The Haul Out

The Subsea 7 fabrication yard at Wester to the north of Wick, manufactures pipelines for the oil and gas industry, mainly in the North Sea. The image above shows a completed pipe stretching to the horizon in the Caithness countryside. It is ready to be hauled out into the sea by tugs just offshore. The pipe is destined for the Judy field to the south east of Aberdeen. In place it will carry gas at 120C under high pressure.

This picture shows the towhead end of the pipe in position on the beach ready to be hauled out on the attached cable, when the tide is high enough. The towhead contains all the necessary connections to fit the pipe in place.

When the pipe is fully hauled out by the tug  into open water, a specialised vessel moves over it and adjusts the boyancy so that the pipe is level and stable at a fixed water depth before being towed for several days to its sink point where it is lowered to the seabed and joined up.

The Stuart Agenda by Alan Calder published by Willow Moon. E-book at www.amazon.com and www.amazon.co.uk. Paperback at www.amazon.com/dp/B005BJ3GNI and http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Stuart-Agenda-Alan-Calder-9781468055900