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21, Quai Gallieni
92158 Suresnes Cedex France
ALCATEL SUBMARINE NETWORKS MARINE
Société par Actions Simplifiée au capital de 100 000 EUR Siège social : 148/152 route de la Reine, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France – 431 958 073 RCS Nanterre
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SAINT PIERRE & MIQUELON (SPM)
SUBMARINE FIBER OPTIC CABLE SYSTEM
C/S ILE DE SEIN
CABLE LAYING OPERATIONS
WITHIN THE WATERS OF CANADA & FRANCE
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Cable ship ILE DE SEIN
Call sign FOUD
Gross Tonnage 13,978
Ship Flag France
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Contents
1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 4
2 Overview Chartlet .................................................................................................... 5
3 Nature / Description Of The Marine Operations ....................................................... 6
3.1 C/S Ile de Sein – Cable installation in the waters of Canada & France .................... 6
3.2 Details of operations ................................................................................................ 8
3.2.1 Pre Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR) – performed by Canadian third party subcontractors 8
3.2.2 Route Clearance (RC) – performed by Canadian third party subcontractors ............ 9
3.2.3 Shore End Landing – Direct Shore End ................................................................... 10
3.2.4 Shore End Landing – Pre-Lay Shore End ................................................................ 10
3.2.5 Cable Recovery ....................................................................................................... 11
3.2.6 Plough Burial ........................................................................................................... 12
3.2.7 Surface Lay ............................................................................................................. 13
4 Period Of Operations ............................................................................................... 14
5 Concerned Geographical Areas ............................................................................... 15
6 Navigation / Safety .................................................................................................. 16
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1 Introduction
Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) has been contracted to install the marine part of the Saint Pierre & Miquelon (SPM) submarine fibre optic cable system through their 100% owned subsidiary company, Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) Marine.
ASN Marine operates out of their offices in Suresnes, France and manages the cable ship operations, whilst Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) are the ship manager.
ASN Marine manages a fleet of 6 vessels specialised in laying, burying and repairing submarine fibre optic cable. The cable laying ships operate worldwide.
The marine operational campaign is currently planned during the spring/ summer of this year and during this time, the French flagged cable ship “Ile de Sein” will be performing the installation of the SPM cable within the waters of Canada and France.
The SPM submarine fibre optic cable system shall interconnect the islands of Grande Miquelon, Saint Pierre, and the Burlin Perninsular with dedicated shore end landings.
The system is approximatley 150km’s in length, of which approximatley 40km’s (roughly 30% of the system) will be installed in Canadian territorial waters. In addition, the operations include a high percentage of ploughing (72%) which requires specialised cable laying equipment onboard the vessel.
The ‘Ile de Sein” has loaded the cable from the ASN cable factory in Calais, France and will later transit to Canada where she will commence her marine operations. The vessel will initially clear into St.Johns, then commence her transit to the installation site. Following this, she will commence installing the submarine cable from Miquelon to Fortune. The vessel will then transit to Lamaline and install the cable from Lamaline towards St.Pierre. Finally, the vessel will install the segment between Miquelon and St.Pierre.
Note, during the time of the initial Coasting Trading Licence application in Canada, the Pre-Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR) and Route Clearance (RC) operations along the entire system route were to be undertaken by the “Ile de Sein”, however this has now been subcontracted to a Canadian third party subcontractor.
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2 Overview Chartlet
The following chartlet provides a general overview of the SPM submarine fibre optic cable system.
The cable installation will be performed within the waters of Canada and France by the cable ship
‘Ile de Sein’ between May and June 2018 (including weather & operational contingencies).
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3 Nature / Description Of The Marine Operations
3.1 C/S Ile de Sein – Cable installation in the waters of Canada & France
Note: As the vessel will install the cable between Canadian and French waters, a Coasting
Trading Licence from Canada will be required.
Proposed schedule:
Prior to the cable installation
a. Clearance into Canada (St. Johns) 2.0 days
b. Testing and calibration 0.5 day
c. Transit to installation site 1.0 day
d. PLGR Canadian waters on S1 & S3 2.0 days
e. RC 1 site 0.5 day
f. PLGR French waters on S1, S2 & S3 2.5 days
g. RC 3 sites 1.5 days
h. Contingency 1.0 day
d-h scope of work is now covered by a Canadian third party subcontractor
Segment 1 (S.1) Installation
a. Initial splice PLSE Miquelon 1.0 day
b. Plough burial (39.5km) & surface lay (3km) 2.5 days
c. Bighted shore end Fortune 1.0 day
d. Contingency 0.5 day
Segment 3 (S.3) Installation
a. Direct Landing Lamaline 1.0 day
b. Plough burial (24km) & surface lay (3.5km) 2.0 days
c. Bighted shore end St.Pierre 1.0 day
d. Contingency 0.5 day
Segment 2 (S.2) Installation
a. Initial splice PLSE Miquelon 0.5 day
b. Plough burial (41.46km) & surface lay (20.589km) 3.0 days
c. Bighted shore end St.Pierre 1.0 day
d. Contingency 1.0 day
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Post cable installation
a. Transit and clear out of Canada (St.John’s) 1.0 day
Approximate total duration (within Candian and French waters) 19.5 days
(excluding operations by third party subcontractors)
* PLGR – Pre-Lay Grapnel Run
* RC – Route Clearance
* PLSE – Pre-Lay Shore End
* SE –Shore End
* IS – Initial Splice
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3.2 Details of operations
3.2.1 Pre Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR) – performed by Canadian third party subcontractors
A Pre-Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR) is carried out only along seabed sections of the planned route
where burial is intended. Undertaken just before ploughing commences, the PLGR operation is
intended to clear the planned route of any possible obstacles and debris that could damage or
obstruct the subsea plough equipment (rocks, fishing lines or gear, etc…). PLGR is achieved by
deploying a series of linked chain grapnels, and/or Wheeled De-Trenching Grapnel (WDTG) along
the seabed.
Various standard types of grapnels
Wheeled De-Trenching Grapnel (WTDG)
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3.2.2 Route Clearance (RC) – performed by Canadian third party subcontractors
The purpose of route clearance (RC) is to clear the cable path of all linear obstacles such as out
of service (OOS) cables identified during the cable route survey, since these can be hazardous
both to the vessel’s burial equipment and to the cable itself. RC is only carried out in areas where
burial is deemed necessary.
• The vessel positions itself perpendicular to, and in close proximity to, the OOS cable
identified during the survey.
• The Grapnel (either a Deep Trenching Grapnel (DTG) for buried OOS cables or a normal
grapnel for surface-laid OOS cables) is lowered off the stern of the vessel using the A-frame.
• The vessel then moves towards the OOS cable, allowing the fluke of the DTG to penetrate
the seabed and unbury the cable.
• The vessel continues to move until the cable is broken, leaving the two ends on the seabed.
• The vessel performs grapnel runs to retrieve each end individually.
• Once on the deck, a portion of the cable is cut and clump weights are attached to the ends.
• The vessel then returns the ends to the seabed, leaving between them a space of
approximately 1km through which the new cable will be installed.
• The cut cable lengths are kept onboard and disposed of onshore at authorized waste
disposal facilities.
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3.2.3 Shore End Landing – Direct Shore End
The Cable Ship is dynamically positioned at a water depth between 12m and 14m (depending on sea conditions). This is normally between 500m and 2500m from the coast.
• The Vessel sends a floating rope to the beach.
• The shore end crew attach this line to a pulling device (an excavator, winch, or similar).
• The line is then attached to the Submarine cable (kept afloat by buoys), and pulled ashore.
• Divers will then detach the buoys and position the cable on the seabed.
• The buoys are then returned to the vessel.
• The vessel is then ready to lay the cable (in the direction away from the shore) or has then completed the lay (direction into shore).
This operation usually begins at day break and is completed within one day (subject to conditions).
3.2.4 Shore End Landing – Pre-Lay Shore End
The Cable Ship is dynamically positioned at a water depth between 12m and 14m (depending on sea conditions). This is normally between 500m and 2500m from the coast.
• The vessel deploys a grapnel to recover the streaming line and clump weight attached to the end of the cable which has been previously installed at an earlier date.
• The cable end and all equipment on the cable end is recovered onboard and then removed.
• The vessel will then commence testing and then prepare to splice the cable with the system cable onboard.
This operation usually begins at day break and is completed within one day (subject to conditions).
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3.2.5 Cable Recovery
The cable ship deploys grapnels from the stern of the ship with purpose to recover a cable end. It
tows the grapnels perpendicular to the cable route. The recovery of the cable is achieved with the
following typical grapnels.
Typical Grapnels
Recovering cables onboard
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3.2.6 Plough Burial
Where geology and environmental considerations allow it, the cable is planned to be buried in
the sea bed to a burial depth of approximately 1.0m. To achieve the burial depth, the vessel
has to be capable of managing tow forces of over 100T.
An industry-standard cable plough weighs approximately 30 tonnes in water. It is deployed from
the stern of the installation vessel and towed behind the ship, burying the cable into the seabed
as it progresses along the route. Burial is achieved using a share blade: as the plough is towed
through the seabed, it lifts a triangular wedge of soil and depresses the cable into the cut trench;
as the plough progresses forwards, this sediment falls back into the trench to cover the cable.
The process of lifting and replacing the wedge of sediment is continuous and results in very
little disturbance to the soil inside the wedge.
Continuous video & sonar monitoring of the plough operation from the vessel allows the plough
to avoid hazards or features of interest, whether these are pre-identified or unexpected.
Plough Launch
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3.2.7 Surface Lay
In certain regions, it is not possible to plough the cable into the seabed. For these sections, the
cable is simply deployed off the stern of the vessel.
Max speed during surface lay is 7 kt.
Dedicated software ensures that the proper length of cable is payed out in order for the cable to
closely follow the seabed topography.
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4 Period Of Operations
The operational schedule is provisional, and will be subject to change due to external factors,
including, but not necessarily limited to, weather, equipment or vessel downtime, fishing or shipping
interference. All interested parties shall be informed of any amendment to this schedule.
According to the present schedule, the “Ile de Sein” is due to arrive in Canada (St. John’s) early
May 2018 at the earliest and should complete her work around mid June 2018 at the latest.
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5 Concerned Geographical Areas
See attached planned Route Position List:
SPM_S1_BMH MIQUELON-BMH FORTUNE_PL02_27-MAR-18 SPM_S2_BMH MIQUELON-BMH ST PIERRE_PL03_27-MAR-18 SPM_S3_BMH LAMALINE-BMH ST PIERRE_PL02_12-SEP-17
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6 Navigation / Safety
The cable laying vessel will comply with any requirements from local authorities, during installation
operations; she will be linked to the bottom by the cable and will have poor manoeuvrability
capacities.
She will signal that she has restricted ability to manoeuvre with shapes and/or lights as required
by international regulations.
All vessels are requested to keep a clear distance from the cable laying vessel of at least ½ Nautical
Mile.
The cable laying vessel will broadcast regular safety messages giving her current position and
activity, and will notify the relevant authorities of the same.
