In less than three hours, the Pioneering Spirit installed the topside of the Johan Sverdrup drilling platform. (Photograph: Allseas)
SPECIAL PROJECTS THANKS TO DUTCH OFFSHORE CONTRACTORS by Paul Schaap, PAS Publicaties
Dutch offshore contractors once again succeeded last year in completing a series of remarkable large-scale offshore installation projects. The work ranged from major pipeline projects through to the installation of jackets and topsides of platforms. No matter how complex or extensive, with their special installation vessels, the worldwide-operating Dutch offshore contractors are able to come up with a suitable solution for any project. Below is a summary of the most spectacular projects completed. Although investments in the oil and gas sector remained at a low level in 2018, in line with the past few years, a series of eye-catching projects did have to be carried out. These included the laying of two 930 kilometre-long gas export pipelines across the Black Sea for Gazprom’s TurkStream project. Via these 32-inch diameter pipelines, each with a transport capacity of 15.75 billion cubic metres of gas per year, Russian gas is to be pumped into Europe. Allseas made a start on the laying work way back in May 2017. The first TurkStream pipeline was completed on 30 April 2018, and the project was 18
NETHERLANDS SUPPLIERS CATALOGUE 2019
successfully concluded in November 2018. The Audacia was responsible for the pipelay work in the shallow sections, and the Pioneering Spirit in the deepwater sections of the Black Sea. The maximum water depth was a staggering 2,200 metres. On average, the Pioneering Spirit nonetheless succeeded in laying 4.3 kilometres of pipeline a day, with peaks on certain days of 5.6 kilometres. On Sunday 26 August 2018, the vessel in fact set a new record by laying 6.3 kilometres of pipeline in deep water in a single day. The performance was proof for Allseas that this single-lift installation/
