Load-out of the first semi-submersible hull for the Ling Shui 17-2 gas field project has been successfully completed in southern China. This was also the first transverse hydraulic shoe load-out of this grade weight to be completed in the country, with a hull structure weighing at 34,000t.

Mammoet’s extensive offshore expertise has seen it break many records; recently loading out Vietnam’s largest jacket and decommissioning both the 24,000t Brent Delta and 25,000t Brent Bravo topsides. The experience gained during these projects was again vital as Mammoet’s engineers planned the load-out in fine detail, working within fine mooring and ballasting tolerances to achieve a level skidway.

Mammoet’s team started by unloading the skid track containers in a designated laydown area using 80t cranes. Forklifts of 5t to 15t and a custom-engineered electric trolley positioned the skid track sections. Thereafter, heavy-duty skid shoes and other equipment was installed onto the skid lanes using 80t to 250t cranes, and pulled into position by means of winches.

Once all skid shoes and push-pull cylinders were positioned in the correct location, the team then installed all hydraulic hoses and data cables. At a later stage, the skid tracks on the heavy transport vessel were laid into position using a lattice-boom crawler crane.

The heavy transport vessel was floated alongside the quay and moored into position. Once this was complete, a trail fit of the link-beams took place. Subsequently with the link-beams in place, the hinge points were welded on both the quay and the heavy transport vessel.

The load-out then took place with the hull skidded for a total distance of 90m. The entire skidded load-out took 24 hours for completion and skidding was finished in approximately 15 hours. The skidding system itself consisted of 48 800t and 24 650t skid shoes. All equipment was designed by Mammoet.

As of standard offshore project executions, the team adapted to daily changes in schedules and on-site requirements. This was to ensure the maximum site area can be used for operational activities during the skidding operation, and for successful completion of work by the agreed deadline.

Equipment and manpower were both mobilized on-site despite coronavirus restrictions. Daily toolbox briefing sessions were given to provide clear direction on safety and interoperation between Mammoet and client teams, making sure all workers were kept informed on adaptions made to the site. Risk assessments on all site activities were made regularly and provided to the client’s management team.

All works were completed safely and efficiently, while meeting the client’s expected deadline. “We are pleased to express our satisfaction and appreciation for the skidding load-out operation. We appreciate Mammoet’s good quality of work, high level of safety awareness, professional skills, commitment, and dedication to successfully complete the operations especially during the challenging restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.” remarked China Offshore Oil Engineering & Co, a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation who operates the Ling Shui 17-2 gas field project.

Work now continues at China’s Lingshui 17-2 development, which will be the country’s first deep-water gas field project and is expected to produce approximately 3 billion cubic meters of gas output annually.

Logan Industries (Logan), a hydraulic repair, manufacturing and rental company, has opened a new Pressure Vessel Heat Exchanger (PVHEX) facility at its Hempstead, Texas, site. The new state-of-the-art facility enables Logan to manufacture, test, certify and stamp high-end alloy vessels.

The PVHEX facility is custom designed and engineered to efficiently produce exotic metal pressure vessels, heat exchangers and scrubbers for the petrochemical, marine, ocean transport, chemical and nuclear industries. The building is serviced with several pairs of 40-ton bridge cranes, with specially engineered crane supports enabling lifts of up to 80 tons. A reinforced foundation supports water testing of the largest vessels and a positive pressure workspace with its own closed-circuit ventilation system controls air-borne contaminants in the manufacture of exotic metal fabrications.

Logan will initially service the customers of Dutch sister company, Verolme, a long-time manufacturer of PVHEX, eliminating transit times from Europe to its U.S. customers in the process. The new facility also enables additional high alloy ASME type products to be produced in the U.S. An additional sister company, Schelde Exotech, also based in The Netherlands, will work hand-in-hand with Logan and Verolme. Together, the three companies will each be able to manufacture high-end, exotic alloy pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and scrubbers according to Dean Carey, technical director, Logan Industries, said, “This PVHEX facility is world class and represents a major milestone in the co-operation between Logan and our sister companies. The facility’s physical proximity to our current site in Hempstead means that when our customers come to see us, the location is already familiar to them. We can also shift our staff and resources as the workload dictates from one facility to the other without any logistical effort or delay. Once we develop our own footprint, the market for these PVHEX products will be worldwide.”

Logan has named Jan M. Contreras as its new manager of sales - pressure vessels and heat exchangers (PVHEX). Based in Houston, Contreras will be responsible for PVHEX sales and business development, showcasing Logan’s new state-of-the-art PVHEX facility in Hempstead, Texas, and growing business for Dutch sister companies Verolme and Schelde Exotech, across North America.

Contreras has more than 35 years of experience in the PVHEX and fired heater sector, having acquired deep industry knowledge in design, manufacturing, quality and logistics. With specialties in international business development and sales, welding and contract management, Contreras is also experienced in delivering lectures and presentations on PVHEX, CAD and physics topics within a diverse array of professional and educational institutions.

Carey said, “During our initial meetings with Jan, he demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the pressure vessel and heat exchanger business, and the value he offered to Logan Industries as such a strong engineering professional was clear. In addition to his business development and sales expertise, Jan is well equipped to provide support on the technical side of the product, making him an excellent technical salesperson to benefit our customers.”

The PVHEX facility encompasses more than 50,000 sq. ft of covered workspace and will eventually employ approximately 15-20 new staff.

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Sparrows Group has been awarded a five-year contract by Spirit Energy for the provision of crane maintenance and lifting services across its Morecambe Hub assets in the East Irish Sea (UK Continental Shelf).

Elcome International has been appointed as a non-exclusive distributor of Navimeteo professional weather forecasting and observation services globally.

Talos Energy Inc. (NYSE: TALO) is the apparent high bidder on two deepwater blocks in the recent Outer Continental Shelf ("OCS") Federal Lease Sale 256, held on November 18, 2020. Talos placed a sole bid on Viosca Knoll 1000 as well as a joint bid with an affiliate of bp on Green Canyon 866. When approved, the blocks will provide an additional 11,520 gross acres for future exploration acquired at an average cost of less than $300 per gross acre.

President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy S. Duncan commented: "We are happy with the results of our bidding efforts in the most recent lease sale, and look forward to adding the additional acreage and exploration prospects to our portfolio. We continue to believe that our basin offers attractive investment opportunities across a uniquely wide range of resource size, risk and cycle time characteristics. The Viosca Knoll 1000 block contains a technically mature prospect located approximately five miles from the Talos-operated Ram Powell facility, greatly enhancing potential project economics due to the quick cycle time, short tie-back distance and 100% Talos infrastructure ownership. The Green Canyon 866 lease expands our collaboration with bp around the Puma West prospect area and offers low-cost option value in the event of a commercial discovery at the Puma West prospect. As one of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico's largest independent operators, we're proud of the role we play in exploring for and developing our rich domestic energy resources to provide secure, affordable energy supply while also being an industry leader in safety and environmental performance."

Building on the success of OCS Federal Lease Sale 256, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced on November 17, 2020 that OCS Federal Lease Sale 257 will be held on March 17, 2021 and will offer over 78 million acres across 14,594 unleased blocks, which comprises all of the available unleased areas in federal waters in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Lease Sale 257 will be the eighth offshore sale under the 2017-2022 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, the program required by federal law under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

Hydrographic survey technology provider Subsea Europe Services GmbH has introduced a new compact version of its unique integrated Hydrographic Survey System (iHSS). Called iHSS-Compact, it meets the growing demand for shallow-water ‘gap-filler’ marine surveys and simplifies the acquisition of commercial grade marine data for users of any experience.

Mocean Energy has secured major new investment to accelerate the commercialization of their ground-breaking wave energy technology.

Tata Steel has launched plans for a project to capture CO₂ from its blast furnaces in IJmuiden, Netherlands, and transport it for storage in empty gas fields under the North Sea.

McDermott International, Ltd  has been awarded a Pre Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract from Tata Steel B.V. for the Enhancing Value by Emissions Reuse and Emission Storage (EVEREST) Project. Tata Steel has launched the preparatory plans for a project to capture CO2 from its blast furnaces in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, and transport it for storage in empty gas fields under the North Sea. The project is planned for implementation at the Tata Steel facilities in IJmuiden, which is located 19 miles (30 kilometers) West of Amsterdam.

"The combination of our innovative carbon capture and storage solutions with our unparalleled engineering capabilities demonstrate McDermott's strategic role in reducing emissions and advancing the energy transition," said Tareq Kawash, Senior Vice President, Europe, Middle East, Africa. "Together, we will progress Tata Steel's strategic roadmap toward carbon-neutral steel production by 2050."

"This intended construction is a very important step for our future," said Annemarie Manger, Tata Steel Europe Director of Sustainability, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality. "We feel a strong responsibility to build a sustainable and connected society for the generations of tomorrow. If we realize this, we will be one of the first steel companies to capture CO2 with its storage. We see this as the essential transition solution with which we contribute significantly to the required emission reduction by 2030. The potential of this is enormous. This technology is already being used in other countries and industries, but not yet in this form and size."

The engineering and design will be executed from McDermott's office in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Mammoet has announced the award of a major steel catenary riser (SCR) and umbilical pull-in contract by Subsea 7. The scope of work included in this contract is for engineering, procurement, fabrication and offshore pull-in operations.



The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training’s Real Jobs Rhode Island is partnering with the Business Network for Offshore Wind to provide a virtual learning course at no cost to Rhode Island-based businesses interested in expanding into the offshore wind industry.

OneOcean announces the latest release of its leading global Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) management system - Docmap 9.

The Lingshui 17-2 (LS 17-2) platform is the world’s first deepwater semi-submersible production platform with condensate storage facilities, owned and operated by CNOOC.

It is a significant project in the development of China’s deepwater gas production strategy, and will be China’s first wholly owned and operated deepwater gas platform. It is expected to commence gas production in 2021.

In 2019, MacGregor was chosen to supply the on-vessel mooring systems and riser pull-in system to the LS 17-2 platform. The mooring system was successfully delivered on schedule in June, despite the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, a delivery ceremony for the riser pull-in system was held in Zhuhai, a city located on the southeastern edge of Pearl River Delta, China.

You Xuegang, deputy chief manager of CNOOC Zhanjiang branch; Jane Chen, Vice President, Head of China of MacGregor; Wang Ningsheng, President of Jutal Group and representatives of the respective project teams participated in the delivery ceremony.

“The LS17-2 project is focused on technology and quality,” said Mr. You. “It is a brand new project for both CNOOC and MacGregor, with the importance of the riser system in deepwater development being equivalent to the human carotid artery.”

“We have been fully supported by MacGregor since the project commenced, especially during the most difficult time when the pandemic broke at the beginning of this year. The project team members, at home or abroad, have worked tirelessly to achieve the delivery schedules.”

“This project demonstrates MacGregor’s strengths, with our global capabilities enabling uninterrupted delivery of our products and services despite the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions, and the ability to quickly respond to our customer’s needs through a strong local presence in China. We have built a strong relationship with CNOOC and look forward to cooperating further on future projects,” says Leif Byström, Head of Offshore Solutions, MacGregor.

Speaking at the delivery ceremony, Jane Chen highlighted the cooperation between MacGregor and CNOOC during the past ten years. “We are proud to have provided active heave compensated cranes to CNOOC’s Haiyang Shiyou 286 and Haiyang Shiyou 691, and been recognized as one of the two Suppliers of Excellence for the delivery of AHC crane and A-Frame for Haiyang Shiyou 295. We greatly appreciate CNOOC’s trust in MacGregor, and we will continue to support CNOOC with excellent products and services.”

“Together with my management team colleagues, we look forward to the LS 17-2 platform being completed and successfully entering service during next year.”

Aberdeen-based, oil and gas production technology business, Pragma, has combined innovative design and additive manufacturing (AM) techniques to bring the industry’s first 3D metal printed, ultra-high expansion, bridge plug to market.

The new European Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy, published on November 19, clearly acknowledges the massive industrial and environmental benefits that ocean energy can bring to Europe.

TechnipFMC has received a Notice to Proceed for a major⁽¹⁾ Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract by Sempra LNG and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.B. de C.V. (IEnova) at their Energía Costa Azul (ECA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Baja California, Mexico.