Gas, steam turbines
ABB Stal's offers gas and steam turbines for installation offshore. Gas turbines are available in power ranges up to 43mW and steam turbines up to 100mW. The company's industrial gas turbines are installed for power generation at four platforms and one FPSO. Its compressor drivers are installed at three North Sea fields, and it has also supplied the gas turbines for compressor drive at the St Joseph Field off Malaysia. Steam turbines are being supplied for tailing existing gas turbines at Oseberg, Eldfisk and Snorre in the Norwegian sector for combined cycle applications.
Separation monitoring
COSMOS, Alfa Laval's new condition monitoring system for separators and decanters, is rapidly proving itself an indispensable means for companies to plan their downtime and cut their maintenance costs. Following extensive on-site trials in various processes in Europe, the first sales of COSMOS have now started for oilfield applications. The COSMOS condition monitoring system has sensors placed at various points on the centrifuge continuously measuring the vibration levels of the rotating components.
Offshore lifts
With 50 years' experience, Alimak is a world-leading manufacturer of rack and pinion-driven lifts. The lifts are built on a modular concept and vary in size, capacity and lifting height. They replace potentially hazardous ladderways and provide safe and convenient access to pump and machine rooms and other critical areas. Recent orders include column and derrick lifts for the new Sedco Energy, Express, and Cajun drilling rigs as well as three 6,000 kg capacity hull column lifts for the Snorre B semisubmersible platform.
Underwater vehicles
Torpedo production started in Sweden in 1910, and as a result, Bofors Underwater Systems possesses a massive bank of experience and know-how in underwater technology. This includes heavy and lightweight torpedoes, fire control systems, ROVs for military and commercial applications, sea mines, mine countermeasures and measuring platforms for underwater operations. The company develops and tests all new products in realistic conditions and in close cooperation with the Royal Swedish Navy.
Turbomachinery air
Turbomachinery such as gas turbines, compressors and diesel engines depends on clean air to perform to expectations during long periods of operation. With 25 years' experience of supplying air intake and acoustic systems to North Sea installations, Camfil Industrifilter combines high efficiency with low operating pressure drop for maximum energy efficiency.
Surveying, positioning
Carrickfergus offers a wide range of accurate inertial measurement, positioning, alignment and motion control systems based on fiber-optic or ring laser gyroscopes. Applications include: PST, a pipeline survey tool that is coupled to a pig during inspection and repair work; Fly/AHRS, a control system for unmanned craft (air or water) that can be used for surveillance of remote or lethal areas; and Crane, a system for pendulous load detection, control and damping.
Water treatment
ECT Offshore Service offers complete services for the treatment of drinking water offshore. Its systems have operated on more than 250 rigs and platforms, many of which have annual service contracts with ECT. Due to the company's close cooperation with the Norwegian government, it can insure that the installations fulfill their requirements for this service. ECT also runs courses each year, approved by the government, entitled "Drinking Water Treatment for Offshore Personnel."
Quarters modules
Emtunga International, based in Emtunga and Gothenburg, has been producing living quarters for the offshore industry since 1974. During the past year, it has delivered four LQ installations - the 110-man quarters for the Borgland Dolphin semi, the 70-man quarters for the Jotun wellhead platform, the 58-man quarters for South Arne and the 120-man quarters for the Aasgard B platform. In addition, several smaller deliveries have been finalized for extension projects.
Gas turbine cleaning
Gas Turbine Efficiency has developed the first cleaning concept for gas turbines using the same nozzle installation for both on- and off-line cleaning, thereby drastically reducing the installation and hardware cost. It is designed for use on every type of gas turbine, installation, or application - new or retrofit. The concept saves water, space, and weight, and has been subjected to extensive on-site and test cell tests, so that it offers the most cost-effective cleaning program available.
Floating production
GVA Consultants specializes in the design and engineering of offshore floaters and ships. It has an extensive background in floating production vessels. Among these are the purpose-designed FPUs GVA 4500 Petrobras XVIII and Umoe/GVA 8000 Visund for Norsk Hydro. The company is engaged also in the design of a Umoe/GVA FPU for Hydro's Troll C development and a Kvaerner GVA 70 FPU for Statoil's Aasgard B gas center.
Gearless winches
Dutch marine and dredging contractor HAM and Haegglunds Drives are making history on board the new trailer suction hopper dredger HAM 316. The draghead main winch for the suction pipe with a maximum pull of 110 tons is driven without any gearing. The winch drum is directly driven by two radial piston motors, type Marathon MB 1600, with a displacement of 100 liters per revolution. The main selection criteria is the ability to withstand the load at zero speed.
Powerful engines
Hedemora Diesel engines, in the output range of 1,000-2,500 kW, are compact low weight engines ideal for offshore applications. They are environmentally sound with NOx emissions lower than the IMO regulations and EURO II NOx limits. Their ability to accommodate extreme load variations is proven in service on semi-subs over more than 25 years. The engines are easy to service and maintain and engine users are guaranteed quick service by Hedemora's certified service team.
Marine propulsion
Kamewa is a leading supplier of marine propulsion systems and deck machinery, and its product program consists of the following business units: Kamewa Propellers, offering controllable and fixed pitch main propellers and tunnel thrusters; Kamewa Water Jets; Mermaid Pod Propulsion Systems; Kamewa Service; Aquamaster Azimuth Thrusters; and Rauma Winches. The group's reference list includes all types of offshore units.
Drawworks brakes
Lidan Engineering has added a unique block control system to the company's established drawworks brake servo. This monitors speed and weight of the traveling block and calculates required braking distance to protect against over-shoot of the desired end positions. Should the driller fail to maintain the speed limits, command signals are directed to the eddy current brake and the brake servo actuator. The brake support is so soft that the driller hardly notices if he himself or the block control is performing the brake action.
Bacterial growth
Maritech manufactures a wide range of specialist marine cleaning/maintenance chemicals, water and fuel treatment products covering the majority of offshore and shipping applications. A major source of concern within the industry is the contamination of fresh water cooling systems with bacterial growths. Maritech has undertaken a joint study with the University of Kristianstad to look into these problems. As a result, it has developed a new product to specifically treat and control this type of bacterial contamination.
Mooring solutions
MoorLink has been active for four years specializing in tailor-made, cost-effective solutions for operators and oil companies worldwide. It was recently awarded three major contracts for its new range of swivels. These are produced in either cast or forged high quality steel (grade 4) for either temporary or permanent moored units. MoorLink's success with the installation swivels supplied to Petrobras at end-1998 has led to contracts containing scope of supply for complete anchor installation and proof loading systems.
Personal protection
Aearo is a leading manufacturer of personal protective equipment and communication systems for noisy environments. It has wide experience in process, manufacturing, aviation and military industries, selling under the following brand names: Peltor - everything from IS-approved headsets to passive and level-dependent muffs; EAR with Classic earplugs, the range includes semi-aurals and pre-molded earplugs; and AO Safety eye and face protection.
Titanium protection
Permascand - part of the AKZO Nobel group - specializes in design and manufacture of products where corrosion protection or strength to weight ratio is crucial. Products are made in various grades of titanium and the company uses patented methods of nitride hardening to protect the surface in extremely harsh erosive and corrosive environments, as well as achieving low friction coefficient and avoidance of galling. Nitrided titanium pistons used in riser hydraulic systems have been installed at the Saga Snorre TLP.
Hot isostatic processing
Santasalo Powdermet has won major contracts featuring HIPed PM near-net shape products, supplied from the world's largest hot isostatic processing (HIP) facility. Applications are mostly pressure vessels in high strength stainless steel (ferritic 12% Cr, 6 Mo austenitic and 22-25% Cr duplex ferritic/austenitic grades) with excellent corrosion resistance. Products in sizes up to 15 tons have been produced in 1,200 mm OD, 2,800 mm length. The PM HIP method has mechanical properties equal in all directions of the component. Finite element analysis used in shaping HIP components helps reduce the weight by as much as 40%.
Maritime transponders
Saab Celsius TransponderTech claims to be the world's leading manufacturer of transponders compliant to the standards defining Universal Shipborne Automatic Identification System. Transponders compliant to Universal AIS are likely to become a carriage requirement under SOLAS. However, already today the international standards issued by ITU are developed to a level where the full functionality of AIS can be used by the mariner for increased safety and enhanced situation awareness.
Stud, studless chain
Scana Ramnas manufactures stud link and studless mooring chain from 70 mm to 165 mm diameter. It is a known fact that studs in stud link chain work loose over a period of time. The company's stud design has been proven to reduce the number of loose studs from above 30% to 0.3%. The result is reduced downtime and increased production time. A current contract involves supply of 11,000 tons of studless chain for the Aasgard A, B and C projects.
FPSO conversion
Stena Bulk owns and manages a fleet of well-maintained large tankers. During the next couple of years these will be transferred from the tanker market to the offshore sector. The tankers were designed and built for a long life. Use of mild steel with good scantling margins results in high thresholds against fatigue cracking and as an extensive maintenance program has been applied ever since delivery. The tankers are considered today as the best certified candidates for FPSO or FSO conversions.
Firefighting systems
Svenska Skum, a leading manufacturer of fire monitors and systems up to 3,600 cu meters/hr, has opened a new branch office in Moss, Norway, responsible for sales and engineering of complete firefighting packages for the marine industry worldwide. Main products are complete packages including monitors, pumps, gearboxes, control systems and water spray systems for vessels with class notification FIF I, FIFI II and FIFI III. The company offers full consultancy free of charge during the vessel design stage.
Separator corrosion
The Uddcomb method has been used since 1986 to protect pressure vessels from corrosion. So far, 7,000 sq meters of pressure vessel wall have been restored using this technology in over 50 projects worldwide. The method involves a weld overlay applied by highly mechanized equipment built and operated by Uddcomb Engineering. Deposition rate is very fast and it works in all positions. In its separator application, a 2.5 mm thick layer of Inconel 625 weld metal is welded onto the interior surfaces, to insure protection against corrosion and erosion.
The Mermaid pod propulsion system, jointly developed by Kamewa and Cegelec, features on three new Sedco Forex deepwater drilling semisubmersibles.
