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Neptune

Overview of NEPSYS®
Dry Underwater Welding

Issued by: Dave Husband


Engineering Services Manager
dhusband@neptunems.com
www.neptunems.com
Overview

We Provide Engineered solutions to the global offshore energy industry


through our unparalleled suite of complementary subsea services.

Listed on the Australian Stock Exchange since 2004 (ASX:NMS)

More than 650 employees worldwide

Consolidated values based culture of international businesses committed to


health & safety, integrity, people, innovation, excellence and performance
International Presence

Aberdeen

Dallas
Qatar
Houston

Singapore
Indonesia Darwin

PERTH
(HQ)
HSEQ

NepSafe

An integrated OHS, Environment


and Quality Management System

Compliance with:

ISO 9001

OHSAS 18001

ISO 14001
Customer Experience

Oil & Gas


Operators

EPIC Contractors

Drilling
Contractors
Service Capability
INSPECT REPAIR MAINTAIN PLATFORMS
RIGS
VESSELS FPSOs

SURVEY

ROV RISERS
FLOWLINES
DIVING

ENGINEERING
PIPELINE
STABILISATION

NEPSYS® MANIFOLDS, PLEMS, PLETS, ETC


ASSET
INTEGRITY
FABRICATION
What is NEPSYS® ?
Permanent dry-standard, structural weld performed underwater
Repairs can be achieved with Low operational impact
Flexible solutions for various scenarios
Welder/Diver is located safely outside of Welding Environment
Patented internationally
Approved by major class societies such as GL and welding procedures
approved to ABS, Class NK, DNV and Lloyds
Satisfies requirements set by US & International Dry Hyperbaric Welding
Standards

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International Approval
The NEPSYS® technology is approved to the following international standards:
Military Spec NAVSEA S9074-AQ-G1B 010/248 Dec 1995
AWS D3.6 1999 Class A
• Specifications for underwater welding
ISO 15614-10
• Specifications and qualifications of welding procedures
for metallic materials (Hyperbaric welding)
ISO 5817
• Welding Fusion-welded joints, quality levels of
imperfections
ISO 15618-1 and 2
• Qualification testing of welders for underwater welding

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Comparison of Wet & Dry Welding
NEPSYS® welding has equivalent weld quality and mechanical physical
properties as that of a topside atmospheric weld, using same material
and consumables
Wet Welding Dry Underwater
Parameter (typical results) 1 Welding (NEPSYS®)2

Max Hardness HAZ 370 HV10 254 HV10

Yield Strength (MPa) 260 417

Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa) 460 558

All Weld Tensile Test


10% 28%
(% elongation)

Charpy Test C300V, j@0 Celsius 20 58

1Information based on utilising grade 350 MPa yield material welding with a E7014 (wet weld) consumable
2Information based on utilising grade 350 MPa yield material welding with a E7018-G welding consumable

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NEPSYS® Achievable Welding Configurations
NEPSYS Weld Applications (With or Without Pre-heat as required)

SINGLE “V” WELD DOUBLE SIDE 1/3, 2/3 “V” PREPERATION


STEEL OR CERAMIC BACKING STRIP WELDED FROM ONE 1/3 WELDED WITH NEPSYS DRY UNDERWATER WELDING.
SIDE 2/3 WELDED FROM ACCESS TO INTERNAL.
CAN BE USED FOR INSERT PLATES WHERE ACCESS IS
AVAILABLE INTERNALLY.

SINGLE “V” WELD SURFACE WELD


WELDED FROM ONE SIDE WITH DE-WATER OF REAR WELD BUILT UP ON ALL SURFACES.
SIDE. DEPTH OF BUILD UP IS NOT RESTRICTED.

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NEPSYS® Achievable Welding Configurations

FILLET WELD SINGLE BEVEL


ALL COMBINATIONS, THICKNESSES & WELDED FROM ONE SIDE. DE-WATERED
POSITIONS. SINGLE OR MULTI-RUN FILLET REAR SIDE.
WELDS

INTERNAL

DOUBLER
PLATE

SHIP HULL

NOZZLE

EXTERNAL NEPSYS WELD DOUBLE BEVEL


INTERNAL DOUBLER PLATE COMPLETE IN DRY. WELDED ONE SIDE WITH NEPSYS DRY
UNDERWATER WELDING. OTHER WELDED DRY
INTERNALLY

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Recent NEPSYS® Projects

Australian Navy Australia Ship Repair Hull, bulk head and fuel tank repair

Hull, propeller shrouds, stern tubes


Confidential Australia Ship Repair
and rudder repairs
Confidential India Jack-up Repair Spud Can Chord Repair

Apache GoM Jacket bracing repair Jacket VD crack repair

Mariner GoM Jacket bracing repair K Node/cross brace repair


Gulf of Installation of 6.5m high strength
Chevron Jacket strengthening
Thailand steel sleeves
Repair of crack in column to
Confidential UK - North Sea FPU repair
sponson junction
Confidential GoM Leg repairs Tension Leg Platform crack repairs
Mariner GoM Jacket bracing repair Cross brace repairs
Repairs to cracked platform braces
Confidential UK - North Sea Jacket bracing repair
at -12 meters and at -43 meters

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NEPSYS® Typical Repair Qualification Process

Pre-qualified
existing WPS
NO

Qualify WPS PQR


YES
Qualify Welders Test Plate Detailing
Joint Prior Welding

Construct Mock up
Perform Trials and
Training as
NEPSYS® Welding
Required

Completed
Mobilise to Job NEPSYS® Weld
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NEPSYS® Sample WPS and Test Macros
Macro 38mm ABS EH 36 Plate Butt weld

Macro 20mm ABS EH 36 Plate Butt weld

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NEPSYS® Actual Project Examples
Floating Production Unit – UK, North Sea

Jacket leg strengthening - Thailand


Floating Facilities

Node repairs - Gulf of Mexico

Pipelines / Risers Fixed Platforms


K Node repair - Gulf of Mexico

Riser connection - Australia

Brace Repairs – UK, North Sea Drilling Rigs (Jack-


up and Semi- Ships
Submersibles)

Ship Modification - Australia

Ship Repairs - Australia

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NEPSYS® Projects: FPU Repair

Challenge
A Floating Production Unit incurred a
significant defect in the sponson to a leg
junction at -15 msw. This area had restricted
access and the leg was in danger of flooding.
Solution
The NEPSYS® system was used to grind out
the defect and weld the area in accordance
with our Lloyds approved WPS. A double-
sided weld was performed to repair the
defect in-situ without impeding production.
Repair was NDT tested and no defects were
detected. Weld was completed to standards
set by AWS D3.6.

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FPU Repair

Infrastructure Pre-Repair Repair Area Mock-Up

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FPU Repair

Test Habitat Mock-Up Trials

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NEPSYS® Projects: Jacket Leg Strengthening

Challenge
The client needed to add additional
topside weight, exceeding the
structural design of the jacket. The
leg had several appurtenances that
restricted access to the area to be
strengthened.
Solution
NEPSYS® welded 2 x 7m long, high
strength steel sleeves to the jacket.
Weld was performed to AWS D3.6 as
confirmed by NDT testing.

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NEPSYS® Projects: Node Repairs

Challenge
A platform in the Gulf of Mexico
suffered hurricane damage resulting
in a 24” (61cm) crack on the support
structure.
Solution
NEPSYS® was utilised to remove the
defect and perform a full penetration
weld repair, avoiding the need for a
large and complex clamp.
Weld was performed to AWS D3.6 as
confirmed by NDT testing.

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Node Repairs

Mock Up used for


Prequalification

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NEPSYS® Projects – Brace and Node Repairs

Challenge
An oil and gas operator in Gulf of Mexico
required several node repairs on a
damaged asset.
Solution
NEPSYS® was used to provide several dry
node joint welds and some non structural
wet welds in a sequence of repair
activities.
Weld was performed to AWS D1.1 & D3.6
as confirmed by NDT testing.

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Brace and Node Repairs
Horizontal Brace Replacement Area

X Brace
Replacement

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K Node Repair

Custom-
Built
Habitat

Diagonal
Brace &
Sleeve
Repair
NEPSYS® Welding

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NEPSYS® Projects – Riser Connection

Challenge
To install a new riser with a welded
connection in a restricted location at
the splash zone which is required to
be compliant to DNV OS F101.
Solution
NEPSYS developed a WPS, custom
built a habitat and performed weld
trials at our facility to DNV OS F101.
Awaiting confirmation of project
sanction.

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NEPSYS® Projects – Brace Repairs North Sea
Challenge
To weld two 1200mm diameter braces,
one at -12m the other at -43m which
had cracked and required repair prior
to winter.
The braces had 700T tension load in a
static condition with a load range of 0
to 2000T.
Solution
NEPSYS® completed two subsea weld
repairs, involving Air and SAT divers
-12m repair: NDT testing confirmed a
AWS D3.6 Class A weld repair The work area and
-43m repair: successfully completed
and has been treated as permanent part habitat
repair
Client Objectives achieved platform did
not have to be de-manned
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Brace Repairs North Sea

Video example of NEPSYS® welding

Weld Preps: -12m subsea,


-43m mock up

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Ship Repair

Challenge MV PACIFIC FIGHTER


Owners wanted to avoid unloading and dry-
docking the vessel which had Extensive
structural defects requiring permanent
welds.

Solution
NEPSYS provided permanent dry weld
solutions, enabling repairs to be carried out
in-situ.
The vessel remained fully laden and
continued operations with minimal delays.

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NEPSYS® Projects – Ship Modification
Challenge
To install an overboard discharge collar below the water line whilst the vessel was
alongside. Requiring the machining of a 100mm hole through the vessels hull.
Performing a class society approved permanent weld and paint the repaired area
to Military specifications.

Solution
NEPSYS® technology was utilised to penetrate the hull, install the discharge collar,
perform a dry weld and reinstate surface protective coatings to the hull.
Welding achieved high quality results exceeding the requirements of Client and
Class Society which included:
• Germanischer Lloyd Rules for classification and construction 2
• Military spec NAVSEA S9074-AQ-G1B 010/248 Dec 1995
• AWS D3.6 1999 Class A specification for underwater welding
• ISO 15614-10 Qualification of welding procedures for Hyperbaric Dry
welding
• ISO 5817 Level B Quality levels of imperfection in Metallic materials
• ISO 15618-1 and 2 Qualification testing of welders for underwater welding
for Hyperbaric dry welding
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NEPSYS® Projects – Ship Repair
Challenge
To repair a significant defect in one of the
vessels fuel oil tanks at a bulkhead
intersection.
Solution
NEPSYS® replaced a 300 x 300 x 16mm
section of shell plate using a double side V HMAS SUCCESS
butt weld as per WPS.
NDT approved weld to Class Society,
MILSPEC 1689A (ASME IX)
The external area of the hull was painted to
military specifications using NEPSYS habitat
technology.

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NEPSYS® Certification

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Benefits of NEPSYS®

1. Permanent Structural Weld


Welding procedures approved to the following international Class Society standards:
GL, ABS, Class NK, DNV, Lloyds
2. Safe Application
Divers are not restricted to the confines of traditional coffer dam and hyperbaric
welding alternatives. They remain external to the weld area, allowing greater mobility
and safety.
3. Flexible Solutions
Adaptable to complex geometric configurations
Custom-designed habitats to job-specific requirements
4. NEPSYS® System / Processes
Management system certified to AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008
Application pending for AS/NZS ISO 3834
5. NEPSYS® Team
In-house dedicated team providing NEPSYS engineered solutions with Structural,
Welding and Diving Expertise

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NEPSYS® Applications :

Permanent structural welds (Underwater)


Complex geometrical/engineering configurations
Fatigue prone areas where weld quality is important
Single-Sided access repair locations (i.e. if inside of the structure is not
accessible)
Repairs unachievable with hyperbaric habitats
Flexible repair solutions compared to heavy complex clamps
Where Pre (and/or) Post weld heat treatment is required
Coating requirements (in dry environment)
High grade/complex materials
Repairs / Structural Retrofits

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