Passing the test

22 September 2015


Modulift has supplied 27 spreader beams and other below-thehook equipment to oil and gas specialist alderley for the shah deniz stage 2 BP project in azerbaijan.

The spreaders, which range in capacity from 5t to 100t and spans from 1.5m to 10m, will be used for lifting the skids. The final units were delivered in June, including the slings to be used for rigging.

The work provided by Alderley includes one of the largest export gas metering systems ever to be built at its Gloucestershire, UK facility. At nearly 40m-long the gas export skid will be shipped in several sub-skid elements, ready for reassembly on site. The largest system is exactly 39.7m long, 14.7m wide, 9.3m high and weighs 420t. It will be broken into seven skids for shipping. Alderley passed onto Modulift the Shah Deniz Stage 2 project specifications originally provided by BP, which included material certification 3.1; test procedures; non-destructive testing (NDT) procedures; proof load testing (2 x SWL); rig drawings; and much more.

Anthony Culshaw, senior design engineer, Modulift, said: "In the UK we are the only company who could have fulfilled such an order due to the stringent requirements of the project specifications and the sheer size of the order."

The spreaders will be used during the transport and installation of the skids, in conjunction with a crane to lift them into position. Culshaw explained that this could be onto the back of a vehicle at Alderley's site or positioning for final installation at the Shah Deniz site.

Culshaw added: "This sort of order is perfect for us because Alderley came to us at such an early stage. We had the chance to visit their site and see the equipment whilst it was still in fabrication. This is vital as it can give us an insight into any potential problems or extra requirements for the lifts. Due to this early involvement we were able to design the lifting rigs from the ground up which is better for both us and the customer as timescale and budget can be reduced."

The order for spreader beams is one of the largest Modulift has received from the oil and gas sector, bucking the trend in an industry that is facing significant cost cuts.

Shah Deniz Stage 2 is located approximately 90km offshore in the Azerbaijan sector of the South Caspian Sea.

Modulift’s lifting expertise was integral to the project
Alderley’s gas metering systems were among the largest it has built for export