Multiple Vessels & Engineering Excellence

This project will be covered by multiple blog posts as it continues to progress. While there are many challenges to the project as a whole, the barge load-out engineering, planning, and execution is a great post by itself.

We identified the only viable barge slip in the region for this massive cargo load-out and assessed the feasibility of rolling on the bow from the previously unused river bank. We upgraded the ground bearing capacity with geo-piers to support our temporary bridge. This steel bridge was designed by Hansa Meyer Engineering to be transported to site affordably in sections over the road. Additionally, our engineers designed a cantilever lifting frame to set the bridge sections with one of our Goldhofer self-propelled electronic-steer platform trailers. This eliminated the need for a crane on site for months and saved our client substantial crane mobilization and rental costs. All custom equipment was fabricated by our team in Houston.

The first picture is a combined laser scan and bathymetry profile of the river bottom at the landing site. The red lines were plotted using GPS and fed into the dredging system (2nd picture). 

Our engineers plotted out a precise dredge plan to that was followed to ensure proper depth and clearance for the barges.

Our in house engineers designed this bridge and cantilever device (eliminating the need for a crane) while working hand in hand with our fabricators and equipment operators. 

Two LOX (Liquid oxygen) tanks and one LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) tank prior to roll on awaiting final lashing and sea-fastening for ocean going transit. 

On the left is a 3D "reality model" of the site used for precision planning in this challenging topography. On the right is a picture of the actual load-out.

So many other considerations go into a project like this:

• Site assessment and infrastructure improvement design
• GIS, Survey, Laser Scanning, Sonar Bathymetry, Geotechnical review, 3D site modeling and electronic laser stakeout of site for precision assurance of dimensions and positioning of all equipment and vessels in real-time with extreme river level fluctuations.
• Planned cargo night moves and staging 
• Mobilizing equipment and personnel to fab shop and barge site.
• Civil/structural works at barge site for barge arrival and ramp setting 
• Ballast and secure barge and position stands and grillages 
• Ballasting to account for barge heel and trim while rolling on the tank
• Sea-fastening for ocean transport consisting of chain, welded steel plate clips, and stoppers.
• Logistical coordinate with busy grain load-out during critical harvest-time operations
• So much more 

There will be more to follow on this project and we are looking forward to sharing more with you.  As always, we thank you for reading our blog and welcome any comments.  Also, follow us on Linkedin @hansameyercompanies for more pictures and posts.

3000 Horsepower Offshore Rig Move - Continued

We've had a lot of emails and Linkedin comments on the previous blog post about the rig move recently completed by Hansa Meyer.  We have so many cool pictures we thought we would run another post and shared them with you.  Thanks for your feedback-Enjoy !

This is an Air Compressor Skid @ 44ft x 15ft x 24ft @ 84k lbs. PST used to transfer from stands and beam to under the cranes hook to be loaded to barge.

75 Ton Lower Crane Base 33ft x 25ft x 38ft @ 115,900 lbs   moved from LS to Cedar Bayou directly under the crane hooks at Cedar Bayou. Normally this is a night moved, due to the short distance and back roads the Hansa Meyer Team was able to work with the city district to this moved during the day.

Drill floor wall 60ft x 24ft x 28ft @ 118,000 lbs. Crane removed for the SL with a 650T crane and loaded to a barge at Cedar Bayou.

Bulk Tank 60ft x 23ft x 22ft @ 132,278 lbs. On the PST being unloaded and stage in anticipation for the next barge.

3000 Horsepower Offshore Rig Move

Hansa Meyer was awarded a challenging project in the summer of 2017.  The project consisted of many components:

• Performing lifts to "rig-down" an assembled 3000 horsepower offshore drilling rig.
• Measuring and weighing each piece, calculating the center of gravity (COG), and developing documentation for future lifts. 
• Engineering and procurement of proper rigging to be used for "rig-up" activities offshore. 
• Transporting the freight via deck barges and specialized trucks to the Port of Houston. 
• Properly laying out at the port in a "rig-up" sequence to be loaded on to Offshore Supply Vessels (OSVs) and barges.
• Loading out, in sequence for delivery to the platform.   

The rig components then moved in sequence, nearly 500 miles offshore to a waiting platform.  In reverse order from how the rig came down, it will be rebuilt from the bottom up. 

The project was both time critical and sequence critical.  OSVs and barges would be scheduled to be loaded and arrive at the platform within very tight windows.  The loading sequence had to be perfect in order to allow the offshore "rig-up" activities to take place with no double handling or extra equipment, as storage space offshore was minimal.  A wrench was thrown into the works when Hurricane Harvey came into the Houston area and dumped over 50 inches of rain.  However, when the water receded and the skies cleared the team was back to work.

The team performed tandem lifts to fly down the two Seatrax rig cranes

Hauling the nearly 40' crown to the port. 

Nearly 200 truckloads of equipment was hauled to the port.

One section of the Heli-pad arriving at the port.

Not just trucking but 6 barges were loaded at the site and offloaded at the port

Below is the first OSV (offshore supply vessel). It was loaded out with some of the last pieces brought to the port.  The "rig-up" sequence is almost in a complete reverse order. However, due to weight distribution on the platform, the sequence was modified to ensure a balanced rig-up construction.  This OSV takes the first load to the platform nearly 500 miles offshore.  Then a series of barges will finish the deliveries.

A special thanks to everyone involved on this project.  It was a team effort without a doubt!  Our engineers and operators, as well as our project management and commercial teams all did a fantastic job.  This was a very fluid project with scope changes, equipment variables, weather challenges, and a host of situations that took dedication and effort from everyone to overcome.  Another great project for team Hansa Meyer!

Jamaican Tanks: Part 1

Returning to the Caribbean for another major project, Hansa Meyer managed the inland and ocean transportation of three 15K gallon LNG tanks that originated in the US with final destination in Jamaica. Part one of this project, included the inland transportation of the tanks, on Hansa Meyer's TK 90. The team successfully delivered the tanks to the port. The three tanks were directly discharged and transported to a holding location until they were cleared to be set at the final destination. Please enjoy the pictures below. 

48,000 lbs - 524" x 143" x 118"

Heading to port on Hansa Meyer's TK 90

3 tanks in the vessel upon arrival in Jamaica

Nighttime discharge in Jamaica

As always, we thank you for reading our blog and welcome any comments. 

Project Cargo Precision

The Hansa Meyer Heavy Haul & Rigging team had their work cut out for them on this project. With limited space at the location, and extremely confined access going to the pad, this transport required an engineered routing plan and very experienced operators. Fortunately, our team has both. After planning closely with the customer and the on-site team, a more practical and safer solution was developed. The coordinated effort allowed the plant to remain operational, as well as limiting liability and lost time. 

High Pressure Bottle - 117,000 lbs

After arriving at the facility in Texas, Hansa Meyer used its own Goldhofer STZ-9 to transport the cargo directly to the pad. The axles on the STZ-9 are hydraulic and steerable, making maneuvering around high pressure lines and other obstacles within the facility easier to negotiate.

Gross weight - 240,000 lbs

The high-pressure bottle was placed in-line with the foundation on the first attempt. Hansa Meyer Heavy Haul & Rigging owns a 500 ton Hydra-Slide jacking system that safely positioned the bottle directly over the guiding lugs, and lowered it precisely onto the pad. A critical part of this lift was ensuring the bottle was directly over the guiding lugs and not scraping the lugs during the lowering.

Hansa Meyer's Hydra-Slide System with 500-ton capacity

Cargo dimensions - 125' x 10' x 13'6"

This project was completed without issue and the customer was very pleased. Another job well done by Hansa Meyer Heavy Haul & Rigging! 

If you have complex transports, don't leave them up to your broker to hand off to someone with the cheapest price. Hansa Meyer Global Transport and Hansa Meyer Heavy Haul & Rigging perform turn-key solutions for their customers. Built on nearly 30 years in the project cargo industry, highly skilled people, in-house engineering, and some of the newest equipment in operation.

As always, thank you for reading our blog and we welcome any comments.

Subsea Equipment Transported Across Houston

Hansa Meyer Heavy Haul & Rigging transported two loads across Houston, load #1 weighed 818,984 lbs and load #2 427,200 lbs. Load #1, a lower stack, was transported via Hansa Meyer's 14 line Goldhofer DR with Western Star pull and push trucks. The cargo was escorted by 5 police escorts and arrived 1 full day ahead of schedule. Load #2, a LMRP, was transported using a 4 drop deck 8 line SL with Western Star Prime Mover (pull only) over the course of 1 day. Very impressive and a well done job by the Hansa Meyer Heavy Haul & Rigging team. Please enjoy the videos and pictures of this project below.

As always, thank you for reading our blog and we welcome any comments.