Offshore staff
CHAMPS-SUR-YONNE, France – Wellmann Group has completed transfer to a barge of what it claims is the heaviest-ever offshore oil and gas structure fabricated in Nigeria.
The 50 x 60-m (164 x 197-ft) topsides weighed 3,340 tons and was handled on four groups of synchronized Nicolas MHD SP modular trailers with 128 axle lines.
Nigerdock built the structure for Chevron.
“Transporting this structure was a very delicate job due to the really off centered position of the center of gravity,” said Pierre Berret, TII area manager sales in charge of North & Western African countries.
After lashing the topsides to the trailers it was lifted from its fabrication foundations which were welded onto the barge overnight.
The following morning the load was driven toward the jetty the next morning. When tidal conditions allowed, the hydrostatically driven MHD SP modules were driven on the access ramp and slowly rolled onto the ballasted barge.
One by one, the trailers’ axle lines reached the barge’s surface, synchronized with the deballasting operations. At sunset, the topsides was laying again on its original supporting foundations.
06/24/2016
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