Installing a water intake head under the ice of Lake Bolshoy Vudyavr
Installation of a water intake head for the PhosAgro mining plant on Lake Bolshoy Vudyavr near Kirovsk. The work was carried out mainly under the ice: through a cut in the ice the divers lowered the new head, secured it on the bottom and connected it to the pipeline.
67.620° N, 33.670° E
- Site
- Lake Bolshoy Vudyavr, Kirovsk, Murmansk Region
- Client
- PhosAgro mining plant
- Scope
- installation of a new water intake head and connection to the pipeline
- Conditions
- winter, work under the ice through a cut
The task
A water intake is critical infrastructure for a mining and processing plant: the water supply of the whole production process depends on it working. On Lake Bolshoy Vudyavr near Kirovsk a new intake head had to be installed — the structure lowered to the bottom, secured there and connected to the pipeline.
What made the project unusual was the timing: the work fell in winter. Waiting for open water would have stopped the project for months, so the installation was carried out directly under the ice, through a cut.
Why winter installation is an advantage, not a compromise
Working off the ice often worries clients, but for a diving spread a solid ice cover is a ready-made working platform directly above the installation point. No floating crane and no anchor moorings are needed, there is no swell or rolling, and the entry point sits exactly over the object. The price for this is harsh conditions on the surface: Arctic frost, wind and a short daylight period. Those risks are handled by how the site is set up.
How the work went
- 1
Assembling the structures ashore
The head and the pipeline sections were assembled in advance — partly in the workshop, partly on the lake shore. Every joint was checked before the lift: putting something right underwater takes many times longer and costs far more than on land.
- 2
Cutting the ice and building the shelter
A cut was made in the ice for the dive entry, and a heated shelter was built over it: an insulated enclosure housing the entry platform, the gear and the dive control station. The shelter protects divers and equipment from the frost and stops the opening freezing over.
- 3
Surveying the bottom
Before installation the divers surveyed the bottom at the chosen point and confirmed that the bed was ready to take the structure.
- 4
Lowering and positioning the head
The head was lowered through the ice opening and positioned by the divers at the design level. Every movement of the structure was monitored by the supervisor over the underwater video link: he saw the picture in real time and directed the divers.
- 5
Securing and connecting to the pipeline
The divers secured the head on the bottom and connected it to the pipeline. The joint was checked and recorded on underwater video.
- 6
Handover
The client received a complete set of documentation with photo and video evidence of every stage of the installation.
The outcome
The new intake head was installed, secured and connected to the pipeline without waiting for the ice to clear — the project kept to its schedule. The client received documentation with photo and video evidence of every stage.
The job shows that winter and ice are not a reason to postpone underwater work: with the site properly organised, the ice becomes a stable platform right above the object.
How the work went — shots from site
Need a water intake installed or repaired — in summer or under the ice? Describe the site and we will send an engineer to survey it and prepare a quotation. We work across the Murmansk Region.
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