Oil Platform Installation - my 'show and tell'

[T S Magnum]

I'm an engineer (naval architect) and most of my career has been in offshore transportation and installation.

We have just completed a major project out here in Azerbaijan. Along the way I took a few photos and videos. I thought you lot might find the methods and engineering involved interesting.

Here's the end result (not operational yet but can be considered installed). West Chirag PDQ, now the biggest platform in the Caspian Sea. A snip at $4 billion!





The Wiki

Here's a compilation of video clips I shot as the work progressed. It's all fairly self explanatory but hopefully no less interesting!

Video of work involved

Any questions please feel free

[lost in espace]

Thanks for that amazing stuff. When the legs are dropped off the barges, how are they then lined up and attached to the sea bed? Or do they float?

[krusty]

I worked on the Shah Deniz Jack up platform in the Caspian from FEED to hook up. It's a busy place.

[T S Magnum]

A busy place for sure. Not enough yards to build the infrastructure quick enough.

The jacket (legs) is slung beneath a large floating crane as is was ballasted down (sunk). This allows fine control over it as it is very slowly lowered onto pre-installed piles sticking up from the seabed.

[Desiato]

Crikey I did a load of the secondary steel detailing on that one back! Nice to see the pictures of it installed

[KareemK]

lovely post/thread - thanks.

[Fizpop]

That was an epic build. Thanks for sharing.

[T S Magnum]

^^ Watch my video at the 30s mark. My friend made that clip, strapped our work camera to some scaff on the barge and left it running.

Who were you there with?

[T S Magnum]

Fizpop said:

That was an epic build. Thanks for sharing.

Epic build! Like it, thanks.

We've now started building two (smaller) platforms at the same time!

Shah Deniz Phase 2

[T S Magnum]

No worries! You get around a fair bit

[T S Magnum]

I'm in my 30s and agree with you, but most of my colleagues are 50s/60s even a couple in 70s!

[overdriveeng]

Cracking stuff! Did some well testing out there for BP a year or 2 back. Surprised they didnt name this the Heydar Aliyev. Everything else out there is....

[T S Magnum]

Thanks. The name was already taken (of course); meet the Heydar Aliyev drill rig: