Comprehensive range of products and applications on display demonstrate expertise in offshore and marine technology

• special vessel lifts offshore platforms in one piece

• continuous jacking systems aid offshore wind installation

• standard components adapted for deep sea applications

• new surface technology for large hydraulics cylinders

Thanks to its worldwide application expertise and comprehensive research and development activities, Bosch Rexroth offers components and system solutions for offshore support vessels, exploration and drilling, offshore wind installation and deep sea applications.  Several of those technologies will be on display at the Offshore Technology Conference, May 6-9, in Houston, TX, booth #5447.

Topside Lifting System reduces cost, increases safety in decommissioning platforms

As the major engineering partner to the Allseas Group, Bosch Rexroth has developed and engineered the drive and control system solution for the world’s largest mobile lifting mechanism for offshore installations. The special vessel equipped with this topside lifting system (TLS), “Pieter Schelte,” can lift and transport topsides of offshore platforms with a weight of up to 48,000 tons in one piece.

To disassemble topsides of offshore platforms, workers used to have to manually disassemble the structure into transportable individual parts on the high seas – work that is both time consuming and hazardous. In the future, the new special vessel from the Allseas Group will completely lift the platforms from their steel “jacket” and transport them onto land, making disassembly considerably safer and more cost-effective.

Continuous jacking systems for increased productivity and safety

The market for wind energy puts challenging additional demands on traditional jacking systems for installation and maintenance vessels and platforms. Bosch Rexroth meets the latest demands with a new standard in jacking: the high performance continuous jacking system. Besides the increasing the load capacity, working at higher jacking speeds, and an advanced control system, specifically integrated features lead to more reliability, safer operations and a considerable reduction of required power.

The jacking cylinders are equipped with CIMS (Cylinder Integrated Measuring System), which provides a most accurate signal required by the control system to evaluate the status of the system in relation to the precision, motion pattern and leveling of the vessel or platform. The cylinder rods are protected by a surface technology that is suitable for harsh environment conditions.

And a modern operator will benefit from a tight integration of the jacking system with the crane, mooring, handling and sea fastening systems. This integration adds to the redundancy and reliability of the vessel and to interesting cost savings. Secondary controlled drive systems for the vessel crane combine high performance with reduced power consumption, occupied space and weight.

Standard components adapted for deep-sea applications

Rexroth is the first to adapt numerous standard components to fit the special requirements for deep-sea applications such as pressure compensation and corrosion protection to provide equipment with a longer maintenance-free life span and optimal performance.

In order to test its designs, Rexroth developed a Subsea test power unit equipped with a water-proof motor/pump assembly that can drive an axial piston motor and hydraulic cylinders via an encapsulated valve control. The hydraulic system comes in a pressure-compensated design. Rexroth tested the equipment in a unique pressure chamber facility, was able to demonstrate suitability of its hydraulic components to a depth of 6,000 meters below sea level.

Enduroq 3200: Surface Technologies for Large Hydraulic Cylinders

Large hydraulic cylinders are used in many offshore applications, like riser tensioning, heave compensation, skidding, deck mating and jacking. The piston rod surface of these engineer-to-order products is one of the most essential parts of the hydraulic installation.

With more than 50 years of experience and service data feedback from the largest installed cylinder base in the world, Rexroth now offers Enduroq 3200 as an extension of its existing in-house technologies for piston rods of large hydraulic cylinders. These solutions include the existing Enduroq 3000, a single layer Ultimet based surface technology, and Enduroq 2000 and Enduroq 2200, both based on the proven HVOF technologies.

Terry Loftis, a veteran of the industry and the Director of Engineering of Transocean, has been appointed as the new Chairman of DNV’s prestigious Rig Owners’ Committee. The members of the Rig Owners’ Committee represent owners and managers of Mobile Offshore Units (MOUs) and Floating Production Units. The objective of the committee is to provide an active forum for the industry to share and discuss current and future developments in technology, practices and support initiatives that will benefit the industry. The functions of the committee also include providing industry’s input to DNV’s current and future activities including DNV’s innovation programs, industry initiatives and rulemaking process.

While DNV updates the industry in the committees meetings held annually at Houston, Aberdeen and UAE on its activities, the committee typically offers feedback on the quality and scope of DNV’s services related to floating drilling and production units. 

Mr. Loftis, as Director of Engineering for Transocean, oversees the company’s engineering services and supports upgrade and major repair projects and new construction of ultra-modern high specification drilling units. Mr. Loftis has been actively engaged with Transocean’s engineering development efforts and newbuild design program for the past decade.

Mr. Loftis‘technical involvement with MODUs began as an independent consultant for Transocean in the design and construction of semi-submersible drilling rigs in the mid-80s and he joined Transocean in 1997. After being actively involved in the design and construction of several ultra deepwater drillships in Korea, he returned to Houston to lead the DP & Controls group within Transocean Engineering until he was appointed to the current position as Director of Engineering.

Mr. Loftis received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Houston and has continually enjoyed living and working within the Houston community. He remains active within the Marine Technology Society, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and currently serves as vice-chairman for IADC’s Advanced Rig Technology Committee.

AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, has been awarded a two-year integrated services contract renewal by BP to provide operations, maintenance and project support to the Forties Pipeline System (FPS) in the North Sea.

The contract is valued at between £10 million and £15 million per year, depending on activity levels and is scheduled to run through to December 2014.

Under the contract, AMEC will take on increased responsibility to run, maintain and improve the year-round, 24-hour operation of the Unity offshore platform and four onshore pumping stations which form a major part of the FPS. AMEC and BP personnel will work closely together on the project. The current workforce will be retained, with additional recruitment occurring as and when the work scope demands.

Mike Horgan, managing director of AMEC’s Asset Management business said: “We have been supporting the Forties Pipeline System for the past 16 years and this latest contract is testament to our continued delivery of excellence for BP. We are pleased to be continuing our long term relationship with BP and supporting them to meet the needs of the Central North Sea’s oil and gas development.”

AMEC has an exemplary safety record on the project, with no lost time incidents (LTIs) over the last 15 years.

The FPS has a carrying capacity in excess of 750,000 barrels per day and carries around 40 per cent of the UK’s oil production.