Motive Offshore Invests $2.4 Mln in Specialist Fleet
A U.K. offshore services firm has invested £1.7 million ($2.4 million) in specialist equipment to meet demand from clients across the globe. Motive Offshore Group headquartered in Boyndie said it has added 22 items to its range of equipment during 2017. The investment included the biggest Spooler (350Te) built by the company to date, which is being sent to Brazil for a long-term project. Other key additions, which were built for specific client projects during 2017…
Fiber-rope Retrofit Extends Subsea Crane Capabilities
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has launched a fiber-rope retrofit option for its subsea cranes; the modular upgrade replaces the crane's original steel wire rope with synthetic fiber rope, using the same technology as MacGregor’s fiber-rope crane, the FiberTrac 1500, introduced earlier this year. These cranes combine MacGregor's offshore crane technology with the fiber-rope tensioning technology perfected by Parkburn Precision Handling Systems. According to MacGregor…
Maintaining and Surveying Steel Wire Ropes
An incident investigated by the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has highlighted the importance of correctly maintaining and surveying steel wire ropes, and in particular the issues associated with encasing steel wire ropes in plastic sheathing on life-saving appliance (LSA) slings. SOLAS requires that falls used in launching are inspected periodically, and that launching appliances are properly maintained and subject to a thorough examination and operational test during the annual survey. See SOLAS regulation III/20. damage and corrosion.
DNV GL Issues RP on Offshore Fiber Ropes
The results of two DNV GL led joint industry projects (JIPs) and a JIP pre-study commissioned by Statoil are now captured in a new Recommended Practice (RP) on offshore fiber ropes. With a system perspective on mooring performance, DNVGL-RP-E305 provides new industry guidance for achieving cost reductions of overall mooring operations, by addressing the engineering, manufacture and integration of offshore fiber ropes. The offshore oil and gas industry uses synthetic fiber ropes across various mission-critical activities where performance and reliability are key concerns.
Hydro Group, EnerMech Join Forces
Subsea cable and connector specialist Hydro Group has teamed up with mechanical engineering group EnerMech to launch a new product offering to the market. Hydro Group and EnerMech have partnered to deliver a new hydraulics hose product, offering lay-up and over-sheathing of hydraulic hoses for use in umbilical, topside and well intervention projects in the oil and gas industry. The partnership could generate in the region of $739,000 in the next 12 months. Graham Wilkie…
Damen Delivers Custom-Made Offshore Winches to Fugro
Damen Maaskant Shipyards, part of Damen Shipyards Group, has delivered two dedicated offshore winches to Fugro. The Dutch shipyard was responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the two winches from its base in Stellendam in the Netherlands. Maaskant also worked very closely with Bosch Rexroth, which delivered the hydraulic drive system. Classified by DNV GL, the two winches – a constant tension winch with an own weight of 2,000 kg and a drilling winch (own weight 3,500 kg) - have to meet the very highest offshore standards.
United Offshore Services and Samson Unite
Samson and United Offshore Services (UOS) announced a partnership to supply Samson high-performance synthetic ropes to Europe. This expansion of the UOS product offering is driven by the increasing demand from their customers who recognize and value the advantages of heavylift slings made with synthetic rope. Samson manufactures high-performance synthetic rope from its production facilities in the United States. With a history reaching over 130 years, Samson has more experience replacing steel-wire rope than any other synthetic rope producer in the world.
Reusable Oil Filter Technology
High fuel prices, increasing emissions regulations and environmental concerns are driving fleets to cut expenses, emissions and waste disposal using new filter technology. With ship fleets facing spiraling fuel prices and new tougher environmental regulations from the EPA and IMO, fleet managers have had to look for new technology to control costs and emissions. One of the most promising areas to considerably cut spending while meeting all EPA and IMO regulations is reducing maintenance costs and waste production/disposal with reusable lubrication filter technology.
Economics of Dyneema-based Ropes
Traditionally thought an expensive alternative to traditional steel wire and conventional polyester-based synthetic ropes, offshore ropes and mooring systems made with Dyneema have been making inroads. End users such as ConocoPhillips, Shell and Petrobras are working with systems based on the high-strength, low-weight fiber of DSM Dyneema. Coupled with their durability and longevity, these rope systems are increasingly recognized for a variety of performance and user benefits that ultimately save on the bottom line.
LNG Mooring Lines Made with Dyneema
The introduction of new and larger vessels, Q-Flex and Q-Max, and new, often more exposed terminals becoming operational have changed mooring dynamics. The need to maintain workers’ safety at all times, whilst delivering maximum operational efficiency through lower costs and faster turnaround times remains unchanged. DSM Dyneema, a close partner to the LNG industry, has done a study which concludes that these industry trends are changing the performance demands for LNG mooring lines.
Offshore Windmill Uses Dyneema Fiber
For the installation of offshore wind farms in the Irish Sea, Mammoet Van Oord, a marine contractor, selected heavy lifting slings made with Dyneema polyethylene fiber from DSM Dyneema. The round slings, manufactured by the Unitex Group, are designed to lift heavy loads weighing up to several hundreds of tons. Mammoet Van Oord is using the Unitex lifting slings with its new jack-up installation barge, the “Jumping Jack,” to place 240 ton monopiles as part of the foundations…
