X-Lay® Technology
A smarter subsea pipeline recovery system designed to support removal, recycling, and restoration-focused decommissioning.
X-Lay® Use Case: Anchored Barge Deployment
This use case shows how an X-Lay® system could be deployed from an anchored HUC barge for shallow-water pipeline recovery, before being transferred to a DP2 CSV for larger-scale removal campaigns.
X-LAY®
(USE CASE 1 - Gulf of thailand)
Provided engineering support to a Contractor’s bid to an Operator in Thailand in 2020. The Contractor provided the Operator with a conforming bid using a DP2 S-Lay vessel, plus an alternate bid based on our X-Lay® solution – using a much lower day rate DP2 CSV.
The pipeline removal scope was as follows:
- 60 Subsea Carbon Steel Pipelines x 200km total length, up to 80m WD.
- Pipe 8” to 24” OD.
- Pipe Wall Thickness ½” to ¾”. Concrete Coating 1”.
- Coatings varied. Concrete coated, FBE coated and PPL coated
The alternate bid could retrieve all the wet pipelines to shore in 160′, rather than 40′ joint lengths, resulting in major cost saving vs the base bid.
X-LAY® (USE CASE 2 - COMBINED STEEL PL + FLEX LAY REMOVAL)
Provided engineering support to a Contractor’s bid to an Operator in Australia in 2023. The Contractor provided them with a conforming bid using a DP2 CSV, to cut up and retrieve the 9km of pipeline subsea. A separate bid was provided by others to remove the flexible flowlines and umbilicals. The Contractor also provided the Operator with an alternate bid, based on our X-Lay® approach. This was to retrieve both the circa 150km of flexible flowline and umbilicals, plus 9km of steel pipelines with the same DP2 CSV.
The subsea removal scope was as follows:
- 12″ Subsea SS 316L internally lined Steel Pipelines x 9km total length, up to 160m WD.
- Pipe 12” , c/w 2″ piggyback.
- Pipe Wall Thickness ½” to ¾”.
- Coatings 3-layer FBE/PE.
- 53 km of Flexible Flowlines.
- 90 km of Umbilicals.
- 25 x Seabead structures, etc..
The alternate bid could retrieve all 9km of steel pipeline without exposing the inside of each pipe joint to the ocean environment, with significant cost savings resulting from 1 x instead of 2 x mobilisations.
X-LAY® (USE CASE 3 - COMBINED WITH RAPID PIPE Connectors)
Joined forces with Cladtek in June 2024, to present and market a collaborative offering that we described as “Recovering the Past & Facilitating the Future”.
Cladtek has completed various Feasibility Studies over the years for a range of lay systems that enable the installation of “Rapid Pipe” – a mechanically connected pipe system. Operators can have Rapid Pipe installed and removed from a wide range of Tier 2 Contractor CSV’s and from Semi Sub Drilling Rigs. Rapid Pipe is much lower cost than the well established Subsea Contractor welded solutions in many applications, plus it can also be easily retrieved and re-used, providing much better environmental outcomes.
Rapid Pipe and it’s associated installation systems have been undergoing extensive technology qualifications with clients such as Petrobras, ExxonMobil & Petronas. These are particularly extensive as these pipelines of the future will be transporting O&G, some in >2,000m WD at high temperatures and pressures, plus with highly corrosive fluids for >30 years.
One of these systems as shown is a semi J-Lay type one, that installs rapid pipe in 160′ long joints on Tier2 Contractor CSV’s. X-Lay can enable this same system to also be used for the reverse removal of very large diameter and/or deepwater welded pipelines in 160′ long joints in the same campaign.
X-LAY® (USE CASE 4 - XXXL deck length CSV)
In addition to Use Case 3, Cladtek’s Rapid Pipe system can be used on the longest deck DP2 CSVs currently available globally. These have been recently developed for the installation of offshore wind farms, which given the recent changes in policy direction on offshore wind, maybe on shaky ground for future demand in 2030. Rapid Pipe can be installed & re-used in 400′ joints using such vessels.
X-Lay enables the same system to also be used for the reverse removal of very large diameter and/or deep-water welded pipelines in 400′ long joints. This was also presented at D&A AUS June 2024, as another options consistent with “Recovering the Past & Facilitating the Future”.
X-LAY® (USE CASE 5 - ANCHORED BARGE)
Joined forces with Cladtek again for SPE D&A APAC in KL Dec 2024, to present a similar theme of “Recovering the Past & Facilitating the Future”. This time we focused more on aiming to appeal to Operators and/or Contractors in SEA who may want to be a 1st mover in SEA for X-Lay, that could then also be applied in Australia offshore circa 2030.
We showed how the same X-Lay system for cutting and retrieving 160′ long joints could 1st be deployed on a HUC Barge with 8 point mooring (as shown here), for the removal of the forecast 275km of pipelines in <15m WD , before being transferred onto a DP2 CSV, to remove the remaining 600km of pipelines. This forecast total cost savings vs status quo solutions was >70%.
If a Cladtek Rapid Pipe approach is taken, then the same X-Lay type system could also be used to install the connected Pipelines of the Future…through the 2030’s and beyond.
The X-Lay® Recovery Concept
This video provides an overview of the X-Lay® concept and the need for smarter subsea pipeline recovery solutions.
Designed for Cleaner Offshore Outcomes
X-Lay® supports Restore Subsea’s broader mission to transform subsea decommissioning into ocean restoration through smarter recovery, recycling, and lower-impact offshore operations.
01.
Recovery
Supports practical removal of aging subsea pipelines.
02.
Recycling
Creates pathways for recovered pipe to enter circular economy processes.
03.
Reduced Vessel Intensity
Designed to reduce reliance on high-specification lay vessels.
04.
Restoration
Supports cleaner subsea environments and responsible seabed outcomes.
Can Australia Redefine Subsea Decommissioning?
Access the X-Lay® Australia 2030 briefing to discover how productivity rates of up to 8km per day, along with significant cost savings in environmental decommissioning, could transform the economics of pipeline removal and enhance subsea restoration efforts.
Explore X-Lay® With Restore Subsea
Speak with our team about how X-Lay® may support future subsea decommissioning and restoration-focused removal programmes.
