Stabilization mechanism for power cables and control umbilicals

An artificial cable trench (ACT) configured to be used in conjunction with a cable associated with an oil and/or gas installation, the ACT comprising:

• a body having a trench formed as an internal cavity into the body, the trench being configured to receive the cable such that the body of the ACT and the cable have longitudinally aligned axes, wherein:
• the ACT comprises one or more flexible protection covers situated about the trench in the body of the ACT,
• the one or more flexible protection covers are configured as one or more resilient flaps, each resilient flap having anisotropic flexion such that the resilient flap is configured to more readily flex in a first direction than in a second direction, and
• the shape of ACT is configured to reduce or prevent displacement of the cable through resistance to flow induced loads.

A method of stabilizing a cable along a seabed or shoreline, the method comprising:

• positioning the cable within an artificial cable trench (ACT), the ACT comprising a body having a trench formed as an internal cavity, the trench being configured to receive the cable such that the body of the ACT and the cable have parallel longitudinal axes;
• and
• positioning the ACT and the cable along the seabed or shoreline, and wherein the shape of the ACT is configured to reduce or prevent displacement of the cable through resistance to flow induced loads, wherein:
• the ACT comprises one or more flexible protection covers situated about the trench in the body of the ACT,
• the flexible protection covers are configured as resilient flaps, and
• the resilient flaps are connected to the body of the ACT within the trench at a location vertically below an uppermost edge of the body of the ACT.