MDL Spread hits anniversary milestone

The MDL flex-lay spread has racked up an impressive track record of offshore work in its first year on the market.

Concluding a busy spring/summer period for the company’s Offshore Service, the MDL Spread has completed a long string of jobs in the Northern Hemisphere.

A number of successive projects in the North Sea and Canada amounted to more than 170 days of utilisation of MDL’s unique portable solution in its first year - and the system is set for yet more work throughout the autumn/winter season.

Forming the spread is the company’s patented 4-track tensioner, used vertically on the MDL PVLS - the world’s only road-transportable vertical lay system, delivered to Technip UK last summer.

The PVLS is complemented by an array of project-specific ancillary equipment, integrated into the tower and linked to the central control system, allowing for a seamless, Plug & Play operation.

Completing the spread are MDL 350-tonne or 400-tonne reel drive systems - depending on the project - and a set of deck deflectors: all together forming a complete surface-to-seabed solution for flexible lay.

The vertical spread was first used to install flexible risers and umbilicals as part of the Kraken field development in a two-phase operation. It then moved offshore Canada to conduct a riser replacement, before returning to the North Sea to complete three more flex-lay projects and initiate a fourth one by the end of August this year.

Thanks to its portable and compact design, the PVLS did not require additional deck reinforcement on either of the two vessels used for the projects; while the systems’ highly efficient handling, reduced mobilisation time, and the expertise of MDL’s experienced crew, all allowed for quick turnaround between jobs to maximise the vessels’ utilisation by the client.

“Our Offshore Service has been on the go for a few years now, steadily growing in equipment and people to take on more projects. The industry’s understanding of the benefits of MDL design grew at the same pace - one client at a time,” said Derek Smith, MDL CEO.

“However, it was that first campaign of a complete MDL flex-lay spread in 2015 that truly demonstrated the time and cost savings achievable with state-of-the-art equipment designed to be the most portable, versatile and user-friendly.

“Couple that with an expert crew that knows it inside out, thanks to participating in the equipment’s delivery process from start to finish - that combination makes for a truly cost-effective pipelay solution for any market.”