The 3,200 tonnes lift capacity Asian Hercules II returned to Norway in June to provide additional heavy lift assistance during the decommissioning of the Maureen platform. During March, the big sheerlegs lifted, transported and landed 11 Maureen platform modules at Aker Maritime's Stord facility over a two-week period. For the second visit, Asian Hercules II arrived at Stord on June 22. The scope of work involved three lifts, including a 600 tonnes conductor frame and two lattice frames, weighing 2,950 tonnes each. The latter will be the biggest single lifts ever executed by a SMIT sheerlegs. This breaks the December 2001 record, when Asian Hercules II lifted a 2,800 tonnes drilling module for ExxonMobil's Ringhorne platform.
