First deck in place

On Friday section 512 of the Johan Sverdrup drilling platform was hoisted into place in the North Sea Hall at Aibel’s yard in Haugesund. This means the first deck on the drilling support module (DSM) is completed.

The 208-ton section has been built at the yard in Haugesund. On Friday morning the section was moved out of the paint hall, where it has been sandblasted and painted. Later the same day it was hoisted into place in the North Sea Hall, where assembly of the drilling support module is taking place.

“We have a tight schedule. That’s why it was important to us to complete the hoist as soon as possible after completion in the paint hall. The operation was planned down to the last detail, and everything went according to plan,” says the construction manager for the drilling support module, Bjørn Pedersen.

He’s impressed by his colleagues’ efforts on the project. All stages, from engineering and drawing deliveries to fabrication and completion have contributed to reaching the milestone.

“The section is a visible result of close cooperation and competent personnel at every stage,” he says.

Important milestone

The hoisting of the 512 section means that the first deck of the drilling support module is completed. The final drilling support module will have six decks, and will be one of a total of three modules for the Johan Sverdrup drilling platform.

“Completion of the first deck is an important milestone. First of all, it means that we are on track with regard to the schedule. Now large amounts of pipes and mechanical equipment are to be installed before the next sections are hoisted into place,” the construction manager explains.

The heavy hoist was also one of the first tests for the North Sea Hall’s new cranes, which have been part of a major upgrade in order to optimize the yard for the Johan Sverdrup project itself. The cranes will also be put to good use in the time ahead. The next large hoist on the drilling support module is planned for the beginning of October, when the 521 section arrives from the Vistal yard in Poland.