Sohar project completed by ALE

International heavy lift and transport company ALE has completed a year-long transportation and installation project in Oman. It was the first project won, executed and delivered by ALE Oman, since opening a permanent base in Muscat in 2015.

ALE was contracted by Petrofac to transport 268 heavy lift (HL) and-or out of gauge (OOG) units and install 184 HL/OOG units for Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries (ORPIC) Sohar Refinery Improvement Project in the Sohar Industrial Area, 230 kilometres north west of Muscat.

The weights of the units varied depending on the components, from 96.5 to 920 tonnes. Depending on the piece, ALE used 64 axle lines of self propelled modular transporter (SPMT) and 48 axle lines of conventional trailers to transport the pieces 2 to 4 km from port to site foundation.

Once in their final positions, ALE used multi-crane lifts to install the components, deploying 1,600, 750, 600, 180, 100 and 60 tonne cranes. ALE needed to move the cranes using SPMT from one location to the next.

Shafic Tilllawi, project manager at ALE, said, “Right from the start, this project was challenging as we had to deliver and install the components within a tight delivery schedule.

“It was also logistically complex, performing the crane moves on a congested site and careful co-ordination with the local tenants and authority, the Royal Oman Police, was required in order to shut down the electricity in the overhead cables and cross a water intake culvert with a low ground bearing pressure.

“The teams involved worked together to ensure that all units were delivered and installed safely and on schedule.”

It took almost a year to complete the transportation scope and seven months to complete the installation.