Ennsub’s LARS for Benthic

Scott Macknocher, managing director of Ennsub

Ennsub, a subsea design, engineering and technology company, has been awarded a contract worth £2 million by Benthic to build a newly enhanced and portable Launch and Recovery System to complement the latest addition to its seabed drilling and geotechnical drill fleet.

The Launch and Recovery System (LARS4) features Active Heave Compensation and 3000m deployment capability. It has been designed to provide Benthic and its clients with an enhanced deployment capability in deep and ultra-deepwater conditions and harsh environments. It has been configured to allow mobilisation of Benthic’s Portable Remotely Operated Drills (PRODs) on a wider range of vessels than was previously possible.

The contract includes the detailed design, manufacture and testing of a fully integrated launch and recovery solution, comprising of a high-speed electric winch with active heave compensation, bespoke deployment system and all associated power and control systems. The work will be undertaken at Ennsub’s new production facility in Teesside, UK.

The equipment, which is estimated to take around eight months to design and build, will undergo detailed commissioning during Q2 2015 and will commence operations later that year.

Scott Macknocher, managing director of Ennsub, said: “This award reinforces our belief that an explicit understanding of end-user needs - coupled with creative thinking and technical competence - can result in industry-leading deployment solutions for our customers.

“The Benthic LARS4 aims to deliver enhanced operating capabilities over comparable units and complements Benthic’s ambition as a leader in geotechnical seabed investigation.”

Steve Pywell, chief executive officer, Benthic added: “Benthic is very pleased with how the LARS4 design has been developed - to provide an enhanced deployment capability over a wide range of weather conditions yet fit within a relatively small on-deck footprint. We anticipate that LARS4 will enable Benthic to deliver services to our clients more efficiently and more reliably.”