Project highlights
Projects
Wintershall RAVN and A6-A
Wintershall Noordzee B.V. installed a new remote platform RAVN as a crude production tie-back to A6-A. RAVN is a remote and unmanned crude well unit. Utilising a dry-tree design, all control, power and metered injection for the well will be via the 18.2-km control umbilical between the new satellite platform RAVN in the Danish sector and the operational platform A6-A in the German sector. The umbilical forms the entire link between the remote platform, supplying and controlling all functions and ensuring continual feedback and monitoring of RAVN. The umbilical supplies all the necessary input data, control and feedback to eliminate the usual day-to-day requirements of direct human contact. The umbilical was installed from RAVN first end to second end pull-in at A6-A end. Platforms are located in the Danish territorial waters in the North Sea (RAVN) and German territorial waters in the North Sea (A6-A). The umbilical was connected/pulled into RAVN via a J-tube and internal conductor to the RAVN topside -TUTA. RAVN - first end with pull-in to topside deck via a J-tube - was laid in corridor separate from the 8-inch pipeline between RAVN and A6-A and second end pull-in using the quadrant method at the A6-A platform. SCOPE OF WORK Prepare project planning for Boskalis’ scope of work. Survey work, including post-burial survey. Perform route engineering and installation engineering to optimize the performance of the installation scope, including Orcaflex analysis for laying, pull-ins, loads and dynamics, as well as a detailed burial assessment study (BAS). Prepare platform on RAVN and A6-A. Define umbilical length together with the client. Umbilical load-out at Hartlepool (UK) onto the installation vessel Ndurance. Installation and hang-off of umbilical termination heads – topsides. Crossing 36- & 40-inch live gas pipelines. Pull-in at RAVN & A6-A platforms – direct from vessel as part of SIM-OPS. Umbilical lay and bury scope – minimize on seabed exposure. Mobilize and demobilize all installation spreads for Boskalis’ scope. Provide engineering support during the offshore umbilical installation, including simultaneous burial. Provide QHSE management for Boskalis’ scope. Process and deliver as-built data. Mobilize and demobilize all installation spreads for Boskalis’ scope.
China shipping container lines' Indian Ocean grounded
On February 3, 2016, CSCL’s Indian Ocean grounded in the River Elbe, Germany.Falling tides in the River Elbe, meant that the grounded vessel required salvage assistance to free her from the river bank. To enable the container vessel to pivot, prior to towing her back into the river, a significant volume of sand had to be removed. Dredging capacity was provided by Boskalis by way of two hopper dredgers, one backhoe dredger and a water injection dredger. For the refloat, significant pulling force was required. To this end, two large 200 TBP Anchor Handling Tugs from Boskalis Offshore were mobilized from Rotterdam, in addition to ten local harbor tugs. The Salvage Master had in excess of 1,000 TBP at his disposal to refloat the vessel. As a result, the vessel was safely refloated in line with the salvage plan and within the set time frame, with a minimum shut-off time for the river waterway.
Wintershall L8-P4
Wintershall Noordzee B.V. installed a new remote platform at L6-B as a gas production tie-back to L8-P4. L6-B is a remote and unmanned gas well unit. Utilising a dry-tree design, all control, power and metered injection for the two wells will be via the 19.5-km control umbilical between the new satellite platform L6-B and the operational gas platform L8-P4. The umbilical forms the entire link between the remote platforms, supplying and controlling all functions and ensuring continual feedback and monitoring of L6-B. The umbilical supplies all the necessary input data, control and feedback to eliminate the usual day-to-day requirement of direct human contact. The umbilical was installed from L8-P4 first end to second end pull-in at L6-B remote end. Both platforms are located in Dutch territorial waters in the North Sea. The umbilical was connected/pulled in to L6-B via a J-tube and internal conductor to the L6-B topside - TUTA. The umbilical will be installed from L8-P4 - first end with pull-in to topside deck via a J-tube, laid in corridor separate from the 8-inch pipeline between L8-P4 and L6-B. FACTS AND FIGURES Water depth 30-35 meters Challenging North sea conditions. Challenging soft seabed. Fast-track project, with a short lead-time between award and installation – Feb 2014, July/Aug installed. Stepped phase process of pull-in, laying and burial ops. Completed on time, with no incidents. Umbilical loaded quickly and safely. Umbilical length 19.5 km. Burial scope of single pass burial of umbilical minimum requirement of 1m TOC (top of cover). SCOPE OF WORK Prepare project planning for Boskalis’ scope of work. Survey work, including a pre-burial, as-laid and post-burial survey. Perform route engineering and installation engineering to optimize the performance of the installation scope, including a detailed burial assessment study (BAS). Prepare platform on L8-P4 and L6-B. Define umbilical length together with the client. Umbilical load-out at DUCO Newcastle (UK) onto the installation vessel Ndurance. Hang-off of umbilical end. Crossing 36-inch live gas pipeline Callantsoog. Pull-in at L6-B & L8-P4 platforms – direct from vessel as part of SIM-OPS. Mobilize and demobilize all installation spreads for Boskalis’ scope. Provide engineering support during the offshore umbilical installation, including burial. Provide QHSE management for Boskalis’ scope.
Cabrera wreck removal
On Christmas Eve 2016, the cargo vessel Cabrera grounded on the rocks off the Greek island of Andros. The vessel broke into pieces, sinking to a depth of 34 meters.SMIT Salvage - and its Greek partner Megatugs of Piraeus - immediately removed the oil from the vessel and recovered part of the cargo. Subsequently, SMIT and Megatugs were contracted for lifting up the stern. This included lifting the accommodation, as well as the remaining cargo, from the seabed. The floating sheerleg Taklift 4 - with a lifting capacity of 2,200 Mt - was mobilized for the lifting work. Once detailed engineering plans had been set out, salvage divers placed the lifting chains to enable the Taklift 4 to lift the aft section from the seabed and safely load it onto a barge.
Oil and wreck removal JBB Derong 19
In September 2017, dredger JBB DE RONG 19 collided with a tanker in the Singapore straits.After the collision, the dredger capsized and was partially submerged. SMIT Salvage was contracted for the initial response to recover any pollutant material as well as for the complete wreck and debris removal. After detailed engineering a plan was drafted, the dredger was cut into five pieces and lifted by sheerleg SMIT Cyclone on to barges. The sections were delivered to a scrap yard in Singapore for further safe dismantling.
Tanjung Emas
Tanjung Emas is the seaport of Semarang, Central Java, and is used for cargo and passenger traffic. The port is managed and operated by state-owned company PT. Pelabuhan Indonesia III. The development of the port of Semarang is aimed at strengthening the loading and unloading capabilities of the port, as well as to support the economy of the Central Java province, which has seen continued growth since 2012. The port is set to become one of the 24 feeder ports for the planned Sea Toll Road, an initiative by the Indonesian government to enhance domestic maritime connectivity between the western and eastern parts of the Indonesia archipelago. Deepening of the port and the removal of underwater caissons form part of the development works. The WIKA-Boskalis KSO (consortium) was awarded the contract for design and build of Kalibaru Terminal Phase 1 at the port of Tanjung Emas in July 2018. PROJECT SPECIFICATION Under the WIKA-Boskalis KSO, WIKA was responsible for the design and construction activities for the reclamation of the new Kalibaru Terminal Phase 1. The dredging works at the turning basin of Tanjung Emas were executed by PT. Boskalis International Indonesia. The first stage of the works consisted of capital dredging of some 2.4 million cubic meters, a stability study of existing structures and monitoring thereof during the execution of the works and the removal of nearly 950 cubic meters of underwater caissons. During the second stage of the works, regular monitoring surveys were carried out to assess the rate of siltation and a final maintenance dredging campaign was executed. By April 2019 the capital dredging works and caisson removal were completed. After a maintenance period of one year, the final maintenance dredging campaign was concluded in May 2020. SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT Boskalis’ No Injuries, No Accidents (NINA) behavioral based safety program was adopted for the whole project. Challenges were presented in the form of a local workforce with little focus on safety and not used to wearing personal protective equipment. Extensive project inductions, continuous followup through toolboxes, on-the-job trainings and relentless attention for SHE-related matters made it possible to execute the project in nearly 280,000 safe working hours without lost time injuries. The maintenance dredging works were performed in the midst of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. Special care was taken to ensure health and safety of all involved, whilst still finalizing the works in time. CAPITAL AND MAINTENANCE DREDGING WORKS The aim of the capital dredging works was to deepen the port to a depth varying between seven to twelve meters below lowest astronomical tide for the various areas. A total volume of 2.4 million cubic meters was dredged in a period of some five months by the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Gateway and two grab dredgers. Dredged material was transported to and discharged at the designated offshore disposal area by the TSHD and split hopper barges. The contract stipulated a maintenance dredging campaign, one year after completion of the capital dredging works. The maintenance dredging works have been executed by the TSHD Oranje and one grab dredger for the shallow areas. STABILITY STUDY AND MONITORING OF EXISTING STRUCTURES Prior to the commencement of the capital dredging works, a stability study of the existing structures, such as quay walls and jetties, was undertaken in cooperation with a local consultant. The study consisted amongst others of cone penetration tests, sub-bottom profiler surveys and a review of the various construction drawings from the past. During the capital dredging works, the deformation of relevant existing structures was monitored by means of a robotic total station and by inclinometers. All measured deformations remained within the predefined limits. CAISSON REMOVAL Due to land subsidence in Semarang and surrounding areas, an old and disused wharf in the port of Tanjung Emas had submerged below the water surface over the years. Earlier attempts by the client to remove the caissons which formed the perimeter of the wharf were unsuccessful. With the use of a heavy duty chisel deployed from a grab dredger, the caisson structures were broken into smaller sections, which were subsequently dredged by the grab dredger. Nearly five hundred meters of caissons were removed successfully. LOCAL CONTENT With the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and our commitment to local capacity building highly valued, the works were executed by a nearly completely Indonesian team, in close collaboration with a local consultant. An Indonesian subcontractor was contracted to undertake the grab dredging and caisson removal scopes. The local stakeholders were very much aligned with this way of working and no grievances of local fishermen and communities were voiced. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION Both the client and other stakeholders in the port were fully satisfied with the high efficiency performance achieved, resulting in the project being completed safely, within budget and on time.
