Offshore Cable Repair Solutions

By Chris Dodds on 21st April, 2015

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Offshore Cable Repairs.

T&D working with Stena Drilling Aberdeen have satisfied several demanding offshore cable repair applications. Stena's drillship fleet required reliable and high specification power cable and control cable repair solutions. The recommended cable repair solutions were for use on NEK TS 606 / IEC 61892-4 cable standards (flame retardant-halogen free-mud resistant) for use on board drillships operating in Arctic conditions.

3M HDCW Heat Shrink Cable Repair Kits

Heat shrink cable repair kits reinstate cable sheath integrity caused by oil mud, heat, mechanical and general electrical service damage in offshore cable installations. Suitable for offshore power, control and instrumentation cables. Provides limited protection against chemicals. Offshore shipwiring cable repair kits eradicate cable cracks, nicks and snags which impair the fire and insulation performance of low and high voltage power, control and instrumentation cables. Heat shrink cable repair kits require "hot-working" and naked flames and therefore may not be suitable for Zone1 or Zone 2 hazardous areas due to presence of potentially explosive atmospheres.

3M LVI3 Resin Cable Joints : Flame Retardant, Mud & Hydrocarbon Resistant, Halogen Free

3M Scotchcast LVI-3 hazardous area (Zone 1 & 2) power cable jointing kits are suitable for XLPE, EPR and PILC cables with steel wire armour (SWA) or galvanised steel wire braid (GSWB), 0.6/1kV and up to 3.3kV. 3M LVI-3 cable joint kits are suitable for indoor, outdoor, underground direct burial and submerged installations - hydrocarbon resistant, chemical resistant, halogen free and flame retardant low voltage joint kits. 3M LVI-3 Scotchcast resin cable joint kits are also suitable for lead sheathed cables (XLPE and PILC) and transition cable joints. 3M Scotchcast No.1402FR resin cable joints are flame retardant with excellent long term resistance against hydrocarbons - suitable for areas where there is a danger of gas, oil, sewage or chemical spillage including Zones 1 & 2 Hazardous Areas. 3M LVI-3 resin cable jointing kits are halogen free and flame retardant for low voltage power cable jointing.

YouTube Video : 3M Hydro-Carbon Resistant Scotchcast Resin Cable Joints

3M 2131 Scotchcast Resin : Flame Retardant 

3M Scotchcast resin repair kits use 2131 resin which is flame retardant but not hydrocarbon resistant - not recommended for drilling mud applications due to presence of hydro-carbons including oils. 3M Scotchcast Resin 2131 is a two component, flame retardant, flexible polyurethane resin for room temperature curing. Scotchcast 2131-D resin has been designed for electrical insulation and mechanical protection of flexible electrical cable joints which rmaybe exposed to a concentration of seawater (see Salt Water Test Report) below - unique formulation ensures Scotchcast 2131-D is particularly suited to withstand the rugged conditions under which mine and portable cable must operate. 2131 resin is classified as LI-LMP-MMP (low voltage insulation and mechanical protection) according to Cenelec HD 631.1 S2 Standard. Once cured, the 3M Scotchcast resin provides impact resistance and durability against moisture and atmospheric corrosion.

Drilling Mud : a fluid used to lubricate the drill string, line, the walls of a well, flush cuttings to the surface and create enough hydrostatic weight to prevent blowouts. It is a special mixture of clay, water, and chemical additives pumped down-hole through the drill pipe and the drill bit. The mud cools the rapidly rotating bit; lubricates the drill pipe as it turns in the wellbore; carries rock cuttings to the surface; and serves as a plaster to prevent the wall of the borehole from crumbling or collapsing. Drilling mud also provides the weight or hydrostatic head to prevent extraneous fluids from entering the wellbore and to control down hole pressures that may be encountered.

NEK606 Cables Defined

NEK 606:2004 is the Norwegian industry standard for the Offshore Oil and Gas, Ship & Marine Industries, IEC 61892–4 is the European standard now in place. These cables are DNV Certified to be in accordance with ISO 9001 and 14001. The NEK 606 cables are flame retardant to IEC 60332 and when a mica glass tape is applied over the conductors then are fire resistant to IEC 60331. The construction of NEK 606 cables are similar to other standards (such as BS 6883 and IEEE 1580 type p), however variations in the construction relate to the insulation, screening, braiding, bedding and sheathing compound. The conductors of NEK 606 cables are constructed with circular tinned stranded copper wire to IEC 60228 Class 2 or Class 5. NEK 606 conductors are insulated with either an EP or HEP Rubber compound and comply with BS 7655. NEK 606 conductor insulation colours differ also from BS 6883 and IEEE. NEK 606 compound for the Bedding and Outer Sheath is SHF2 which is a Thermosetting Dual Compound LSZH and Flame Retardant and also Oil/ MUD Resistant. NEK 606 armoured cables have a tinned copper wire braid, excellent for mechanical and corrosive protection. Standard outside sheath colours for NEK 606 are Black for Power and Control, Grey or Blue for Instrument, Red for Medium Voltage. NEK 606 instrument cables are individually or collectively screened with a copper mylar tape in contact with a tinned copper drain wire.

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3M Scotchcast 2131 Resin - Salt Water & Sea Water Resistant Test

Category:  LV Cable Jointing & Terminating

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