Page 3rd Cover: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2000)

Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering

Subsea Installation, Heavy Lift And Transport Vessels Show Muscle In FPSO Market

Having added a unique multi-purpose offshore installations vessel and a pow- erful floating crane to its fleet, the Smit

International Group is increasingly busy on installation heavy lift and heavy transport projects associated with

FPSOs.

Smit Pioneer, formerly a LASH carri- er, was acquired and converted by Smit in 1999. The vessel represents a new concept for multi-purpose offshore installation tasks. This large, dock-type vessel is designed and equipped to remain on station for extended periods, having an unusually high degree of self- sufficiency.

The multi-purpose vessel's primary roles include: installation of moorings, diverless tie-ins, well servicing, flexlay, manifold and riser installation, ROV support and long haul cablelay.

The vessel's equipment outfit includes an advanced DP system, two moon- pools, a fully heave-compensated revolving crane (rated at 150/250 tons) and a Super Puma-capable helideck.

Following its extensive conversion program and successful sea trials, the vessel has gained instant acceptance in the global offshore installations market in its new multi-purpose role. The newly commissioned vessel — the first of a new class — started immediately on a contract connected with development of a new field in Angolan waters, and then secured another contract, for work relat- ed to Canada's first FPSO, offshore

Newfoundland.

Engaged by Coflexip Stena Offshore,

Smit Pioneer undertook a series of

Circle 268 on Reader Service Card installation tasks required within the first phase of the fast-track Kuito devel- opment, in 400 m water depth offshore

Angola. Coflexip Stena Offshore, SBM and ABB are members of the consor- tium responsible for the subsea installa- tions program. Chevron is the field oper- ator.

Smit Pioneer's role, performed during autumn 1999, involved the installation of flexible risers and mid-water arches consisting of buoyancy tanks and coun- terweights. In addition, an 80-ton subsea manifold 20 x 10 x 10 ft. (6 m x 3 m x 3 m) was installed.

Equipment for this project — loaded onto Smit Pioneer at Le Trait, on the

Seine — included a 65 ft. (20 m) diam- eter carousel and Coflexip's VLS (Verti- cal Lay System) reel — located at the aft moonpool. Smit's project team engi- neered a 20 x 20 ft. (6 x 6 m) moonpool plug, required to ensure that the radius of flexible lines remained within the specified parameters.

Smit immediately secured another contract from Coflexip requiring Smit

Pioneer to undertake trenching and lay- ing of flexibles at 312 ft. (95 m) depth in the Terra Nova Field, located in the grand Banks Area, 350 km off St John's,

Newfoundland.

During April, Smit Pioneer loaded equipment and departed for Canadian waters. The equipment included 12 reels, the Coflexip VLS (mounted at the forward moonpool), a trencher and an

ROV.

The vessel's operational advantages include: a single platform for all off- shore installation tasks: mooring lines and anchors (plus pre-tensioning); flow- lines, umbilicals and tie-ins; risers, riser bases and manifolds; ROV support; well servicing; and drill support; single mobilization for most mooring systems; min- imum time required for mobilization/demobi- lization/transit; a large deck area and loading capacity ideal for long haul fiber optic cable- lay. In this role, Smit

Pioneer can load and lay 10,000 km of trans- «

Atlantic cable in a sin- f , gle voyage.

Smit Pioneer's New- » * foundland assignment t marked the second contract success for

Smit concerning Terra

Nova. Asian Hercules

II, the largest floating sheerless in the Smit

Asian Hercules II - Main Particulars

Classification ABS

Port of Registry Rotterdam

Length 300 ft. (91.3 m)

Beam 142 ft. (43.3m)

Depth 28 ft. (8.5 m)

Draft min 9 ft. (2.7 m)

Draft max 24 ft. (7.2m)

Sailing height min 184 ft. (56 m)

GT 10,560

Accommodation 27 persons (can be increased)

Propulsion 4 x 813 kW Azimuth

Deck Load 15 t/m

Mooring winches 8 point mooring; 30 ton

Cap. 1000 m of 44 mm diam. wire rope fleet, performed a series of 20 heavy lifts during the outfitting of the FPSO at

Bull Arm, Newfoundland, in May/June 2000.

Acquired in early 2000, the big sea- going sheerlegs is now the flagship of

Smit's seven-strong fleet of floating cranes.

The capacity and flexibility of this sheerlegs — one of the most powerful in the world — make it ideal for fast-track

FPSO projects. It is able to lift and trans- port integrated units weighing well in excess of 2,000 tons. With this capacity available, those responsible for fitting (Continued on page 73)

Notes- - A-f'ran* in p 35m jib n ' • Comdmed c tcr f ] oniJ prtfimwy apodities '-<*• on f«ue*n n ttonfi lit nd < ofi«! th bold moin- cod mi*'. 50 55 60 65 70

With the four hooks fitted to the 295 ft. (90 m)

A-Frame, the sheerlegs can lift its maximum capacity of 3,200 tons to a height of 246 ft. (75 m), at an outreach of 66 ft. (20 m).

The Ultimate & Complete Treatment for Vibration &

Noise for integral Engine/Gear Systems

The LO-REZ 'Q' Factor

Designed to achieve unprecedented reduction in noise and vibration levels

LO-REZ VIBRATION CONTROL LTD. 186 West 8th Ave., Vancouver,

B.C.. Canada. V5Y 1N2

Vessel Type:

Scientific, Ocean Research

Registered:

Federal Dept. of Fisheries &

Oceans. Canadian Coast

Guard Division. 'Scientists and others who do their work in the wet lab, and other ship spaces, have been very pleased with the greatly-reduced vibration and noise levels since installation of the

Lo-Rez system and the Hatfield-designed acoustic treatment.

The end result of installing Lo-Rez engine mounts and flexible couplings, is phenomenal.

There are now approximately 12000 operational hours on the main engines with no problems to date".

Albert Mullowney Sr. Project Engineer.

C.C.G. St John s NF, March 2000

Tel: (604) 879-2974

Fax: (604) 879-6588

EMail: lo-rez<®LO REZ.COM

Web: www.LO-REZ.COM

Vessel retrofitted with:

Lo-Rez BR4-HS Steel-Spring

Vibration Isolators, l/HF Steel-Spring and 16HLF

Laminated-Disc Flexible

Coupling Assembly, installed: April 1997.

DNV Certification.

Torsional analysis: T. W. Spaetgens.

LO-REZ SOFT MOUNT" SYSTEM

Over 385 propulsion applications in place in all types of vessels.

Typical isolation efficiency 97%. Typical noise reduction 20+dBA.

Lo-Rez RT Coupling • Takes Reverse Thrust • Low Stiffness • Noise Attenuation • Non-Lubricated • No Thrust Bearing Req. • High Damping

Lo-Rez BR-T Isolator • Carries Full Thrust • Damping • Height Adjustment • Controlled Motion • Isolation over Speed Range

S.P.L. BEFORE

Wet Lab 83 dB

Net Loft 80 dB

Biology Lab 64 dB

Conference Rm. 58 dB

AFTER NOISE (APRIL/97) REDUCTION 67.1 dB 84% 60.7 dB 89% 52.3 dB 74% 49.0 dB 65%

Asian Hercules II features a main A-frame equipped with four hooks, with a capacity of 800 tons each. 64 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News