(With extra pictures) Franklin Offshore Europe Rotterdam has installed two reels of 5000 m/135 mm A&R-wire on board the Pioneering Spirit. Each reel of wire weighs close to 500 tonnes.
Franklin Offshore Europe's was initially to just deliver the spooling machine capable of handling the reels (OD=5.5 m, width 7.5 m) with personnel to install the wire. This scope was extended to fully equip a flat top barge with all equipment for reeving the wire ropes.
Within two days the company's combined fabrication/project team equipped the barge with a rigging/office loft, various sheaves, the 600 tonnes spooling machine, a smaller 20 tonnes spooling machine, light posts and dragline-mats. All work was executed at the Franklin RDM-base quayside. Than the barge was mobilised to the Pioneering Spirit.
The reels were shipped from Korea by the Pioneering Spirit. Once alongside the world’s biggest vessel, both reels were loaded onto the flat top barge. One reel was directly placed in the 600 tonnes spooling machine, the other one just behind the machine. After spooling the first wire, the sea fastening of the spooling machine was cut loose and both pedestals were positioned on the second reel and sea fastened again.
After all spooling works were finished, the barge was demobilised to the Franklin Offshore RDM-base. Here all equipment was taken off the barge and the barge was redelivered to its owners. The complete project took eight days, including mobilisation and demobilisation of the barge.
Below an album with extra pictures. Please click the pop-out link to view them in their proper dimensions.
