Offshore DrillingDrilling vessel operatorLas Palmas, Canary Islands

Ram Rig Structure Splitting and Reassembly

DSL rig builders split a drilling vessel's ram rig structure so it could transit the Bosphorus into the Mediterranean, then reassembled it in Las Palmas so the client could commence drilling operations.

Rig Building CrewsDerrick Assembly

The client's drilling vessel needed to travel through the Bosphorus into the Mediterranean Sea, which required its ram rig structure to be dismantled for the passage.

The structure then had to be reassembled with the vessel in Las Palmas before drilling operations could commence, with the geometry of the original structure maintained to avoid alignment issues on reconnection.

In phase I, our team of multi-disciplined rig builders split the ram rig structure, removing the interface material at the split point, including access ladders, utility lines, winch wires and electrical cables and tray. Riser fingers were removed to create space to erect the lifting towers used to lower the top section.

A steel support frame was installed to lower and later raise the top section. The frame allowed the top section to be jacked and skidded onto the Fagioli lifting elevator towers, and it held the geometry of the original structure to minimise alignment issues during transit and reconnection. In phase II the sequence was reversed in Las Palmas, with the riser fingers and interface materials reinstalled.

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