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72 S E P 2013 ISSN 1948-3031 Voice of the Industry Offshore Energy Edition In This Issue: • Outlook: Oil & Gas • U.S. Fracking Threatens Russia’s Energy Dominance • NASA, Astro Technology Develop Offshore Fiber-Optic Technology
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72s e p
2013IssN 1948-3031
Voiceof the
Industry
Offshore energy edition
In This Issue:• Outlook:Oil&Gas• U.S.FrackingThreatensRussia’sEnergyDominance
• NASA,AstroTechnologyDevelopOffshoreFiber-OpticTechnology
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ISSNNo.1948-3031
PUBLISHER:WayneNielsenMANAGINGEDITOR:KevinG.Summers
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Stewart Ash,Karen Boman, James Case, Stephen Nielsen,GregorMcPherson,DanielWiser
Submarine Telecoms Forum magazine ispublished bimonthly by Submarine TelecomsForum,Inc.,andisanindependentcommercialpublication, serving as a freely accessibleforumforprofessionalsinindustriesconnectedwith submarine optical fiber technologies andtechniques. Submarine Telecoms Forum maynotbe reproducedor transmitted inany form,inwholeor inpart,without thepermissionofthepublishers.
Liability: while every care is taken inpreparation of this publication, the publisherscannot be held responsible for the accuracy ofthe information herein, or any errors whichmay occur in advertising or editorial content,or any consequence arising from any errorsor omissions, and the editor reserves the rightto edit any advertising or editorial materialsubmittedforpublication.
Contributions arewelcomed. Please forward [email protected].
Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc.21495RidgetopCircle,Suite201Sterling,Virginia20166,USAsubtelforum.com
Copyright © 2013 Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc.
Welcome to Issue72,ourOffshoreEnergyedition.
Myfirst taste of theoil businesswassome32yearsagowhenIranalong-bed lathe repairing male and femaleconnectionsondeep-holecollarsandpipeincentralMichiganduringtheafternoonshift,whilemy day-jobwas finishing aMaster;yetbeinglaid-offonChristmasEvein1981fromtheformerhelpedfocusthefinishlineforthelatterineverclearingterms.
My second taste of the oil businesswas afew days later when a chance scholarlyargument with my North Korean mentorforced me to rethink my thesis in recordtime, and an off-hand second-chance chatwithanotherprofessorspecializinginLatinAmericanstudiesaffordedmeanewtopic,that being the consideration of Mexicanpolicies toward transnational corporationsinthepetroleumindustry;concludingsomemonths later with the apocryphal finalethat in the end, shewould be required toopenherdoors to foreign investment andtechnologyinordertokeepupwiththerestoftheworld.
Last spring, Mexico edged toward lettingforeign oil firms invest in its national oil
company, Pemex, when its ruling party,PRI,tookasteptowardopeningitsstateoilcompany to outsiders; a move that couldeventually allowUS and other foreign oilfirms to drill south of the border. As theLos Angeles Times opined: “For Mexicans,the issue is deeply emotional as well aspoliticallycharged.Thecountrynationalizeditsindustryin1938inresponsetodecadesof perceived exploitation by foreign oilinterests. Ever since, most Mexicanshave considered public ownership of thecountry’smostlucrativenaturalresourcetobeacornerstoneoftheirsovereignty.”
Will thechanges inMexicoportend largerregionalchangesintheworld’soilindustry?And if so,howwill that impactournichesubmarinecablespace?
Maybe I should accomplish a new thesis.Check back with me around 2045 for thedefinitiveanswer…
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ExordiumWayne Nielsen
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NewsNow 5
Outlook:Oil&GasStephen Nielsen
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NewMexican Energy PolicyStephen Nielsen
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U.S.FrackingThreatensRus-sia’sEnergyDominanceDaniel Wiser
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In This Issue...NASA, Astro TechnologyDevelopOffshoreFiber-OpticTechnologyKaren Boman
22
TheAtlanticWindConnectionUPDATE2013Bill Wall & Kris Ohleth
27
CableCompaniesGearingupforOffshoreRenewablesGregor McPherson
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ToIqaluitandBackAgainJames Case
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BackReflectionStewart Ash
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Conferences 48
AdvertiserIndex 49
CodaKevin G. Summers
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ACASIALaunchesGlobalDataCentre
Alcatel-LucentAndTelkomIndonesiaToEnhanceBroadbandConnectivityInIndonesianArchipelagoThroughUnderseaCableInfrastructureDevelopment
Alcatel-LucentBreaksNewWorldRecordForUnderseaDataTransmission
ApprovalSoughtForSaleOfUnderwaterFibre-OpticUnits
APTelecomAnnounces2013Mid-YearMilestoneAchievements
ArcticFibreBeginsNunavutSiteSurveys
News Now ArcticFibreConfirmsTechnical
FeasibilityOfLayingFibreOpticCableThroughCanadaAtlanticTele-NetworkBoardIncreasesQuarterlyDividend
BeforePRISM,ThereWasUnderwaterCableTapping
BigOpportunitiesForNorthlandInUnderseaCableDeal
Briefly:WillLabourgetbehindsubmarinecable?
BrokenUnderwaterCablePlaysHavocWithMyanmarInternet
BTCSelectsHuaweiMarinetoUpgradeBahamasDomesticSubmarineNetworkInternational
CheckingOutOurChinaConnection
ConnectingThePacificRegionWithTheWorld
DoestheNSATapThat?
E-MarineToHostInternationalPlenaryMeetingOnProtectionOfSubmarineCablesInDubai
eFiveTelecomsConfidentThatSouthAtlanticExpressCableWillMakeItIntoTheWater
EgyptianNavy,TelecomSeek$40MillionToSettleIssue
Europe-PersiaExpressGatewayCableSystemNowInOperation
FariceUpgradestheFARICE-1SubmarineCableNetworkwithCienaGeoMesh
FujitsuandNECCompleteAsiaSubmarine-cableExpress
GlimmerglassInterceptsUnderseaCableTrafficforSpyAgencies
GrowingDemandforBandwidthSpursGrowthinSubmarineOpticalFiberCablesMarket,AccordingtoNewReportbyGlobalIndustryAnalysts,Inc.
HawaikiCableEyesWhangareiLandingSite
HawaikiSignsNZISPOrconforTrans-PacificCable
HuaweiMarineAnnounceTheSuccessfulCompletionOfBoracayAndPalawanSubmarineCableSystem
HuaweiMarineIndiaToLeaseBandwidthFromBangladeshToReduceBSNL’sDependenceOnTataCommunications
IndonesiatoEstablishSubmarineCableTaskforce
IndosatIncursLossesDuetoCableTheft
InfineraExtendsReachandCapacityforTeliaSoneraInternationalCarrierwithSuper-ChannelSD-FEC
LIMERepairingCableFailure
MPT,ChinaUnicomPlanInternationalCableToBoostInternetConnectivity
NECwinsPapuaCableSysteminIndonesia
NewBidsForPrivateSubmarineCableInSept
NowAvailable:SubmarineCableAlmanacIssue7
Pharosacquires1200HPSubseaCableTrencher
PhoenixAUVNowCapableofDivingto4,500Meters
PioneerConsultingAppointedTechnicalandCommercialAdvisortoANZBankNewZealand
PLDTSpendsP2.5BillionForRolloutOf5,000-KilometerFiberOpticCable
PTCLtoInvestinFourthInternationalSubmarineCableSystem
R1.3BillionSASubseaCableOnHold
RelianceGlobalcomActivatesEgypt’sHawkSubmarineCableSystem
News Now
SierraLeone:‘FibreOpticIsOperational’
SouthernCrossCompletes100GExpansionPoweredbyCiena
SubmarineCableCapacityDoubledWithFlickOfSwitch
SubmarineCableCompanySubOptic2013ReviewisNowLive
SubpartnersAnnouncesSystemSupplyAwardtoTESubcomForAPX-WestCableSystem
SubTelForumFeaturedinBBCRadioShow
SubTelForumIssue#71IsAvailableNow
TheCreepy,Long-StandingPracticeofUnderseaCableTapping
TPGTelecomInMegaPacificCableDeal
USMonitoredBrazilianPrivateCommunications
VodafoneIcelandMultipliesitsCapacityWithNewSubmarineCableSystem“EmeraldExpress”
WFNStrategiesParticipatesinHooverInstitution
WFNStrategiesSupportsRecommissioningofADONESSubmarineCable
WFNStrategiestoImplementBLASTSubmarineCable
WFNStrategiestoSupportSPAWARSYSCENATLANTICthroughBoozAllenHamiltonEngineeringServices
WiretappingUnderseaFiberOpticsIsEasy:It’sJustaMatterofMoney
WorkingTowardsEffectiveCyberSecurity
News Now
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Outlook: Oil & Gas
stephen Nielsen
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Anew study indicates the stateof the oil and gas industry isperfectlyhealthy.
“It wasn’t long ago that some inAmerica thought we were coming tothe end of our energy options ... thatwefacedafuturebasedonscarcityofresourcesthatmeantrisingpricesandcosts that could wreak havoc on oureconomy.Today,wefaceafardifferentfuture: one in which the U.S. is theworld’slargestproducerofnaturalgasandcouldsoonbethelargestproducerofpetroleum.”
This was a key statement made byJackGerard,presidentandCEOoftheAmerican Petroleum Institute (API),duringapressconferenceannouncingthe results of a recently completedstudy on the American oil and gasindustry.
APIisa“nationaltradeassociationthatrepresents all segments of America’stechnology-drivenoil andnatural gasindustry”accordingtoCarltonCarroll,APISpokesman.
The study, which was performed byPricewaterCoopers (PwC), examines
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the contributionsmade between 2009and 2011 to American employment.It shows that, despite the economicrecession that has affected so manyindustries,theamountofjobsprovidedby the industry increased by 600thousand, totallingat9.8million jobs.Theindustryalsosupported8%oftheU.S.economyin2011.
“This energy revolution isgreatnewsforeverytaxpayer,consumer,motorist,and business in America,” Gerardsaid.“Astoday’sstudyshows,game-changing innovations in hydraulicfracturing and horizontal drilling arecreatinghundredsofthousandsofnewjobseveryyear.”
The resistance the oil and gasindustryhasshowntotherecessionisinternational.Newprojectshavebeenannounced by major companies andaregoingintoimplementationglobally.This is especially true for offshoreprojects, opening up the marketfor telecoms companies to provideconnectivitytounchartedterritory.
However, in America the industrycouldbedoing evenbetter, accordingto Gerard. Policy is a continuedhindrancetoindustrygrowth.
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“The federal government prohibits energydevelopmenton87%offederally-controlledoffshoreareas,”Gerardsaid.“Evenwhileenergyexplorationonstateandprivatepropertyhascreated thousandsof jobs,newpermitsonfederallanddeclined36%from2008to2012.”
Policy in America still severely limits offshoredevelopmentnear to shore. Instead,newprojectsare located in far deeper areas. Greg Berlocher,who regularly does business in the industry, saidthatthesepolicieshavebecomeevenstrictersincethe BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Additionalrequirementsforrecordkeepingandnewoversighthavebeenimplemented.
Elsewhere, policy is changing in a very differentdirection. Mexico has recently announced a new
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Regional Ac,vity 2001-‐2013
Caspian Sea
Gulf of Mexico
North Sea
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energyreformthatwouldallownon-nationalcompaniestobidonoilandgasprojectsindeepwaterareas.
Mexico has reportedly large, untapped oil reserves, whichmaysoonbeopenfordevelopment.Ifthenewreformpasses,companieswillbeabletobidonnewprojectstodevelopthesewells and refine the oil that is taken. Aswith theMexicannationaloilcompanyPetróleosMexicanos(Pemex),alloftheproduct will be owned by the government. However, thecompanywillownasubstantialshareoftheprofit.
Thismaymarkaconsiderableshiftinwheretheworldlooksforitsgreatdemandforoil.
“There’smoreinterestindeepwateroil,sinceoilisover$100abarrel,”Berlochersaid.“You’renotgoingtoinvestabilliondollars inawell thatwouldproducenaturalgaswhich isatafairlylowprice…Naturalgasisgoingtobepartofit.It’smoreofaby-productthanadriver.”
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Regional Ac,vity 2014-‐2020
Arc+c
AustralAsia
Gulf of Mexico
Indian Ocean
North Atlan+c
South American
West Africa
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According to Berlocher, oil continuestobethedrivingforceintheindustry,despite the recent rising demand fornaturalgasasacheaperalternative.
Despitethis,companiesareshiftingtoaccommodatethisrisingdemand.
IntheBrowseBasin,inWestAustralia,Shell has created the first floatingliquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility,whichwillproduceandexportatleast5.3milliontonsperannum.Theprojectisnowpreparingtobeginproduction.
INPEX’s Ichthys project, also locatedin the Browse Basin, has entered theconstructionphaseasof2012.Resourcesfor the Ichthys field are estimated at
12.8 trillion cubic feet of gas and 527million barrels of condensate. At themoment,operationallifeoftheprojectisestimatedat40years.
Newprojectslikethesewillcreatenewopportunitiesfortelecomscompanies.
As of now, fiber is still the preferredmethod of connecting to offshoreplatformsandrigs.Insomewaysthereare still overwhelming advantages tousingacablesystemversussatelliteormicrowaveoptions.
New methods of applying thetechnology have also increased itsworth.Oneofthebestexamplesofthisisthe1,159kmfiberloopdevelopedby
BP to connect eight platforms in theGulfofMexico. Itprovidesnecessaryhigh bandwidth, while reducing thedangers of losing connection due tothe depth of the cable and that datacanflowineitherdirectionbacktotheshore.
“Thedeepwaterfiberloopisnowkindofthebackbonethere,”Berlochersaid.“It’snowstartingtopickupsteam.”
However, this isn’t to say there isn’tcompetition.
“Oneofthebiggestchallenges(forthecableindustry)isgoingtobethenewO3bsatellitesystem,”Berlochersaid.
O3bstandsfortheOtherThreeBillionpeople who make up the worldpopulation without internet access.O3b Networks have launched new,low-orbit satellite with a significantlylowerlatency.
“Thesearevery,veryhighthroughputsatellites, providing some fairlyinexpensive bandwidth compare totraditionalsatellites,”Berlochersaid.
Thenewsatellitesystemismakingitspresence known in industries wheremobilityand isolationare factors, like
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forcruiselines.Thismakesitapossiblecontenderforbusinesswithdeepwateroilplatformssinceitnegatesthecostoflayingnewfibertotheremotelocation.Thisproveseventruerforoffshorerigs,whichmayalterposition.
The demand for oil and gas hasn’tdiminished.It’sstilloneofthegreatestsourcesofenergyon theplanet. Andoneoftheonlywaysforcompaniestomeetthisdemandistotakeadvantageof new sources of oil and gas in newlocations. The growing numberof offshore projects is a growingmarket for telecoms companies, andsubmarinefiber systems stilloffer thewidestarrayofadvantages. Handled
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right, thedemand for new cables canonly increasewith thedemandforoilandgas.
Stephen Nielsen is a freelance writer in the Washington D.C. area. He has published articles and done editorial work with
several publications including Submarine Telecoms Forum. Also, he has been a speaker for the Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association National Conference.
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Mexico has announced a new energyreform that would allow non-nationalcompaniestobidonoilandgasprojectsindeepwaterareas.
Thenew reform that is currentlygoingtovote in theMexican state congresseswillopen theoil industry tomore thanPetróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), thenational oil company, for the first timesinceMexico nationalized the industryin1938.
“Mexico has gone through a seriesof reforms,” said Raul Magallanes,whose law firm deals in Telecoms outof Houston, TX. “A few months agothe telecommunications reform passed.Nextistheenergyreformwhichisintheworksatthemoment.”
The new telecoms reform opens upforeign investment. Up till now,investment was limited to 49%. It’sbeennowopenedupto100%,exceptinbroadcastmedia.
On the other hand, this energy reformwould allow for companies to dobusiness inMexico by directly biddingonprojects.
“Thetransnational(companies)willnotinvest in Pemex,” explained Antonio
Torres Minutti, director of Magallanesand Associates out of Guadalajara,Mexico.
Instead,internationalcompanieswillbeallowedtobidonnewprojectswiththegovernment.Ifwon,thecompanywoulddevelop the oil well as with any otherjob. Thedifferencewouldbe thatafterthe oil is refined all product would bethepropertyofthestate.Thecompanywouldinsteadownashareoftheprofit.The shareof theprofitmaybe roughly50%,accordingtoMinutti.
According to Minutti, these drasticchanges to policy are because theexpertise and resources todrill for andrefinethesewellscannolongerbefoundinthenation.
“Mexico has not invested one peso ininfrastructure (for oil refinement) in 30years,” Minutti said. The governmenthasresortedtoothermeanstomeetthenation’senergydemands.
“Mexico is importing all that gas fromAsia and the United States,” Minuttisaid. Becauseof these costs, long terminvestments that would allow themaccesstotheirownreserves.
“To be able to tap into the natural
resources, (Mexico) needs to bringin expertise,” Magallanes said. This,however,isnotaneasydecisiontomake.
“It is hard for Mexico,” Minutti said.Involving other countries and globalcorporations is something Mexico hasavoidedformanyyears.
“The problem,” Minutti said, “is theprofits will be outside the country.”Despite thebenefitsof loweredcost forgas, a large portion of the profitwon’tgobackintotheMexicaneconomywiththisnewpolicy.Thishas,however,beenconsideredanecessaryprice.
The reform will need a majority voteamongthestatestobepassed.Thetimethattakesvaries,andit’sunknownwhenthisnewpolicywillbeimplemented.
New Mexican energy policy by stephen Nielsen
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16
U.s. Fracking Threatens Russia’s energy Dominance
Daniel Wiser
17
The ongoing “shale revolution”in U.S. oil and gas productioncouldpromptRussianPresident
Vladimir Putin to institute economicand political reforms that wouldultimately undermine his regime,expertssay.
Putin largely relied on oil and gasproductiontofueleconomicexpansionduringhisfirsttwopresidentialtermsfrom 2000 to 2008. Hydrocarbonsaccounted for half of Russia’s GDPgrowthsince2000,accordingtoaMayreportbyLeonAron, resident scholaranddirector ofRussian studies at theAmericanEnterpriseInstitute.
Russia is one of the two largest oilproducers in the world, responsiblefor 12 percent of global oil output,and theworld’s leader in natural gasproduction, accounting for 20 percentofglobalgasoutput.
However,therearesignsthatRussia’senergy dominance is increasinglyvulnerable. Russian energy giantGazpromhaslostmorethan$280billioninmarketvaluesince2008.Expertsonthecountry’seconomyandgovernanceattributethedeclinetoU.S.investmentintheinnovativeoilandgasextractiontechnique of hydraulic fracturing, or
“fracking,” which dampened U.S.demand for imports and exerteddownward pressure on global gaspricesandGazprom’sprofits.
Russia’s overall economic growthslumped to just 1.2 percent in the
second quarter, significantly lowerthan the economicministry’s forecastof1.9percent.
“Russia’s business model fordevelopment over the next decadeis trashed,” said Donald N. Jensen,
HANOVER,GERMANY-APRIL10:RussianPresidentVladimirPutinspeaksattheopeningoftheHa-noverFair2005,atradefairforindustrialtechnology,onApril10,2004attheCongressCentruminHa-nover,Germany.Russia thepartnershipcountry for thisyearwith150companysoutof the total6090exhibitorsofthe'HannoverMesse'.(PhotobyAndreasRentz)
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resident fellow at the Johns HopkinsSchool of Advanced InternationalStudies’ Center for TransatlanticRelations,inaninterview.
Fracking—the injection of a mixtureof sand, chemicals, and water intoshalerockformationstoextractoilandgas—haspositioned theUnitedStatestobecomeatopenergyexporter.Aprilmarked the sixth consecutive monthfor the U.S. as the world’s leadingpetroleumproducer.TheWorldEnergyOutlook’s 2012 report estimated thatthe United States will become a netexporter of natural gas by 2020 andenergyindependentby2035.
Russia has been slow to respond,Jensen said. Gazprom CEO AlexeiMillercalledthediscoveryofextensivegasdepositsinshalerocka“myth”in2010,addingthatitwouldnotdisplaceconventional gas. The state-controlledcompany accounts for 78 percent ofRussia’sgasoutputandhasbeenwidelycondemnedbytransparencyadvocatesforitscorruptionandmismanagement.
Jensen also noted that the abundanceof natural gas in the United Statesinduced Middle Eastern countries toredirect their tankers toward Europe,enabling countries like Germany to
bargainwithGazpromandothers forlower prices. Gazprom’s exports toEuropedecreasedby8percentin2012tothelowestlevelinadecade.
“TheEuropeanshavealotmorewiggleroomintermsofthekindsofdealstheycanget,”Jensensaid.
The European Commission alsoinitiated antitrust proceedings againstGazprom to investigate allegationsof price fixing, which could furthererode the company’smarket share inEurope. Other oil and gas importers,including Ukraine and China, have
begun to explore their own sizableshaleresources.
Unlike Russia’s oil companies, whichwere privatized in the 1990s to spurtechnological improvements andbettermanagethepaceofproduction,Gazpromhasretainedamonopolyonthe country’s gas development andexports. The company has sufferedfrom the increased supply and lowerprices of gas worldwide, scuttlingan “unprofitable” project last year toproduce natural gas exports for theUnited States from theArctic BarentsSea,AronwroteinhisAEIreport.
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Russia might also be running out of“cheap oil,” Aron wrote, noting thatremaining oil reserves are located in“more remote” regions such as theArctic’scontinentalshelfandtheedgesofSiberia.
Additionally, Russian oil companiesare effectively taxed at a 70 percentrate—comparedtoa2011rateof42-43percent for Chevron and ExxonMobilintheU.S.Thisdiscouragesinnovationandtechnologicalupdates,Aronsaid.
Russia’seconomyhasstagnatedbeforebecause of energy troubles. Someeconomists posit that a decline in oilproductionwasactuallythechiefcauseoftheSovietUnion’sdemise.
Soviet oilproductiondecreasedby40percentbetween1988and1989fromahighofabout12millionbarrelsofoilproducedperdaytoa lowofabout7millionbarrels,resultingina90percentdevaluation of the Soviet currency,according to a 2011 post for Business
InsiderbyDouglasReynolds,professorofenergyeconomicsat theUniversityofAlaskaFairbanks.
“It isclearwhytheSovietUnionrosetoprominenceasitwasabletoproducesomuchcheapoiluponwhichtobaseits economy.Oil smoothed out Sovietinefficiency.However,theSovietUnionfell when its oil production fell andit no longer had cheap, high qualityenergy,”Reynoldswrote.
Russia’s current stagnation has evenled confidants of Putin to suggestbreakingupGazprom,Aronreported.Igor Sechin, president of Rosneft,Russia’s largest oil producer, haslobbied for looseningGazprom’s gripon production and proposed naturalgasexports toAsia fromArcticfields.Putinhasalsoproposedtaxincentivesforexploringoffshoreoilreserves,buthasbeenreluctanttoact.
“Among the most destabilizingconsequences of the continuingdependenceonoilandgaswillbetheKremlin’s declining ability to securetheelites’loyalty,”Aronwrote.
“Fiercely protective of their share ofthe politically apportioned riches ofRussia’s state capitalism, powerful
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clanswillsquabbletosecurethesameshare of a diminishing pie, in theprocessthreateningthestabilityoftheregime.”
PutinhaslikelyresistedmodernizationofRussia’senergyeconomybecauseofthe alternatives, according to Aron’sreport.Lessdependenceonoilandgasrevenue would translate into cuts tosubsidies for Russia’s poorer regions,sharpreductionsinmilitaryspending,andfewertaxbreaksforthestate’s“petprojects.”
“If fully implemented, such reformswill erode the Kremlin’s control overthe economy, courts, and, inevitably,
politics,”Aronwrote.Some of those reformsmight alreadybe takingplace.TheNewYorkTimesreportedThursdaythatPutin’sregimehasbeguntoreleasesomeofthemorethan 110,000 people incarceratedfor “economic crimes” in Russia’sinfamous prison camps, particularlywhite-collarbusinessmen,inamovetocombatanemiceconomicgrowth
However,JensencautionedthatPutin’smainconcernistheopticsofhisregime.
“Putinwantstosoftentheappearanceofpower,buthealsowantstomaintainpower,”hesaid.“Iwouldn’ttakeittooseriously.”
R u s s i a ’ seconomic freefall will likelyc o m p l i c a t ePutin’s effortstoshowcasehiscountry at theG-20 summitnext month inSt. Petersburg.P r e s i d e n tBarack Obamahas announcedthathewillnotmeetwithPutin
one-on-oneaheadofthesummit,citingthe countries’ “lack of progress” onissuessuchasmissiledefense,humanrights, and the granting of asylum toNSAleakerEdwardSnowden.
Daniel Wiser is a Washington Free Beacon staff writer covering the global struggle for democracy and human rights.
This article courtesy of
Amsterdam, theNetherlands - July22, 2013: A collec-tion newspaperswith pictures andpublications of Ed-ward Snowden (29)an American con-tractor for the USNational SecurityAgency and formeremployee of theCIA. (Photo by LyaCattel)
Submarine CablesThe Handbook of Law and Policy
Edited by Douglas R. Burnett, Robert C. Beckman, and Tara M. Davenport
Submarine f iber optic cables are critical communications infrastructure for States around the world. They are laid on the seabed, are often no bigger than a garden hose, and transmit immense amounts of data across oceans. These cables are the backbone of the internet and phone services and underpin core State interests, such as the f inance sector, shipping, commerce and banking industries. Without the capacity to transmit and receive data via submarine cables, the economic security of States would be severely compromised. Despite the fact that 95 per cent of all data and telecommunications between States are transmitted via submarine cables, there is little understanding of how these cables operate. As a result some States have developed policies and laws that undermine the integrity of international
telecommunications systems. Submarine Cables: The Handbook of Law and Policy provides a one-stop-shop of essential information relating to the international governance of submarine cables. The Handbook is a unique collaboration between international lawyers and experts from the submarine cable industry. It provides a practical insight into the law and policy issues that affect the protection of submarine cables, as well as the laying, maintenance and operation of such cables. In addition, the law and policy issues in relation to other special purpose cables, such as power cables, marine scientif ic research cables, military cables, and offshore energy cables, are also addressed.
More information and details at www.brill.com/submarine-cables
TaBle of ConTenTs
Introduction - Why Submarine Cables? Douglas Burnett, Tara Davenport, Robert Beckman
PART I: BACKGROUNDChapter 1 - The Development of Submarine Cables. Stewart AshChapter 2 - The Submarine Cable Industry: How Does it Work? Mick Green
PART II: INTERNATIONAL LAW ON SUBMARINE CABLESChapter 3 – Overview of the International Legal Regime Governing Submarine Cables. Douglas Burnett, Tara Davenport, Robert Beckman
PART III: CABLE OPERATIONS - LAW AND PRACTICE Chapter 4 – The Planning and Surveying of Submarine Cable Routes. Graham Evans, Monique PageChapter 5 – The Manufacture and Laying of Submarine Cables. Keith Ford-Ramsden, Tara DavenportChapter 6 – Submarine Cable Repair and Maintenance. Keith Ford-Ramsden, Douglas BurnettChapter 7 – The Relationship between Submarine Cables and the Marine Environment. Lionel CarterChapter 8 – Out-of-Service Submarine Cables. Douglas Burnett
PART IV: PROTECTING CABLESHIPS AND SUBMARINE CABLESChapter 9 – Protecting Cableships Engaged in Cable Operations. Mick Green, Douglas Burnett Chapter 10 – Submarine Cables and Natural Hazards.Lionel CarterChapter 11 – Protecting Submarine Cables from Competing Uses. Bob Wargo, Tara DavenportChapter 12 – Protecting Submarine Cables from Intentional Damage: The Security Gap. Robert Beckman
PART V: SPECIAL PURPOSE SUBMARINE CABLESChapter 13 – Power Cables. Malcolm Eccles, Joska Ferencz, Douglas Burnett Chapter 14 – Marine Scientific Research Cables. Lionel Carter, Alfred H.A. Soons Chapter 15 – Military Cables. J. Ashley RoachChapter 16 - Submarine Cables and Offshore Energy. Wayne Nielsen, Tara Davenport
PART VI: APPENDICES AND KEYWORD INDEXAppendix 1 - Timeline of the Submarine Cable Industry Appendix 2 - Overview of the Major Submarine System Suppliers (1850 –2012)Appendix 3 - Excerpts of Most Relevant Treaty ProvisionsKeyword Index
• November 2013• ISBN 978 90 04 26032 0 / e-ISBN 978 90 04 26033 7• Hardback / Electronic• List price EUR 143.- / US$ 185.-• Imprint: Martinus Nijhoff
action Code: 50601
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flyer_Burnett_v2b.indd 1 23-08-13 15:48
Submarine CablesThe Handbook of Law and Policy
Edited by Douglas R. Burnett, Robert C. Beckman, and Tara M. Davenport
Submarine f iber optic cables are critical communications infrastructure for States around the world. They are laid on the seabed, are often no bigger than a garden hose, and transmit immense amounts of data across oceans. These cables are the backbone of the internet and phone services and underpin core State interests, such as the f inance sector, shipping, commerce and banking industries. Without the capacity to transmit and receive data via submarine cables, the economic security of States would be severely compromised. Despite the fact that 95 per cent of all data and telecommunications between States are transmitted via submarine cables, there is little understanding of how these cables operate. As a result some States have developed policies and laws that undermine the integrity of international
telecommunications systems. Submarine Cables: The Handbook of Law and Policy provides a one-stop-shop of essential information relating to the international governance of submarine cables. The Handbook is a unique collaboration between international lawyers and experts from the submarine cable industry. It provides a practical insight into the law and policy issues that affect the protection of submarine cables, as well as the laying, maintenance and operation of such cables. In addition, the law and policy issues in relation to other special purpose cables, such as power cables, marine scientif ic research cables, military cables, and offshore energy cables, are also addressed.
More information and details at www.brill.com/submarine-cables
TaBle of ConTenTs
Introduction - Why Submarine Cables? Douglas Burnett, Tara Davenport, Robert Beckman
PART I: BACKGROUNDChapter 1 - The Development of Submarine Cables. Stewart AshChapter 2 - The Submarine Cable Industry: How Does it Work? Mick Green
PART II: INTERNATIONAL LAW ON SUBMARINE CABLESChapter 3 – Overview of the International Legal Regime Governing Submarine Cables. Douglas Burnett, Tara Davenport, Robert Beckman
PART III: CABLE OPERATIONS - LAW AND PRACTICE Chapter 4 – The Planning and Surveying of Submarine Cable Routes. Graham Evans, Monique PageChapter 5 – The Manufacture and Laying of Submarine Cables. Keith Ford-Ramsden, Tara DavenportChapter 6 – Submarine Cable Repair and Maintenance. Keith Ford-Ramsden, Douglas BurnettChapter 7 – The Relationship between Submarine Cables and the Marine Environment. Lionel CarterChapter 8 – Out-of-Service Submarine Cables. Douglas Burnett
PART IV: PROTECTING CABLESHIPS AND SUBMARINE CABLESChapter 9 – Protecting Cableships Engaged in Cable Operations. Mick Green, Douglas Burnett Chapter 10 – Submarine Cables and Natural Hazards.Lionel CarterChapter 11 – Protecting Submarine Cables from Competing Uses. Bob Wargo, Tara DavenportChapter 12 – Protecting Submarine Cables from Intentional Damage: The Security Gap. Robert Beckman
PART V: SPECIAL PURPOSE SUBMARINE CABLESChapter 13 – Power Cables. Malcolm Eccles, Joska Ferencz, Douglas Burnett Chapter 14 – Marine Scientific Research Cables. Lionel Carter, Alfred H.A. Soons Chapter 15 – Military Cables. J. Ashley RoachChapter 16 - Submarine Cables and Offshore Energy. Wayne Nielsen, Tara Davenport
PART VI: APPENDICES AND KEYWORD INDEXAppendix 1 - Timeline of the Submarine Cable Industry Appendix 2 - Overview of the Major Submarine System Suppliers (1850 –2012)Appendix 3 - Excerpts of Most Relevant Treaty ProvisionsKeyword Index
• November 2013• ISBN 978 90 04 26032 0 / e-ISBN 978 90 04 26033 7• Hardback / Electronic• List price EUR 143.- / US$ 185.-• Imprint: Martinus Nijhoff
action Code: 50601
35% Discount
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• November 2013 • ISBN 978 90 04 26032 0 / e-ISBN 978 90 04 26033 7 • Hardback / Electronic • List price EUR 143.- / US$ 185.- • Imprint: Martinus Nijhoff
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22
NAsA, Astro Technology Develop Offshore Fiber-Optic Technology
Karen Boman|
23
Anew fiber optic monitoringsystem developed throughcollaboration between
Houston-basedAstro Technology Inc.and the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration (NASA) wasdeployed earlier this year on two oilplatformsoffshoreWestAfrica.
The Tendon Tension MonitoringSystem (TTMS), which utilizes afiber-optic strain gauge system and aseriesofsensorclampstomeasurethetensiononsubsearisersandpipelines,was installed in March on twoplatforms at the Okume complex forHess Corporation’s subsidiary Hess-EquatorialGuinea.
SixteenTTMSclampswereinstalledbycommercialdiversusinganunderwateradhesivetestatNASA'sJohnsonSpaceCenter. Fiber-optic cables were thenrouted from the clamps to a controlroomaboardeachplatform.Thesystemmonitors stress along the platform'sfour legsand streams thedata in realtime, enabling operators to makeimmediateadjustmentstomaintainthestabilityoftheplatform.
Okume is located in approximately1,500feetofwater.Thesensorsinstalledwere placed at 60 feet and 120 feet
belowthesurfaceonthetendonsoftheplatforms. However, this technologycanbeusedat allwaterdepths, fromshallow to ultra-deepwater, AstroTechnology President David BrowertoldRigzone.
Astro Technology, which specializesin instrumentation and monitoringtechnologieswithafocusonreal-timefiber-optic sensory systems for oiland gas, has successfully used fiber-opticmonitoringsystemsatdepthsof
upto7,500 feet.Thesametechnologyhas also been applied in otherextreme environments through AstroTechnology's20-yearhistory.AsAstroTechnologydevelopsnewtechnologiesand applications, it employs testingthrough a variety of means, Browernoted.
The technology was developed as aresultofaSpaceActAgreement,whichpermitsNASAtopartnerwithoutsideorganizationstobringNASAexpertise,
24
assets or information to awider community. SpaceActAgreement, which date back to 1958, allows NASA toworkwithabroadspectrumofpartnersfromallpublicand private sector disciplines, according to NASA'swebsite.
"SinceNASAisamission-drivenAgencyandreliesheavilyontechnology,themajorityofourSpaceActAgreementsaim to develop or mature dual-use technologies ofrelevancytobothNASAandourpartner,"NASAsaidonitswebsite.
TheprojectwascompletedaspartoftheClearGulfJointIndustry Project,which is a partnership betweenAstroTechnology,NASAandtheoilandgasindustry.
"TheClearGulf JIPprovidesuswithaccess to state-of-the-art testing and verification processes thatwe couldnotgetanywhereelse,"Browercommented."Inthiscase,NASAthoroughlytestedtheunderwateradhesiveusedtoconnectthesensorstotheplatformlegs,andverifiedthatthetechnologywouldoperateinadeepwaterdrillingenvironment."
"The testing and verification process – completed by aspecializedgroupofengineersatNASA'sJohnsonSpaceCenter – is just another way to assure our clients thatthismonitoring system is the right technology for theirproject,"saidBrower.
Such precise, real-time monitoring can help preventaccidents that might otherwise lead to productioninterruptions,environmentaldamageandfatalities,saidAstroTechnologyPresidentDavidBrowerinastatement.
25
"Thesuccessof this initial installation isgoodnews fortheenvironment,butit'salsoawinfortheentireenergyindustry," Brower commented, noting that the TTMSis a more cost-effective and reliable alternative to themonitoringsystemscurrentlyinuseonmostplatforms.
Tendon tension can be monitored through traditionalloadcells,butthesensorsontheTTMSareabletodetectmuchmoresubtlechangestotensionduetotides,waveactivity, storms and even routine boat dock operations,Broweradded.
Astro Technology will conduct further testing anddevelopmentattheJohnsonSpaceCenterfollowingtheinitialinstallation'ssuccess.
Karen Boman is a writer for RigZone has more than 10 years of experience covering the upstream oil and gas sector.
This article courtesy of
To continue from last year, which I was hoping to turn in to an annual tradition, I hereby invite you to join me and your industry associates for a social Submarine Telecom Cable reception in Miami on the 7th of November.
There will be no presentations, no booths, no conference, it will simply involve you coming to discuss the industry with your peers whilst enjoying my hospitality. The only cost to you is your time.
I know many planned on being in Miami that week anyway, so I hope the time is still open in your calendars.
To confirm simply RSVP to [email protected] by the 18th October 2013.
On receiving your RSVP further information will be sent out, then it is simply a case of bringing yourself and spreading the word. The more the merrier.
I look forward to seeing you all for drinks and talks.
All the best
Stephen Brogarth
Drinks in Miami?
27
The Atlantic Wind ConnectionUpDATe 2013: The permitting, Regulatory& Contracting processes Continue…
Bill Wall & Kris Ohleth
28
In theSeptember2012 issueofSTFwe updated the progress of theAtlantic Wind Connection project.
Now in September 2013 we have acurrentupdate to reviewtheprogressmade in the regulatory, permittingandcontractingfieldsinordertobringtheprojecttofruition.First,anupdateon the basic project premise andconfiguration:
The US Mid-Atlantic region is hometo one of themost powerful offshorewindresourcesintheworld.Just15to20milesoffshorethereisenoughwindenergytosupplymillionsofhomeswithclean,renewablepower.Theareaisalsohometomajorpopulationcenters,withanever-increasingappetiteforenergy.Geographically,itisperfectforoffshorewind,witha relativelygently slopingcontinentalshelfandrelativelyshallowwaters-100to150feetdeep-asfaras15to20milesoffshore.Theseaflooristypicallycomprisedofsandandgravelsediments, making for simpler civilmarine construction using current,field-proven techniques. These factorscombinedcreatethe“PerfectStorm”ofoffshorewindpotentialalongtheMid-Atlanticshore.
Now, how to bring all that power toshoreinthemostefficientmanner?The
generation and collection of offshorewind power has matured well inEuropeoverthelast20years.Turbinemanufacturersarebuildingeverlargergenerators, foundations are beingdesigned for deeper waters, and thesubmarinecableindustryhasexpandedwithnewfactoriestomeetthedemand.The missing link is an efficient andflexible power transmission systemto transfer the available power to theright place at the right time. This iswhere the Atlantic Wind Connection(AWC)projectcomesin.
By efficiently moving offshore windpower towhere it isneededon-shoreand conventional energy resources,theAWCsystemwillgreatly improvethe operation of the existing on-shoretransmission grid. This advantage oftheprojectisfurtherexplainedbelow.
Phased Implementation – Phase One: The New Jersey Energy Link
TheAtlanticWindConnectionisalarge,multi-faceted construction project.Implementationhasbeendividedintodiscrete, independent phases startingwiththeNewJerseyEnergyLink.
The New Jersey Energy Link (NJEL)is an offshore backbone electrical
transmission system proposed off theNew Jersey coast between northern,central and southern New Jersey. Itwill consist of an HVDC submarinecable systemapproximately155milesin length interconnecting a series ofoffshoreplatforms.EachplatformwillconsistofanoffshorefoundationwithanHVDCconverterstationonitsdeck.Utility scale offshorewind farmswillinterconnecttotheNJELoffshoregridat each offshore platform location.
Figure1:NJELconfiguration
29
The Alternating Current (AC) powergenerated by the wind farms willbe converted to High Voltage DirectCurrent (HVDC) and transmitted toshoreviasubmarinecableconnections.On shore, the AWC HVDC systemwill follow underground cable routesapproximately 42 miles in length tostrategic Points of Interconnection(POI) on the terrestrial grid whereland-based HVDC converter stationswill convert the DC power back toAC for distribution on the grid. TheNJEL project will start with a 1,000MW offshore converter platform,and could be expanded to allow upto 3,000megawatts (MW) of offshorewindturbinecapacitytoconnecttotheregionalhigh-voltageterrestrialgrid.
Figure 1showstheproposedconceptualNJELconfiguration.
Both the offshore HVDC converterplatforms and the on-shore HVDCconverter stations use the latestadvancement of Voltage SourcedConverter (VSC) technology beingimplemented for a multi-terminalnetwork. A typical configurationofalandbasedconverterstation isshowninFigure 2.
Terrestrial Grid Enhancements
The NJEL system creates a bridgebetween southern New Jersey whichhas access to generating capacity andlower-cost energy and northern NewJersey which is capacity starved andtypically experiences high energyprices.NJELwillhelptolowerpricespaid by ratepayers by improving thelinkage between the southern andnorthern markets and allowing themto function more efficiently. NJELwill deliver 1,000 MW of capacity tonorthern New Jersey where capacityprices are higher than anywhere elseinPJM.Thisaddedcapacitywillallow
PJM’scapacityauctionstoclearatlowerprices. NJEL improves the efficiencyof the wholesale electricity market innorthernNewJerseybyincreasingthesupply of lower cost resources to themarket.
NJEL also eliminates certain futuregrid reliability violations in northernNew Jersey which helps to avoidthe cost of reinforcing the grid withother transmission upgrades. Lastly,NationalSecurityexperts,TheChertoffGroup, identified physical attack,cyber-attack, geomagnetic storms,extreme weather, and loss of powerto nuclear stations as significant risks
Figure2:NJELLand-Based
HVDCConverterConfiguration
30
facingNewJersey’sgrid.TheyfoundthatAWC system, including theNewJerseyEnergyLink,wouldimprovetheabilityofthegridtorecoverfromsuchattacks and events. According to theChertoffreport:“The AWC transmission backbone lessens the potential impact of an attack, natural disaster, or accident by introducing flexibility, system reliability and resiliency.”
Milestones In 2013
Boem Update: The Bureau of OceanEnergyManagement (BOEM), part oftheUSDepartmentofInterior(DOI)isthefederalgovernmentregulatorforallrenewableenergyprojectdevelopmentsplannedfor theUSOuterContinentalShelf(OCS).BOEMhasissuedrulesthatgoverntheuseofOCSsubmergedlandsfor renewable energy development.BOEM’s“FinalRenewableRule”statestherequirementswinddevelopersandtransmission line developers mustfollowtoobtainasubmergedlandsleasetobuildawindfarmorarightofway(ROW)tobuildtransmission.BOEMisthe lead federal regulatoryagency forpermitting leases (for wind farms) orROWgrants(fortransmissionsystems)ontheOCS.TheGeneralActivitiesPlan(GAP) submittalwill be the first stepintheNEPAprocessatBOEM.Initial
planningforotherBOEMrequirementssuch as the Facilities Design Report(FDR), Facilities Installation Report(FIR) and the Certified VerificationAgent(CVA)processhascommenced.
Supply Chain & Team Update:During a successful Supply ChainForumheld inNew Jersey in January2013theNewJerseyEnergyLinkteamannouncedtheappointmentofBechtelPowerCorporationasitsEngineering,Procurement & Construction (EPC)contractor. It was also announcedthat Alstom Grid will be the systemtechnology and equipment supplier.Laterthisyeara“SupplyChainPortal”will be incorporated onto the AWCwebsite to allow sub-contractors toregisterforfutureopportunitiesontheNJELproject.
Us Coast Guard:AspartofthepermitapplicationwiththeUnitedStatesArmyCorps of Engineers (USACE) for theNJELmarineroutesurvey,discussionswere held with the US Coast GuardinrelationtotheproposedpositionoftheNJELoffshoreplatforms.Particularattention was paid to the interactionwithestablishedshipping lanes.Afterclosecooperationasolutionagreeabletoallpartieswasreached.ThisprocesswillassisttheCoastGuardinthefinal
developmentoftheirPortAccessRouteStudy (PARS) which is an on-goingreviewoftheportaccessandshippingroutesofftheAtlanticCoast.
Nj State Update: Aspartoftheon-goingprocesstoupgradetheoverallelectricaltransmission system in New JerseytheNJBoardofPublicUtilities (BPU)must interface with the independentgrid operator PJM Interconnect LLCto plan future system upgrades andexpansion. The NJ state assemblyand senate passed joint resolutionsencouraging the BPU to facilitatethe entryof theNJEL system into thePJM transmission expansion plan.The resolutionsalso instructed theNJEconomicDevelopmentAuthority(NJEDA)tostudytheeconomicbenefitsoftheNJELproject.
On-Going Operations
The AWC team continues with thedraftingoftheGAPsubmittal.Offshoresurvey planning and terrestrial routeengineering are on-going. The NJELteamcontinuesdiscussionswiththeNJBPU,EDAandthegridoperatorPJM.
31
Bill Wall has spent nearly 40 years in the submarine cable industry. Starting at British Telecom (then GPO) Wall then spent 12 years
with Cable & Wireless Marine Staff (now GMSL) where he was very active in the development of cable burial ROV systems. He was a member of the original Scarab 1 operations team. Wall then spent 18 years at Margus Co where he was VP Operations. His next assignment was Business Development Manager at Caldwell Marine International. He then joined the offshore wind industry as VP of Marine Operations at Deepwater Wind based in Hoboken NJ.
He has a broad background in in sub-sea technical operations and submarine cable project management including Shore Ends, HDD, ROV operations, Plowing, Survey operations, cable repair etc. He is currently Director, Marine Operations at The Atlantic Wind Connection based in Chevy Chase MD just outside Washington DC.
Kris Ohleth is the Director of Permitting for the Atlantic Wind Connection backbone transmission project. Her past positions include Policy
Manager for Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning issues for Ocean Conservancy and the Director of Environmental Affairs for both Deepwater Wind and Bluewater Wind. Kris worked as a research technician and editor for the National Marine Fisheries Service in Woods Hole, MA and as a communication coordinator for The Nature Conservancy. She earned an undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island in Coastal and Ocean Policy. She is on the Board of the US Offshore Wind Collaborative, the New Jersey Environmental Lobby, and is the Chair of the New York/New Jersey Chapter of the Women of Wind Energy.
Quarterly Submarine Cable AlmanacReleaseDate:November2013ProductDetails:Link
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Ifyouareinterestedinadvertisinginany of our products, please contactKristianNielsen at +1 [email protected]
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2014 Submarine TelecomsIndustry Calendar
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Ifyouareinterestedinadvertisinginanyofourproducts,pleasecontactKristianNielsenat+1703-444-0845orknielsen@subtelforum.com
4th Quarter Is Going To Be BigReserve Your space Now!
2014 Submarine Cables of the World MapReleaseDate:January2014ProductDetails:Link
35
Cable Companies Gearing up for Offshore Renewables
Gregor Mcpherson
36
With the growth in offshorerenewable energy projects,demand for power cabling
is prompting many telecoms cablelaying companies to increase theflexibility of their fleets.Gone are thedays of dedicated telecoms vessels,today multipurpose vessels are nowthe norm. This need for a broaderhandling capabilityhasprompted thedevelopment of new cable handlingtechnologies.
Telecomshasdominatedthesubmarinecable laying market for well over a100 years, and after faltering at theturn of new century will continueto show significant growth to meetthe seemingly insatiable demand forhigherInternetcapacity.Itisafactthattelecoms cable storage, handling anddeploymenttechniqueshaveremainedlargelyunchangedformanyyears.Thecableisstoredinabasketorcabletankandhandlingrequirementsarevaried,from high speed installation, joint/repeaterhandlingthroughtooftenhightension maintenance provisioning.Typically there is no requirement topreventtwistingofwhatareinvariablysmalldiametercables,asitisbeinglaidup ina cable tank.Easy tophysically
handle, it isgenerally lightenough toallowmentowalkitintothecorrectlynestedpositionforeaseofsubsequentdeployment.
Developmentsincabletechnologyandmanufacture allowed production oflong,unrepeatedcablelengthsenablingfestoon(orsinglespan)cablingsystemssuchthatrepeaters(oramplifiers)couldremainonshore,have inpracticehadlittle impact on handling techniquesemployed. Multi-track cable engines,where one possible exception being
better suited to handling the smalland slippery PU coated ‘skinny’cables than traditionalwheel engines,were developed. A further notabledevelopment during this period wasthe widening application of cabledrum engines (CDEs). Hitherto usedto recover up damaged cables, withimprovements in load measurementtechnology, they were increasinglyproposedasthesolemethodoflayingaswell.While lacking the lay speedsof wheel engines they required lessspace and therefore couldbeusedon
37
smaller vessels. The other significanttechnologychangehasbeentheswitchtovariablespeedelectricdrivesinplaceofhydraulics,allowinggreatercontrolofcablelaying.
From basket to carousel
Adapting an existing telecomscable ships to handle power cablebrings with it a new set of handlingchallenges.Forastartthepowercableismoresusceptibletobacktensionsthattelecomscable.Alsoitisimperativetopreventthecabletwisting.Theoptionsare to replace the existing cable tankstorewitheitheracarouselorlargereelontheshipdeck.
Theselectionofacarousel/turntableorreelisdependentupon:typeofvesseland product storage and handlingrequirements. When cable is storedbelow deck it means modifying theexistingbasketorcablestorewiththeinstallationofacarousel.Powercablesare less able to cope with the 5-10Teback tension generally encounteredwith telecom systems; they are alsorelativelydense,andhavesmallbendradii. The carousel combines thebenefitsofabasket– thecablecanbe
storedatzerotension–withtheabilityto accommodate slight mismatchesin linear and rotary speed. It alsoallows significantly longer lengths ofcable tobestored thana reel; therebymaximising the time spent offshorecablelaying.
Replacing a basket with a carouselrequirestheadditionofalargeloadingarmtoensurethecableisstoredcorrectlyand to reduce residual cable twist ofthe cable as it is deployed from the
carousel.andontotheseabed.Planningconsiderations influencing the ease ofinstallationofthecarouselincludetheavailabilityofacircularcabletankandthesuitabilityofthetanktoptosupportthemoreconcentratedloaded,ensuringthattheamountofheighttakenupbythe turntable is optimised.Access forpersonneltoboththestorageareaandbelow the floor has to be consideredalongwithcableroutingandthehencethe loading arm configuration. Thislatter point is largely determined by
38
the required minimum bend radius.The required minimum bend radiuslargely determines this latter point,whiletheactualloadingarmstructuraldesign is driven by the cable’s bendstiffness.Additionally,accessspaceforinstallationwilldeterminethedetailofthecarouseldesign.
Forexample,therecentconversionofatelecomscablevesseltoalsohandlenon-coilablepowercableinvolvedtakingoutthecabletankfloorandinstallingtwo,
large capacity, 3,000 tonne turntables.Thetwo,‘basket’,turntableshaveopenlatticeouterwalls,aclosedhubandpostpositions for installing partitions, andaredesignedtooperateatamaximumproduct linear speed of 1,000m/hr (atcore). Loading arms and cable trackshave also been fitted to control thecable’s4mminimumbendradius,alongwith all system controls. To save timeand cost, the turntables systems wereadapted to accommodate the vessel’sexistinghydraulicpowerunits(HPUs).
Carousels are not limited to belowdeskofcourse, theycanalsobedeck-mounted either on the vessel or ona barge. The advantage of a deck-mounted carousel is that it is easierto increase the storage capacity byloweringthedeck,forexample,a9.2mdiameterreelcantake300-400Tofcableproduct.Moreover,italsohastheaddedflexibilityofallowingmovementofthereelfromporttostarboard,ifnecessary.Ofcourse,itisstillpossibletousethecarouselasabasketwhenrequired.Theability to partition the basket allowsgives greater operational flexibility a.And a positive advantage over a reelsystemwhere product is unloaded inreverseoftheloadsequence.
Arecenttrendhasbeentheincreasinguse of modular reels and carousels.Thesebringanotherlevelofflexibilitytocablelaying,andoffshoreoperations.Atoneendofthescale,DutchcompanyBlue Offshore, a specialist marineinstallation contractor, has opted fora deck-mounted, adaptable modularturntable system. With 9,000 tonnesof carrying capacity in its full 32mconfiguration, it will be the largestturntableof itstypeintheworld.Thedesign has been fully optimised for
39
telecomandpowercablehandling.Attheotherendofthescale,a400tonnesmodular turntable for Aberdeen-basedMooringSystemscanbereadilyconfigured in either ‘reel’ or ‘basket’modes for handling a wide range offlexible products including cables,umbilicals, dynamic risers and hoses.It is road transportable, allowing it tobedeliveredanywhere in theUKandloadedontoashipforimmediateuse.
Reel Systems
Ondeck,cablehandlingsystemstendtobemostlyreel,providedthecableisabletosupportsomelevelofbacktension.The benefits of using a reel includeeasier linear/rotary speed matching,lowerinstalledpowerandgenerallyasimplerlowerarrangement.Moreover,bystoringundertensionthereismorecontrol over stiffer cable products.ItCable to takenfromthereelandthetensionoptimisedbypassingthecablethroughadeckcircuitincorporatinganadjustable compensator, and finally acabletensionerbeforebeingdispatchedoverboardviaacablechute.
Recently a cable handling systemhasbeendevelopedspecificallyforoffshore
wind farms in which cable arraysare deployed. The cable is variablediameter: maximum diameter at thefurthestwindturbineandnarrowestatthewindturbineclosest toshore.Thereelbasedsystemfeaturesasegmentedreel allowing the different diametercable tobe loadedon toa single reel,thereby significantly reducing thecablehandlingcomplexity.Inaddition,thecablelayinginvolveddepositingaloopofcableoftheseabedatthesiteof each wind turbine. Disengagingthe reel control and compensator andlifting the cable from its deck circuitand depositing it overboard achievedthis.
Flexible Cable Storage and Handling Systems, more challenges to come
As has been shown, cable storageand handling technology continuesto develop to meet the challengesfaced by telecoms cable and offshoreoperators. Thekey engineering issueswhen modifying an existing vesselare: height of the reel and the loadarm size togetherwithbend stiffness;bend radius - ensuring good controlof the product through all 4 corners;lineofsight;andsimpleand intuitive
operation.Alltheseissuesareamplifiedwhenusingmobileequipment.
The technology has now developedto the point where we can providecablehandlingsystemsthatarehighlyadaptableandmodular,toachievetheoptimumconditionsforeaseofstorageand handling during deployment, nomatter the type of vessel and cableproduct.
Gregor McPherson is a professional mechanical engineer, Gregor McPherson holds an MBA from Glasgow University. He has worked
in the marine handling equipment sector all his career. Mr McPherson joined Caley Ocean Systems in 1994 and has been Sales and Marketing Director since 2000.
40
To Iqaluit and Back Again
James Case
41
Istarted my trip in typical summerwear from Pennsylvania in 90+degreeFheat,driving8hoursnorth
tomeettheteamassemblinginOttawa.We made up a seven person teamconsistingofArcticFibrestaff,AECOMenvironmentalconsultants,civilworkscontractor Ledcor Industries, networkdesignengineerWFNStrategies,AjungiConsulting,andTESubCom.
The plan was to travel 4,150 milesby private plane, an 8-seater B200, tovisit the communities of Iqaluit, CapeDorset,Hall Beach, Igloolik, Taloyoak,Gjoa Haven and Cambridge Bay. Wewould identify seven landing sitesacross Nunavut for the Arctic Fiberproject, a 15,700km subseafiberopticnetworkthroughtheNorthwestPassagebetween London, England andTokyo,Japan.Thenewsystemwillalsoserve52%ofNunavut’spopulationlivingincommunities near the network,whichiswhatbroughtustothearea.
Iwasattendingthefieldstudyasthecablerouting designer, representing WFNStrategies. WFNhas been supportingArcticFibresince2011,includingattheoutset the initialDesktopStudywhichconsidered bringing for the first timesubmarine fiber optic cable to placesthathadneverbeenponderedbefore.
The commercial flight fromOttawa toIqaluit was uneventful. No problemswith security, no problems withschedules or delays, and my baggagemadeitwithme.OnceIretrievedmycheckedbagfromthebaggagepilewewerepickedupbyalocalrepresentativeandroadinthebackofapickuptrucktotheHotelArctic.
I can’t say exactlywhat kind of placeI’d been expecting to stay in, but myScoutingdayscometomind.Instead,Iwasstruckbyhowsimilaritwasinsideto theHiltonwe’d stayed in thenightbefore. In fact, basically every singlehoteltheteamstayedinduringthetripwassomevariationonthefirst,allverydecentaccommodations.
We dropped our luggage, got a bitetoeat,andthenheadedofftoourfirstsitevisitatApexPoint. Whenwegotthere, it was pretty impressive. Youhearabout theHudsonBayCompany,incorporated in1670, inhistorybooks,and was interesting to see buildingsfrom when they moved operations toApexin1949.
It was a learning experience the firstdayout. Amemberof the teamwentouttothewater’sedgetotakephotos.I warned him that the tide wouldprobablycomeinquicker thanhewasusedto,and,sureenough,minuteslaterthetidewasup2inchesonhisboots.
Over the next six days, we would
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travelthroughoutthearea,todifferentcommunities, surveying landingsights and cable routes, and meetingthe residents. Information sessionsand consultationswerewell attended,with representatives of the federaland territorial governments, hamletcouncils, Hunters and TrappersAssociations, Community Land andResource Committees, Kitikmeot InuitAssociation,QikiqtaniInuitAssociation,local businesses, telecommunicationscarriersandlocalresidents.
ThistripmayhavebeentheleasteventfulI’veeverhad.I’vehadtripsthatshouldhave been simple and weren’t. This
oneshouldhavebeenthemostcomplexand yetwas relatively easy. Even thepilotsofthepropplanetakingusfromsitetositecouldn’tbelievethatwegotin to every townwhilekeeping to theschedule. That just never happens,mainlybecauseoftheweather.
The experience of moving from smalllandingstriptosmalllandingstripwasfamiliarformehavinggrownupflyingwithmy father in a typical aircraft allover New England. Unlike the bigcommercialplanes,thelittlepropplaneaffordedaviewofeverythingwhenwewere landing. And everything I sawwasthesameastherestofthelandscape
exceptforalittlepatchoflighterbrownfenced off by lights, a strip of packedearth where we were landing. Oncewe were down, the two men whowereferryingusaroundNunavuttookbrooms and industriously swept theareaunderthepropsothatwhenitwastime to take off, small stones and gritwouldn’tdamageit.Thiswasapracticethey repeated everywherewe stoppedforthenextfivedays.
The seventhdayendeduphaving themostimpactoftheArcticFibreProject.PlanshadbeenmadetorunaterrestrialcableovertheBoothiaPeninsulatothesouthofMiddleLake.Weweremakinganaerialscanofthepeninsula,coveringthe30orsokilometerstomakesureitwouldbeagoodoption.Itwasnot.It’shardtosaywhattheareawasexpectedto look like, but itwas like somethingfrom another planet. Rocks juttingouteverywhere,gorgesahundredfeetdeep.TherewasnowaytosurveytheareabyATV,letalonelayacableoverit.
IinstructedthepilotstochangecoursetotheeasterncoastinanattempttofindarouteIplannedacoupleyearsagotoseeifitwasanoption.Whatwefoundwas a beautiful gradually sloped covegoingupintothehillsidewherethepasscontinuedtoafewsmall,narrowlakesbefore spilling out onto the northernsideofMiddleLake.Themoodonthe
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planechanged immediately; therewasashotthiscouldwork.
Twoof our teammembers braved thesnow,rainandroughterraintosurveythe land route as far as they could gothenextday.Luckyformeonly2ofthe3ATVswereavailableandIwassparedtheexperience. TherevisedroutewillnowparallelthenorthwestshorelinesofMiddleandAngmaluktoklakesbeforerising through the hills and enteringLordMayorBay.
Thefinaldayprovedthemostexcitingofall.WewerefinallydonewiththesitevisitsandwereheadingbacktoIqaluit.That day the prospect of landingwasnotlookinggood.It’srainy,it’sfoggy,and theairfield’s InstrumentLandingSystemhasbeenbrokenforweeks,thepartsforrepairsstillbeingafewweeksaway. The pilots, being used to thiskindofweather,comeinonapproach,keepinginradiocontactwiththetower.Suddenlyweseeaholeinthefogandcanseethatweweregoingtomisstherunway.Undaunted,thepilotsbankedtheplanehardtotherightandthenagaintotheleftandlandedit.Inamatterofsecondswewere on the ground, veryreadytoheadhome.
Havingfinished,it’ssafetosaythetripwas a success. It’s often tough to tellby squinting at 30+ meter resolution
satellite imageswhethera landingsitewillbedecent.Goingbythat,youcantake some pretty wild guesses whenpickingsites.Soinpersonsurveysarealwaysthebestoption.
ArcticFibrewillnowsubmititslandingplans to all appropriate bodies, andseek approvals for a subsea marinesurvey in 2014 thatwill be one of themost comprehensive ever undertakeninNunavutwaters.Companyofficialswill also work with the appropriateagencies to ensure that its networkdoesnotinterferewithanyhistoricalorarcheological sites. Installation of thecable is expected to be undertaken in2015.
James Case serves as Cable Routing Manager for WFN Strategies. He has managed or supported telecom projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Indonesia, Russia, Caribbean, North
Sea, West Africa, Antarctica, Australia and the North Sea.
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Back Reflection by stewart Ash
TheCommercialCableCompany’sMaintenanceCableship
Over the last two additions I havewritten about some of the significantcontributionsoftheCommercialCableCompany (CCC) to trans-Atlantictelegraphy.However,thiswasnotthefirsttimethattheCCChasfeaturedinBack Reflection. Some readers mayremember that the roleplayedby theCCC cableship Mackay-Bennett in theTitanicdisasterin1912,wasdescribedinIssue61.
While researching the story of theAtlantic Price War, I came across adetaileddescriptionoftheCSMackay-Bennett in a book called “SubmarineCable Laying and Repairing” writtenby H. D. Wilkinson and publishedas a secondedition in 1908. It struck
methatthedescriptioninWilkinson’sbook would be very close to thearrangements of the vessel when shesailedonthatfatefulvoyage,andthatreadersmaybeinterestedinthelayoutof amaintenance cable ship thatwasoperating at the beginning of the 20thCentury,over100yearsago. Sohereitis!
The Cable Ship “Mackay-Bennett.”—This steamer, owned by theCommercial Cable Company of NewYork, isemployed in themaintenanceof the Company’s systems in theAtlantic and European waters. ThethreeAtlantic cablesof thisCompanyfromIreland toNovaScotia representtogether6,894nauticalmiles(nm),thetwo from Nova Scotia to the States1,352nm,andthetwoEuropeancablesconnecting Irelandwith England and
France 839nm, or a total of 9,085nm.OtherAtlanticmaintenancevesselsarethe “Minia,” of the Anglo-AmericanTelegraphCompany,andthe“Pouyer-Quertier,”oftheCompagnieFrançaise.
The “Mackay-Bennett,” launched inSeptember,1884,wasbuiltatGovan,ontheClyde,intheyardofMessrs.JohnElderandCo.,andmeasures270ft.by40ft.,by24ft6insbydepthmoulded.Hertonnage is 1,012.92net registered and1,700grossregistered.Theillustration(Fig. 192) has beenkindly lent by theCompany’s General Superintendentin England, Mr. G. H. Bambridge, towhosecourtesy thewriter is indebtedfortheaccompanyingdetails.
In the design of this steamer specialpainshavebeentakentogivehergoodsteering and manoeuvring qualities.
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In addition to the usual stern rudder,a second rudder is fixed at the bowinside the lineof the stem,whichcanbeworkedbyahand-wheel.Thisveryusefuladditionenablesacoursetobekept when going astern (frequentlyrequired in repair work), in easingstrainoncableorinfetchingorgettingclearofabuoyorsplice.SteamsteeringgearonMessrs.
Muir and Caldwell’s system is fittedin the wheel-house aft, and can beoperated from either of two wheels,one amidships and one on the poop.A hand-wheel is also fitted aft as a
tripaspeedof12.3knotswasattained,the engines developing 2,190 I.H.P1.The coalbunker capacity is 750 tons.Three cable tanks are fitted, having atotalcapacitytoloadinglinesof385nmor 710 tons of deep-sea cable, 1in. indiameter.Theforetank,No.1,is20ft.,No.230ft.andNo.328ft.indiameter,and themean diameters of the conesare respectively 6ft. 2in., 7ft. 2in. and6ft.2in.Theforeandafttankscanbeloadedtoaheightof10ft.,andthetankamidshipsto14ft.Attheseheightsthefore tank holds 60nm, the mid-ships195nm,and theaft tank130nmof theabovetypeofcable.Thetanksareallinconnectionwithpumpsintheengine-room,bymeansofwhich theycanbeflooded with water or discharged, asrequired.
Steam cable gear capable of dealingwith repairing work in the deepestwaters of the Atlantic is fixed bothforwardandaft.Thatintheforepartoftheship,usedchieflyforgrapplingandpicking-up, has a single drumdrivenby a double-cylinder engine withinclinedcylinders,fittedwithclutchforsingleordoublepurchase,andabrakeforpaying-outwiththeenginethrown
1.I.H.P=IndicatedHorsePower46
stand-by, giving a third means ofsteering independent of steam. HermanoeuvringqualitiesarestillfurtherincreasedbytheuseofBrown’spatenthydraulic reversing gear, previouslyreferredto.
As theMackay-Bennett isa twin-screwsteamer and Brown’s reversing gearis fitted to each engine, there is notmuch time lost in turning her roundeitherway. Bilgekeels are alsofittedwhich minimise the rolling in heavyweather. The engines are compoundsurface-condensing, with cylinders25in.and50in.diameter. Onher trial
Figure192:Mackay-Bennett
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out of gear. The brake is controlledby a hand-wheel and screw. The aftgearisdrivenbyasimilarenginewithclutch for throwing out of gearwhenpaying-outwith the brake. The bowandsternsheavesarefittedunderneaththeworkingdeckorplatform,asinthe“Faraday.”Thetestingroomissituatedunderneath the forward part of thebridge. Lord Kelvin’s sounding air-tubenavigationalmachineandJames’ssubmarinesentryforindicatingdepthswhileinmotionarecarried,andtheshipisalso suppliedwithMessrs. Johnson
and Phillips’ sounding machine fordeep-seawork.Fortrimmingpurposesthe Mackay-Bennett is built with aspecialcellulardoublebottomrunningthewhole length of the vessel,whichcanbeutilisedforwaterballasttotheextentof300tons.TheequipmentofthishandsomevesseliscompletedwithanelectriclightingplantconsistingoftwoSiemensdynamos,eachwithanormaloutputof90amperesat110volts.ThesearedrivenbyapairofTangyeengines,thelightbeingdistributedthroughoutthe ship, and night operations are
facilitatedbydeck-lightreflectorsfittedwithsixandeightincandescentlamps.
I think readers can see that manythings have changed in the design ofcableships in the ensuing 129 yearssincetheMackay Bennett waslaunched; however, the basic layout remainsvery much the same and should berecognisable to those readerswhoarefamiliarwithtoday’svessels.
For any readers that are interested infindingoutmore about thehistoryofcableships,Iwouldrecommendtoyou,the bible of this subject; “CableshipsandSubmarineCables”byKRHaigh;Second Edition published in 1978. Itis a great pity that there has been nonew reference book, on cableships,publishedoverthelast35years,sinceduringthatperiodmanyuniquevesselshavecomeandgone.
CSMackayBennettat
Wharf,Halifax,NovaScotia
PostcardisdatedJune
1912.
ConferencesSubmarineTelecomCableReception7November2013Miami,USARSVP
PTC’1419-22January2014Honolulu,USAWebsite
ICPCPlaneryMeeting18-20March2014Dubai,UAEWebsite
January:GlobalOutlook
March:Finance&Legal
May:SubseaCapacity
July:RegionalSystems
September:OffshoreEnergy
November:SystemUpgrades
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Advertiser IndexSubmarineCables:TheHandbookofLawandPolicy
www.brill.com/submarine-cables 21
SubmarineCableSociety www.subcablesociety.com 26
TerabitConsulting www.terabitconsulting.com 8
WFNStrategies www.wfnstrategies.com 44
Xtera www.xtera.com 15
50
by Kevin G. summers
As you may know, I live on afarmwayoutinthecountry.Myday begins with milking cows,
feeding hogs and watering chickens.Afteracoupleofhoursofchores,Icomein for a big farm breakfast and thenstart my computer work for the day.Unfortunately, we have extrememlyunreliable internet at home, so I oftenspend a few hours every day at thelibrary.Forsomereason,thelibraryhasamuchbetterconnectionthanIdo.
It'sinterestingtoworkatthelibrary.Youseealotofotherpeoplehardatwork,andsometimesyoucanengagetheminabitofconversation. Rememberconversation,theway thatwe used to communicatebeforetheinternetandcellphones?I'vealsonoticedahighpercentageofAppleusersinRappahannockCounty,Virginia.Someoneshouldlookintothat.
Iusedtoworkatthelibrarysometimesbefore Imovedout to the country and
bought an internet connection thatwas as slow as dial-up and as reliableas satellite. We lived within walkingdistance of an amazing library inLeesburg,Virginia.Iusedtogoupthereandwritemost days. Itwas nice, butthepeopleweren'tnearlyasfriendlyinthebigtownastheyareouthereinthecountry.Someoneshouldlookintothataswell.
Theinterestingthingaboutlibraries,fullof hardcover books and the occasionalwhisper,isthatupuntiljustafewyearsago, they were the repositories of allhumanknowledge.
Think about it. BeforeWikiPedia andGoogle, libraries were the only placea person could go if they wanted tolearnabout theTitanicdisasteror JohnBrown's raid on Harpers Ferry. Theywere the only place where a personcould lay their hands on Our Town,East of Eden, Augustine's Confessions
andSlaughterhouseFiveandahundredthousandotherliteraryworksthatspaneverybyteofknowledgeacquiredbyallofthetoilsofmansincethebeginningoftime.Prettyamazing.
Andnowthatknowledge,alltheworksofliteratureandhistoryandscienceandart, are just seconds away (or quarterhoursawayatmyhouse)thankstotheinternet and its good old backbone,submarinecables. Consider thatwhenyougoaboutyourday.Thesecablesthataresuchahugepartofourlives,theyaretherenotjustenableyoutodobusinessordownloadmusicortweetpicturesofyoursandwich,theyaretheretodeliverthemassofhumanknowledgetoeverycorneroftheglobe.
And some people don't believe inmiracles.
