Vulcan SFM, the offshore design and engineering division of Sheffield Forgemasters, has announced a triple contract.
The contract, on behalf of Hyundai and Technip is the largest won by Vulcan SFM. It will see delivery of the largest cast steel nodes ever made, for the world’s largest floating Spar gas production platform– the first of its type to operate in the Norwegian Sea.
Vulcan SFM will deliver 12 ultra-large castings for the Spar, operated by Statoil ASA on behalf of the partners OMV, ConocoPhillips and Statoil, which will see service in the deep water Aasta Hansteen field off the coast of Norway.
Paul Mockford, design director at Vulcan SFM, said: “The project to develop the Aasta Hansteen gas field requires the world’s largest Spar platform.”
The castings will form high strength and fatigue resistant nodal joints to connect the main leg and brace tubulars which make up the lower, truss section of the Spar platform.
Paul added: “The Aasta Hansteen Spar is the largest diameter Spar which has ever been built with a diameter of 50 metres and a total hull length of 198 meters, most of which is below the surface of the sea.
“With water depths of more than 4,200 feet this is a deep water application and floating platforms are the only real option at these depths.”
Vulcan SFM will design and supply 12 cast nodes, the largest of which weigh 117 tonnes, seven tonnes heavier than the largest nodes made to date.
The platform, which will be located approximately 186 miles off the Norwegian coast will be the first Spar platform built with storage capacity, estimated to be around 25,000 scm of condensate.
Vulcan’s involvement in the project is expected to run through until March 2014.
