Alimak Hek AB has received orders for a total of 48 Alimak rack and pinion lifts to be supplied to the offshore industry. The lifts will be manufactured, delivered and installed throughout 2009 and 2010 for new drillships, semi-submersibles and vessels that are being constructed. Last year was a very successful year for Alimak Hek with almost 50 lifts supplied to the oil and gas industry and the future looks very optimistic.

Derrick lifts

Aker solutions in Norway have signed contracts for a total of ten explosion proof Alimak derrick lifts for new semi-submersible oilrigs and drillships. The Alimak lifts have 500kg payload capacity and 45m lifting height. Delivery is scheduled to take place between the middle of 2009 until the end of 2010.

National Oil Well has signed contracts for six Alimak derrick lifts – for three new semi-subs and three drillships. National Oil Well Norway has ordered two Alimak derrick lifts for Russian Gazflot’s new semi submersibles that will operate in the Barents Sea. Furthermore, one lift has been ordered for Stena Drillings new semi-sub Stena Drillmax IV, which is being manufactured in Korea.

Samsung Heavy Industries has signed contracts for six Alimak lifts for a number of drillships that are being built by a shipyard in South Korea. The lifts will be installed on the derricks with lifting heights of 55.6m. The lifts have a 5.77° inclination and are explosion protected for use in Zone 2, Gas group IIB, T3.

Column lifts

Jurong Shipyards in Singapore has ordered 14 ALIMAK SE 1000 FCs, which will be installed inside the hull columns of five new semi-subs. Delivery is scheduled to take place between spring 2009 until the end of 2010. Keppel Fels shipyard has also ordered lifts from Alimak Hek. Two lifts with 24m lifting height will be installed inside the platform legs of a new semi-sub. Finally four Alimak’s with 1,200kg payload capacity will go to a shipyard in Viborg, Russia for installation in the columns of two new rigs. The rigs are being manufactured in Korea and will operate in the Barents Sea.

Floating storage vessel (FSO)

Vietnam’s Vinashin Shipyard will install an ALIMAK SE 400 FC lift on their new modern floating storage vessel FSO-5, which they are building for the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group. A floating storage vessel is used to transfer oil from a drilling platform and store it until a tanker arrives. FSO-5 has a loading capacity of 150,000t and handles 15,000t of oil a day. It will be located at the Dragon field in the South China Sea. The Alimak lift has a 16.4m lifting height, 6 landings and 400kg payload capacity. It will be installed inside a shaft and serve the ships office facilities to transport personnel and goods.

Custom lift for Valhall

Alimak Hek AB will supply an Alimak passenger and goods lift with 6.5t payload capacity for BP’s new platform at the Valhall field in the North Sea. Tore Sjödin, project leader at Alimak Hek AB, said: “This is the largest lift without counterweight ever to be manufactured by Alimak Hek.”