Page 78: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1997)

INTERNATIONAL OFFSHORE UPDATE

EQUIPMENT PROFILE

Kvaerner Delivers Floating

Storage Unit

Njord B floating storage unit (FSU) for Norsk Hydro

Produksjon A.S. was delivered by

Kvaerner Masa-Yards' Turku

New Shipyard on June 30. The unit was towed directly to the

Njord field off Norway on July 8 and oil production is expected to begin in October.

The FSU will be anchored in 1,082.6 fsw using a passive turret mooring system located in its forebody. Submerged turret load- ing (STL) will be used for loading crude oil from the Njord A FPU, located 1.3 nm away.

The offloading of stabilized oil to shuttle tankers will be accom- plished through a flexible hose in the FPU's stern. It is possible to operate Njord B unmanned when offloading is not taking place.

The unit can then be remotely operated from the production unit. Njord B will be manned with a permanent crew for its first year of operation and further manning decisions will be made based on this experience. The structure is designed for 15 years of continuous operation and the hull has a fatigue life of 25 years.

For more information on KMY

Circle 52 on Reader Service Card

Njord B Data

Length 763.1 ft. (232.6 m)

Width 136.1 ft. (41.5 m)

Draft 50.8 ft. (15.5 m)

DWf 100,000

Storage capacity 112,000 cu m.

Offloading rate 8,000 cu. m/h

Classification DNV

Top Oil Drilling Gear

Suppliers To Merge

On July 10, Falcon Drilling

Co., Inc. and Reading & Bates

Corp. (R&B) announced a defini- tive merger agreement expected to close in the fourth quarter which would combine their com- panies and collectively operate the world's largest offshore drilling fleet.

Subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, a new holding company (R&B Falcon

Corp.) worth $5 billion would be formed.

Including vessels on order, the new company would have a fleet of 14 ships capable of drilling in depths greater than 3,000 fsw, in addition to 25 jack-up rigs. R&B

CEO Paul B. Loyd, Jr. would serve as chair of the new compa- ny and Falcon CEO Steven A.

Webster would become presi- dent and CEO.

Commenting on the merger deal, Mr. Webster said, "This combination represents a very significant consolidation opportu- nity in the fast growing, highest margin segment of the drilling industry — deepwater."

Mr. Loyd told The New York

Times that one of the objectives driving the merger was to create a company large enough to finance the building of ships.

Amoco Sells Drilling Unit

Amoco Corp. sold its wholly- owned Canadian Marine Drilling (Canmar) unit to Livingston

Marine Co. Ltd., Oakland

Shipping Co. Ltd., Richfield

Shipping Co. Ltd., Richland (Continued on bottom of page 82)

GE & Dresser-Rand:

Bringing New Efficiencies To

Offshore Platforms

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News

Statoil's Asgard field, slated to produce 200,000 bpd and associated gas for re-injection in the third quarter of 1998, will rely on two GE

LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbines for power generation and two GE

LM2500+ aeroderivative gas turbines which will drive Dresser-Rand

DATUM high-efficiency centrifugal compressors. By employing turbo- machinery equipment, Statoil will be able to minimize government- imposed C02 emissions taxes. This state-owned gas/oil exploration and production company also expects to see increased efficiencies of two to five percent above the industry standard of 83 percent by using

DATUM compressors.

In early 1996, Statoil awarded Dresser-Rand a $250 million contract to provide turbomachinery and related equipment and services for

North Sea projects over five years. The contract included the Gullfaks,

Asgard and Troll fields, and future fields. The contract also provides extension options for up to five additional years.

The Asgard field marks the first worldwide application of the

LM2500+, the latest of GE's Marine Industrial Engines' (M&I's) aeroderivative gas turbines. Manufactured by M&I in Evendale, Ohio, the two Asgard LM2500+S are nominally rated at 37,000 to 40,200 shp for continuous operation with natural gas.

LM2500+

In June 1994, M&I announced that the LM2500+ would fill a niche in the 34,000 shp to 40,000 shp range. The gas turbine is designed for a variety of compressor drive applications.

The LM2500+ is based on the technology of M&I's LM2500, and is expected to provide lower installed unit hp and life cycle costs than its predecessor. Given its derivative design, the LM2500+ gas turbine is expected to achieve the same standards as the LM2500 for reliability and availability which are in excess of 99.7 percent and 97.5 percent, respectively.

The two-shaft LM2500+ also can be applied in the industrial and commercial marine markets: various 50 and 60-Hz power generation applications; pipeline compression; gas injection; and fast ferry com- mercial marine uses. In addition to the DLE combustion system for applications requiring low emissions, the LM2500+ is available with water or steam injection using a standard combustor for emissions abatement.

The LM2500+S for the Asgard vessel will feature M&I's six-stage power turbine, which has been uprated to match the LM2500+ gas gen- erator capability in mechanical drive and power generation applica- tions. This low-stage power turbine is ideal for applications in the (Continued on page 84)