SiRCoS is designed for pipelines with diameters between 20" and 32" at a depth between 50 and 2,200 meters below sea level and in conditions of near-zero visibility on the bottom.
SiRCoS specifications cover pipeline made with material grade up to API 5L X70 equivalent, coated with anticorrosive coating and with a concrete weight coating thickness up to 100 mm.
According to the morphology of the sea bottom, the modules can operate with a transversal inclination up to 10° and longitudinal up to 15° for a Spool Piece or 30° for a Repair Clamp.

The complete equipment for Local Repair o Short Repair includes the following components:

• CIE (Common Intervention Equipment) – common to all the pipelines
  
  • 2 Isolated Hydraulic Power Units (IHPU)
  • 1 Cutting Tool (CT)
  • 4 H-Frames
  • 1 Coating Removal Module (CRM)
  • Module of Installation for End Connector/Forging Tool (MICF) and Repair Clamp (MICR)
  • Module of Installation for Spool Piece (MISP)
  • Buoy for Spool Piece (DWBU)
• RPC (Repair Pipe Components) – specific for the single pipeline
  
  • 1 Repair Clamp
  • 1 Spool Piece (2 for Long Repair)
  • 2 End Connector (4 for Long Repair)
• Forging Tool – specific for the single pipeline

All operations are performed by ROV (Remote Operated Vehicles) units connected by IHPU to different forms and operated in real time by a vessel.

SiRCoS can operate in different ways, depending on the extension and the entity of the damage occurred:

•  in case of localized damage (Local Repair) and no need to replace a section of pipeline, SiRCoS can installate a clamp (Repair Clamp), acting either as leak clamp to stop a leak or as strengthen clamp to strength a weakened section;
• in case of larger damages to the subsea trunk line, SiRCoS can replace a pipe section; this intervention can be short, in terms of roughly a line pipe length (Short Repair), or long, virtually with no limitation in the pipeline length to be replaced (Long Repair). The Short Repair is performed by inserting one Spool Piece connected to the pipeline by two End Connectors forged onto both pipe ends. In case of Long Repair, the Spool Piece and the End Connectors become respectively two and four; they are inserted at the terminations of a newly deployed section of the pipeline.

For future operations on the pipeline system, after the repair intervention made by SiRCoS the pipeline remains piggable.

The construction of SiRCoS required almost 4 years. During that time a huge amount of tests was carried out both by engineering approach, laboratory tests, and full scale tests on reduced connectors to investigate and solve different issues. Most of the effort was devoted to verify the load resistance and the seal capacity of the connection system.
In order to complete the test and verification of the whole repair system, during summer 2007, Shallow Water Tests were performed in Trieste. The aim of the tests was to demonstrate the underwater capabilities and functionality of the main system elements by means of simulated repair components installation.
All those efforts led to the certification of the connection technology, made by DNV (Det Norske Veritas ), in compliance with the standards DNV OS-F101 "Submarine Pipeline System" and DNV RP-F113 "Pipeline Subsea Repair" (edition 2007). In addition to the compliance with the DNV Standard and Recommended Practice, the developed and constructed RPCs obtained both the Product Certification and the Type Approval Certification from DNV. Of the two, the latter is a certification related to the engineering and design process that certifies the method adopted rather than the product itself. It is hence wider and applicable for, virtually, every other RPCs to be designed and manufactured.
The Intellectual Property of SiRCoS and any of its future developments belongs to Eni.

Once all the testing, reviewing activities and certification were finished, SiRCoS moved into a new dimension and started its operational phase.
By means of the Lease and License Agreements, Eni respectively leases out to Saipem Energy Services (SES) the CIE for the execution of the Repair Services to pipeline operators which have signed the Repair Service Contract and grants SES the utilisation of SiRCoS technology and its know-how.
The Repair Service is an articulated tool that helps the clients to have SiRCoS and the entire ancillary services ready for use and activated upon client's demand. Such services include, for instance, the Pre- and Post-Intervention activities or other engineering studies and procedures that can also concur to further reduce the supply interruption time, if already planned and available.
The repair Service Contract manages the storage, maintenance and periodical testing of all the SiRCoS equipment (CIEs, RPCs and Forging Tools) and the continuous training of the team that is assigned to SiRCoS on a priority base and always available for offshore mobilisation.