Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Marine Spatial Planning, Subsea Cables and Submarine Pipelines glossary (page 2)

The subsea-infrastructure vocabulary: named submarine cable systems (AAE-1), HVDC cable technology, abandonment-and-recovery and aboveground pipelay installation methods, cable burial and protection, and the marine spatial planning terms that allocate seabed use. Grounds each term in the cable or pipeline installation operation it belongs to.

613 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 2 of 3).

I

Inflatable Pipe Plug: Tool used for isolating sections of subsea pipeline during repair or commissioning.
Inmarsat Cable Landing: Coastal sites supporting satellite ground stations also used as fiber landing points.
Inner Mongolia-Liaoning HVDC: Long-distance Chinese DC link with submarine crossings in coastal sections.
Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR): Service category for ROV-equipped vessels supporting subsea pipelines and cable systems.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1120: Guide for the planning, design, and installation of submarine power and communication cables.
Intecsea: Subsea engineering consultancy of Worley specializing in pipelines and risers.
Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA): 2,000 MW HVDC link between Sellindge, England, and Bonningues-lès-Calais, France, in service since 1986.
Interconnexion France-Angleterre 2 (IFA2): 1,000 MW HVDC submarine link between Tourbe, France, and Daedalus, Hampshire, energized in 2021.
International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC): Industry body for cable protection.
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO): Intergovernmental hydrographic body based in Monaco.
International Maritime Bureau (IMB): Division of the International Chamber of Commerce monitoring piracy threats relevant to cableship operations.
International Submarine Engineering (ISE): Canadian builder of ROVs and AUVs used for cable and pipeline surveys.
IRENE (cable system): Planned subsea cable from Italy to Greece supporting Mediterranean capacity expansion.
IRIS (submarine cable): Submarine cable connecting Ireland to Iceland, supporting Atlantic data center traffic.
IT Integrity: ITIT cable installation vessel of about 90 m length used in North American maintenance.
IT Intrepid: IT International Telecom cable installation and repair vessel based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Italgo Mediterranean Pipeline: Generic descriptor for trans-Mediterranean gas pipelines including TransMed and Greenstream.

J

J-Lay: Pipeline installation method that lowers pipe vertically through a tower for deepwater rigid lines.
J-Tube: Curved steel conduit on platform legs and monopiles through which cables and small pipelines transition between seabed and topside.
Jacking Frame: Tooling used during subsea pipeline tie-in spool installation to align flanges and hubs.
Japan Sea Spatial Plan: National marine spatial planning effort under Japan's Basic Act on Ocean Policy.
Jasper Cable System: Trans-Pacific cable connecting Japan to the US West Coast, also known as JGA-North/South in some references.
Jet Trencher: Tracked or skidded subsea vehicle that fluidizes seabed sediments to embed cables and small pipelines.
JF Brennan Company: US marine construction firm involved in inland and shallow-water cable and pipeline installations.
Jingyu Cable Ship: Cable maintenance vessel operated in Asian waters.
Joint Industry Project on Cable Burial (JIP CB): Research program coordinated by Carbon Trust to improve cable burial assessment.
Joint Sub-Committee on Submarine Cables (UNGA): UN sub-mechanism reviewing legal regimes for submarine cables.
Jumper: Short subsea pipe spool between tree and manifold or PLET.
Jurong Cable Landing: Singapore landing complex hosting Asia Pacific Gateway and other regional cables.

K

Kabel Trasses: German MSP shorthand for designated submarine cable route corridors in the EEZ.
Kafka Cable: Notional or internal cable project name used in industry routing studies.
Kasta-Cable Process: Trenching method using high-pressure water and air to embed cables in cohesive sediments.
KDDI Ocean Link: Cableship operated by KDDI Cable Ship, based in Yokohama, providing maintenance under YOCCMA.
KDDI Pacific Link: Cableship operating under the YOCCMA arrangement.
Keppel Channel Cable Landing: Singapore landing point integrated with regional cable systems.
Kerite Submarine Cable: Trade name historically associated with US power cable manufacture.
Key West Cable Landing: Florida landing for ARCOS-1 and other Caribbean systems.
Kingfisher Information Service (KIS-ORCA): Online tool providing UK fishing fleets with current offshore renewable and cable infrastructure data.
Kongsberg HUGIN AUV: Norwegian autonomous underwater vehicle widely used for pipeline and cable surveys.
Kontek: 600 MW HVDC submarine cable between Bjæverskov, Denmark, and Bentwisch, Germany, in service since 1995.
Kpone Cable Landing Station: Cable landing site in Ghana serving WACS and other West African systems.
KrisEnergy Cable Vessel: Misc industry vessel chartered for SE Asia cable work.
Kvaerner: Norwegian engineering firm historically active in subsea pipeline and platform design.

L

Land Use Plan for the Sea (Polish MSP): Poland's national marine spatial plan adopted in 2021 setting cable, pipeline, and wind zones.
Landfall: First sighting of land after ocean passage.
Lay Tension: Force applied along a cable or pipeline during installation to control catenary and touchdown stresses.
Layback: Horizontal distance between vessel and pipeline touchdown.
Leeward Cable Project: Proposed regional cable in Caribbean basin.
Leonardo da Vinci (CLV): Prysmian cable-lay vessel commissioned in 2021, with 17,000 t main turntable capacity for HVDC export cables.
Lewek Connector: Subsea construction vessel operated by EMAS-AMC, configured for reel-lay and heavy ROV operations.
Lewek Constellation: Heavy-lift, pipelay, and subsea construction vessel of EMAS Chiyoda Subsea.
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Bathymetry: Airborne survey method used for nearshore route planning where vessels cannot operate.
Liguria Cable Landing: Cable landing area near Genoa for Mediterranean systems including HAWK and IRIS.
Linkoping Cable: Reference to Swedish onshore links for HVDC submarine projects.
Lion Cable: See "C-Lion1".
LNG Bunkering Pipeline: Subsea or shore-to-ship pipeline transferring liquefied natural gas at bunkering terminals.
LNG Sub-Sea Pipeline: Cryogenic submarine pipeline studied for cross-bay LNG transfer projects.
LOOP Trunkline: Louisiana Offshore Oil Port pipeline system bringing crude oil from offshore SPM buoys to onshore caverns.
Lorelay: Allseas pipelay vessel of about 184 m length, with S-lay capability in water depths to roughly 2,200 m.
Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH): Cable sheath material standard used in some shore-end submarine cables for fire safety.
Lower Bend Section: Stinger or sagbend region of an S-lay pipeline where curvature is highest above the touchdown point.
Lyse Subsea: Norwegian operator of municipal HVDC and HVAC links in the Stavanger region.

M

MAGIC (Magnetic and Inertial Cable Localization): Technique for locating buried cables using a combination of magnetometer and inertial sensor data.
Maglog: Magnetic recording technology used on tracker ROVs to log magnetic anomalies indicating buried cables and ordnance.
MAREA: 6,600 km transatlantic submarine cable from Virginia Beach to Bilbao, owned by Microsoft, Meta, and Telxius, in service since 2018.
Marine Geomatics: Discipline integrating geodesy, hydrography, and GIS for cable and pipeline route engineering.
Marine Mammal Observer (MMO): Specialist on installation vessels monitoring marine mammals during seismic, piling, or jetting activities.
Marine Protected Area (MPA): Geographically defined area managed for conservation.
Marine Scotland: Scottish Government directorate that licenses subsea cables and pipelines in Scottish waters.
Marine Spatial Planning Directive 2014/89/EU: EU directive requiring member states to establish maritime spatial plans by 2021.
Marine Spatial Planning Programme (IOC-UNESCO): UN initiative providing guidance and tools for marine spatial planning in member states.
Marine Survey Operations Specifications (MSOS): Common contract document setting performance and reporting requirements for cable and pipeline surveys.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency: UK authority issuing notices to mariners covering cable-lay and pipelay operations in UK waters.
Maritime Limits and Boundaries (UNCLOS Article 76): Legal framework defining the outer limits of the continental shelf relevant to cable and pipeline jurisdiction.
MarLIN (Marine Life Information Network): UK marine biodiversity data source frequently consulted in MSP and EIA studies.
Mattress (Concrete): Articulated concrete mattress placed over cables or pipelines for protection at crossings and rocky exposures.
Mean High Water Springs (MHWS): Average level of all high waters at spring tides.
Mediterranean Submarine Cable (MedNautilus): Regional submarine cable network connecting Mediterranean countries with rings centered on Israel, Greece, and Italy.
Mendocino Cable Landing: California landing site historically used for trans-Pacific cables including the original SEA-US system.
Merger Tracking System (MTS): Industry shorthand for shipping AIS analytics used by cable insurers to track aggressive anchor scope behavior.
MESH (Mapping European Seabed Habitats): Research project providing seabed habitat maps used in MSP and cable EIA processes.
Methodology for Marine Spatial Planning (UNESCO IOC): Manual outlining a stepwise framework for developing marine spatial plans.
MIC (Maintenance Information Centre): Coordination point for regional cable maintenance consortia such as the Atlantic Cable Maintenance and Repair Agreement.
Mid Atlantic Subsea Cable: Reference to several systems crossing the central Atlantic from Africa to South America.
MIST Cable: Submarine cable between Singapore and Mumbai via Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia, operated by NTT.
Moho Nord Pipeline: Subsea oil pipeline from the Moho Nord development to the Alima terminal off Republic of the Congo.
Monjasa Pipeline: Bunker delivery infrastructure relevant in ship-to-ship operations.
Monobuoy Pipeline: Submarine pipeline serving a Single Point Mooring buoy for tanker cargo transfer.
MoonRing (cable system): Internal name used in trans-Atlantic capacity planning.
Morgan Wind Farm Export Cable: HVDC export cable route in the UK Irish Sea Round 4 zone.

N

National Grid Ventures: UK subsidiary of National Grid plc developing and operating subsea HVDC interconnectors including NSL, Viking Link, and IFA.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): US agency overseeing nautical charting and ocean management activities that interface with submarine cables and pipelines.
Natura 2000: EU network of protected areas under the Birds and Habitats Directives.
NauticAWT: Singapore-headquartered subsea consultancy providing pipeline engineering services.
NCC Vasa: Marine contractor active in subsea cable trenching in the Baltic.
NEMO Link: 1,000 MW HVDC interconnector between Richborough, UK, and Herdersbrug, Belgium, in service since 2019.
Neptune Pipeline System: Gas pipeline serving Gulf of Mexico deepwater developments operated by Enterprise Products.
Network Rail Cable Conflict: UK example of subsea telecom cables intersecting Channel Tunnel rail conduits.
Newhaven-Pourville Cable Landing: Cross-channel landing pair on the English Channel route.
NEXANS: French cable manufacturer producing HVDC and HVAC submarine power cables at its Halden facility in Norway.
Nexans Aurora: Cable-lay vessel of Nexans commissioned in 2021, with 10,000 t turntable capacity.
Nexans Skagerrak: Older Nexans cable installation vessel based in Norway.
Nigerian Cable Landing: West African landing area at Lagos hosting MainOne, WACS, ACE, and other cable systems.
Nile Cable: Subsea cable connecting Egypt's Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts for traffic between Europe and Asia.
Nile Crossing Pipeline: Subsea section of the Egypt to Jordan natural gas pipeline crossing the Gulf of Aqaba.
NKT: Danish manufacturer of HVDC and HVAC submarine power cables, with factories in Karlskrona, Sweden, and Cologne, Germany.
NKT Victoria: Cable installation vessel of NKT, commissioned in 2017, with 9,000 t turntable capacity.
No-Anchoring Area: Spatial designation prohibiting anchoring to protect submarine cables, pipelines, or sensitive habitats.
Nord Stream 1: Twin 1,224 km offshore gas pipelines between Vyborg, Russia, and Lubmin, Germany, commissioned in 2011-2012.
Nord Stream 2: Twin 1,234 km offshore gas pipelines following a parallel route to Nord Stream 1; sabotaged in September 2022.
NordBalt: 700 MW HVDC interconnector between Klaipėda, Lithuania, and Nybro, Sweden, in service since 2015.
NordLink: 1,400 MW HVDC submarine cable between Tonstad, Norway, and Wilster, Germany, fully commissioned in 2021.
Nordred: 1,000 MW HVDC interconnector planned between northern Germany and a Swedish landing point.
North Sea Link (NSL): 1,400 MW HVDC submarine cable between Blyth, England, and Kvilldal, Norway, in service since 2021.
North Sea Wind Power Hub: Concept consortium studying artificial island energy hubs for offshore wind integration.
Northern Lights Project: Norwegian CO2 transport and storage project with subsea pipeline to the Aurora storage complex offshore Bergen.
Notice to Mariners (NM): Periodical chart correction publication.

O

Ocean Cable Ship Operators Association: Industry forum for cable ship operators promoting safe operating practices.
Ocean Connect Cable: Reference name for an Australian-Pacific cable project announced in 2023.
OCEANIC (cable system): Subsea cable project connecting Italy to Tunisia and Algeria.
Octopus Energy Cable: Reference to Octopus Energy's investments in offshore wind export cable equity.
Off-Spec Cable Section (OSS): Cable length removed during repair when conductor or armor parameters drift outside acceptance limits.
Office of Cable Television and Broadcast Services (FCC): US regulator overseeing cable landing licenses, working with Team Telecom.
Offshore Cable Installation Vessel (OCIV): Vessel class encompassing modern dedicated cableships such as NKT Victoria and Leonardo da Vinci.
Offshore Construction Vessel (OCV): Vessel for subsea installation.
Offshore Pipeline Operators Committee (OPOC): US industry coordinator for Gulf of Mexico pipeline operations and emergency response.
Offshore Substation Platform (OSP): Platform collecting inter-array power and stepping up voltage for export to shore via subsea cable.
OFTO (Offshore Transmission Owner): UK regulatory regime separating ownership of offshore transmission assets, including export cables, from generation.
Olympus Field Pipeline: Subsea oil pipeline serving the Olympus TLP in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ondernemingsraad MSP: Dutch MSP advisory committee for North Sea spatial planning.
OneNet Cable: Internal regional cable upgrade project name.
Open Sea Operating Manual (OSOM): Pipelay vessel operating manual covering S-lay configuration parameters and contingency plans.
Operator's Cable Maintenance Agreement (OCMA): Bilateral arrangement between two cable operators for specific maintenance services.
OPGW (Optical Ground Wire) Submarine Crossing: Submarine variant of OPGW used at river or short estuary crossings combining a ground conductor with optical fibers.
OPRED: UK Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning, overseeing offshore pipeline environmental approvals.
Orca Cable: Norwegian cable infrastructure tied to North Sea data center expansion.
OSPAR Commission: Mechanism for cooperation under the OSPAR Convention protecting the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic, relevant to cable and pipeline EIA.
Otterstad Substation: Norwegian onshore landing facility relevant to HVDC interconnectors.
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA): US federal statute providing authority over mineral and energy activities including pipelines on the OCS.

P

Pacific Crossing-1 (PC-1): Trans-Pacific submarine cable between Japan and the United States operated by NTT.
Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN): Trans-Pacific cable between Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, and California, with operational segments after 2020 regulatory changes.
Pacific Pipeline Company: Operator of subsea and onshore pipelines in California's San Joaquin basin.
Pacific Sun Cable: Proposed undersea HVDC cable project to export solar power from Australia to Singapore.
Padding (pipeline): Layer of imported sand or gravel placed in a trench to support a pipeline during backfill.
PE-100 HDPE Pipe: Pipe material grade used in shallow-water cooling water and brine intake/outfall lines.
Peer Review Panel (MSP): Independent expert panel reviewing draft marine spatial plans for technical adequacy.
Penyu Pipeline: Subsea pipeline serving Petronas developments offshore Malaysia.
Perro Negro Pipeline: Saipem jack-up barge configured for pipelay in the Mediterranean and West Africa.
Petrobras Subsea Pipelines: Network of Brazilian flowlines and risers in the Campos, Santos, and Espírito Santo basins.
Pigging Loop: Subsea infrastructure enabling pigs to be launched and received for inspection of subsea oil and gas pipelines.
Pioneer Bay Pipeline: Subsea fuel pipeline at a coastal terminal in Western Australia.
Pioneering Spirit: Allseas dual-hull heavy-lift and pipelay vessel of 382 m length, capable of S-lay and J-lay.
Pipeline End Manifold (PLEM): Subsea structure connecting flowlines to a manifold for distribution among wells or platforms.
Pipeline End Termination (PLET): Structure at a pipeline end providing a flanged connection for tie-in spools and jumpers.
Pipeline Free Span Rectification: Use of rock dumping, grout bags, or mechanical supports to remediate free spans on submarine pipelines.
Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG): Tool inserted into a pipeline for cleaning, inspection, or batching, driven by product flow or by a pig launcher pressure.
Pipeline Pre-Lay Survey: Geophysical survey along the proposed pipeline route to confirm seabed conditions and any new hazards.
Pipeline Walking: Axial movement of a hot, high-pressure pipeline due to cyclic shutdown and start-up, mitigated by anchors or curve introduction.
Plate Anchor: Anchor type used in subsea pipeline anchoring systems and CALM buoy moorings.
Plough Trencher: Towed mechanical plough that opens a furrow on the seabed to install cables and small pipelines.
Plug and Abandon (P&A): Sealing a well permanently with cement plugs.
Polar Pipe Project: Conceptual northern subsea gas pipeline studied for Russian Arctic developments.
Poseidon Pipeline: Planned natural gas pipeline between Greece and Italy crossing the Ionian Sea.
Power Cable Tutorial (CIGRE): Educational reference for engineers working on HVDC and HVAC submarine power cables.
Pre-Lay Grapnel Run (PLGR): Procedure deploying a grapnel along the cable route to clear debris and disused fishing gear before installation.
Pre-Sweep Dredging: Dredging of cable or pipeline corridors prior to installation to remove obstructions or smooth ridges.
Production Riser: Conduit connecting a subsea well or pipeline to a topside production facility, typically flexible or rigid.
Project Apollo Cable: Trans-Pacific cable system between China and the US under regulatory review.
Project Glomar: Historical US deep-ocean program with seabed mapping relevant to later cable routing.
Protected Areas of the Mediterranean (SPAMI): Network under the Barcelona Convention restricting certain activities near submarine cables and pipelines.
Prysmian Group: Italian cable manufacturer producing HVDC, HVAC, and umbilical systems, with installation vessels including Leonardo da Vinci and Prysmian Cable Enterprise.
Pugachev Pipeline Incident: Pipeline integrity incident referenced in regulator training.

Q

Qatar Gas Pipeline: Submarine pipeline carrying processed gas from offshore Qatar to UAE under the Dolphin Energy project.
Quad Joint: Pipelay practice of welding four 12 m pipes into a 48 m quadruple joint to maximize lay rate on vessels such as Pioneering Spirit.
Quality Assurance for Cable Termination (QACT): Industry process verifying field-jointed terminations on submarine power cables.
Quantum Cable Project: Generic placeholder name occasionally used in cable industry presentations.
Quay-Side Loading: Loading of submarine cable onto an installation vessel directly from a manufacturing plant by adjacent berth.
Queensland Cable Landing: Australian landing region used by JGA-North, Coral Sea Cable, and Hawaiki.
Quench Pipeline: Cooling water pipeline at LNG and refinery offshore loading terminals.

R

Radial Inter-Array Cable: Inter-turbine cable arrangement in which turbines are connected in series back to an offshore substation.
Radio Holland Cable Comms: Maritime communications integrator supporting cableship operations.
RAM Mount Pipeline: Subsea jumper installation method using guideposts on adjacent structures.
RCS (Riser Compression System): Compression device used on top of dynamic risers for fatigue control.
Real Time Survey System (RTSS): Navigation and data acquisition system on cableships providing real-time positioning during installation.
Recovery Brake: Tensioning system on a cableship used to control descent of cable when paying out at sharp seabed features.
Reel-lay: Pipeline installation from a vertical reel onto seabed.
Reflag Cable Vessel: Vessel reflagged to operate in cabotage-restricted jurisdictions for cable repair.
REGAL Submarine Cable: Reference to a regional cable project in the Mediterranean.
Regional Marine Cable Maintenance Agreement: Multi-operator agreement sharing dedicated repair vessels in defined geographic zones.
Reliance Jio Cable System: Reference to cable assets including IAX and IEX serving India.
Repair Joint: Cable splice made to reinstate continuity at a damaged section, using a final-splice procedure.
REpositioning Cable Permit: Authorization for relocating an existing in-service cable to accommodate new infrastructure.
Restrictive Bottom Type: Seabed classification (e.g., very dense sand, cemented sediment, basalt outcrop) limiting cable burial methods.
Return Cable: Conductor on bipolar HVDC submarine cable schemes used during monopole operation or in metallic-return mode.
Rio Cable System: Brazilian submarine cable references in regional connectivity studies.
Riser Base Manifold: Subsea structure at the foot of a riser connecting multiple pipelines.
Riser Tensioner: Compensator maintaining tension on drilling riser.
River Crossing Subsea Cable: Cable installed under inland waterways using HDD or trenching, often included in MSP for estuarine areas.
Rock Berm: Engineered mound of rock placed over a cable or pipeline using fall-pipe vessels for impact protection or stabilization.
Rock Fall Pipe Vessel (RFPV): Specialized vessel delivering controlled rock placement onto subsea pipelines and cables.
ROV-Equipped Cable Recovery Vessel: Cableship configured with deepwater work-class ROVs for grapnel runs and cable cutting.
Royal IHC Trencher Range: Series of subsea trenching machines used in cable installation worldwide.

S

S-Lay: Pipelay method using a stinger to control the overbend at the vessel stern and a sagbend at the seabed touchdown.
SAIL (cable system): 6,000 km submarine cable connecting Cameroon and Brazil, in service since 2018.
Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez Cable Landing: French Atlantic landing for Dunant and other transatlantic cables.
Saipem 7000: Semi-submersible crane vessel capable of heavy-lift and J-lay pipelay operations, owned by Saipem.
Saipem FDS2: Deepwater pipelay vessel of Saipem with vertical lay system for rigid pipelines.
SAS Cable System: Reference to subsea cables under regulatory or planning review in Southern Asia.
Scour Protection: Rock or mattress placed at the base of offshore foundations to prevent seabed erosion that would expose cables.
Scrubbed Spar Pipeline: Subsea pipeline serving spar platforms in the Gulf of Mexico after compositional treatment.
Sea Cable Trencher SMD-Q1500: Subsea-Marine-Developments cable trencher used widely in inter-array installation.
Sea Charm Submarine Cable: Internal name used by a regional cable consortium.
SEA-ME-WE 3: 39,000 km submarine cable connecting Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe, in service since 1999.
SEA-ME-WE 4: 18,800 km cable from France to Singapore commissioned in 2005.
SEA-ME-WE 5: 20,000 km cable from France to Singapore commissioned in 2016.
SEA-ME-WE 6: Planned 19,200 km submarine cable from Singapore to Marseille announced in 2022.
Sea-Us: 15,000 km submarine cable linking Indonesia, the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii, and the US mainland, in service since 2017.
Seabed Lease: Property right granted by a state authority such as the Crown Estate for cable, pipeline, or wind installation.
Seabed Owner: Body holding rights over the seabed, in the UK predominantly the Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland.
Seacom Cable System: 17,000 km submarine cable connecting eastern Africa with Europe and Asia, in service since 2009.
Seacrest Cable: Reference to a planned cable project in the South China Sea region.
Sealing End: Termination unit at the end of a submarine power cable transitioning to onshore cable or to a transformer bushing.
Seismic Risk Assessment: Engineering study assessing fault crossings and tsunami exposure along submarine cable and pipeline corridors.
Self-Burial: Process by which an exposed cable or pipeline becomes naturally embedded over time due to sediment transport.
Service Operations Vessel (SOV): Vessel supporting offshore wind operations and frequently providing cable inspection services.
SES (Subsea Environmental Survey): Environmental sampling campaign along cable and pipeline corridors for benthic baseline.
Sevan Driller Pipeline Tie-in: Reference example in offshore tie-in engineering training.
Shape Memory Coupling: Connector technology for repair of subsea pipelines using shape memory alloys for sealing.
Shellfish Closure Area: MSP designation requiring cable installation outside critical shellfish habitats and harvest zones.
Shielded Cable Joint: Submarine cable joint design using copper shields and resin filling for HVDC connections.
Shore End Cable: Heavily armored section of a submarine cable installed in the surf zone and shallows up to the BMH.
Sibley Cable Landing: New Zealand landing site for Southern Cross and Hawaiki cables.
Single Point Mooring (SPM) Buoy Pipeline: Subsea pipeline transferring crude oil between an SPM buoy and a shoreline tank farm.
Site Investigation Campaign: Combined geophysical and geotechnical survey defining engineering parameters along cable and pipeline routes.
Skagerrak HVDC: Series of HVDC submarine cables between Norway and Denmark commissioned between 1976 and 2014, totaling 1,700 MW.
Skidding System: Topside system on pipelay vessels for moving long stalks of pipe across the firing line.
SkyConnect Cable: Internal name for proposed cable infrastructure linking aerial and submarine fiber assets.
Sledge Hammer Penetrometer (PCPT): Geotechnical tool used during cable route surveys to measure soil resistance for burial planning.
Slip Joint: Telescoping pipeline joint absorbing thermal expansion in subsea systems.
SMD Quasar Trencher: Subsea trenching machine used on inter-array cable installation, capable of trenching cables to about 3 m depth.
Snake-Lay: Cable or pipeline installation profile incorporating planned curves to absorb thermal expansion.
Snefrid Nord Pipeline: Subsea tie-back to the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea.
SoCalEdison Catalina Cable: Submarine power cable serving Catalina Island from the Southern California mainland.
Solitaire: Allseas pipelay vessel of 397 m length, the world's largest pipelay vessel by tonnage and lay tension.
Sound Speed Profile (SVP): Vertical profile of sound speed in the water column required for multibeam survey calibration.
Southern Cross Cable Network: 30,500 km Pacific cable system connecting Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, and the US West Coast, in service since 2000.
Southern Cross NEXT: 13,700 km supplementary trans-Pacific cable activated in 2022 with direct routes to Kiribati and Tokelau.
Span Rectification: Installation of grout bags, sand bags, or mechanical supports to mitigate pipeline free spans.
Spitsbergen Cable: Two parallel submarine cables connecting Svalbard with mainland Norway, commissioned in 2003-2004; a 2022 outage led to repair operations.
Spool Base: Onshore facility where rigid pipe is welded into long stalks for spooling onto reel-lay vessels.