Dubai: J. Ray McDermott has completed the installation of Dolphin Energy's two integrated drilling and production platform complexes DOL1 and DOL2.
McDermott's installation vessel DB27 completed 16 major lifts, safely installing the decks, bridges, bridge support platforms, and flare towers offshore Qatar.
Offshore hook-up and commissioning will begin this month, and the platforms will be ready for start-up during the summer, to supply natural gas to the UAE and Oman from Qatar's North Dome field.
"The project presented a number of challenges," explained Karl Kesser, McDermott project director. "A key challenge was for us to re-package the front-end design for the drilling platform topsides into a series of offshore lifts that were construction friendly."
McDermott adopted a vertical split between the utility and process modules in the second week of the installaton, which allowed the two modules to be assembled in their offshore configuration while still in the fabrication yard.
"This approach allowed us to test all of the module installation aids onshore, and allowed us to complete 99 per cent of all pre-commissioning and nearly 60 per cent of the total project's commissioning work onshore, which was a great benefit," said Kesser.
The modules were split for load out and transportation, and re-assembled at the offshore site in a very smooth operation.
