ROV receptacle protects valves

Knutsford-based subsea valve specialist Oliver Valvetek, in conjunction with a major oil-and-gas operator, a subsea tree manufacturer and a subsea tooling company, has developed an innovative receptacle for operation by a remote operated vehicle (ROV) that will protect subsea valves from damage caused by the accidental application of too much torque.

The valves themselves are commonly found on what are known as Christmas trees - huge subsea installations located at approximately 10,000ft (3,048m) below sea level directly over wellheads. A great number of valves are found on such an installation, some of which are used to control chemical and additive injection into the extracted media, such as oil or gas.

However, according to Oliver Valvetek spokesperson Joel Sacca, as a result of the extreme depths at which these valves are pressed into service, they must be operated by an ROV. To do so, the arm of the ROV must enter a receptacle - an ROV docking unit - to operate the valve.