Malta Shipyards - Ship Repair, Conversion and Steel Fabrication

The Malta Shipyards are owned by the Government of Malta. The Shipyards are an integrated facility and the group comprises a heavy steel fabrication production facility at Marsa, one of the largest dry docking repair and conversion facilities in the Mediterranean at Cospicua, Manoel Island Yacht and a Tank Cleaning Station Fabrication. Repair contracts and conversions are carried out at both sites with equipment, labour and management resources being shared.

OFFSHORE PROJECTS

The Malta Shipyards have re-entered the offshore market, strengthening the management team to offer a comprehensive range of services to this highly demanding industry.

FPSO CONVERSION

In October, 2001, the IKDAM FPSO, converted from the former M.T. Northia, left Malta to take up station at the Isis field off the cost of Tunisia. This marked the successful completion of the conversion project that commenced in January 2001.

The work-scope involved:

• Extensive hull modifications for the patented Tripod Catenary Mooring System (TCMS)
• Installation of new generating capacity
• Fabrication and installation of a helicopter deck, process deck, flare stack and bow cantilever and gantry
• Full hull blasting and coating
• Upgrading of accommodation, fire fighting and life saving systems
• Modifications to the propulsion system

The topside facilities included an oil production plant to process 30,000bopd and a 3mmscfd gaslift system.

SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE RIGS

April 2002 saw the successful completion of a rig repair contract for Transocean.The work scope for the semi-submersible drilling rig included an 'ABS' class survey undertaken with additional work:

• Replacement of all 8-anchor fairleads - owner elected to have new fairleaders manufactured and installed, as opposed to reconditioning
• Replacement of the low-pressure mud system between mud pits and mud pumps
• Replacement of under deck walkways and column ladders
• Manufacture and installation of a new crane boom rest
• Replacement of valves in high-pressure mud manifold and standpipe manifold
• Fabrication of two new stand pipes
• Overhaul of pontoon side valves and hydrophones
• Replacement of a section of the diverter pipe
• Circuit breaker replacement on main and emergency switchboard

The work was undertaken during a busy docking period and completed with full quality control, NDT and documentation, to owners' satisfaction.

BACKGROUND

The Malta Shipyards are now well into a restructuring process that began 3 years ago. The aims are to offer improved efficiency and cost effectiveness to the key markets of offshore and energy, conversion and commercial ship repair. 1700 skilled English speaking employees form the core workforce to provide quality engineering, steel fabrication and repair services. Strategic partnerships have been formed to broaden expertise to offer specialised services to meet clients' needs.

The Cospicua Site - (Malta Drydocks) is a long established leading shipyard and one of the largest dry-docking ship repair and conversion facilities in the Mediterranean. Recent projects have included an FPSO conversion and the completion of a semi-submersible rig. Seven drydocks, equipped with shore services and dockside cranes, can accommodate vessels up to 300,000dwt. Afloat repairs are carried out on the 2km of wharves available. Trained and experienced employees enable the yard to react quickly to owners' requirements.

The Marsa Site - The Steel Fabrication operation of the Malta Shipyards provides an excellent facility for heavy steel fabrication and for the undertaking of other non-marine projects.

Since the commencement of activities in 1985, a variety of projects have been undertaken. Several new buildings were completed however, more recently the Marsa site has been focusing fabrication projects. These included several complex steel structures; a flare-tower, a heli-pad and process deck for an FPSO conversion project. A major project has been the fabrication of a series of Single Point Mooring buoys for Bluewater of the Netherlands. The yard has also been commissioned to undertake several non-marine related work such as the fabrication of large Quayside Container Cranes for export, large Water and Oil Storage Tanks and heavy structural steel modification work for a power station.

The facilities include a 290m x 50m x 6m graving dry-dock equipped with dockside cranes, two main quays of a total length of 500m, and a covered workshop of 30,000m². A core of highly skilled permanent employees provide the specialised skills required to supply quality fabrication services.