Earlier this autumn, the 2/4 L jacket was hoisted to a horizontal position at the yard. The manufacture of pipes and sections for the jacket is carried out in the yard’s production halls. When surface treatment of the sections has been completed, they are moved to an outdoor area to be assembled into units.
Large Structures
Large structures are always involved when steel jackets are constructed. The Ekofisk 2/4 L jacket is a whopping 110 metres high, and weighs 5.400 tonnes. It will be anchored to the seabed using 12 50-metre piles. These piles weigh about 2 500 tonnes in total. In addition to the platform jacket, the Kværner Verdal yard will also construct a bridge support.
Long Experience
Aker Verdal is an experienced builder of steel jackets. The yard has constructed around 40 jackets in as many years – including many used in the Greater Ekofisk Area. The work on Ekofisk 2/4 L started in October 2010, and will be completed in the spring of 2012. The structures will then be moved on to barges and transported to the field.
Singapore
The construction of the topside is also well under way at the SMOE yard in Singapore. An experienced, multi-discipline team from ConocoPhillips is on-site to monitor the construction of the topside itself, two bridges and one bridge support topside.
Field Center
Ekofisk 2/4 L is not just a living quarters platform, but also a new field center in the Greater Ekofisk Area. The platform will be connected to the existing Ekofisk Complex via a bridge. In addition to 552 cabins, the platform will have a number of field center functions such as heli-deck and hangars, 75 office workspaces and a number of auxiliary systems such as fire water and freshwater supply.
The two bridges and bridge top being constructed at SMOE will be installed on Ekofisk in 2012 at the same time as the jacket and bridge support currently being constructed in Verdal. The topside is scheduled to be lifted in place on Ekofisk in the 2013 summer season.