More heavy lifting

by Finn Harald Sandberg, Norwegian Petroleum Museum

Crane vessels Balder and Thialf were once again in action with platform removal in the Greater Ekofisk Area during the 2012 summer season.

— The crane vessel Heerema Balder. Photo: Unknown / Norwegian Oil Museum

Balder began in early June by preparing the Edda 2/7 C and West Ekofisk 2/4 D jackets. It then delivered half the module support frame (MSF) from the Edda structure to the recycling plant at Vats north of Stavanger in July.

The next stage was starting to remove the topsides from Cod 7/11 A, and seven modules had been stripped from this facility by the end of July.

During August, Balder worked to make Albuskjell 1/6 A safe before removing conductors there. It did work for other customers at the end of the month, and then returned to Cod 7/11 A in September to remove the rest of the topsides.

Thialf mobilised in July. After lifting the remaining half of the MSF and the upper part of the jacket from West Ekofisk 2/4 D onto its deck, it raised the lower jacket section and made for land with the structure hanging from its cranes.

Once this consignment had been delivered to Vats in late July, Thialf sailed to Edda 2/7 C to remove the jacket and returned to Vats with the upper section on 10 August.

The ship completed its lifting season by removing the lower section of the Edda 2/7 C jacket.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Pioner, no 4, 2012.