Rowan Companies contracts Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen for Rowan Viking conversion
Damen Shiprepair Vlissingen (DSV), part of Damen Shiprepair & Conversion, has been awarded the contract by a subsidiary of Rowan Companies plc to remodel the Rowan Viking. The Rowan Viking is a Keppel Fels ‘N’ Class Drilling Rig. The rig, which at 124 (l) x 95 (w) x 170 (h) metres is one of the largest of its type, is active in the North Sea, the company said in its press release.
The Rowan Viking has been contracted to explore the Norwegian Lundin Oil Field and will have to be converted accordingly. The work will consist of:
- Special Periodic Survey (certification extension)
- Acknowledgement of Compliance Scope (safety modifications in accordance with Norwegian law)
- Leg Extension Scope (the 170-meter legs will have to be extended to 180 metres to be able to work in the deeper Norwegian waters)
Because the leg extension work will be done at great heights, DSV has contracted Palfinger Systems to use the latter’s unique JUMP Systems. JUMP stands for Jack Up Maintenance Platform. These are platforms that can be built around, and moved up and down, the legs. Mammoet’s largest PTC cranes will be used to hoist the 120-tonne leg extensions. The crane will be more than 200 metres high (nearly four times the height of the covered dock at the shipyard in Vlissingen).
To make room for the crane, DSV has moved its warehouse, demolishing the warehouse itself and building a special foundation that can handle the high ground pressure of 30 tonnes per m² that the crane will create.
The contract is being supervised by Damen Shiprepair & Conversion’s ‘Offshore & Conversion’ task force team. Commercial Manager Bas Loohuis: “This is a unique project. A leg extension of this magnitude has never been done using this method at DSV. Using the Palfinger systems and the Mammoet crane will enable us to carry out other work while the legs are being extended, which will translate into a significant improvement in turnaround time.
This project represents a major step in DSV’s progress. Leaving aside the unique crane foundation, which the company will be able to use for many other projects in future, the shipyard will have to take a big step in its project organisation.
Ron Brusket, DSV’s Rowan Viking Project Manager, had this to say about the upcoming step: “This project is our industry’s Champions League. The oil and gas industry is subject to extremely high HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environment and Quality) requirements. This will require us to make significant adjustments to our project organisation. The comprehensive preparations have convinced us that these adjustments will be successful; the new project organisation will serve as the foundation for future major offshore conversions.”
The Rowan Viking will be at the shipyard for approximately 130 days.
