Allseas has awarded the testing of the lift system for the Pieter Schelte to the joint venture of SPT Offshore and Volker Steel and Foundations.
The ‘Pieter Schelte’ is the world’s largest decommissioning vessel, measuring 382m long by 124m wide. It is suitable for lifting structures weighing up to 48,000t.
The test frame will comprise of a lower jacket part, founded on four suction piles and an upper part including a water tank, which will be filled with sea water to simulate a test lift weight of 5,000t.
All work will take place at the BOW terminal in Vlissingen and will include the modification of an existing module support frame in to a jacket structure. The foundation of the jacket structure will consist of four suction piles, which will be built at the VSF yard in Rotterdam and assembled with the jacket in Vlissingen.
Mark Riemers and Pieter Arie Kraaijeveld, directors of the contracting companies said: "We are extremely pleased with this contract for the testing of such an exceptional vessel."
The test frame is planned for completion by April 2015, and will be installed in a field in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.
After the offshore tests are completed, the jacket will be removed and stored on shore.