Hydraulic systems specialist, Webtool, announces a gripping and lifting tool for recovering subsea umbilical and cable for offshore oil & gas and decommissioning projects. The Cable Retrieval Tool (CRT200), developed in consultation with international certification body and classification society, DNVGL, allows the safe and controlled recovery of damaged cable and umbilical, up to 8” (203 mm) diameter.
Current methods of recovering umbilical’s for repair or replacement are laborious, time consuming and expensive. They involve trenching the seabed around the cable or umbilical to allow a double choke sling to be attached using a ROV. The hydraulically operated, Webtool CRT200 gripper offers a quicker and safer method of retrieval and improved handling.
The CRT200 cable gripper provides a streamlined cable recovery whereby the gripper, guided by an ROV, is lowered onto the end of the cable without requiring preliminary clearing of the soil around the cable. The mechanically locked gripping action ensures the umbilical cannot escape during retrieval; moreover, an internal clutch mechanism prevents damage from overtightening. By gripping the end of the cable, it makes subsequent handling much easier, enabling the cable to be recovered to a reeler / spooler on the surface vessel.
The tool design is verified by DNV-GL and has been proof load tested to 46 tonnes in accordance with DNV-GL industry safety factors.