Smaller Offshore Cranes Go Deeper with LANKO®DEEP AHC

For the first time, offshore contractors can now use smaller, more cost-effective lowering systems and vessels for deepwater deployment projects. LANKO®DEEP AHC is the first rope designed specifically for deepwater deployment at water depths over 2,000m. The fiber rope's neutrally buoyant properties allow contractors to fully maximize crane capacity by eliminating the weight penalties associated with steel wire at deepwater depths.

The weight of steel wire ropes makes traditional wire rope lifting/lowering systems both inefficient and impractical at water depths greater than 2,000m. At 3,000m, the lifting capacity is reduced by 50%; the other 50% is to support the weight of the steel wire. LANKO®DEEP AHC fiber rope represents a paradigm shift in the approach to deepwater deployment at water depths well in excess of 3,000m.

LANKO®DEEP AHC fiber rope has been designed from the outset for deepwater lowering. Rope yarn and rope construction are fully optimized for cyclic bending over sheave (CBOS) fatigue and load bearing characteristics, making it ideal for use in the deepwater deployment winch systems. In addition, the rope allows the efficient spooling of long lengths of fiber rope without the risk of rope cutting into lower spooled layers causing handling and abrasion issues that have, until now, limited the use of fiber rope in deepwater deployments.

Full Rope Utilization

In an industry first for deepwater deployment systems, Lankhorst Offshore announces the development of a new DNV Endorsement of Qualification Plan End-to-End rope splice for its LANKO®DEEP AHC rope. In the event the fiber rope needs to be spliced ​​offshore by certified personnel, an End-to-End splice can be made quickly, allowing offshore handling operations to continue uninterrupted, safe in the knowledge that the integrity of the LANKO®DEEP AHC is assured.

The sheave resistant splice will allow ropes to be lengthened or shortened as needed whilst still retaining the full lifting capacity across the complete rope length. The patented splice development eliminates a weakness that has until now limited the application of spliced ​​fiber ropes in CBOS crane deepwater deployment and recovery systems.

“Using LANKO®DEEP AHC enables offshore lifting contractors to take advantage of their crane's full lifting capacity allowing smaller cranes to be used for deepwater deployment projects,” says Sergio Leite, Sales Director, Lankhorst Offshore. “Taken together with our development of the DNV Certified End-to-End splice allowing full rope utilization, LANKO®DEEP AHC is a game changer when it comes to planning deepwater deployment projects.”

For more information, download the Lankhorst Offshore 'Deepwater Deployment' brochure, and email: dwd@lankhorstoffshore.com .