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Drydocks World completes major offshore rig upgrade
Dubai’s leading shipyard, Drydocks World, has completed offshore jack-up rig leg extension works for the BW Maromba B Wellhead Platform conversion project ahead of schedule. The complex operation was supported by detailed engineering work undertaken at the yard and also marked the first deployment of Mammoet’s CC 8800-1 Boom Booster crane configuration in the UAE.
Working with Mammoet, nine leg extension sections, each weighing approximately 105 tonnes, were installed by Drydocks World across the platform’s three legs, increasing their height from 175m to 205m, and preparing the converted asset for deployment offshore Brazil.
The project involved the conversion of the former Valaris 247, a heavy-duty jack-up drilling rig which was being repurposed into a wellhead platform for deployment at the Maromba field offshore Brazil. Commissioned by Drydocks World, Mammoet provided engineering, equipment and specialist personnel to lift and install nine rig leg extension sections. The scope involved three legs, each consisting of three triangular sections weighing approximately 105 tonnes and measuring 10.2m in height and 16.2m in width. The Boom Booster, fitted to the crane’s main boom, extended its lifting capability, allowing heavy components to be lifted to greater heights and at longer working radii without the need for a larger crane. “The BW Maromba B conversion project is an important project for Drydocks World, bringing together our engineering, fabrication and project delivery teams to prepare the platform for its next operational life,” commented Ajith Puthenveettil Ramachandrakurup, Senior Project Manager at Drydocks World.
Repurposing offshore assets is becoming an increasingly important way for operators to extend the life of existing infrastructure, maximise the value of previous investments and reduce the need for new construction. The completion of the project demonstrates the yard’s capabilities in enabling operators to achieve such objectives.
