the bend stiffener latcher to fit onto an existing flange, completely eliminating the need for divers both prior to and during the installation. The bend stiffener latcher can be designed to fit onto any existing flange on the bottom of an existing I-tube.
Umbilical Hardware. Our operational team has been involved in more umbilical installations than probably any other team in the industry. Our blend of experiences with drilling contractors, umbilical manufacturers, subsea engineers and installation contractors has been effective in positioning us to act on behalf of the oil and gas operator to ensure key hardware installation is performed in the most efficient and safe manner. This breadth of experiences gives us a unique perspective when fabricating and designing terminations for umbilical manufacturers. Our designs are often much lighter in weight and smaller than the typical hardware that has been created and used in the past by our competitors. Our engineering team has designed and fabricated bending restrictors, armor pots, split barrels, tubing fittings and unions, hinging umbilical splices and topsides terminations with our unique threaded welded fittings, the compliant umbilical splice, and the bend stiffener latcher. Our umbilical hardware is effective in assisting our clients with installation friendly techniques for deploying hardware on the ocean floor.
Bend Limiters. We offer both electrometric and steel bend limiters. Due to our ability to design and manufacture bend limiters in-house, delivery time is greatly reduced. Steel bend limiters are typically utilized for steel tube umbilicals and have been designed with a simple and reliable hinged attachment system which significantly decreases installation time. Electrometric bend limiters are typically provided for small diameter umbilicals or flying leads, as well as for their compliant umbilical section, which turns a traditional umbilical into a ROV- friendly, installable flying lead.
Umbilical Splice. We have created a unique method of converting spare umbilicals into actual production umbilicals by splicing spare umbilicals together to produce any length required. This allows oil and gas operators to save significant costs through utilization of existing capital investments in spare umbilicals and the reduction of field development costs and delivery time. This methodology is achieved through our Compliant Splice, which is a patent-pending termination system that eliminates the burdens of dealing with umbilical splices during installation. This design is capable of housing both electrical and fiber optic Fiber Termination Assemblies while still allowing for the splice to be spooled up onto a reel or carousel. An optional mud mat is used to assist in carrying the splice over the chute and functions to keep the splice out of the mud for easy inspection.
SeaStax®. SeaStax embodies our concept for offshore storage and space management to help optimize available deck space on offshore installation vessels and platforms. The key philosophy behind SEASTAX™ is to take common offshore items and store them in a standard sized container to allow for the storage system to be stackable and interchangeable in subsurface conditions. The current system utilizes newly designed 550 gallon tote tanks, baskets, and tool boxes that are all inter-changeable and stackable. Using common dimensions and designs allows a variety of different items to all be commonly stored and stacked, to minimize required storage area. The stacking philosophy can be applied to other custom applications if required. In order to maximize accessibility and to reduce maintenance, a variety of options are available such as galvanizing, ladders, and drip pans.
Installation Aids. To help our clients and to meet our own internal needs, we have developed an extensive array of installation aids, including steel flying lead installation systems, a 5 ton Caterpillar® tensioner, a 10-foot radius lay chute with work platform, many varieties of buoyancy, clump weights, VIV strakes, mud mats, dual tank skids, gang boxes, work vans, pumping and testing skids, control booths, fluid drum carriers, crimping systems, load cells, 300 and 340 - ton under-rollers, a 200 - ton carousel, UTA running and parking deployment frames, termination shelters, pipe straightners, ROV hooks and shackles, stackable SeaStax tanks, baskets, and boxes, and ballgrab rental rigging.
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