Retropod is designed to reduce installation time for anode retrofit projects, cutting costs significantly.
The Retropod is an aluminum anode system arranged in stable, self-contained "pods" which are ideal for replacing depleted anodes on mature assets. The pods are lowered to the sea floor and connected electrically to the protected asset via the Retroclamp system.
Protect multiple pieces of subsea equipment with a single RetroPod and multiple RetroClamps.
Fixed platforms in medium water depths can be protected with Retropods deployed on the seafloor.
Retropod has been built to deliver up to 18 amps of current, perfect for flow lines in deeper water.
The Retropod can be installed in less than a quarter of the time it would take to install an equivalent amount of cathodic protection anodes using traditional methods.
Retropod's speed of installation is the key to its success, as installation costs dominate budgeting for most anode retrofit projects.
The ease of installation using Retroclamps makes the Retropod system incredibly cost-effective in comparison to underwater welding or other methods of attachment.
Retropod's design reduces the retrofit’s installed cost to approximately one-third of a conventional clamp-on fix. The arrangement of the anodes in the pod also maximizes the current output of the aluminum, requiring less of what is becoming a very expensive metal.
With the Retropod, there is no direct diver interaction with the heavy aluminum anodes. A crane lowers the Pod onto the sea floor and the diver simply installs the Retroclamp Tie-Back. The clamp can also be installed via ROV.
Retropod's modular construction allows simple re-configuration for 10 to 25-year-life extensions in five-year increments. This can be done by selecting either 325 lb or 725 lb anodes for each of the four available slots on the pod.
The traditional bolted clamp-on anodes used to retrofit offshore platforms add significant weight and drag to an already aging structure. A Retropod sits adjacent to the structure on the sea floor.
Our traditional Retropod works well where there are not strong currents, such as when it’s used for subsea production equipment, deep-water flow lines and for platforms in calm water environments like the Gulf of Thailand, the Red Sea and at certain depths in the Gulf of Mexico. As an alternative for shallow-water locations with
strong currents that could pose a risk of tipping, such as those found in depths between 110 and 200 feet in the Gulf of Mexico, Deepwater offers the Retropod Low Profile. It features anodes identical to those on the taller pods, only arrayed in a horizontal configuration that’s more stable in high-current environments.
Retropod was designed to replace the dual clamp-on anode by installing twice as many anodes in half the time on the seafloor.
Retropod can be assembled with local anodes at the shore base and quickly mobilized to the field.
Each Retropod is installed in one and a half hours on average.
Retropod can be shipped as a kit, which – along with local aluminum anodes and labor – will satisfy content requirements.
The Retropod can be installed easily by diver or ROV.
Retropod system design life is 10 – 30 years (depending on customer requirements).
One of two aluminum alloys utilizing chemical compositions unique for performance in either cold, deep water (Deep 7), or tropical environments (Deep 10).
