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BACK FROM THE DEEP

An emergency gas line shutdown system, on the bottom of the North Sea for the past ten years, has returned to its original designers and manufacturers, Halifax based KT Hydraulics for refurbishment.

One of three supplied by KTH in the late 1980s, the system was recently replaced by KTH as part of the overall £40,000 refurbishment contract.

The two tonne emergency system, the first to be installed after the Piper Alpha disaster, has been submerged in 40 metres of water. It provided safety back-up to a 30 inch pipeline linked to an extraction platform off the Yorkshire coast. Work will include the total refurbishment of all hydraulic systems and pressure vessels, pressure testing of all components along with replacement of seals and the preparation and repainting of all external surfaces. The contract also included the re-commissioning of the spare system and supervision of its installation on the sea bed, a task carried out by KTH using a diving support vessel to supervise a team of divers working in six hour shifts.