KE-Burgmann UK has successfully completed the first oversize clamshell repair on an offshore installation in the northern North Sea.
KE-Burgmann UK was contacted by a Canadian company that operates the majority of the Oil and Gas Installations in the UK sector of the North Sea. Damage had been discovered to the high temperature DN2000 (79") Nimonic 75 outer bellows of the Rolls Royce power turbine on board the Murchison platform. A very expensive drilling operation was due to take place soon and without the backup of this turbine, the success of the drilling operation was at risk. Immediately a meeting was arranged in Aberdeen, Scotland where a full design, method statement and risk assessment was produced and agreed with the customer.
The membrane was manufactured at KE-Burgmann Bredan, DK, and delivered next day to the UK while the necessary flanges, tooling, equipment and site team mobilised in the UK. Specialist offshore training was undertaken and the project was ready to go ahead. Due to the remoteness of the job it was essential that the site team was fully prepared and equipped to complete the work in the shortest timescale possible as no backup would be available from the factory.
Despite an initial delay due to bad weather and the very restricted and unusual working environment in the turbine cell, the project was successfully completed to the high technical specification demanded, including for customer and third party inspection and ahead of schedule.
For more detailed technical information contact Simon Stanway, at KE-Burgmann UK Ltd.