11/08/2026
Subsea Severance: Cutting 85 mm–112 mm Anchor Chain Under Tensio
Cutting large-diameter anchor chain subsea presents severe operational and equipment risks, particularly when working in a vertical orientation under tension or inside a restricted chain table.
To overcome these challenges during recent offshore campaigns, TMT engineered and deployed two dedicated ROV-operated tooling configurations:
✅ Horizontal Cutting: A custom-clamped Diamond Wire Saw (DWS) equipped with protective guarding to isolate the cut and preserve adjacent chain links for reuse.
✅ Vertical Cutting Under Tension: An ROV-managed hydraulic chopsaw with optimised blade geometry, tailored motor flow/pressure parameters, and direct hot-stab control circuits to remain securely attached post-separation.
Both systems were proven offshore, delivering precise severance on schedule while protecting equipment integrity throughout the process.
Read the full case study to see how custom subsea tooling and controlled testing mitigate operational risk: https://www.tmtrov.com/case-studies/tmt-solving-complex-anchor-chain-cutting-operations/