N E W S R E L E A S E from FURMANITE AUSTRALIA
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Smart solution for boring job keeps platform fully operational
When wear and tear meant that machining work was required on the boom pinion of the Wandoo B platform’s crane, in-situ machining expertise from Furmanite, the technical services company geared to maximising asset uptime, enabled this to be done on-site, within a tight time window, avoiding costly downtime and maintaining use of the crane throughout.
Wear on the existing pins and holes on the boom pinion meant that 12 lug assembly 56mm holes had to be re-bored. Options facing operator Vermilion Oil and Gas Australia included purchasing a new crane boom and floating it out to the platform (involving cranes to remove and replace the old boom with the new one), or shutting down the platform while the original boom was sent ashore for repair, with the downtime, cost and logistics issues that would entail. Clearly neither option was desirable.
Instead, Vermilion called in Furmanite, known for its high level on-site machining expertise, to re-bore the holes in-situ to tight tolerances (+0.03mm ), while still requiring the crane to be available for use at short notice.
To enable the crane to remain available at short notice a special scaffold platform was constructed to fit under the boom arm, which could be dismantled easily if the crane was required. This meant that the Furmanite machining equipment had to be made as light as possible in line with the weight restrictions of the scaffold. Poor weather conditions, working at height suspended under the crane boom, and accessing the work platform with the equipment all posed significant challenges, coupled with the need to dismantle the scaffold quickly to make the crane available when required, and set the scaffold up again when work could continue.
Using a two inch line borer with a pneumatic air drive, supported in a Furmanite-designed bracket for hand feed, the top holes on the boom were successfully machined from a walkway on top of the boom, and the bottom holes from the scaffold hanging under the boom.
To ensure maximum efficiency and demonstrate that the job could be completed in minimum time constraints, Furmanite made up a scale replica and test rig in the workshop, including a full scale replica of the pin and lug assembly, to ensure that the lightweight equipment could be attached easily by one man, and that the tolerances were met. The tests were observed by the client before the equipment was taken offshore.
Commenting on the project Furmanite business manager Martin Hurst said: “Ensuring that the crane was available at short notice throughout the work to avoid disruption to the operator’s schedule was a critical requirement. The equipment we used was designed to meet this need, allowing a quick set-up while still giving the required demanding tolerances.
“By applying our in-situ machining experience and expertise we were able to undertake the necessary work within the minimum timescale, enabling the crane to get back to operation as normal as quickly as possible. This is exactly what our range of services is geared to achieve: maximising asset uptime.”
For further press information contact:
Sarah Manwaring-White
Keep in Touch Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)1451 844 488
Email: sarah_mw@keepintouch.co.uk