Decom Engineering supported GSI in completing an extensive pipe cutting operation on behalf of Chevron in the Indian Ocean. The project required precise cuts on 10” and 16” steel pipelines at a water depth of 150m. The cuts were necessary to enable safe recovery of the pipeline to the deck, ensuring successful completion of Chevron’s subsea decommissioning campaign.

The project spanned over 168 days, during which Decom’s C1-24 Chop Saw was deployed to make 45 cuts. The efficient performance of the saw, with an average cut time of 10 minutes, allowed the operations to proceed smoothly despite the challenging underwater conditions.

Decom Engineering provided the C1-24-108 Chop Saw, which executed clean and precise cuts on both the 10” and 16” steel pipelines. These clean cuts were critical, as they enabled the BallTec Pipe Recovery Tool (PRT) to stab into the pipeline and safely recover it to the deck. The saw’s efficiency was showcased by its ability to make multiple cuts with minimal blade wear, averaging 22.5 cuts per blade.

A unique challenge in this operation was the poor visibility faced by the ROV team while monitoring the cuts. To overcome this, the team relied on pressure gauges on the control panel to ensure proper cutting operations, allowing them to maintain control and accuracy throughout the process despite the limited visual feedback.