The Netherlands-based Jumbo Shipping has completed a full year’s work with its J1800-classJumbo Javelin and Fairpartner DP-2, heavy-lift, transportation, and installation vessels, the first two of four vessels planned for the class.
Jumbo is building a fleet of J-class vessels specifically for three niche market applications:
- Installation of subsea manifolds, spool pieces, jumpers, riser columns, and buoyancy cans in shallow and deepwater
- Mooring installation for FPSOs and offloading buoys in deepwater
- Jacket and topsides installation with weights of less than 1,000 metric tons (1,102 tons).
Fairpartner transporting Acergy’s new J-lay tower in one piece for installation on SeawayPolaris offshore Gabon.
The vessels measure 143 m long x 26.5 m wide x 16 m deep (469 x 87 x 52 ft), with 9,500-metric ton (10,472-ton) carrying capacity and 1,800-metric ton (1,994-ton) lift capacity.
The vessels are designed to carry out the company’s ‘all-in-one’ business model for its offshore customers - lift, ship, and install. Jumbo launched this concept in 2002 and performed its first offshore job, off Australia, in 2003.
The lift was carried out quayside at the Huisman yard in Schiedam, The Netherlands.
In 2006, Jumbo carried out three lift/transport/installation projects; one in the North Sea, one offshore Malaysia, and one offshore Gabon.
Britannia satellites
Jumbo carried out its first job with a J-class vessel in May 2006. The company was contracted by Acergy to transport and install the Callanish and Brodgar subsea manifolds, which are part of the ConocoPhillips-operated Britannia Satellites Development project in UK North Sea block 16/26 in 150 m (492 ft) of water.
Jumbo nominated its J-class vesselJumbo Javelin for the work. The vessel is equipped with two 900-metric ton (992-ton) Huisman cranes, two 37.5-metric ton (41-ton) traveling trolleys for general cargo lifts, two 10-metric ton (11-ton) auxiliary hooks for sling handling, and a Kongsberg DP-2 system.
Jumbo Javelin transported and lowered two subsea manifolds and eight mooring piles on the ConocoPhillips-operated Britannia field in the North Sea.
The two main cranes, set 48 m (157 ft) apart, can handle joint lifts of up to 1,800 metric tons (1,984 tons). Each is fitted with a 35-m (115-ft) jib. The vessel has 3,100 sq m (33,368 sq ft) of free deck space and can travel up to 17 knots (20 mph).
Jumbo Javelin began its transit from Rotterdam where its main cranes were configured to handle 230-metric ton (254-ton) lifts in 150 m (492 ft) of water. The vessel departed in late April 2006 for Rosyth, Scotland, where the subsea manifolds were being fabricated. Once the vessel reached quayside, with the main cranes working in tandem, the 208-metric ton (229-ton) Brodgar manifold and 250-metric ton (276-ton) Callanish manifold were lifted and set onboard.
Also lifted, while quayside, were eight piles weighing 20 metric tons (22 tons) each.
Shortly thereafter, the vessel began a one-day journey to the installation site. On arrival,Jumbo Javelin’s DP system synced up with pre-installed transponders on the seabed for positioning. Then, the manifolds and piles were lowered.
After installation was completed, the vessel sailed to Newcastle to prepare for its next commitment, offshore Malaysia.
Kikeh
Jumbo’s second offshore contract in 2006 was for Technip on the Murphy Oil/Petronas Carigali-operated Kikeh field offshore Malaysia in about 1,330 m (4,364 ft) of water. The contractor’s workscope called for loading, transport, and installation of 14 mooring piles for the field’s 16,400-metric ton (18,078-ton) spar equipped with a tender assisted drilling rig. The largest pile was 55 m (180 ft) long and weighed 140 metric tons (154 tons).
Again, Jumbo opted to useJumbo Javelin for the job. The vessel’s cranes were re-adjusted for the required lowing depth of 100 m (328 ft).
Jumbo Javelin transported and lowered 14 mooring piles 100 m (328 ft) deep for the Kikeh spar and drilling platform offshore Malaysia.
After loading and sea-fastening all 14 piles onboard,Jumbo Javelin sailed to the installation site. Before lifting, an IHC ILT (Internal Lifting Tool) was mounted into the top of the first pile and lower rigging was installed to help control the lifts. Each pile was upended and lowered by both cranes working in tandem.
The piles were lowered to 100 m (328 ft) deep, where they were transferred fromJumbo Javelin’s hook to Solstad Shipping AS’s anchor handling tug Norman Ivan’s lift rigging for final installation to 1,300 m (4,265 ft) deep.
First oil from Kikeh is expected in the second half of this year.
J-lay tower
Jumbo’s third “all-in-one” job called for the lift, transport, and installation of a new J-lay tower for Acergy. Jumbo’s J-classFairpartner was called in for the work.
Acergy’s new 1,800-metric ton (1,984-ton), 80-m (262-ft) high J-lay tower was to be moved in one piece from the construction site to theSeaway Polaris, which was working offshore Gabon. The J-lay tower would be installed directly onto Polaris while onsite. This presented some sophisticated challenges, according to Jumbo.
One year prior to shipment, Jumbo started engineering a special method of sea-fastening and load-spreading for the tower’s transit. On Sept. 12, 2006,Fairpartner began its journey at the Huisman yard in Schiedam, The Netherlands. Here, the vessel lifted the tower quayside in one piece with its two main cranes working in tandem. The tower was secured, and the vessel departed.
Fairpartner arrived at the installation site in 12 days, and positioned alongside Seaway Polaris for the exchange. The vessel’s mast cranes were rigged and connected to the tower. It was lifted and installed on Polaris as planned.
Tenders in the works
At print, Jumbo was working on filling up its J-class order book for 2007 and beyond. The company signed contracts for transportation and installation of three STL buoys. On two of the buoy installations,Jumbo Javelin will install 16 suction piles and 6-in. (152-mm) anchor chain on the project.
Tenders in the works include, installation of mooring systems for six FPSOs in water depths up to 2,000 m (6,562 ft), and installation of 400-metric ton (441-ton) structures in 800 m (2,625 ft) of water and 600-metric ton (661-ton) structures in 1,300 m (4,265 ft) of water.
To accommodate all this work, Jumbo has ordered two additional J-class vessels. TheFairplayer and JumboJubilee are schedule to enter the company’s active fleet of 12 heavy-lift vessels in mid- and late-2008.
