Seaward Supplies 53 Fenders For Conoco's Hutton TLP

Seaward International's Sea Cushion® and Sea Guard fenders recently played a vital role in the mating operating of the Conoco-operated Hutton Tension Leg Platform (TLP) in Scotland's Moray Firth.

Seaward supplied 53 of its foam-filled fenders for this innovative offshore oil platform. The fenders met Conoco's requirements for a fender system designed for rapid installation, reconfiguration and removal. The fenders were each approximately 8 feet in diameter and 16 feet long.

The steel superstructure of the Hutton TLP was built in two sections. The upper 18,000-ton integrated deck supports drilling and production equipment and housing. The lower, 300- by 315-foot, 27,000-ton hull includes six 200-foot high columns linked by pontoons. Seaward's fenders were linked around the six columns to protect them from impact during the mating operation. Seaward's fenders were selected for their high energy absorption capability with low reaction pressure and for their design which would not damage the TLP paint system.

The new platform is tethered to the seabed of the Hutton Oilfield beneath the North Sea about 90 miles northeast of the Shetland Islands by tubular steel mooring lines held under constant tension. The first oil flowed in August from this platform. The Hutton field is expected to produce about 200 million barrels of oil over its 20-year life. This field could have been developed with conventional structures, but the Conoco group decided to test the TLP concept in water within saturation diving depth to allow monitoring of the seabed mountings and tensioned cables.

Since the fenders supplied to Conoco were needed for the mating operation only, they are currently available from Seaward International at a reduced cost. Circle 76 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 7, Oct 1984

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.