Tight deadline for deck kit

Three and a half weeks from kick off to fully-tested load out was all the time Norwegian based Scantrol and UK HQ’d ACE Winches had to meet a subsea kit order. Richard Wilson, ACE’s chief operations officer described the deadline as “challenging”.

The whole project turned on getting an Active Heave Compensation winch and A-frame combination to Spain inside the time limit to help Saipem mobilise one of its vessels. This needed an alternative system for deploying subsea equipment from the back deck before it could head out on a new contract.

The deck machinery consists of a 31 tonne, 7m by 4.2m by 4.2m A-frame with a maximum hook load of 13.5 tonnes, the winch having 2,300m of wire and being capable of speeds of 56m/per min on first layer, 98m/per min on final layer.

The first thing to say is ACE Winches facilities in Aberdeenshire made a huge effort to get the engineering and manufacture completed for Saipem: while some existing assets could be tailored for the job, other elements needed to be built from scratch. As a result, detailed manufacturing drawings had to be produced within 24 or 48 hours in order to have steel on site a day later.

The only way to manage it was a 24 hour working cover and daily meetings with the workshop team to discuss the tasks in hand. It also needed what ACE calls “strong supply chain management” to make sure the suppliers delivered on time. However, there were some existing connections (both figurative and literal) that made the job easier.

Take, for example, the incorporation of Scantrol’s AHC control system: this delivers accurate positioning of the load at the end of the hook – a necessity in harsh weather conditions. The two companies have had a working relationship since 2011 and, as a result, Scantrol’s standardised components already accommodate ACE’s specifications. The result is a streamlined solution “hence the short delivery time” explained Scantrol’s business development manager, Rolf Krogh Hjelmeland.

Finally, Wilson said that the company made the deadline, concluding the project “with a positive result”.