A vehicle (2) for deploying a cable (4) into a trench (8) in the seabed (10) is disclosed. The vehicle (2) comprises a body (12) adapted to move relative to the trench (8) in the sea bed (10), and a bellmouth (18) for engaging the cable (4) and mounted to the body, wherein the bellmouth (18) is adapted to define an open channel (20) in a direction facing the trench (8) for engaging the cable (4).

A vehicle (2) for deploying a cable (4) into a trench (8) in the seabed (10) is disclosed. The vehicle (2) comprises a body (12) adapted to move relative to the trench (8) in the sea bed (10), and a bellmouth (18) for engaging the cable (4) and mounted to the body, wherein the bellmouth (18) is adapted to define an open channel (20) in a direction facing the trench (8) for engaging the cable (4).

A device and method for sampling underwater parameters is provided. The device is configured to be removably secured to, and navigated along a length of, an underwater cable during an underwater cable recovery operation. The device may include one or more sampling elements configured to sample underwater parameters while the device moves along the length of the underwater cable. The device may include a computing unit in communication with the one or more sampling elements which is configured to receive output data of the one or more sampling elements and record the output data for subsequent analysis.

An automated system for coiling a large (e.g., >1000 km) length of cable in a cable tank. In an example embodiment, the system comprises a gantry positioned above the cable tank and a swarm of robots deployed on the floor of the tank. The gantry operates to controllably move a touchdown point of the cable, which is being fed into the tank by a cable engine. Each of the robots is equipped with a rake that can be used to push or pull downed sections of the cable on the floor of the tank. An electronic controller operates to control the speed of the cable engine and movements of the gantry and individual robots to coil the cable in the tank in spirally wound, vertically stacked layers. Different embodiments of the system may be used for cable coiling at the cable factory and on the deck of a cable-laying ship.

A modular reel drive assembly comprises two reel drive tower modules (12, 14), a reel hub adapter (54) and a reel hub adapter support module (22, 24). The hub adapter support module (22, 24) comprises at least one support pin which is configured to be movable between a storage position in which the at least one support pin is not aligned with at least one aperture (38, 39, 40, 41) on the hub adapter support module (22, 24) and an operational position in which the support pin is aligned with at least one aperture (38, 39, 40, 41) on the hub adapter support module (22, 24).

A method of laying a pipeline from a laying vessel into a body of water includes guiding the pipeline along a supporting structure of a laying ramp. The method also includes acquiring a first data item correlated to a position of the pipeline at a free end of the laying ramp using an optical sensor or an acoustic sensor. The method further includes determining whether the acquired first data item is within an acceptance range predetermined as a function of a configuration of the supporting structure and a size of the pipeline. Additionally, the method includes emitting an control signal when the acquired first data item is not within the acceptance range. Determining whether the acquired first data item is within the acceptance range includes processing the acquired first data item to compare it the first data item to an information stored in a memory.

A method of laying a pipeline from a laying vessel into a body of water includes guiding the pipeline along a supporting structure of a laying ramp. The method also includes acquiring a first data item correlated to a position of the pipeline at a free end of the laying ramp using an optical sensor or an acoustic sensor. The method further includes determining whether the acquired first data item is within an acceptance range predetermined as a function of a configuration of the supporting structure and a size of the pipeline. Additionally, the method includes emitting an control signal when the acquired first data item is not within the acceptance range. Determining whether the acquired first data item is within the acceptance range includes processing the acquired first data item to compare it the first data item to an information stored in a memory.

A method is for placing an object on a seabed. The method includes connecting the object to at least two vessels by use of a work wire; attaching one or more buoyancy devices to the work wire, to achieve a distributed buoyancy of the work wire that forms a double curvature which disassociates at least some vessel movement from the object, to allow for controlled movement of the object; and co-operating the vessels to move the object into a position in a sea distant from the vessels, to lower the object to the seabed and to place the object on the seabed. Also described is a system for transporting an object to a position in a sea where the water comprises gas bubbles significantly lowering the load-carrying capacity of the water and for lowering the object to an area having a wellbore from which the gas bubbles enter the sea.

An underwater communications network may include spaced apart nodes on a bottom of a body of water. The underwater communications network may also include fiber optic cabling connecting the spaced apart nodes. Each node may include a frame, a node short-range navigation device carried by the frame, and an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) carried by the frame after delivering a fiber optic cable along a navigation path from an adjacent node. The UUV may be configured to cooperate with the node short-range navigation device during an end portion of the navigation path adjacent the frame.

An underwater communications network may include spaced apart nodes on a bottom of a body of water. The underwater communications network may also include fiber optic cabling connecting the spaced apart nodes. Each node may include a frame, a node short-range navigation device carried by the frame, and an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) carried by the frame after delivering a fiber optic cable along a navigation path from an adjacent node. The UUV may be configured to cooperate with the node short-range navigation device during an end portion of the navigation path adjacent the frame.