Rolls-Royce Marine Tech Off Brazil’s Coast

Friday, May 29, 2009

Rolls-Royce has secured a $61.3b contract to supply a newly-developed anchor handling system that will enable floating oil platforms to be secured to the seabed in the extreme depths off the coast of Brazil. The system has been developed in response to the increase in deep water oil exploration and will be fitted to two vessels serving platforms owned by Brazilian oil company Petrobas.

The vessels are currently under construction by STX Brasil Offshore and each one will carry more than 1,000 tonnes of Rolls-Royce equipment. The equipment package includes winches specially designed for the maneuver and installation of torpedo anchors. Weighing in at 130 tonnes each, the torpedo anchors have been developed by Petrobras. By penetrating the seabed, they give a secure fixing for the heavy-duty cables used to keep oil platforms in position. The Rolls-Royce winches are each capable of handling anchors down to depths of 9,842.5 ft – equivalent to more than four times the height of Rio’s Corcovado mountain.

When complete, each vessel will feature a deck machinery package and equipment designed to enhance safety of operations at sea. In addition to winches, Rolls-Royce will supply anchor handling cranes, stern rollers, towing and stopping pins, and a pennant winder and spooling sheave.

(www.rolls-royce.com)