EQUIPPING DRILL SHIPS FOR THE HIGH SEAS

Hytec Marine and Offshore Services recently redesigned the pipe handling system and constructed control valve modules for a petrochemical drill ship. The project, valued at R3.1 million, was completed under tight deadlines and has demonstrated Hytec Marine and Offshore Services’ ability to deliver the best possible solutions under demanding conditions.

The ship’s onboard robotic pipe handling system supplies its drilling rig with the riser pipes necessary for reaching the ocean floor. Riser pipes are stored on the stern of the vessel, while the drilling rig is located amidships. The supplied solution is capable of forward and reverse movement as well as articulation on a vertical plane. The system has been designed using Bosch Rexroth components throughout, to ensure maximum precision and reliability under harsh operating conditions. The new pipe handling system affords two advantages over the previous system, namely improved stability at sea and the elimination of damage to riser pipes during the handling process. The new system has resulted in a safer, more efficient vessel from which to conduct marine drilling.

Hytec Marine and Offshore Services also supplied fifty gallon Hydac hydraulic accumulators, to be used on the ship’s blow out preventor (BOP) systems. BOP systems are fitted to wells as emergency shut-off mechanisms which seal a well in the event of an emergency. BOP systems are engaged in the event of overpressure causing fluids, such as oil or natural gas, to enter the well-bore and threaten the drilling rig. The valve is operated remotely using pneumatic actuators, which in turn are powered by hydraulic accumulators. Hydraulic accumulators are a means of storing energy which places hydraulic fluid under pressure using an external force. In drilling applications this mean that BOPs can operate without lag, immediately and independently of an external power source.

Hytec Marine and Offshore Services was awarded the contract directly from client, as a result of the company’s exceptional standing within the industry. According to Clynton Sutherland, Key Accounts Manager, Hytec Marine and Offshore Services, the company has been operating in the petrochemical arena since the early 1990s and has built up a wealth of experience, and a highly regarded industry reputation. “Hytec Marine and Offshore Services has excelled in the petrochemical sector, as a result of the speed and efficiency with which we are able to accomplish jobs, our high attention to detail, a globally recognised high quality product range, a skilled and efficient work force, and a sense of pride which ensures that clients always receive the best possible solution available.”