Swedish Technology Review

Turbines for FPSOs and compression

ABB Stal's industrial gas turbines are used extensively within the oil and gas industry. The GT35 is used for power generation at three fields in the Norwegian North Sea and has just been selected for Conoco UK's Banff FPSO. Stal turbines drive compressors at three other UK fields. The light industrial gas turbines GT35 (17MW) and GT10 (25MW) offer high reliability and low maintenance costs. Time between overhaul is 80,000 hours for operation on gas fuel and base load. Experience from up to 15 years' operation of GT35s on Elf's Frigg and BP Norge's Ula fields has proven availability of better than 98% during this period. Circle 51 on Reader Service Card

Crude oil treatment by Alfa Laval

The recent supply of three LEO centrifuge systems for dehydration of crude oil for a major North Sea EWT project is a major step forward for this technology. LEO can handle heavy crude with densities of less than 22 API. This technique could open up more of the 70-odd marginal fields in the North Sea so far not considered viable. Another success story for Alfa Laval is the containerized supply of two CHPX 510 centrifuge systems as part of a crude fuel oil separation package for the power plant for Repsol's NC-115 project in Libya, 800 km south of Tripoli. Circle 52 on Reader Service Card

Offshore lift design

With 50 years' experience, Alimak is a world-leading manufacturer of lifts based on rack and pinion drive technology. Alimak entered the offshore market in 1974 and has since delivered about 500 lifts to this market. Two key factors are behind this success: the unique characteristics of the rack & pinion drive principle and Alimak's capacity and experience in providing the technical and administrative support for the offshore industry's stringent demands. Recent orders include lifts for the Njord and Visund semisubmersible platforms. Circle 53 on Reader Service Card

Stainless steels for Troll

Avesta Sheffield is a major supplier of stainless steel with production facilities in Sweden, the UK and USA. Turnover in 1996 was $2.4 billion. The product range comprises stainless steel sheet, plate, tube, pipe, fittings, flanges and welding consumables. The company offers a wide range of special grades including duplex and super-austenitic steels. Major deliveries last year included the Njord, Visund and Oseberg East projects offshore Norway. Deliveries to the Troll C project start this year. Circle 54 on Reader Service Card

ROV with 360° movement

The lead in technology held by Sutec has been achieved by combining four essential ingredients - continuous development, the application of aircraft control technology, underwater technology and the requirements of the users. As a result, Sutec produces complete ROV systems that are versatile and technically adaptable. Because of their unique, all-attitudes 360 degrees freedom of movement, Sutec's ROVs can be used in applications that are impossible for underwater vehicles designed with conventional technology. By working closely with the end-users of both environmental and offshore applications, Sutec has interfaced and developed tools and sensors for its systems. Circle 55 on Reader Service Card

Drawworks brake servo prevents wear and tear

Lidan Engineering draw works brake system. [11,642 bytes]

Lidan Engineering has successfully substituted the heavy manual handling of the 5-ft long braking bar with a user-friendly joystick precision control. Control sensitivity and maximum resolution of the brake mechanism is focussed on the narrow segment of the stroke travel, where the braking torque is in fact created. The servo control stand is adjustable to ergo nomically suit also a sitting driller. Lidan's Hydraulic Brake Servo type DBA, which can be adopted for all recognized brands of drawworks, is developed on the basis of many years of experience. The first brake servo was inmplemented in 1985 on Transocean's Vildkat rig. Circle 56 on Reader Service Card

Vessel structure analysis

Late in 1996, DynoMar merged with the Swedish engineering group Caran's structural analysis department. The new merged company is known as Caran Dynamics, and offers offshore clients a complete analysis service within the field of marine engineering. These services will be provided by qualified engineers using the latest engineering software and hardware. Caran Dynamics' specialty is design and operational aspects of floating vessels. The Caran group can also provide complete engineering work from industrial design to complete detail design drawings, including models and prototypes. Circle 57 on Reader Service Card

Low weight, compact diesel engines

Hedemora Diesel Engines, with output from 1,000 kW to 2,500 kW, are ideal for offshore applications. They have low weight, compact design and have successfully undergone 35 degree inclination tests. Hedemora Diesel also distributes gas engines with output from 200 kW to 2,000 kW. The company is certified to ISO 9001 and has long experience in maintenance of engines in a wide range of applications, ensuring engine users fast and professional service. The personnel are well educated to handle service offshore. Circle 58 on Reader Service Card

Floating production vessels

GVA Consultants specializes in design and engineering of offshore floaters and ships. It has an extensive background in floating production vessels. Among these is the purpose-designed FPU GVA 4500 Petrobras XVII, onstream since June 1994. Currently, the company is engaged in the design of two Umoe/GVA 8000 floaters for Norsk Hydro's Visund and Troll C developments. GVA 4500 and GVA 5800 are among the drilling rig designs offered for deepwater operation, with dynamic positioning as an option. Other areas of expertise include conversions, monohulls and turrets. Circle 59 on Reader Service Card

Foinaven swivels suppress mooring line torque

Moorlink, formed in 1995, offers cost-effective, tailored solutions to various mooring requirements. Its track record includes the supply of 11 buoy swivel connections for the FPSO Petrojarl Foinaven, due to start operating shortly in the harsh waters west of the Shetlands. The swivels minimize the effect of the torque built up in the 135-mm mooring wires and also connects the 40-ton subsurface buoys to the mooring lines. Other products include wire clamps for fitting of support buoys, clamps for umbilical pull-ins, chain/chain and chain wire connnection plates. Moorlink also provides structural design including fatigue assessment, mooring and catenary calculations. Circle 60 on Reader Service Card

Oil spill surveillance

Swedish Space Corporation, well known for its leading position in airborne systems for the surveillance of oil spills, has pushed the baseline in this field one step further. Based on the company's contribution to the AIREYE system upgrade for the US Coast Guard, the new MSS5000 system is establishing a new standard of usefulness in airborne surveillance. Overview of oil spill will be geocorrected at time of acquisition, allowing details of the spill's location and movement to be immediately overlaid on a map. The presentation is also radioed to the ground for use by the clean-up crew. Circle 61 on Reader Service Card

Hot isostatic pressing in high grade steels

Bodycote Powdermet has won major challenging projects from the offshore industry in recent years. The company operates the world's largest hot isostatic processing (HIP) facility. Applications are mainly directed to pressure vessel items, primarily in high strength stainless steel such as ferritic 12% Cr, 6Mo austenitic and 22-25% Cr duplex ferritic/austenitic grades with excellent corrosion resistance. Products have been made in sizes weighing up to 10 tons. Since the PM HIP method has isotropic features, the mechanical properties are equal in all directions of the component. Further developments in fabrication shaping have achieved 40% weight savings. Circle 62 on Reader Service Card

Water-efficient gas turbine cleaning

Gas Turbine Efficiency offers a new advanced concept for gas turbine cleaning that reduces costs substantially. The method has been developed in accordance with current and forthcoming environmental regulations and specifies the use of environmentally documented fluids. It is designed for on and off-line cleaning with the same nozzle installation, and is suitable for all current gas turbine applications. The GTE system operates with minimal liquid amounts and atomization. This means less liquid is used, which in turn saves costs for the operator and puts minimal strain on starting systems and engine parts. Circle 63 on Reader Service Card

Dehumidifiers keep corrosion at bay

Munters dehumidifier. [13,536 bytes]

Munters dehumidifiers are used to protect steel and valuable equipment against corrosion and failures. The relative humidity is maintained below 50% RH, which is the limit for corrosion. Common dehumidifed areas are void spaces and other areas where condensation and corrosion is a problem and where as little maintenance as possible is required. Coating requirements can be reduced when the relative humidity is kept under control. Circle 64 on Reader Service Card

Hydraulic drives for tough environments

Hagglunds Drives has more than 30 years experience in the marine business. In the early 1970s the company needed a motor for its cargo handling crane. The solution was a hydraulic motor named Viking. Today, the Viking and the new Compact motors are widely installed in winches, cranes, unloaders, pipelayers, slewing, and as propulsion in paddle wheelers. The high efficiency and low inertia of Hagglunds' motors, combined with a compact design, has made them popular in the offshore and marine industries. Circle 65 on Reader Service Card

Corrosion-resistant actuators

Remote Control Sweden manufactures a light weight actuator with a superb corrosion resistance. The surface treatment method for aluminum combines a hard anodizing and fluoric plastic treatment. The method also provides for the actuator to be treated inside and gives a high degree of hardness and low friction in the cylinder bore. Long-time testing, according to ASTM B 117, in neutral salt mist has been performed without the actuator being impacted. The actuators have been in use for many years both off and onshore, with unique results. Circle 66 on Reader Service Card

Anchor chain improvements

Scana Ramnas, with manufacturing plants in Ramnas and Ljusne, Sweden, is owned by Stavanger-based Scana Industrier. Scana Ramnas manufactures anchor chains under a QA system conforming to ISO 9001 and is approved, certified and audited by ABS, API and DNV. Both stud link and studless chains have approval from ABS, DNV and LRS for max. 6 3/16 - 6 1/2-in. dia. for grade R3, R3S and R4. Developments include asymmetrical stud design combined with controlled stud expansion after proof-loading; horizontal downhand stud welding; microprocessors for control and continuous recording of heat treatment and flash butt welds; Ramfor connectors and anchor shackles and LTM-shackles. Circle 67 on Reader Service Card

Complete range of stainless tubing

Bimetallic tubes, among the numerous offshore products from Sandvik Steel, consist of an outer tube and a liner, manufactured in different alloys and joined with a mechanical bond. [8,939 bytes]

Sandvik Steel offers an extensive program of stainless steel tubular products for the oil and gas industry, covering downhole tubulars, flowlines, process piping, heat exchanger tubing, ballast water piping, seawater firefighting piping systems, hydraulic and instrumentation tubing. The stainless product range also includes welding consumables and wirelines. Tubing for downhole or subsea control lines, methanol lines and chemical injection lines is available also in long length on coils. Besides all standard stainless steel grades, the program includes duplex and super duplex stainless steels as well as high nickel alloys for the most severe corrosive conditions. Circle 68 on Reader Service Card

Drinking water treatment

ECT Offshore Service offers a variety of services for treatment of drinking water offshore. It's systems have operated on over 250 rigs and platforms, many of which renew annual contracts with ECT. Due to the company's close co-operation with the Norwegian government, it can ensure that rigs fulfill their requirements for this service. ECT also runs courses with the government each year entitled "Drinking water treatment for offshore personnel." Circle 69 on Reader Service Card

High capacity fire monitors

Svenska Skum, one of the world's leading manufacturers of large capacity fire monitors up to 3,600 cu m/hr, has launched its latest models for marine/offshore use, the FIM-series. New features are light weight, compact dimensions and stainless steel as standard. Other materials such as titanium are available on request. Recent deliveries include titanium monitors for the Norne FPSO and remote-controlled FIFI I monitors for Weismuller tugs. Circle 70 on Reader Service Card

Propulsion engines and generator sets

Volvo Penta's marine engines are used throughout the world in workboats of various sizes and with different areas of application. Customers are well looked after by dealers, who offer a complete range of parts and servicing in more than 4,000 ports. The product range includes propulsion engines of 66-770 hp, and auxiliary engines of 80-430 kW, or complete generating sets with multiple installations up to 2,500 kW. Circle 71 on Reader Service Card