A new tailored design specifications for on-bottom stability together with additional stabilization of sub-sea power cable in shallow water

This study proposes innovative customized design parameters for Gulf subsea composite power cables deployed on dense sand and rocky seabed. Subsea power cables often lack design and stability criteria, unlike subsea rigid pipes, which follow DNV-ST-F101, DNV-RP-F109 , and British standards. Flexible, lightweight cable networks may not meet mechanical characteristics and stability requirements using stiff pipeline-centric approaches. This study studies the complex interaction of cable geometry, seabed topography, hydrodynamic forces, and cable-soil contact friction in the Middle East to evaluate subsea composite power cable stability. Field data, design case studies, and advanced numerical models have examined cables that shift, curve, undulate, or lose tension due to poor embedment and unstable contact surfaces with uneven, rocky substrates. A stony or tightly compacted sandy ground makes trenching or cable burying or rock dumping impossible. This study forecasts flexible cable system dynamic on-bottom stability over rocky seabed using ABAQUS commercial finite element software. To determine their conservatism and application to cables, we compare the results to rigid pipeline standards DNV-RP-F109 and DHI . Simulation results are supported by empirical and operational data from nearby cable installations. Subsea cable design methods and standards in rocky environments were found to be lacking. Cable routing should be improved to reduce unsupported spans and maximize seafloor contact. Due to the Gulf's difficult and uneven seabed, offshore energy must solve cable-specific design standards. The proposed methods aim to improve subsea cable installation safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance to meet Middle Eastern demand for resilient subsea infrastructure.