Ocean Endeavor Repair Completed

The initial phase of the repair work, which started in December 2015, while the rig was offshore Constanta, Romania involved cleaning of mud, brine, base oil and skimmer tanks. Steel repairs were carried out on a main column blister. The removal of three Seatrax crane pedestals, which  included the supply and installation of internal steel stiffening to the pedestals, guides and jacking points, plus handling trunnions, were all required prior to cold cutting of the pedestal which coincided with the arrival of the heavy lift crane to remove them.

 

Additional work awarded to Harris Pye in Romania was blasting and painting of four primary column ballast tanks. During the surface preparation steel renewal was added to the project - steel frames, piping, access trunks etc, out of which approx 24 tons of steel work was completed in Constanta. The blasting of all four tanks back to white metal was completed, two tanks received a first coat of paint and two tanks were fully coated before Ocean Endeavor departed from Romania to Fincantieri Shipyard in Palermo, Italy via a pre-booked scheduled heavy lift vessel.

 

“The project was not without its challenges, but we relish those,” explains Harris Pye’s Chief Technical Officer, Chris David. “Painting and blasting of the four ballast tanks had to be performed within a one month period. An additional 40 tonnes of steel was required to ensure the work on the tanks was completed within the required timeframe; this had to be brought in from other parts of Europe.

 

“Additionally a mobile diesel high vacuum grit recovery system was shipped from the UK, due to the large distances involved from the ballast tanks to the recovery system onshore for the purpose of disposal.

 

“Once Ocean Endeavor reached Palermo, the Harris Pye repair team mobiliaed to work on the remaining steel repairs, and painting of the ballast tanks, including an additional contract to repair a section of column diagonal brace. All works were completed on schedule.

 

“The six-month long project enabled us to use specialist equipment including a 40 cubic meter per minute high pressure oil free compressor (no oil fumes in the compressed air) which worked 24/7; and Falch 2500 bar hydro blasting equipment.”