Damen Verolme Rotterdam upgradingSaipem 7000
Saipem has contracted Damen Verolme Rotterdam (DVR) to upgrade theSaipem 7000’s DP-3 system.
The upgrade is to meet the new closed ring DP-3 configuration and ABS EHS-P notation. Under DP3 EHS-P notation, the vessel is said to achieve an exceptional level of redundancy with four independent redundancy groups systems.
TheSaipem 7000 at Damen Verolme Rotterdam. (Courtesy Damen Shipyards Group)
The project will include the upgrade and modification of the semisubmersible crane and pipelay vessel’s power system for load sharing, the installation of MV, LV and control cables, renewal of the MV and LV switchboards and the motor control centers, the installation of uninterrupted power supplies and the creation of an A60 compartment.
Detailed engineering is being executed by Damen Verolme Rotterdam in close cooperation with Saipem.
When completed, the vessel’s DP-3 system with its 12 thrusters will ensure that the vessel can maintain its position in even the most adverse weather conditions. In addition, because theSaipem 7000 can accommodate up to 725 people, the vessel will be able to assist hook-up and commissioning activities as well as initial platform life support.
The works are expected to take about six months, with completion due in 1Q 2019. This represents a tight schedule, Damen said, mainly due to the delivery and installation for the cables, the switchboards and the extensive structural modifications.
The vessel’s most recent visit to DVR was in April 2018 when she spent nine days undergoing mobilization activities.
Offshore installation vessel launched in China
DEME’s offshore installation vessel Orion was successfully launched at the COSCO Qidong shipyard in China. TheOrion will feature a combination of high transport and load capacity, lifting heights, and green technology.
The vessel will be deployed for the construction of offshore wind farms, to service the oil and gas industry, and for the decommissioning of offshore installations.
With a total installed capacity of 44,180 kW, theOrion will be equipped with a Liebherr crane with a lifting capacity of 5,000 metric tons. The loads can be lifted to a height of more than 170 m (558 ft).
The 216.5-m (710.3-ft) long vessel will feature DP-3 capability, dual fuel engines, and will have a Green Passport and Clean Design notation. It will also have a waste heat recovery system that converts heat from the exhaust gasses and cooling water to electrical energy. The evaporation of LNG will cool the accommodation with a cold recovery system.
TheOrion is expected to join the fleet at the end of the year.
BP names Mad Dog 2 platform
BP has chosen Argos as the name of the new floating production unit for the Mad Dog 2 project in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The name, chosen by the project team and an employee survey, is a reference to Odysseus’ loyal dog from “The Odyssey,” and a nod to the Mad Dog spar, an existing production facility operated by BP that is located about six nautical miles away from the Argos site.
The Mad Dog 2 project includes the Argos semisubmersible platform with the capacity to produce up to 140,000 gross b/d of crude oil through a subsea production system from up to 14 production wells and eight water injection wells.
The Argos semisubmersible platform will have the capacity to produce up to 140,000 gross b/d of crude oil through a subsea production system from up to 14 production wells and eight water injection wells. (Courtesy BP)
“Selecting Argos as the name of our newest platform is an important milestone for the Mad Dog 2 project, which remains on track and on budget,” said Starlee Sykes, BP’s regional president for the Gulf of Mexico and Canada. “This project is key to delivering high-margin production from one of the largest fields in the Gulf of Mexico, and it will strengthen our position in the basin for years to come.”
The platform will be the first new BP-operated production facility in the Gulf of Mexico since 2008, when Thunder Horse came online. It will be the company’s fifth operated platform in the Gulf of Mexico and it will help extend the life of the super-giant Mad Dog oil field beyond 2050. •
