Any object that moves through liquid is subject to hydrodynamic forces. When towing, these forces will exert themselves on ropes and cables, as well as the towed body itself, thereby limiting speed and depth.

However, these forces can be altered by changing the geometry of the cable. This white paper offers a brief introduction into these “fairing” methods, which allow for deeper towing at higher speeds.

Aker Solutions came to DeRegt with an unusual request. Aker is responsible for the maintenance of a floating concrete tension-leg platform, installed over a subsea template with 56 well slots. The rig is named Heidrun, and produces oil and gas from a depth of 2,300 metres. It is located about 200 km off the middle of the Norwegian coast. The unusual question was: can you reverse-engineer the same cables from 25 years ago, as a replacement for the next 50? We spoke to Roger Sand at Aker Solutions to find out more about this unique project.