History

SEA S.r.l. (SEA) is an Italian Company, founded in 1992, highly specialised in sea trenching works.

Its Technical Director, Mr. Franco Ballestri started to develop the first trenching and dredging systems in 1970. A pioneer in Italy when it came to studying, designing, building and introducing the “post trenching system” to bury underwater pipelines and cables. His methods have been so innovative and functional that today all the post-trenching machines in Italy and in the world follow his technology.

SEA can also count on the collaboration of around 50 employees having different roles and competences.

The experience, combined with a team of young engineers and technicians, allows SEA to be a continuously evolving company, focused on the search for new systems and equipment.

The Company’s headquarters are in Ravenna, with offices and a workshop of approx. 1000 m² where the equipment is designed and built.

Moreover, SEA has collaboration agreements in place with other Companies in Europe (SERVIZI ECOLOGICI AFFOSSAMENTI SEA MALTA LTD.) and in South America (SEA BRASIL SERVIÇOS SUBMARINOS LTDA in Brazil and SEA S.R.L. SUCURSAL URUGUAY in Uruguay) that put their offices/bases at disposal to SEA’s operations in various countries all over the world:

  • Malta plays a fundamental role being in the centre of the Mediterranean sea, as hub for SEA’s operations in the Mediterranean Strait and specifically in the North Africa Area. 
  • South America, in particular, Brazil, is an important base for all of SEA’s activities in support to all the area, and it’s here where the last main projects have been carried out. In Rio de Janeiro, SEA can count on spacious offices and on a warehouse.

SEA is well connected to the biggest Petrol and Construction Companies, thanks to having successfully completed various projects (including different types of shore approaches) in many countries (Brazil, Nigeria, Russia etc.).

The Companies work in compliance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 specifications.

Services

SEA differs from other companies in the same field because it can offer a complete service, including the design and building of its machinery (supervising the engineering part) and execution of trenching works.

SEA’s main characteristic is the extreme versatility of its machines, which are suitable to perform trenches in most types of sea beds and with pipelines of various diameters.

SEA has always been capable of solving all problems encountered during project execution, thanks to the company’s dynamicity, technical readiness and continuous development of its equipment.

SEA’s main activities are the following:

  • Burial of sea lines using the post-trenching method:
    • from 3” to 60” in diameter;
    • bundled lines;
    • piggy-backed lines.
  • Shore approaches using Post-trenching and Pre-trenching systems, even in very hard seabed (limestone rock, coral, calcarenite and cemented sand) without having to rely on a cofferdam for support, thanks to the RACK, SEA’s new patented technology;
  • Laying and burial of electrical and power cables and optic-fibre cables;
  • Uncovering of sea lines and cables;
  • River crossings;

Certificates

SEA works in compliance with ISO 9001 standards and follow the ISO 14001 specifications whilst working towards obtaining the environmental certification (OHSAS 18001).

SEA has always worked according to certain Quality and Safety standards, which naturally brought the Company to become certified ISO 9001:2008 in November 2010, (which is always renewed through internal and external audits carried out by the Competent Organizations). Being in contact with the major Construction Companies in the World (multi-national companies in the Offshore sector, such as BP, Saipem, Petrobras, Petrofac, Global Industries, Acergy), SEA has made international Quality and Safety requirements a basis for its own way of working.

SEA’s Quality Management System is certified for the following field activities:

PROVISION OF INSTALLATION AND TRENCHING SERVICES OF PIPES, ELECTRICAL POWER CABLES AND FIBRE OPTIC CABLES IN AN UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT.

Policy

SEA S.r.l.’s Top Management believes Quality to be a cornerstone in the Company’s strategy and promotes commitment to Quality at all organizational levels. Aware of its leadership role, Top Management spreads and supports commitment to meet the requirements of the Quality Management System and to improve its effectiveness. Moreover, the Top Management communicates, to the entire organization, project development tasks, bid submission, carrying out work supervision and project management of all Company projects.

The Quality of the carried-out activities and tasks, the Environmental Safeguard and the Health & Safety of the workers have always been SEA S.r.l.’s main targets.

The UNI EN ISO 9001:2008 certification, which is at the core of the Company’s development policies, allows reached targets to be developed further, and is initially put into action through Client’s expectations and through defining all of the Company’s targets and all subsequent individual sub-targets, which are constantly monitored by specific markers.

Commitments

The Top Management mostly focuses its commitment on the prevention of any potential non-conformity, by optimizing managerial and order handling organization, and in doing so, by granting a constant safeguard of the processes and of the activities that are in any way, connected to the Quality of the provided services.
The Top Management considers as priority, before all else, the target of “Client Satisfaction”, which is subject to constant attention, in order to grant the compliance with the specified requirements and to satisfy the legal and regulatory instructions that are possibly applicable.
The Client’s orientation and satisfaction are granted through:

  • Attention to the Market, in order to correctly interpret and anticipate Clients’ future needs related to the development of the organizational models, that have been undertaken through the activities that Clients are engaged in;
  • Technical and professional expertise of the assigned personnel, in order to provide the Client with all useful information for his/her operational and developmental choices;
  • Use of innovative technologies and of constantly advanced components, which are efficient and comply with specific Client’s needs and with applicable binding requirements;
  • Meeting processing lead-times regarding preliminary Planning & Development activities of equipment and distribution systems;
  • Promptness in dealing with any issue and any incomprehension, and in finding most suitable solutions;
  • Giving maximum availability towards the Client, so that he/she can also improve his/her own commercial, economic and financial results, by taking advantage of the Company’s competence and experience.

In line with the above-mentioned targets, considering Personnel’s professional skills and the efficiency of technology, Top Management has identified valuable resources to fully satisfy its own Clients’ requirements and therefore plans to lead the Company to a constant organizational and methodological growth.

For this purpose, the Top Management commits itself so that in the Company:

  • A professional and safe work environment is guaranteed;
  • A “Team Spirit” is nurtured and ingrained, encouraging competence and creativity to every worker;
  • Most skilled and motivated workers are appreciated, in order to orientate the Company’s performance towards success;
  • Needs and suggestions of workers are evaluated and satisfied, if in line with Company needs.

In order to meet the above-mentioned targets, the Top Management constantly plans and puts in place the introduction of new and better Client-aimed services and systems through Planning and Realization processes. This is made possible by building constant collaboration relationships with goods & service suppliers, and by putting in force continuous involvement, training and updating activities for personnel, at any level and specifically of personnel involved in processes that have an impact on the Quality of services offered.
The personnel is therefore required to comply with what reported in the Quality Manual, for activities he/she is concerned with, and with Quality Manual-related documentation (procedures, instructions and specifications), and to carry out the foreseen registrations.
Each SEA S.r.l.’s worker is moreover committed in providing a service of irreproachable quality, not only towards external Clients, but also towards other colleagues and partners.

Targets

The Quality Policy that is defined by the Top Management, in line with the other Company Policies, sets the following general targets:

  1. Client satisfaction;
  2. Personnel satisfaction, by acknowledgment of the met results and by definition and implementation of professional growth plans;
  3. Guarantee of Health & Safety conditions at the workplace;
  4. Partners’ satisfaction, by improvement of economic and financial results, and by granting full compliance with all applicable regulations;
  5. Quality System improvement.

The Top Management’s Quality Policy commitments, which are included in the present document, will be turned into a system of yearly identifiable and measurable targets, as part of a specific Development Plan, for which the Top Management commits itself and guarantees the supply of all necessary support and resources.

The Quality Policy is notified to personnel by display, which is visible to all in an accessible area, and through periodical meetings.

Activities

In order to ensure meeting the above-mentioned commitments and targets, the Top Management has nominated the Quality Manager, as responsible for activities regarding adjustment, maintenance and improvement of the Quality Management System.
In carrying out his/her task, the Quality Manager can request and count on the support of the assigned Managers.
The Quality Manager will arrange periodical audits on the Quality Management System, in order to check its suitability and to detect possible needs for adjustment and for improvement.

In this regard, the Top Management ensures:

  • Monitoring and checking of the yearly Quality Policy targets;
  • Re-evaluation of the Quality Policy (on yearly basis);
  • Evaluation of the suitability of the Quality System and of suggestions made regarding possible adjustments and/or improvements to the Quality System structure (on yearly basis);
  • Verification of the Client’s requirements (through Client-satisfaction tests or self-evaluation tests).