Offshore staff
MOSCOW – Transportation began last week of the topsides for Lukoil’s Vladimir Filanovsky field central processing platform (CPP) in the northern Caspian Sea.
The Globalstroy-Engineering (GSE) yard in Ilyinka in Russia’s Astrakhan region built the 10,250-ton topsides, which will accommodate process modules, auxiliary and oil separation equipment, gas and brine, oil offloading, and drying/compression of gas.
Vladimir Filanovsky field is within the Severniy license zone in the Russian sector of the Caspian. The installation site for the CPP is 170 km (105 mi) south of Astrakhan and 20 km (12.4 mi) east of Maliy Zhemchuzhny Island.
Russian Maritime Register of Shipping’s (RS) head office approved the technical plans for the topsides while its Astrakhan branch office reviewed technical documentation for the project and provided survey services during construction.
The RS-classed T-shapedYury Kuvykin barge is transporting the topsides. The vessel features two main and two supplementary floating pontoons, with the latter located in the aft section of the barge, providing improved stability during transportation of large heavy freight.
For the voyage to the field, the CPP topsides were fastened to the transport-assembly barge. The first part of the route is along the Volga and the Volga-Caspian Canal system, after which the vessel passes into the open waters of the northern section of the Caspian Sea.
The barge is being towed by one main tug, two stern-side steadying tugs and one auxiliary tug. On arrival at the offshore location, the topsides will be installed on previously mounted supports using the float-over method.
To facilitate this operation the topsides are fixed on a 6.5-m (21-ft), 1,000-ton mounting frame.
07/02/2014
