Contact Us

BT Proximity Study for Borssele Offshore Windfarm.

The Project

OceanIQ collaborated with British Telecommunications (BT) to conduct a Proximity Study on the consequences of repairing a submarine telecommunication cable within the designated area of the Borssele Offshore Windfarm. This collaboration led to the creation of a new repair approach known as the Cable Repair And Lay Through (CRALT).

The main objectives of the study were to:

> Identify the operational risks and limitations of a CRALT repair.

> Determine the likely cable recovery, repair and lay through methodology for the Borssele OWF.

> Identify risk mitigation options and any associated costs.

> Determine the durations, outage times and costs of a CRALT repair, for each cable affected and for each windfarm zone inside Borssele.

After construction of the Borssele OWF access would be restricted by the windfarm infrastructure and subsea cable repair work would become more complicated due to the presence of numerous new power cable crossings inevitably having an impact on how future repairs are undertaken to the existing cables.

The study determined the practical and commercial impact that the Borssele OWF would have on repair operations to the existing BT FO submarine telecommunication cables.

Download the attached PDF to read the full case study here.

Our Latest OceanIQ and Global Marine Group News

Posted: 09/07/2024

Turbidity currents and their impact on subsea fibre optic cables

When sediment becomes suspended within a mass of water and this increase in density causes the water body to begin moving downslope under the influence of gravity this is termed a turbidity current. These high-energy currents can form through several different processes but three of the...

Posted: 20/06/2024

The stages of submarine cable installation

Deploying submarine cables involves several stages including route planning, marine survey, operational permitting, cable system design, cable manufacturing, marine lay and commissioning.  OceanIQ regularly support our sister company Global Marine, also part of the Global Marine Group, with consultancy and route engineering services related to survey...

Posted: 19/06/2024

Branching Units vs. Festoon Systems: Key insights for effective system design

From the earliest stages of a new subsea cable project, understanding the pros and cons of utilising branching units or a festoon system is vital from a system design and cable security point of view. In many cases, the preference of one over the other will...

Posted: 19/06/2024

Massive volcanic landslides and their effect on submarine cable systems

Massive volcanic landslides are some of the largest landslides on Earth, which have several potential primary and secondary effects on submarine cable systems. The main type of massive volcanic landslide is the flank collapse, which mainly occurs on eroding dormant/extinct shield volcanoes. Flank collapses can release...

Posted: 18/06/2024

Determining reliable cable ampacities for marine high voltage cables.

Determining reliable cable ampacities for marine High Voltage Cables is currently the subject of significant industry and academic reassessment in order to optimise the operation (ampacity), design (cross-sectional area) and subsequent efficiency, longevity, CAPEX and profitability of both submarine power cables and their dependencies (Enescu et...

Posted: 17/05/2024

Engineering secure and maintainable cable routes

At OceanIQ, engineering secure cable routes is the foundation of what we do.  Whether the project is an international telecoms cable, an inter-array cable for offshore wind, a HV power interconnector, a link in a scientific array or any of the many other types of subsea...

Posted: 14/05/2024

The future of subsea cable expertise: Nurturing the next generation

In an era characterised by swift technological progress and digital interconnectivity, it is paramount to involve and empower the upcoming cohort of young professionals in shaping the trajectory of our industry. This endeavour is not only crucial for the overall expansion of knowledge and expertise within...

Posted: 18/03/2024

GeoCable® celebrates its 25th anniversary with 25 remarkable facts

For a quarter-century, GeoCable® has led the way in mapping, monitoring, and logging subsea cable installation and faults. Leveraging both current and historical data, GeoCable® assists operators in planning new cable installations, facilitating repair operations, predicting potential issues, and enhancing the overall reliability of subsea cable...

Posted: 02/02/2024

January rowing challenge conquered.

We take immense pride in recognizing the outstanding achievement of our GMG rowing team members – Dave Dunk, Craig Beech and Spike Johns. They successfully conquered the challenging task of rowing 1,000,000+ metres in January as part of the wider rowing community ‘Concept2’ team challenge. Impressively ranking first on the...

Posted: 15/01/2024

GeoCable® celebrates 25th anniversary

As trusted custodians of over 2.8 million kilometres of rich submarine cable data, OceanIQ are delighted to celebrate this landmark 25th GeoCable® anniversary. Over 25 years the GeoCable® dataset has continuously evolved and is now accessible through our complimentary submarine cable map, or via subscription services...

Posted: 04/12/2023

GeoCable® turns 25

Celebrating 25 years of exceptional data insight. The evolution of the submarine cable industry during this timeframe. For 25 years GeoCable® has been at the forefront of mapping, monitoring, and logging subsea cable installation and faults. GeoCable’s up to date and historical data helps operators plan...

Posted: 17/10/2023

 Inspiring volunteers – raising awareness and vital funds for MNDA

Big charity challenges are a regular event at Global Marine Group. 2023 was no different with the MeaNDa walking challenge raising funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Posted: 13/10/2023

Inspiration and hope at the Ninos Pag Asa Centre Olongapo, Philippines.

Captain John Tollady and Officers from the Cable Retriever, share their account of a long overdue visit to the charity.

Posted: 01/08/2023

An interactive awareness workshop with ESCA & The Crown Estate

Route Engineer James Rygate joined an interactive panel recently to introduce and refresh individuals to the subsea cable industry.

Posted: 18/07/2023

Hydrothermal Vents

Hydrothermal vents are commonplace along mid-ocean ridges and hotspots. Vents are fractures on the seafloor that allow the transfer of energy and minerals through a hydrothermal system consisting of porous rocks or pre-existing planes of weakness, before being ejected into the water column.

Posted: 12/07/2023

Boundary Zones

Marine boundary zones act as a focal point of hazards, such as: volcanoes; earthquakes; tsunamis; landslides; hydrothermal vents; liquefaction; and fissures, to name a few.

Posted: 04/07/2023

Transform (Conservative) Boundaries

Earthquakes are commonplace along transform boundaries. Earthquakes can cause several hazards to cable routes: liquefaction can occur in seafloor sediments causing the cable to be buried deeper or exposing it at the surface; movement of sediment in landslides can damage the cable as deposition occurs; landslides...

Posted: 04/07/2023

Convergent boundaries

The Mariana Trench is an extreme example of a trench created at a subduction zone along a convergent boundary.

Posted: 06/06/2023

Permitting support in the Caribbean

Being an on-site representative for a cable project is an important role. It can satisfy important permit conditions but also allow for instant feedback to issues that arise, and facilitate communications.

Posted: 10/05/2023

Preparing for an energy transformation in Scotland

We know Scotland, and we know Offshore Renewables. Find out more about our experiences than can help in the upcoming ScotWind campaign.

Posted: 10/05/2023

Divergent boundaries can throw up all kinds of route engineering challenges

Not only are eruptions difficult to predict - when and where they occur - but if a new fissure is created a cable could become suspended, suffer abrasion damage and there's the associated seismic damage that could occur.

Posted: 19/04/2023

Applying lessons from telecoms cable outages to the power cable industry

Hear from our Permitting & GIS Manager, Brian Perratt, in this great article recently published in PES (Power & Energy Solutions) magazine

Posted: 28/02/2023

The seafloor is constantly changing – what can the history of plate tectonics teach us

The sea floor is constantly changing, whether from growth in flora and fauna, habitats, wildlife, human intervention or geological reasons.

Posted: 15/02/2023

Mastering the dark art of Permitting

Chloe joined our Permitting team a few years ago but has already discovered the intensity of permitting for clients around the world.

Posted: 01/02/2023

Working with multiple agencies, authorities and organisations, consecutively and concurrently, often for months at a time – just another day at the office for our Permitting Team 

Our Permitting Manager Alex discusses his experiences in managing the complex and varying role of permitting, for clients all over the world.

Posted: 18/01/2023

Understanding the theory of plate tectonics and its impact on cable route engineering

All of our our Route Engineers have a basic understanding of plate tectonic theory, and the by-products of plate tectonics, to enable us to safely engineer a subsea cable that will remain damage free long into the future.

Posted: 01/11/2022

Planning wind farm infrastructure on a congested seabed

Route Engineer James Rygate discusses the factors that developers need to consider when planning cable routes around existing seabed infrastructure

Posted: 13/09/2022

Exploring the 2.8 million kilometres of submarine cables 

OceanIQ's MD Gail Clark, looks at the intricacies of the seafloor, and how important understanding them really is

Posted: 06/09/2022

OceanIQ launches a series of new products utilising its world-leading submarine cable data

From today, OceanIQ launches a series of new products, making its unrivalled database of submarine cable data even more accessible.

Posted: 12/08/2022

Marine mammals and cable activities

Matthew West, Route Planning Manager, explains how OceanIQ’s data helps to avoid accidental harm to vulnerable marine mammals.

Posted: 10/08/2022

Uses of out of service cable data

Route Planning Manager, Matthew West, looks at how OOS cable date is used to help the efficient deployment of new installations worldwide.

Posted: 08/10/2021

Cable Fault Rate Heatmaps – Added Layer of GIS Intelligence

Introducing GeoCable® GIS Cable Fault Rate Heatmaps Understanding the submarine cable landscape has never been as important as it is now. At OceanIQ®, we can now provide you with detailed fault rate heat maps that outline the number of faults that can be expected on each kilometre...

Posted: 05/10/2021

Utilising Submarine Cable Maps to Overcome the Challenges Posed by Cable Crossings

The Challenges of Cable Crossings Pre-project Planning is Key When planning new cable systems, dealing with cable crossings can be complex and if preparation is done incorrectly, can result in huge repair costs for existing cables in the surrounding infrastructure. Submarine cable maps help identify the...

Posted: 06/09/2021

GLOBAL MARINE CONDUCTS CABLE ROUTE SURVEY FOR SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S REACHING 100% PROGRAMME

Global Marine has completed the initial subsea fibre-optic cable route survey scope for the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% Programme (R100), being delivered by Openreach on behalf of BT. The project covers inter-island connections between Orkney, Shetland, and the Inner Hebrides as well as two connections back...

Posted: 06/09/2021

GLOBAL MARINE CONDUCTS CABLE ROUTE SURVEY FOR SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S REACHING 100% PROGRAMME

Global Marine has completed the initial subsea fibre-optic cable route survey scope for the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% Programme (R100), being delivered by Openreach on behalf of BT. The project covers inter-island connections between Orkney, Shetland, and the Inner Hebrides as well as two connections back...

OiQ Cable Records Management
Posted: 25/02/2021

Mismanagement of data can cause project downtime

In this discussion, OceanIQ’s experts Brian Perratt and Juliane Pätzold discuss the importance of subsea cable records storage and management, and the obstacles that clients and seabed users can face if data isn’t properly maintained. Records management is the systematic control of the creation, maintenance, use,...

Posted: 01/02/2021

Global Marine Group signs the Neptune Declaration

Global Marine Group, along with over 450 other organiations have joined forces to help resolve the humanitarian crisis affecting seafarers globally. Global industry and human rights leaders, including A.P. Møller – Mærsk, BP, BW, Cargill, COSCO, DOW, Euronav, MISC Group, NYK, Rio Tinto, Shell, Trafigura, Unilever...

Posted: 26/01/2021

The importance of subsea cable records management

Accurate and up-to-date data can help minimise project downtime and associated cost Having access to accurately mapped submarine cable routes has become essential following the increase in seabed usage from industries such as telecoms, renewable energy, oil & gas and resource mining. Records management is the...

Posted: 10/12/2020

Technical Insight: Boulder Clearance Strategy at Danish Kriegers Flak Offshore Wind Farm – by Francis Dick

OceanIQ’s parent company, the Global Marine Group (GMG), was appointed by Vattenfall to deliver the route clearance and cable installation campaign at Danish Kriegers Flak, an offshore wind farm located in the Baltic Sea, southeast of Copenhagen. The new development consists of 72 turbines linked to...

Posted: 01/12/2020

Mitch Cheney Appointed as Business Development Director at OceanIQ

OceanIQ is extremely excited to announce the appointment of Mitch Cheney as Business Development Director at OceanIQ. Mitch joins at an exciting time for the newly launched business unit and will be helping to take the business direct to market and identifying opportunities for significant market...

Posted: 17/11/2020

Route Engineering: Planning for all eventualities

To connect a cable from one landing point to another is no mean feat, and one that is made more difficult due to the plethora of obstacles and challenges presented not only by the marine environment but by human hands too. Careful consideration of all the...

OceanIQ Brand Logo
Posted: 21/09/2020

Global Marine Group Launches OceanIQ Consultancy Business – utilising rich subsea data

Global Marine Group (GMG) a leading provider of subsea cable installation and maintenance services to the telecommunications, offshore renewables, utility and oil & gas markets worldwide, is pleased to announce the launch of OceanIQ, the fourth business unit in Global Marine Group’s subsea engineering portfolio. OceanIQ...

Posted: 18/09/2020

We’re growing our team

We’re looking for an Assistant Survey & Route Engineer to support in the technical aspects of cable survey tendering as well as marine survey delivery. The individual will assess and adjustment survey specifications to suit project needs so they optimise the ability to design submarine power...

Posted: 08/09/2020

Global Marine Awarded Desk Top Study for Singapore India Gateway Cable System

Global Marine, a leading provider of subsea fibre optic cable installation and maintenance solutions to the telecoms sector, and part of the Global Marine Group, has been awarded the Desk Top Study (DTS) for the Singapore India Gateway (SING) cable system by the system Purchasers. The...

Posted: 18/08/2020

SEA-KIT USV successfully completes 22 days of offshore operations in the Atlantic Ocean

We’re pleased to share this exciting press release from SEA-KIT celebrating the return of an uncrewed USV following a 22 day mission in the Atlantic. The collaborative project which Global Marine Group were a part of has successfully demonstrated the potential for over-the-horizon, long endurance, remote...

Posted: 14/07/2020

Group Annual Awards 2020

We recently celebrated our annual awards to recognise some of the shining stars within our team right across the world. From over 130 peer nominations, we announced the winners in each of the 11 categories. Offshore Individual: John Gison Chief Officer, John, was chosen at the winner...

Posted: 10/07/2020

Work commences on SSEN’s Pentland Firth East cable replacement project

Global Offshore is pleased to share Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks’ latest press release regarding the start of works on this important cable replacement project. Following route survey, data collection and various studies completed by Global Offshore in 2019, our team are soon to begin the cable installation...

Posted: 23/06/2020

International Women In Engineering Day 2020 – Serena Fleming

International Women in Engineering Day (#INWED20) takes place on 23 June with the theme of ‘Shape The World’. We hope by sharing some of Global Marine Group’s success stories, we can help to raise the profile of women engineers across the globe, and encourage more people...

Posted: 23/06/2020

International Women In Engineering Day 2020 – Sheryl Ong

International Women in Engineering Day (#INWED20) takes place on 23 June with the theme of ‘Shape The World’. We hope by sharing some of Global Marine Group’s success stories, we can help to raise the profile of women engineers across the globe, and encourage more people...

Posted: 23/06/2020

International Women In Engineering Day 2020 – Kaya Teare

(Centre in Photo) International Women in Engineering Day (#INWED20) takes place on 23 June with the theme of ‘Shape The World’. We hope by sharing some of Global Marine Group’s success stories, we can help to raise the profile of women engineers across the globe, and...

Posted: 20/05/2020

Adapting to ensure a continuation of service during COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect businesses and individuals globally, like everyone, we’ve been adapting as an organisation to ensure that we can continue to deliver important services to our valued customers, minimising the impact on their operations and projects.   We continue to follow UK and local Government guidelines...

Posted: 24/03/2020

Adapting to ensure a continuation of service: Our response to COVID-19

In light of recent developments and UK Government guidelines, we wanted to update our customers, suppliers and stakeholders about the measures we are taking to cope with the effects of COVID-19. We are following UK and local Government guidelines as well as public health advice as...

Posted: 02/03/2020

J.F. Lehman & Company acquires Global Marine Group

Global Marine Group (“GMG” or the “Company”), a leading provider of subsea cable installation and maintenance services to the telecommunications, offshore renewables, utility and oil & gas markets worldwide, is pleased to announce an affiliate of J.F. Lehman & Company (“JFLCO”), a leading middle-market private equity...

Posted: 31/01/2020

HC2 Holdings Announces Definitive Agreement to Sell Global Marine Group, Excluding the HMN Joint Venture, for $250 Million

The Global Marine Group is extremely pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached between HC2 and J.F. Lehman & Company with regards to the 100% sale of the company.  The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions being met, and is expected to close...

Posted: 13/01/2020

Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition Launches to Accelerate Global Offshore Wind Capacity

An international Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition has been formed to advance sustainable deployment of ocean-based renewable energy and mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change. Ocean based renewable energy – such as offshore wind, floating solar, tidal and wave power – could meet nearly 10%...

Posted: 18/12/2019

Renewable energy’s rising stars win seats on RenewableUK’s new Shadow Board

Global Offshore is pleased to share RenewableUK’s latest press release regarding the appointment of a new Shadow Board, including our Director of Marketing, Gail Clark. RenewableUK is setting up a Shadow Board, made up of rising stars in the clean energy sector, to provide a greater range of...

Posted: 30/09/2019

Global Offshore to support the installation of critically important infrastructure across the Pentland Firth

Global Offshore, a leading provider of cable installation, repair and trenching services to the offshore renewables, utilities and oil & gas markets, will be working with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) on their Pentland Firth East power cable installation project. The Pentland Firth is a...

Posted: 18/07/2018

Nurturing the next generation of engineers

For the last couple of weeks, Megan, an A level student from Great Baddow High School in Chelmsford, has been undertaking work experience within our Engineering Team based at our Head Office. As an engineering organisation, we strongly advocate participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and...