Busy Schedule for Lewek Constellation
EMAS AMC‘s Lewek Constellation was in Rotterdam recently for outfitting. This included the installation of an 800t Huisman Multi Lay System, two Schilling work class ROVs and a 200t MacGregor crane. EMAS designed the DP3 vessel for the delivery of complex projects in water depths exceeding 3,000m. She has Ice Class notation and multi-lay and heavy lift-capabilities. Her multi-lay tower supports both rigid and non-rigid pipelines and her Huisman mast crane can lift up to 3,000t.
The 178.2m vessel was able to demonstrate her heavy-lift potential on her way for final outfitting in Europe. Following her construction in Vietnam, Lewek Constellation took part in the construction of two platforms, alongside Lewek Express, offshore West Africa for VAALCO Gabon. EMAS AMC Vice President of Assets Frank van Tilborg said, “We had a project of opportunity when we came out of the shipyard in Vietnam. On the way to Rotterdam we passed Gabon. For that scope we needed only the 3,000t crane, which Huisman had installed in April last year.
“Her work included installation of two jackets and topsides with flare booms and boat landings. All work was completed, on time and on budget.”
Port Tour
Mr Van Tilborg takes up the story following completion of the Gabon project: “After we finished the VAALCO project, the vessel sailed to Schiedam in the Port of Rotterdam in October last year. First we went to Mammoet, where we loaded on board two work class ROVs from Schilling and associated equipment. Then we moved on to Huisman and loaded the pipe lay tower.”
The tower is a Huisman Multi Lay System – a combined pipe-lay tower for both reel and flex lay through a central moon pool. The system consists of four 1,200t removable rigid pipe reels and two fixed 1,250t carousels for flexible pipe.
It boasts two 600t traction winches and storage capacity for 4,000m steel wire rope.
Following this, the vessel sailed on to Keppel Verolme where she was dry-docked so the yard could install the cursors and frames into the two ROV moon pools.
Lewek Constellation left Keppel Verolme in early December. “After leaving the yard she returned to Mammoet where we finished off the ROV installation and commissioned and tested the tower. We also performed some steel work at that stage, in preparation for the 200t active heave compensated MacGregor knuckle-boom crane.”
Going to the Gulf
Following her time in Rotterdam, Lewek Constellation sailed to the Gulf of Mexico to undertake her first pipe-lay project for Noble Energy – the subsea tie-back of Noble Energy’s Gunflint, Big Bend and Dantzler fields in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM).
The total scope of EMAS AMC’s work in the GOM is worth over USD 300 million. It involves fulfillment of an EPCI contract featuring over 130km of pipe-in-pipe (PiP) flowlines and over 100km of umbilicals in water depths up to 2,200m. EMAS AMC received the award following successful work on Noble Energy’s Tamar project in the Mediterranean Sea.
All Guns Blazing
The company announced the Gunflint project award in early 2014. The field is located in block 948 of the Mississippi Canyon area in around 2,000m of water.
Noble Energy discovered Gunflint in 2008 and subsequent appraisals confirmed a significant discovery, leading the company to approve development in 2013.
There is anything between 35 and 90 million boe oil in Gunflint’s reserves, expected to peak at 37,000boe/d. Gunflint is planned as a two well tie-back to come online mid-2016.
Big Bend is part of the Rio Grande complex, located in Mississippi Canyon block 698. Initially at least, Noble Energy plan a one well tie-back that is due to start producing later this year.
The company is anticipating that Big Bend holds reserves of between 30 and 65 million boe, which will peak at 22,000 boe/d. Big Bend will feature an 18-mile subsea tie-back.
Dantzler is planned as a two well tie-back in Mississippi Canyon block 782, utilising the infrastructure of Big Bend and set to come online in 2016. Peak production will be in the region of 36,000 boe/d from reserves estimated at between 55 and 95 million boe. The Big Bend and Dantzler fields are being tied-back to SBM Offshore’s Thunder Hawk DeepDraft semi-submersible platform, located 18 miles and 7 miles away from the respective fields.
Going Down Under
Following her work in the Gulf of Mexico, in 2016, Lewek Constellation will go on to her following project award for Apache Energy in Australia. Her scope here will include project management, engineering, transportation and subsea installation of an electro-hydraulic steel tube umbilical, two heavy-lift subsea manifolds, flying leads and jumpers as well as procurement, fabrication and transportation & installation of diverless tie-in spools for Apache’s Julimar Development project.
Visit EMAS AMC at MCE Deepwater Development at stand 205, Keppel Verolme at EWEA 2015 at stand C3-B20 and Huisman at EWEA 2015 at stand C2-A8.
