Failure of an umbilical cable which links the platform to the
wellhead can result in partial or total loss of production
with resulting sever economic consequences. Steel tube
umbilicals are designed to operate in the harshest of
environments and ultra deep water applications, at depths
of up to 3,000 meters.
Individual steel tube umbilicals can contain a number of
functional components with the cable. These can include
• High pressure steel tubes
• High pressure hydraulic control hoses and tubes
• High pressure chemical and ethanol injection hoses
• Electrical power and control cables
• Fibre optic cables
The steel tubes are made from superior high-alloy stainless
steel. Due to their nature they are not affected by the
pressure, which allows for fast response times and
prevention of permeation of fluids. In addition the stainless
steel prevents corrosion due to high temperature and
pressure fluids. In addition, long continuous lengths of
steel tube umbilical cable are possible, using the latest
laser welding technology and weld checking systems. This
is particularly useful for the ultra deep water applications.
Electric power cables and control cables are insulated and
jacketed using the Prysmian Severex high performance
compounds. Electric cable designs and performance can
meet the most demanding applications.
The steel tubes are assembled on a high-capacity planetary
stranding machine which is capable of handling steel tubes
up to a diameter of 1.5 inches
The Prysmian’s plant in Vila Velha (Brazilian southeast
coast), is equipped with enhanced manufacturing and
storage capacity which includes high-load turntables
[carousels] and bigger reels, which allows the loadout of
very long continuous STU lengths. Situated on the coast,
the Prysmian factory has a deep water berth, which allows
for direct loading of heavy payloads directly onto installation
vessels.