P-55 Deck Mating Is Realized Successfully

On saturday (07/07), was completed Deck Mating of the semi-submersible platform P-55, the Naval Pole of Rio Grande (RS). The operation consists in the coupling between the platform deckbox, top, with the hull bottom, also called the lower hull. The Deck Mating was performed through the lifting of deckbox, new technique in Brazil, and that can be considered the most performed worldwide to date, due to the weight of the structure and the height that was erected.

In operation, the Survey Control collaborated in monitoring the lifting of deckbox, checking the arrow of deckbox, in addition to deckbox engagement settings with the hull. The Survey Control is proud to be the only dimensional control company to participate in this major operation.

For lifting the deckbox, which weighs about 17 tons, a system was set up with 12 towers, connected to 24 hydraulic jacks, each capable of lifting up to 900 tons, to raise it to a height of 47.2 meters in relation to the dry dock yard background. To raise the frame were used 24 sets of 54 steel cables each. Each cable has 18 mm in diameter and 60 feet long, totaling about 77 kilometers.

In the coming months will be held the installation of modules and systems integration. With the completion of this step, the P-55 will be transported to the Roncador field in the Campos Basin, coast of Rio de Janeiro, to start operation in September 2013. In full operation, the P-55 will be capable of producing up to 180 thousand barrels of oil and six million cubic meters of natural gas per day.

The P-55 hull design was developed by the Petrobras Research Center (Cenpes), the result of several years of research and engineering developments in partnership with Brazilian universities, with 100% national. It is another milestone for the oil industry in Brazil.

The Operation

The Deck Mating began on 25/6 when the deckbox was raised for the first time to a height of 20 cm for testing and final weighing. On June 27, the lifting process deckbox and continued the next day, reached the level of 15.4 meters height above the dam background. In parallel, we performed the rearrangement of the hull support (arenas) and installation of fenders inside the dike, work completed on June 30.

On the same day started the dike flooding process, with the opening of the valves in funding products. About 642 million liters of water were needed to fill the dam to a depth of 13.8 meters. Done flooding, the boat port was removed (2/7) for the input operation of the P-55 hull in the dike, and then reinstalled to seal the dike. The emptying of the dike at the level 7.2 meters, happened the next day.

On 5 and 6 July, the deckbox was raised to its maximum height of 47.2 meters, and the hull was lined. In 07/07 the hull took its final position, under the deckbox, and the suspended structure was laid over it, thus completing the deck mating operation of the P-55. The next step is the dam emptying until the hull, already coupled to deckbox, is fully supported in the riding stables (large concrete blocks) at the bottom of the structure.