Method Statement For P: S F O C C Survey & Installation Works From HWM TO 12 NM

METHOD STATEMENT for PIPIPER
SUBMARINE FIBRE OPTIC COMMUNICATIONS CABLE

SURVEY & INSTALLATION WORKS FROM HWM TO 12 NM
The marine operations required to install the systems include:
Cable Route Survey
Route Clearance
Pre-Lay Grapnel Run
Cable Surface Lay
Cable Burial
Landing
Crossings engineering
Post Lay Inspection and Burial
Cable Route Survey
The marine cable route survey is performed to define a cable routing that will maximise cable
survivability for acceptable system and component cost.
The route selected determines cable length and cable design (factors that the cable
manufacturer must understand), and establishes the methods to be followed for cable
deployment. The survey also generates a reference record that supports subsequent
maintenance and repair of the cable.
In water of depths less than 1000m, swath bathymetry, side scan sonar, seismic profiling and
a geotechnical survey will be performed. The nominal corridor to be surveyed is 500m wide,
which allows adjustment of the cable location if unfavourable conditions are found later. The
final installed cable will lie within the survey corridor.
In water of depths greater than 1000m, multibeam bathymetry only will be acquired.
It is common practice to bury the cable to a depth of about 1 meter in the sea bed in shallow
water sections (i.e. between 1000m and 15m of water depth), to protect it from hazards such
as fishing trawls.
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ASN FO Sub Cable Installation PiPiper 2014 June 4 - Page 1 of 19
Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks. Confidential – Use Pursuant to Company Instruction
Burial is done only where conditions allow - (e.g. in sandy and muddy sediments). Cable
route survey therefore incorporates burial assessment survey, which tests the mechanical
properties of the seabed along the route. Sediments are investigated by hydroacoustic
means (side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler), and by intermittent physical samples (grab
samples or cone penetrometer tests).
Where plough burial of the cable is needed, surveys assist in the identification of routes that
avoid hydrothermal vents, seeps, areas of tectonic activity, seamounts, canyons and
dissected terrain, shallow water coral reefs and deep or cold water reefs, all of which are
unfavourable environments in which to attempt to bury cable (i.e. plough burial is not
practicable on these substrates).
Inshore cable route survey (0-15m water depth) is conducted using small boats and divers to
perform visual checks of the seabed and map the ideal route for the cable as it approaches
the shore. The inshore survey is normally conducted along a corridor about 200m wide, in
order to provide flexibility to adjust the cable routing to avoid hazards and minimise threats to
marine habitats.
If necessary the inshore survey may incorporate video footage or mapping of important
ecological zones, habitats and features on the approach to shore, to ensure that they will not
be damaged, or to support planning of mitigating and compensating measures for
unavoidable impacts.
Surveys (in conjunction with desk top studies and local consultations) highlight the existence
of other important coastal and littoral ecological complexes such as sea grass, mangrove
and dune formations, and important features such as marine and coastal conservation areas,
nesting sites and migratory routes.
The studies that precede cable laying serve to lower the probability of ecological impacts,
since in large part they are intended to identify routes for the buried cable that will avoid
seamounts, volcanoes, canyons, vents, seeps, deepwater reefs, carbonate mounds, and
dissected terrain – all areas that present problems for plough deployment, but which also are
often associated with above-average biodiversity and biological value.
Installation Vessels
ASN’s complement of vessels includes 140-meter cable ships, which have been designed as
powerful integrated cable installation vessels.
All vessels conform to MARPOL , including general requirements over the control of waste
oil, engine oil discharges and grey and black waste water discharges; prevention of pollution
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by garbage from ships and prevention of air pollution; and maintain operating procedures for
dealing with incidents such as oil and waste spillages that potentially may threaten the
marine environment. One of the cable ships is accredited by the European Maritime Safety
Agency to perform maritime environmental protection activities.
The vessel does not require the use of its anchors to assist in any of the cable installation
operations – cable laying, ploughing and shore end landings are all performed using dynamic
positioning mode. The installation vessels can produce a high bollard pull (up to 130 tonnes)
for ploughing, which is essential for achievement of target burial depths for submarine cable
systems. Vessels are entirely self-sufficient throughout all cable installation operations.
Route Clearance (RC)
RC is performed to clear the cable path of obstacles such as out of service (OOS) cables
identified during the cable route survey, as these can be hazardous to both the vessel’s
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installation equipment and the cable itself. RC is only carried out in areas where burial is
deemed necessary. RC excludes all works associated with ordnance, radio-active, or other
hazardous materials.
The Desk Top Study and the Marine Route Survey will establish positions of OOS cables
that may need to be removed from the proposed routes.
OOS cable sections are normally removed so as to clear a 500m corridor either side of the
centreline of the route. The cable ends will be left on the seabed.
RC is conducted using the same high navigational accuracy as used in the main lay
operations. Any recovered cable will be landed for proper disposal at suitably equipped
locations. Recovered repeaters, if any, will also be landed and disposed of according to
standard procedures.
The Vessel will position itself perpendicular and close to the Out Of Service cable
The usual method of RC uses a Deep Trenching Grapnel, lowered from the stern
The vessel moves towards the cable, allowing the fluke of the DTG to penetrate the
seabed and unbury the cable.
The vessel will continue to move until the cable is broken, leaving the two ends on the
seabed.
The vessel will then repeat grapnel runs to retrieve each end individually.
Once on the back deck, a section will be cut from the cable
Clump weights are attached to the cut cable ends.
The Vessel will return the ends to the seabed, leaving a space of 1km though which
the new cable will be installed
The Cable cut is kept onboard and disposed of onshore in the correct manner.
Pre Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR)
PLGR is carried out only along sections of the route where burial is intended. Undertaken
just before ploughing commences, PLGR is intended to clear the route of obstacles and
debris that could damage or obstruct the plough (rocks, fishing equipment, hawsers, anchor
chain, scrap, etc). One or an array of grapnels is towed along the length of the route to be
ploughed. The vessel moves at a speed that ensures that the grapnel(s) stay in continuous
contact with the seabed. Depth of penetration of the seabed by the grapnel is up to 40-80
cm. The grapnel is connected to the tow rope by means of a length of 30 metres of chain,
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with a similar length of chain following the grapnel; the chain further assists in keeping the
grapnel in contact with the seabed. The forward motion and design of the Grapnels creates a
clear path by hooking any linear obstacle. The grapnels are retrieved to the vessels deck at
least every 20km, or when a large tension is registered by the vessel, as this will indicate that
an unidentified obstacle has been hooked. All retrieved debris are kept on board for further
safe disposal at port.
PLGR excludes all works associated with ordnance, radio-active, or other hazardous
materials.
PLGR operations would normally be carried out by a specially mobilised and fitted out vessel
capable of sustaining good slow speed positional control with good bollard pull capability.
The vessel would have sufficient deck space to mount a simple winch, simple guides and a
stern roller to deploy the grapnel(s) and stow any recovered debris. Alternatively, depending
on operational logistics and on the information obtained from the surveys, the PLGR
operation may be performed by the main lay vessel.
The PLGR vessel navigates along the route using the same position fixing systems as
employed by the main lay vessel – GPS. The route followed by the PLGR is maintained as
close as practicable to the selected ploughing route and is always maintained within the
swathe of the route surveyed during route selection.
As the vessel moves along the route the towing tension is monitored and the grapnel(s) is
recovered if the tension increases indicating that an obstruction has been hooked. As a
matter of routine grapnels are recovered and inspected at minimum intervals of 15km along
the route. Usually a single tow is made along the route but in areas where other marine
activity or debris amounts are high, additional runs may be made.
Cable laying - surface laying
In water depths exceeding 1000m the cable will be laid on the surface of the sea-bed.
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Cable Laying – plough burial of cable
Plough burial of cable is usually performed in water depths of less than 1000m where the
seabed conditions allow.
An industry-standard cable plough weighs approximately 12 tonnes in water. It is deployed

from the stern of the installation vessel and towed behind the ship, burying the cable into the
seabed, usually to a depth of 1 m, as it progresses along the route.
As the plough is towed through the seabed its share blade and inclined cutting disk lift a
wedge of substrate. As the plough progresses forwards, this sediment is dropped back into
the trench, emplacing the cable at the bottom of a relatively undisturbed sediment wedge.
Plough share cuts wedge of Wedge displaced; cable Plough passes, wedge
sea bed substrate positioned in trench replaced over cable
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A combination of specialist cable lay software and DGPS control the position of the ship and
plough to achieve accurate cable positioning, using thrusters and propellers and with no
need for anchors.
Plough burial achieves a maximum burial depth of 2m (depending on seabed type). The
width of the trench is 0.2m (the width of the plough share). The plough will not be deployed
in areas where steep or side slopes prevent it, or where the route crosses an in-service cable
or pipeline.
Following plough burial of the cable a ca 4m strip footprint coincident with the passing of the
plough (width of the plough share incision, plus the tracks of the skids and stabilisers),
remains visible for a period that will vary depending on nature of the substrate and local
seabed hydrodynamics and sedimentation.
In certain demanding environments where there is a soft sea bead and/or high intensity
shipping activity that poses an elevated threat to the cable, deep burial requirements may be
stipulated. For example in Singapore port limits, cables must be buried to a depth of 10m in
the seabed. Such deep burial is achievable with specialised jetting and rock cutting
equipment
Shore-end Landing – Direct Landing Method Statement
Where possible cables are brought to shore directly from the main-lay cable ship (where this
is not possible a “separate” shore end is required). Such shore-end operations are usually
completed within one day.
Operational planning
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Preparations for the operation are often made the previous day. Various resources and pre-
requisites are assembled:
Subcontract plant hire
Beach access arrangements for heavy plant and Local Authority agreement.
Permits for the cable installation on the fore-shore.
Route planning to avoid of ‘altercourses’ in the ‘pull-in’.
If ‘altercourses’ exist, what methods are to be used to secure the cable.
Design of post installation cable protection.
Commissioning of divers and support facilities.
Execution
Prior to the cable landing operation, divers will place a marker buoy at the inner limit of the
cable laid by the Cable Vessel. This marks the start position of the proposed shore end
route. Divers may identify gullies / slopes along the route centre line, through which the
cable can be routed, and will again mark their position(s) using marker buoys.
During the shore end landing operation the Cable Vessel will position itself as close as
reasonably practicable to the first marker buoy.
The laying vessel will approach the shore to the agreed cable launching position, or to the
limit deemed acceptable by the Master and maintain this position by use of its dynamic
positioning technology. Once the vessel has achieve a stable station keeping condition the
cable floated off the stern of the vessel and pulled into the beach using a winch or tractor.
This will enable the cable to be initially aligned as close as possible to the target route
selected by the divers. During the pull-in operation, additional slack cable (approx 10m to
15m) will be pulled inshore of the anchor points installed by the divers.
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Cable being floated ashore viewed from the vessel stern
The pull can be provided by one of three methods:
a separate work-boat to haul the cable end.
a hauling line which, is passed around a sheave placed on the beach, and
then returned to the laying vessel which provides the hauling tension itself.
most commonly, a hauling line which is passed around a beach sheave but
which is hauled by means of beach equipment e.g. a tractor hauler.
A heavy excavator will be used as “anchor point” for quadrant. The quadrant will allow the
pulling rope and cable to be pulled along the beach in a 90 degree angle from the direction of
landing. Normal beach pulling will require one excavator to pull the rope attached to the
cable for a distance of 100-200 m along the beach.
Cable/rope will be secured every time the excavator will have to go back to perform a new
pull. These beach pulls will continue until all the required cable is safely landed on the beach.
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The main lay vessel will pay out cable with floats at the same rate/speed as the excavator
performing the beach pulls.
Cable being hauled ashore around a quadrant. The cable ship is seen in the distance.
An area on the beach of approximately 250 x 15 m is needed for beach pulls to bring the
cable end to shore.
Once the cable end has reached its proper position and sufficient cable has been brought
ashore, the cable end will be opened and the fibres tested towards the ship to ensure that
the cable has not suffered any damage during the landing operation.
Once the cable has been secured on the beach it is then positioned in accordance with the
RPL. Whilst the cable is held in position, the floats are removed by the divers so that the
cable is sunk on its correct line. This work is carried-out from the beach towards the ship.
It is essential that a number of support vessels are to hand to recover the severed floats
which should be returned to the laying vessel.
The vessel will now be standing-to a cable end. Care is required at this juncture to ensure
that the vessel does not allow ‘loops’ to form at cable touchdown. To this end the vessel
should not be allowed to ‘wander’ and the vessel should hold a positive lead on the cable.
The vessel will normally hold station at the cable-end until such time as the beach joint is
completed. However, if station keeping circumstances are difficult it is preferable that the
vessel moves a little further off-shore. This will give the vessel more sea-room and, with
increasing water depth, reduce the chances of a variable cable lead.
On completion of the pull-in operation, the cable will be stoppered off to ensure that the slack
cable is secured, prior to cutting off the cable floats and laying the cable down onto the
seabed. By manoeuvring the vessel and controlling the tension of the cable during the lay
down operation the cable can be laid down as close as possible to the optimum route.
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Following completion of cable testing, the vessel will depart and the divers will release the
slack cable from inshore and where necessary move the cable manually, using the slack
cable available, to finalise the position of the cable on the seabed. This process will exploit
natural features on the seabed, such as channels and gullies, to protect the cable and
minimise “suspensions”.
With planned preparation prior to each of the shore ends, controlled lay down during the
shore end landings and post lay utilisation of slack cable, shore ends can be laid close to the
required final position in good conformity with sea bed topography.
Inspection
Once the cable has been sunk into position and the beach joint has been commenced, it is
usual for a diver video inspection of the landing to be carried-out. The inspection is required
to:
Confirm that action was taken, during cable replacement, to avoid small local
suspensions
Record the status of the installation to demonstrate to the System Owners that the
landing has been successfully carried-out (or where corrective work is still required).
Video equipment is required for instant replay as soon as the video tape is available from the
divers.
Precision of cable positioning – expected tolerance for deviation within the 12 nm.
Cable lay and touchdown positioning is normally based on a mathematical model which for
some much more advanced applications may work as a 3 D cable model and use current
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vector information as well from different layers in the water column – within certain depth
ranges.
Very precise cable positioning may be required and achieved in shallow water (within safe air
diving range) in connection with cable landing operations, where divers can normally support
manual cable placement out to around 25 m of water depth.
Based on experience and previous system laid and inspected by ROV, typical positioning
accuracy figures could be summarised as follows:
Water Depth Range Precision
10m – 100m: +/- 10-15m
100m – 1000m: +/- 10% WD
1000m – 2000m: +/- 7% WD
> 2000m +/- 5% WD
Submarine Cable Cross section
Please see separate specification - OALC4 Cable Specs.pdf
OALC4 Cable
Specs.pdf
Embedded:
Shore-end cable protection and fixing – Articulated Pipe
Cables laid across rocky seabed will be protected by the installation of articulated pipe (AP) ,
which is fitted by divers after the cable has been landed. AP is extensively used by the
submarine cable industry to provide cable protection in the near-shore area where burial is
impracticable for environmental or engineering/technical reasons.
AP pipe can be installed with minimal impact to existing marine environmental conditions,
both during installation and in the longer term. AP is readily colonised by marine flora and
fauna. Like the cable, AP is non-toxic and inert in the marine environment, though in certain
situations it may be oxidised by sulphur reducing bacteria.
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The cable with the AP attached will be buried across the beach, both for system security and
environmental and public safety reasons, usually to a depth of 2 meters.
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The cable trench is usually dug with hydraulic digging machinery and the beach will be
reinstated at the end of burial.
Shore-end cable protection and fixing – burial methods in shallow waters
Plough burial operations are not normally possible in shallow water of less than 15 meters
depth, due to the size of the plough and the draught of the cable vessels. Consequently,
where such areas have suitable sea-bed characteristics the cable can be buried by other
means.
Various kinds of Shallow Water Burial Tool (SWBT) may be used to accomplish the burial.
The SWBT is a system that employs water jetting to cut trenches of depths of 0.5 m to 1m in
the sea bed, in water up to 20 meters water depth, under the manual control of divers. There
is no instrumentation on the burial tool.
The SWBT is usually connected to a pump on a barge or pontoon on which provides high
pressure pumped water. Using the high pressure water directed as jets through nozzles on a
jetting “sword” the SWBT cuts into the seabed a channel no wider than the sword itself.
Sediment will be generated and dispersed to varying degree depending on the seabed
substrate characteristics.
Cable installation at crossings of other cables and pipelines
Where the route of the cable crosses in-service telecom or power cables, oil and gas
pipelines or other seabed installations, it is not possible to plough without interruption.
Buried in-service cables can be located by use of tone detection equipment. If necessary this
may be followed by careful excavation with diver’s jetting/ROV tools to allow verification and
identification.
The plough is raised and lowered either side of the intersection (creating a “plough skip” or
interruption in the ploughed alignment). This may be done 100-500 meters either side of the
intersection, the margin of safety depending on factors like crossing angles, complexity of the
seabed installations, etc.
Alternative means must be used to achieve cable burial at and around crossing points to
avoid any risk of damage to in-situ infrastructure while ensuring that the new cable is also
protected. Divers or ROV then perform the cable burial precisely around the intersection
using jetting or other tools.
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Pipeline crossings may be protected by use of concrete mattressing, “uraduct” (a plastic
sleeving on the cable to reduce friction with pipe casing) or, rarely, by rock dumping.
The International Cable Protection Committee publishes guidelines intended to assist the
cable and pipeline industries to adopt harmonised approach in relation to crossings and ASN
attempts to observe these wherever possible. ICPC Recommendation number 3
recommends the considerations to be borne in mind in relation to crossings of telecom and
power cables.
In the event that it was proposed that a power interconnector be installed across the telecom
cable, in the normal course of events the owners of the crossing power cable would seek a
“no objection” or “agreement to cross” from the owners of the crossed telecom cable.
Normally this process involves provision by the crossing power cable owner of details of the
crossing point location, the physical characteristics of the power cable, details of how the
cable is armoured, buried or otherwise protected and an explanation of the methods by
which the power cable owner proposes to install the power cable at and around the crossing
point. It is usually the case that cable owners can agree quite quickly on a mutually
acceptable crossing engineering solution. In some cases cable owners may seek to achieve
formal legal “crossing agreements” that set out the parties’ respective roles and
responsibilities and define how liabilities may be assigned in the event that damages occur
either at the time of installation or as a result of maintenance and repair works that may take
place on either system during its operational lifetime. (see Appendix One) .
Final Route Map
A copy of the “as laid” route map will be made available to the licensing authority following
completion and acceptance by the customer, of the project.
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APPENDIX ONE – CROSSINGS
CROSSING & BURIAL PROCEDURE
This section provides a description of the basic processes to be used for the safe crossing
of existing in-service telecommunications cables. This crossing has been unavoidable, and
is based on ICPC (International Cable Protection Committee) Recommendations, in
particular, ICPC Recommendation #02 - Recommended Routing and Reporting Criteria for
Cables in Proximity to Others. Cable routing was also based on ICPC recommendations, as
well as SEACOM recommendations & requirements.
Detailed position information has now been obtained from a route survey operation,
including bathymetry (MBES), Side Scan Sonar (SSS), Sub-bottom Profiler (SBP), and where
appropriate, magnetometers.
The cable system will be installed from a main lay cable ship (e.g. the CS Ile de Sein), and
the majority of this length will be buried. For the burial operations, a burial depth below
the seabed as listed in Section 3 will be targeted, using a cable plough deployed from the
cable ship. The cable to be installed is from the ASN OALC4 product line, with the specific
cable type XXCXXX.
Main Lay Crossing Procedure
The vessel will simultaneously lay and plough-bury the cable. This is done by pulling the
cable burial plough behind the vessel, along the seabed, and allowing the cable to pass
through the share of the plough. This process allows the cable to be buried below the
seafloor.
In order to avoid damage to any in-service cables or pipelines, the installation plan
includes a plough recovery (PLUP) from the seabed at a safe distance before the identified
crossing location of each crossing. The cable will then be surface laid towards the crossing
point.
After surface laying the new cable over the in-service cable, the subsequent plough re-
launch (PLDN) is located an agreed distance from the crossing point. This installation
method is in keeping with the ICPC guidelines. The highly accurate (GPS) positioning
systems that are used to navigate the main-lay vessel and installation plough provide a
guarantee that all vessel and plough positions are know at all times better than +/- 10m
accuracy, and so the exclusion zone from the crossed cable is sufficient to guarantee the
safety of all cable crossings.
While ICPC guidelines recommend a ±500m “no-plough corridor” at crossings, with modern
navigation systems it is often possible for this to be reduced to ±250m. If the in-service
cable is positively located using modern survey techniques & equipment such as
magnetometers, and it matches the reported database position, with the acceptance of
the cable owner, it is proposed that the PLUP/PLDN positions be reduced to ±250m.
Slack will be installed in the new cable in the surface laid area, to ensure the cable is laid
on the seabed along the agreed corridor.
Depending on cable configurations, no additional protection may be required – e.g. if cable
types are matched as much as possible to the crossed in-service cable (i.e. armour on
armour, as per ICPC Recommendation #2). Additionally, if the crossed cable is buried,
there is no possibility of relative movement of the cables causing abrasion.
The following illustrations show a typical main lay cable crossing procedure:
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Water Level
250 or 500m
Seabed
In-Service Cable
STEP 1: Cable plough buried to PLUP location (250m or 500m away from in service
cable)
Water Level
250m or 500m
Seabed
In-Service Cable
STEP 2: Plough recovered to deck
Water Level
Surface Lay
Seabed
In-Service Cable
STEP 3: New cable surface laid across existing in service cable
Water Level
250m or 500m
Surface Lay Surface Lay
Seabed
In-Service Cable
STEP 5: Plough launched at PLDN location (250 or 500m away from existing cable)
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250-500m
Surface Lay Surface Lay
Seabed
In-Service Cable
STEP 6: Ploughing operations resume
Post Lay Burial Procedure

In areas where burial is planned, Post Lay (or remedial) Burial PLB will be performed on
the new cable where it has been left unburied at the crossing location. This burial will be
performed by a work class ROV using water jetting.
Prior to any ROV burial operation, an inspection pass is made by the ROV, using video,
sonar and other detection equipment such as TSS440. This should allow the positive
location of the crossed cable. During ROV operations, if possible, a tone can be applied to
the crossed cable from the terminal station, to assist in location.
A Post Lay Burial (PLIB) vessel with ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) is used. The ROV
usually has 2 modes of manoeuvring, either free-swimming or tracked, and has two water
jet arms that are lowered into the seabed, opening a narrow trench to the target burial
depth in the seabed into which the cable falls. If the crossed cable is surface laid, the new
cable will be buried close to the touchdown point either side of the crossed cable. If the
crossed cable is already buried to a known depth, the new cable will be buried to close
proximity to the crossing location, and then the ROV jetting legs will be retracted to
provide a safe clearance during the crossing. Once safely on the other side, the ROV
jetting legs will be redeployed to the target depth.
When operating in close proximity to the crossed cable, the ROV will be in free-swimming
mode, and should pose no risk to the pipeline, and so there are no risks associated with
this burial strategy. Positioning during this operation will also be according to GPS (ie
better than ±10m).
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1. CROSSING INFORMATION
All information below is “as found” after survey.
New Change from

Cum KP New Nearest Crossed
Crossed System Cable Latitude Longitude Depth cable Crossing Method Previous
Ref Dist Cable Repeater Cable
Name Status (WGS-84) (WGS-84) (m) to be Angle Located Crossing
(km) Type (km) Type
Buried? Pack?
19 / 19
ICPC Recommendation No. 3, Issue: 8 Issue Date: 19 August 2002
ICPC Recommendation
Recommendation No. 3
Criteria to be Applied to Proposed Crossings
Between Submarine Telecommunications Cables
and Pipelines/Power Cables
Page 1 of 7 ICPC Handbook Section No: 12.3

Contact for Enquiries and Proposed Changes

If you have any questions regarding this document or suggestions for improving it, please
contact:
International Cable Protection Committee Secretary: Mr. Graham Marle

PO Box 150 Tel: + 44 1590 681 673
Lymington Fax: + 44 870 432 7761
SO41 6WA E-mail: secretary@iscpc.org
United Kingdom ICPC Web-site: www.iscpc.org
DISCLAIMER
An International Cable Protection Committee ("ICPC") Recommendation ("Recommendation")
implies a consensus of those substantially concerned with its scope and provisions. A
Recommendation is intended as a guide to aid cable owners and other seabed users in promoting
the highest goals of reliability and safety in the submarine cable environment. The existence of a
Recommendation does not in any respect preclude anyone, whether he has approved the
Recommendation or not, from laying or repairing undersea cables or employing procedures to
these ends which may be required by the ordinary practice of seamanship or by the special
circumstances of each case, but which may not be conforming to the Recommendation.
The ICPC does not develop standards and will in no circumstances give an interpretation of a
Recommendation in the name of the ICPC. The ICPC and its members do not accept any
liability for any errors in the Recommendation or for any consequences resulting from its use as
a planning guide. Nothing in this Recommendation should be viewed as relieving anyone from
the rights and obligations of seabed users under international law, including but not limited to
the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea ("UNCLOS").
NB: ICPC Recommendations are subject to periodic review and users are cautioned to obtain
the latest issues. This Recommendation may be revised or withdrawn at any time without
further notice to the recipient.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................. 2
Table Of Contents ...................................................................................................................... 3
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4
2. Basic Considerations .......................................................................................................... 4
2.1 All Crossings .......................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Existing Telecommunications Cable Crossed By New Pipeline/Power Cable...... 4
2.3 Existing Pipeline/Power Cable Crossed By Telecommunications Cable .............. 5
3. Crossing Agreement........................................................................................................... 6
4. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................... 7
5. References .......................................................................................................................... 7
6. Definitions.......................................................................................................................... 7
7. Attachments........................................................................................................................ 7

1. INTRODUCTION
The continued increase in both the numbers of submarine cables and the exploitation of oil
and gas from the seabed inevitably means that there will more cases of crossings between
telecommunications cables, power cables and pipelines. The purpose of this document is to
give guidance to members who are faced with this situation for the first time. It is also a
matter for consideration that the pipeline or power cable owner involved in a crossing may
well have other pipeline/cable crossings in other parts of the world and, if one
telecommunications cable owner were to allow a crossing to take place without certain
minimum standards, this could adversely effect the negotiations of other telecommunications
cable owners.
It must first be stated that every pipeline/cable crossing will have characteristics unique to that
crossing, and therefore each crossing has to be considered separately. However there are still
certain basic questions to be asked as the first step in considering that crossing, and to
establishing the areas of concern and their solutions.
2. BASIC CONSIDERATIONS
2.1 All Crossings
2.1.1 Nature of seabed.
2.1.2 Type of cable.
2.1.3 Size of pipeline.
2.1.4 Notification of crossing proposal to other seabed users
2.2 Existing Telecommunications Cable Crossed By New

Pipeline/Power Cable.
2.2.1 Is cable buried? Deliberate or self-burial? If so, to what depth?
2.2.2 Will pipeline/power cable be trenched? If so, then to what depth?
What trenching equipment will be used?
2.2.3 Will the pipeline have cathodic protection? If so, what is the planned
distance between anodes? If possible, can this distance be increased at
the crossing point? Can the anodes be arranged so that the cable is in
the mid-50% distance between anodes?
2.2.4 If power cable, what are its feed voltages. Is it adequately screened?
What impact would any residual electro-magnetic field strength have
upon adjacent telecommunications cable and/or repeaters?
2.2.5 Is the proposed crossing in the vicinity of a repeater or equaliser? If so,
will the presence of the pipeline prevent the recovery of that
repeater/equaliser in the prevailing water depth by normal cable repair
methods? Can the pipeline/power cable be altered in the planning stage
to increase the distance from the repeater/equaliser?
2.2.6 Is there any local legislation requirement protecting submarine cables
with which the pipeline/power cable owner must comply?

2.2.7 If it becomes necessary to cut and peel back the cable, are there
adequate alternative routes to which traffic may be transferred?
2.2.8 Does the proposed pipeline/power cable route cross the cable at
approximately right angles? If not, then serious maintenance problems
could arise to both systems and, therefore, can the pipeline/power cable
route be altered in the planning stage?
2.2.9 Has a minimum of two weeks notification been given to all involved
parties prior to any operational activity that could affect the
performance of working international telecommunications services?
2.3 Existing Pipeline/Power Cable Crossed By Telecommunications

Cable
2.3.1 Is pipeline/power cable trenched? If so, to what depth? Has there been
natural or artificial backfill? If so, what depth of cover exists now over
the pipeline/power cable? Is this cover adequate for the concerns of the
pipeline/power cable owner and, if not, what additional depth and type
of separation will he require?
2.3.2 Does the pipeline have cathodic protection? If so, what is the distance
between anodes? Are the anode positions accurately known? Can the
cable lay be arranged so that the cable is in the mid-50% distance
between anodes?
2.3.3 Does the pipeline/power cable owner have any specific concerns for the
safety of the pipeline/power cable which will have to be considered?
Will he require any artificial separation to be installed between
pipeline/power cable and telecommunications cable? Will the
telecommunications cable owner consider artificial separation to be
necessary to avoid chafing damage to the telecommunications cable?
2.3.4 Is there any local legislation requirement regarding operating in the
vicinity of pipelines/power cables to be complied with?
2.3.5 Does the proposed cable route cross the pipeline/power cable at
approximately right angles? If not, then serious maintenance problems
could arise to both systems and, therefore, the telecommunications
cable route shall be altered in the planning stage.
2.3.6 Does the proposed telecommunications cable system section sheet
place a repeater in close proximity to the pipeline/power cable
crossing? This could cause later maintenance problems in the event of
repeater replacement becoming necessary, therefore, can the section
sheet be altered in the planning stage?
2.3.7 If the telecommunications cable is to be buried, either during or after
the lay, how close to the pipeline/power cable will the operator allow
the burial equipment to approach?

2.3.8 If burial equipment is not allowed within a given distance from the
pipeline/power cable, what protection will be required for the
telecommunications cable? Double armouring? Rock dumping? Are
there any local legislation or local authority rules to be considered in
this context? Fishing authorities may require coverage of the crossing
to remove obstacles to fishing gear.
If Section 2.3 applies, then the telecommunications cable will be laid over the pipeline/power
cable. If Section 2.2 applies, the telecommunications cable owner must decide on his policy
as to whether to allow the pipeline/power cable on top of the telecommunications cable or to
require a cut and peel back solution and, if the latter, as the pipeline/power cable owner will
be required to pay for the costs, this must be justifiable. In all cases consideration must be
given to protection for the telecommunications cable for its lifetime, with regard to both
physical damage and cathodic corrosion. Therefore, if Section 2.2 applies to an old
telecommunications cable, the protection requirements may be less onerous than for a new
one.
3. CROSSING AGREEMENT
International Law is inadequate to protect the interests of the parties involved in a
pipeline/power and telecommunications cable crossing and, where a crossing occurs within
the legal jurisdiction of a State, the relevant legislation is also rarely sufficient. In addition,
the recourse to any court following a conflict of interest is a lengthy and expensive matter. It
is therefore recommended, in the interests of both parties, to negotiate an Agreement to cover
any pipeline/cable crossing. A sample crossing agreement is available on request to the ICPC
Secretary, or members can obtain directly from the ICPC handbook (Section 28).
The contents of an Agreement are a matter for the individual parties, but it is recommended
that the following points shall be covered:
3.1 Clauses to define the liabilities and rights of both parties.
3.2 The exclusion/inclusion of consequential losses. It is recommended that
consequential losses shall be excluded.
3.3 Definition of a specific area in the vicinity of the crossing within which the
Agreement will operate.
3.4 A general statement of the method of installation of the pipeline or cable as
appropriate. It is not recommended that installation procedures be included in
the body of the Agreement as they may require alteration prior to or during the
operation. They may of course be included in the document as an appendix.
3.5 Future maintenance of the pipeline and cable(s). This may include the method
by which notification of operations by each party is given to the other.
3.6 Definition of the expiry of the Agreement. If section 3.5 is covered then the
normal time is at the removal from service of either the pipeline or cable(s),
whichever comes first.
3.7 Provision of representatives from one party to the other party's operations and
their rights and limitation of their authority.

4. CONCLUSION
Sections 2 and 3 are not intended to be a complete or definitive list of issues that shall be
addressed when pipeline/power cables cross telecommunications. There will be items listed
which may not be applicable to some areas of the world, and equally other areas of the world
may produce problems not listed above.
The most important consideration is that as soon as it becomes apparent that a pipeline/cable
crossing will occur an exchange of information must be initiated at the earliest possible
moment. In addition, a minimum of two weeks notification shall be given to all involved
parties prior to any operational activity that could affect the performance of working
international telecommunications services.
Pipeline/power cable owners who have not crossed a telecommunications cable before often
do not appreciate the problems involved and, therefore, if a telecommunications cable owner
learns of a pipeline/power cable project that may affect the integrity of his cable he would be
wise to make the first approach. Equally, a telecommunications cable owner who has not
crossed a pipeline/power cable before shall not assume that that it is a simple or inexpensive
operation.
All discussions and negotiations shall be conducted with the understanding that both parties
have legitimate concerns. The vast majority of problems can be avoided if they are discussed
before budgets are set and the contracts for submerged plant are granted, whether that plant be
for pipeline/power or telecommunications cable.
Approved: EC 2000
5. REFERENCES
Document Number Title
ICPC Handbook Sec.28 Draft Pipeline Crossing Agreement
6. DEFINITIONS
The following words, acronyms and abbreviations are referred to in this document.
Term Definition
7. ATTACHMENTS
Document Number Title

OALC-4 Submarine Cable
1. GENERAL
1.1 GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
The main design function of a cable is to protect the optical fibre transmission
path over the entire service life of the system, including laying, burial, and
recovery operations.
A secondary function is that its metallic elements are used either to feed an
electric current to the repeaters or to monitor on a permanent basis the status
of the transmission system and to localise cable breaks.
The OALC-4 cable design can accommodate up to 8 pairs of fibres. The fibres are
housed in a jelly filled steel tube surrounded by two layers of steel wires that
form a protective vault against pressure and external aggressions, and provide
tensile strength. This vault is then enclosed in a hermetically sealed copper tube
and insulated with a layer of polyethylene to form the deep sea LW cable. This
cable is used with a DC resistance of 1 and/or 1.6 ohm/km, depending on actual
system requirements.
For shallow water applications, external layers of steel armour wires are added,
different types of armouring being available to suit route conditions and
installation methods.
The cable design ensures that negligible strain and ultra low pressure are
applied to the fibres in normal operation. Even if the cable breaks, high strain
on the fibres and sea-water ingress are limited to a short length, so that the
bulk of the cable will remain serviceable.
These high performances are made possible thanks to a cable structure that
isolates fibres from mechanical stresses under normal operation conditions. This
is achieved with a unique design in which fibres lay freely in a steel tube. As a
result, the cable can practically house any type of fibre provided it can handle a
proof- test.
Even in the most adverse conditions such as cable recovery, cables are
dimensioned so that stress applied to the fibres never reaches critical levels.
The combination of loose structure and fibre proof-test prevents any fibre break
that would be caused by ageing stress during the design life of the system.
Whenever possible, the raw materials selected are of the same type as those
used in previous generations of coaxial and optical fibre cables, which have
demonstrated more than 20 years of total reliability.
September 2009 OALC–4 Page 4

All rights reserved.
Copy, use and communication of this document or any of its contents is not permitted without written authorisation from Alcatel-Lucent.
Alcatel-Lucent, however, reserves the right to make any modification to the

production, inspection or raw material specifications where this modification
improves the efficiency of the production or the quality of the product.
1.2 DESCRIPTION OF CABLES, GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DEFINITIONS
1.2.1 Deep sea cable
1.2.1.1 Lightweight cable

Optical fibres are housed in a steel tube, filled with a non-hygroscopic
compound. This structure, shown in Fig. 1, is called fibre unit structure.
The fibre unit structure is protected by a very high strength steel wire
vault. This vault is surrounded by a copper tube, produced by seam welding
a tape formed around the vault and swaging it onto the strand. This
structure, shown in Fig. 2, is called Composite Conductor.
Axial water penetration is limited by injection of a water blocking material
between the vault steel wires.
The Composite Conductor is then polyethylene insulated. The polyethylene
insulation provides abrasion resistance and high voltage insulation. This
completes the design of the lightweight (LW) cable, shown in Fig. 3, used
for deep-sea deployment.
The OALC-4 LW cable may be used at any sea depth down to 8000m.
1.2.1.2 Lightweight protected cable
The lightweight cable structure is protected by an additional coated
metallic tape formed around the insulated sheath with an overlap and
covered by a second sheath of black high density polyethylene to form the
LWP cable, shown in Fig. 4. This design provides an additional protection
against abrasion, fishing hook penetration and fish-bite damage.
The OALC-4 LWP cable may be used at any sea depth down to 7000m, but is
generally used between 1000 and 3500m.

Optical fibers
Filling Jelly
Steel tube
FIGURE 1 - FIBRE UNIT STRUCTURE
Optical fibers
Steel Wires
Strand Filling Jelly
Composite
conductor Steel tube
FIGURE 2 - COMPOSITE CONDUCTOR

Insulating sheath Optical fibers
Steel wires vault Filling jelly
Composite
conductor Steel tube
CHARACTERISTICS
Optical fibres capacity Up to 16
First layer wires # (left hand) 8
First layer wires diameter mm 1.4
Second layer wires # (left hand) 16
Second layer wires diameter mm 1.0 & 1.3
Outer diameter mm 17
Cable Resistance Ω/km 1.0/1.6
Weight in air kg/m 0.56/0.50
Weight in water kg/m 0.33/0.27
Storage factor m3/km 0.26
PERFORMANCES
Cable breaking load (CBL) kN 70
Permanent tension acceptable (NPTS) kN 20
Operating tension acceptable (NOTS) kN 30
Short term tension acceptable (NTTS) kN 50
Modulus km >21/>25
Crush resistance kN 30
Impact resistance J >20
Pressure resistance MPa 100
Hydrodynamic constant (Lay) deg.knots 46 / 41
Hydrodynamic constant (Recovery) deg.knots 53 / 48
FIGURE 3 - LIGHTWEIGHT CABLE (LW)

Fiber Unit
Insulating sheath structure &
composite
conductor
Metallic
screen
Outer sheath
CHARACTERISTICS
Cable core diameter mm 17
First layer wires # (left hand) 8
First layer wires diameter mm 1.4
Second layer wires # (left hand) 16
Second layer wires diameter mm 1.0 & 1.3
Cable Resistance Ω/km 1.0/1.6
Weight in air kg/m 0.81/0.75
Weight in water kg/m 0.38/0.32
PERFORMANCES
Modulus km >17/>22
Impact resistance J >20
Hydrodynamic constant (Lay) deg.knots 42 / 39
Hydrodynamic constant (Recovery) deg.knots 49 / 45
FIGURE 4 - LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTED CABLE (LWP)

1.2.2 Armoured cables
Armoured cables use the lightweight (LW) deep sea cable as central core
structure, with additional external protection provided where required by
conditions and nature of the seabed and installation methods.
1.2.2.1 Single Armoured cable (SA)

SA cable is made by stranding a single layer of high strength galvanised
steel wires over the lightweight (LW) cable structure. The steel wires are
flooded with bituminous compound and covered by polypropylene yarns.
This cable, shown in Fig. 5, is normally used where full protection by burial
is possible. It may be used at any sea depth between 0 and 2000m; in deep
sea applications the transition with the LW/LWP cable is to be recovered
from the SA cable.
1.2.2.2 Double Armoured cable (DA)
DA cable is made by adding a second layer of galvanised steel wires around
the SA cable, flooded with bituminous compound and covered with
polypropylene yarns. This cable, shown in Fig. 6, is normally used for
surface laying in shallow water where burial is not required (no threat) or
to add additional protection where burial was originally thought to be
possible but prevented due to the presence of existing in-service cables or
pipelines. It may be used at any sea depth between 0 and 500m but is
generally used between 0 and 200m.

Fiber Unit Structure with

Insulating sheath composite conductor
PIP yarns
Galvanized
Flooding compound steel wires
CHARACTERISTICS
Steel wires diameter mm 3.4
Steel wires # (left hand) 18
Steel wires lay length mm 470
Weight in air kg/m 2.1
Weight in water kg/m 1.5
PERFORMANCES
Modulus km >19
Impact resistance J 400
Hydrodynamic constant deg.knots 76
FIGURE 5 - SINGLE ARMOURED CABLE (SA)

Insulating sheath Fiber Unit Structure with

Ø 17 mm composite conductor
Galvanized steel
wires, first layer
PIP yarn
Galvanized steel
Flooding compound wires, second layer
CHARACTERISTICS
First layer steel wires diameter mm 3.4
First layer steel wires # (left hand) 18
First layer steel wires lay length mm 470
Second layer steel wires diameter mm 3.4
Second layer steel wires # (left hand) 24
Second layer steel wires lay length mm 510
Outer diameter mm 37.5
Weight in air kg/m 4.0
Weight in water kg/m 2.8
PERFORMANCES
Modulus km >19
Impact resistance J 400
Hydrodynamic constant deg.knots 90
FIGURE 6 – DOUBLE ARMOURED CABLE (DA)

The standard tension characteristics of the OALC-4 cables as defined below are
summarised in Table 1.
The Nominal Permanent Tensile Strength (NPTS) is the maximum tension that the
cable can withstand during the system lifetime without any impairment of fibres or
degradation of the overall cable performance.
The Nominal Operating Tensile Strength (NOTS) is the maximum tension that can
be applied to the cable during the time necessary to make cable joints, without
significant reduction of NPTS.
The Nominal Transient Tensile Strength (NTTS) is the maximum tension that can be
applied to the cable during a cumulative period of one hour, without significant
reduction of NPTS/NOTS.
The Ultimate Cable Tensile Strength (UTS) is the maximum tension that can be
applied to the cable without causing cable break.
Characteristics Unit LW LWP SA DA

Cable core diameter mm 17 17 17 17
1st layer steel wires diameter mm - - 3.4 3.4
1st layer steel wires # (left hand) - - 18 18
1st layer steel wires lay length mm - - 470 470
2nd layer steel wires diameter mm - - - 3.4
2nd layer steel wires # (left hand) - - - 24
2nd layer steel wires lay length mm - - - 510
Outer diameter mm 17 23 28 37.5
Weight in air 1Ω/km kg/m 0.56 0.81 2.1 4.0
1.6Ω/km kg/m 0.50 0.75 2.0 3.9
Weight in water 1Ω/km kg/m 0.33 0.38 1.5 2.8
1.6Ω/km kg/m 0.27 0.32 1.4 2.8
Performances
UTS kN 70 70 280 545
NPTS kN 20 20 100 200
NOTS kN 30 30 150 300
NTTS kN 50 50 200 400
Modulus 1Ω/km km >21 17 >19 >19
1.6Ω/km km 25 22 20 >19
Hydrodynamic constant for recovery
1Ω/km deg.knots 53 49 76 90
deg.knots
1.6Ω/km 48 45 73 90
TABLE 1 - CABLES CHARACTERISTICS (SUMMARY)


Method Statement For P: S F O C C Survey & Installation Works From HWM TO 12 NM

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Method Statement For P: S F O C C Survey & Installation Works From HWM TO 12 NM

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METHOD STATEMENT for PIPIPER

SUBMARINE FIBRE OPTIC COMMUNICATIONS CABLE

The marine operations required to install the systems include:

Cable Route Survey

Pre-Lay Grapnel Run

Cable Surface Lay

Post Lay Inspection and Burial

Cable Route Survey

Route Clearance (RC)

Clump weights are attached to the cut cable ends.

Pre Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR)

Cable laying - surface laying

An industry-standard cable plough weighs approximately 12 tonnes in water. It is deployed

Shore-end Landing – Direct Landing Method Statement

Subcontract plant hire

Permits for the cable installation on the fore-shore.

Route planning to avoid of ‘altercourses’ in the ‘pull-in’.

If ‘altercourses’ exist, what methods are to be used to secure the cable.

Design of post installation cable protection.

Commissioning of divers and support facilities.

The pull can be provided by one of three methods:

a separate work-boat to haul the cable end.

Water Depth Range Precision

10m – 100m: +/- 10-15m

100m – 1000m: +/- 10% WD

1000m – 2000m: +/- 7% WD

> 2000m +/- 5% WD

Submarine Cable Cross section

Please see separate specification - OALC4 Cable Specs.pdf

Shore-end cable protection and fixing – Articulated Pipe

Shore-end cable protection and fixing – burial methods in shallow waters

Cable installation at crossings of other cables and pipelines

Final Route Map

STEP 2: Plough recovered to deck

STEP 3: New cable surface laid across existing in service cable

Surface Lay Surface Lay

STEP 6: Ploughing operations resume

Post Lay Burial Procedure

All information below is “as found” after survey.

New Change from

Page 1 of 7 ICPC Handbook Section No: 12.3

Contact for Enquiries and Proposed Changes

International Cable Protection Committee Secretary: Mr. Graham Marle

Page 2 of 7 ICPC Handbook Section No: 12.3

Page 3 of 7 ICPC Handbook Section No: 12.3

2.2 Existing Telecommunications Cable Crossed By New

Page 4 of 7 ICPC Handbook Section No: 12.3

2.3 Existing Pipeline/Power Cable Crossed By Telecommunications

Page 5 of 7 ICPC Handbook Section No: 12.3

Page 6 of 7 ICPC Handbook Section No: 12.3

Page 7 of 7 ICPC Handbook Section No: 12.3

1.1 GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

September 2009 OALC–4 Page 4

Alcatel-Lucent, however, reserves the right to make any modification to the

1.2 DESCRIPTION OF CABLES, GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DEFINITIONS

1.2.1 Deep sea cable

1.2.1.1 Lightweight cable

September 2009 OALC–4 Page 5

FIGURE 1 - FIBRE UNIT STRUCTURE

FIGURE 2 - COMPOSITE CONDUCTOR

September 2009 OALC–4 Page 6

Insulating sheath Optical fibers