Hengtong Marine is pleased to announce the completion of a successful un-repeatered cable plough burial sea trial in 500m water depth working in conjunction with SBSS and the CS Fu Hai as the selected Marine Installation Platform.

The sea trial cables and components were loaded onto the CS Fu Hai at Hengtong Port, Changshu, using one of the cable factory’s three loading lines (a HV power cable load out onto another vessel was in progress at the same time).  The trial was completed during April / May 2017 during typical North Pacific weather conditions and constant sea swell conditions, over a period of 30 days.  The worst weather encountered during the whole trial was Force 7, Sea State 6 and a wave height of 3m.

The 24 fibre trials cable used HOUC-1 SAL, SA and DA cable types and involved the deployment and burial of all cable types and two universal quick joints to a depth of burial in excess of 1.5 meters.  The plough burial operations were completed in 500m water depth, some 112 nautical miles WNW of Amami Oshima, Japan, and used the SMD MD3 cable plough.  The weather conditions during ploughing operations were reported as Force 4 winds, Sea State 4, with a wave height of 2.5m.  

The cable exhibited stable optical parameters in addition to good insulation resistance throughout the marine operations.  

The sea trials were independently witnessed and reported by Captain David F. Foster (a former cable ship Commander with 43 years’ experience laying and repairing submarine cables worldwide) who stated “The ploughed cable trial was a realistic test of the rigors HOUC-1 SAL, SA and DA cable would experience in a genuine ploughed cable lay.  All three cable types handled with ease, coiled well and showed no sign of twisting, and showed no memory at all.  The SAL experienced a particularly hard test, having been launched and recovered five times with the same length of cable through the plough during deployment. Despite this rugged test of its durability, it subsequently tested good, and was successfully laid, ploughed and recovered in 500 meters water depth. All tests were satisfactory.  I can therefore say with confidence, that HMCS HOUC-1 SAL, SA and DA cables are of excellent quality and in every way fit for purpose.”