Oil Tank Installation – Grove Platform

Below deck installation

Centrica Production Nederland BV awarded Conbit a transport and installation contract to install a diesel oil storage tank on their Grove platform. The Grove platform is located approximately 133 km northeast of the coast of Great Yarmouth on the UK Continental Shelf of the North Sea.

The combination of Conbit’s structural engineering and exceptional lifting experience provides a unique combination for below deck lifting installation solutions.

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Watch how we prepare and execute

Making use of the handshake methods to get the tank in the right position

Scope of work

The scope of work included structural engineering, transport, and installation engineering, supply of special equipment, and offshore crew to execute the installation and coordination of the entire project.

Alternative lifting solution

Conbit proposed a new type of lifting method during the engineering phase for this below deck lift. They used a proven technology for their chosen configuration. However, the application of this technology was the first of its kind.

The lifting method included four small hydraulic winches working simultaneously. Since the winches are located underneath the helideck and hang freely, the winch wire needed guidance. The Conbit engineers used trusses used within Conbit daily to guide the cable to the hanging winches. This lifting configuration proved to be very flexible.

The execution

The team installed a lifting system and tested it before the arrival of the supply vessel. Once the vessel had arrived, it approached the aft towards the platform. The team attached the lift lines to the tank and rapidly lifted them from the supply vessel.

When the tank had been lifted high enough, the team moved the supply vessel away from the platform and returned to shore. After offloading, the second lines moved the tank to the next two winches, which lifted the tank to its final location.

The project proved to be a great example of the expertise of Conbit and the excellent cooperation with the very competent team of Centrica in Hoofddorp.

The project demonstrates Conbit’s ability to perform lifting operations underneath a deck. The service offers platform operators a safe and efficient alternative to large crane vessels.

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