More record-breaking lifts by Sleipnir

Sleipnir preparing to install the 12,050 tonne jacket

Heavy lift vessel Sleipnir set a pair of new records in Norwegian waters in May and June.

Most recently, on 18 June, it was a new weight record of 12,050 tonnes for the installation of the jacket (legs) for an offshore oil platform. Vessel owner Heerema claimed it as the world’s heaviest jacket installation. It was part of the Norwegian Johan Sverdrup Phase 2 development project which will comprise five new platforms.

Sleipnir with the 13,600 tonne MSF module. Power for the vessel is a total of 96 MW, produced by 12 engines of 8 MW each. They run on low sulphur marine gas oil or liquified natural gas

The lift of the processing platform (P2) jacket followed Sleipnir’s earlier setting of another record. This time it was the inshore integration of three P2 topside modules for offshore services specialist Aibel in May. One of them, the MSF module, weighed 13,600 tonnes and its lift was claimed as the heaviest by a crane in Norwegian waters.

The other two modules, weighing a mere 5,400 and 4,300 tonnes, presented less of a challenge for the 20,000 tonne combined capacity of the two revolving lattice boom tub cranes on Sleipnir.

Commenting on the record operations Michel Hendriks, Heerema transport and installation director, said, “We are proud to play a part in Equinor’s Johan Sverdrup P2 development, and to achieve two new lifting records in the process is always special. Both projects were successful due to the close co-operation with our clients, and we look forward to returning to the Johan Sverdrup field later this year.”

The booms on the Sleipnir cranes built by Huisman are 144 metres long and the maximum hoist height above the waterline is 135 metres

The13,600 tonne MSF module for the Johan Sverdrup field development