EXPLORATION/DRILLING/FIELD SERVICES 23
loads. The resulting composite technology used in the fabrication of the end mouldings is key to the overall strength of the Dracone and its unblemished operational record for over 50 years. More than 500 of these barges have been produced since his invention. According to Wikipedia, the name Dracone is a
reference to science fiction author Frank Herbert’s Dragon in the Sea novel.
“It needed a posh name,” says Saunders. Dracone is close to the Greek world for a mythological monster, such as a sea serpent. The largest Dracone barge can accommodate more
than 935 cubic metres of liquid, is 91.5 metres long, 4.23 metres in diameter, and weighs 6.5 tons empty. It can, however, fold up into the size of a medium van. Dracone barges are made from woven nylon coated with synthetic rubber polymers for high abrasion resistance.
Their lifespan is about 25 years and, unlike competitors’ products, they are reusable.
Major growth market
According to Saunders, Dracone barges are a niche product, yet there is a major growth market for them in the cruise ship industry. “Cruise ships are getting larger and larger and are having a harder time entering ports, but they still have
to empty their bilge, waste and sewage water while anchored offshore,” says Saunders. “That is where a Dracone barge can come in handy.” While Dracone barges are not the first items to
capture world headlines during an oil spill, they are instrumental in mopping up the mess. Some famous disasters in which Dracone barges have been used include the Exxon Valdez spill and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. After the hurricane, clean up crews used Dracone
barges to empty the fuel tanks of capsized boats and ships.
Key customersinclude the US, Indian and
Australian Coast Guards, and the Marine Spill Response Corporation.
When an oil spill occurs, the oil is first contained with so-called booms. Skimmers, containers floating on the water surface, then set to work collecting the oil, water and other debris into a funnel, with the help of a pump attached to a hose at the bottom of the skimmer.
The spill is pumped into the Dracone barge for
discharge at land-based disposal facilities. The largest Dracone barge can accommodate more than 935 m3 of liquid, is 91.5 metres long, 4.23 metres in diameter, and weighs 6.5 tons empty. o
oilandgas_0109:world_pipeline_0805 24.11.2008 11:32 Uhr Seite 1For more information, visit
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