ALE completes 13,977 tonne loadout

International heavy lift and transport specialist ALE has completed the ballasting and load-out on the second of two jackets, weighing 13,977 tonnes, for the Shah Deniz 2 project in Baku, Azerbaijan. It completed the first one, weighing 12,369 tonnes, in July 2016.

Jacket constructor BOS Shelf contracted ALE for the load-out ballasting of the jackets for the production and riser (PR) and the living quarters and utilities (QU) modules. ALE has been contracted by different clients to work on the Shah Deniz 2 project. Work included lifting using the Mega Jack system, weighing, and strand jack skidding. Load-out work included ballasting and mooring for two topsides. Offshore floatovers of the topsides were done for a a different client.

Both jackets were loaded-out onto the same 153 x 45 x 12 metre STB-1 launch barge. The client supplied the skidding system and ALE used its own barge level monitoring and control system for close control and monitoring of the barge and the environment during the load-out, the company said.

Matthew Hodgson, ALE project engineer, commented, “Our scope of work is extremely complex, using multiple services, techniques and equipment at every stage. For the load-out specifically, we utilised our offshore expertise to design and fabricate bespoke piping in order to adapt the ballast system to existing ballast piping on-board the barge. We are now preparing for the next phase, which will involve the load-out and floatover operations of the topsides.”