intervention. “Vessels must be flexible and cost- effective with permanent equipment onboard for well intervention, ROV handling and shallow- water diving,” he said. Bas Oskam, product manager at deck equipment and crane supplier Huisman Equipment, said co-operation between charterers, shipowners and the supply chain would lead to more sustainable


technical


innovations. With regard to the challenge of operating in deeper waters and more remote locations, innovations in deck equipment would improve safety and increase the operating capacity of OSVs.


“It is not just about having bigger vessels, but we need smarter vessels, with competence and experience from oil companies, owners and shipyards. Oil companies should provide long- term charters to allow the market to come up with innovation and commitment. Vessel owners should form joint ventures with the supply chain to define future requirements and create incentives for innovation,” Mr Oskam said. Huisman has developed an innovative anchor handling, towing system that is the same size, weight and cost as traditional winch systems. This was developed on the basis of the findings of the 2007 Bourbon Dolphin accident in the west of Shetland region of the UK. Huisman’s technology features a three- second emergency release function and a pre- setting of maximum wire tensions. It complies with the upcoming legislation to safeguard the vessel


stability during critical operations in harsh offshore conditions. It provides high wire rope speeds, soft handling and accurate control. Improved drive efficiency reduces emissions and fuel costs and has built-in redundancies for extra safety.


Rival crane manufacturer Cargotec has


designed systems that extend the deepwater operating parameters of vessels with 250-tonne cranes.


Cargotec marketing director, Frode


Grovan, explained how, and why, the advanced load-handling system was developed. “The


load-handling performance of


traditional offshore cranes during ultra- deepwater lifts is greatly limited by the weight of the steel lifting wire itself,” he explained. “This reduces the net hook capacity as more and more wire is deployed to reach greater depths. Consequently, to handle bigger loads at greater depths, using wire rope would involve a dramatic increase in costs, requiring bigger cranes and larger vessels.” The


MacGregor ultra-deepwater lifting


system (UDLS) is a spooled fibre rope system designed for full integration into vessel newbuilding projects, or can easily be retrofitted to an existing vessel that is outfitted with an offshore crane. It enables smaller vessels to handle heavier loads in ultra-deepwater (in


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winches. UDLS provides the same precision because the crane’s active heave-compensation mode can be employed once the load is near its destination on the seabed. Manufacturer Van Aalst presented its


Geir Bakke: ships need to be safer and easier for those onboard to use


excess of 3,000m) and achieves this by the use of multi-component fibre ropes.


The weight of the fibre rope does not have to be subtracted from the crane’s total load capacity. Theoretically, a crane using steel rope with lifting capability of 400 tonnes is able to handle a 250-tonne load at 2,000m water depth. However, a 250-tonne crane fitted with MacGregor UDLS will be able to handle a load of nearly the same weight at the same depth. UDLS is operated as follows: the fibre ropes are prepared and spooled in the required lengths. The UDLS uses a side-mounted frame fixed to a depth (typically of 1,000m) using a steel wire rope. While lowering the load, a section of fibre rope is reeled off a storage drum and the load is then transferred to the fibre rope. The upper end of the rope is unloaded onto the side-mounted frame, whilst the crane hook is returned to the surface and attached to the upper end of the fibre rope, and a new length of rope is deployed. This hook-moving sequence is repeated until the desired depth is reached.


UDLS ensures that at no point are the fibre ropes bent or spooled under high tension. The fibre rope sections are spooled on and off the storage drum under low tension and they are only loaded when suspended vertically. The UDLS safety levels are, therefore, extremely high when compared with those that use fibre ropes on traditional winches, sheaves, or traction


flexible multipurpose cargo tank system to the conference, as a solution to the increasing need for drilling rig operators to store and ship out mountains of drill cuttings. Sander Castel, Houston area sales manager at Van Aalst, said the CargoMaxx concept was an alternative to storing drill cuttings in skips on deck and lifting them by crane to OSVs. Cutting would then be shipped to an onshore disposal/recycling facility. “We have created a new solution to make drill-cuttings handling safer, faster and more environmentally friendly,” he explained. “This helps the industry extend its reach and perform responsibly in vulnerable environments. “We developed a dedicated drill-cuttings to be used on drilling rigs,


handling unit


drillships and OSVs. It is a solution to pump drill cuttings via a hose into tanks below deck, and from offshore platforms to OSVs. This results in a 70 per cent reduction in discharge time, and uses empty under-deck space instead of deck space and cranes. “We have developed storage and discharge solutions for all three steps in the process – at the drilling rig or drillship, onboard the OSV, and ashore where a port has facilities to support the drilling industry,” Mr Castel said.


Jonathan Parkes: growing opportunities for tier-two subsea contractors


The collection and onshore disposal of drill cuttings is an environmental requirement under EU and oil industry regulations. It is one way in which the oil industry has reduced marine waste. The development of LNG-fuelled OSVs is another way the industry has shown its green credentials. Wärtsilä’s general manager of offshore solutions, Terje Nordtun, updated the conference on developments in LNG-fuelled OSVs. He said there were 17 gas-fuelled OSVs operating including Solstad’s latest – Normand Arctic. This PSV 12 LNG design vessel was built at STX’s Langsten shipyard and delivered in 2011. It has Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines and Kongsberg’s K-Pos DP-21 dynamic positioning system. There are more LNG-fuelled vessels on order, including, for the first time, ships to operate outside Norway. “An important change is the four PSVs ordered by Harvey Gulf to operate in the US Gulf. They will save on the fuel costs in the US market,” said Mr Nordtun. “The advantage with a dual-fuel engine is operators can change to diesel if there are problems with gas supply. Fuel flexibility is needed for operating outside emission control areas and DP-class vessels need a back-up diesel supply.” More information on these technical innovations and others will be featured in future issues of OSJ, and in other magazines in the Riviera Maritime Media portfolio. OSJ


Annual Offshore Support Journal Conference and Awards 2012 I 13


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