Miko Marine to Supply Magnetic Hull Closures for Modec FPSO

Norwegian company Miko Marine will deliver four cofferdams and water inlet covers for a Modec FPSO being built in China.

The FPSO, under construction at the DSIC yard in Dalian, will operate at Equinor's Bacalhau field offshore Brazil.

Miko Marine said that the new sea chest inlet covers are scheduled for delivery in March 2021.

They feature Miko’s magnetic attachments and will be available to be fitted and used repeatedly without the need for welding or permanent hull attachments. 

"They provide the benefit of enabling repairs and maintenance to be to be carried-out inside sea-chests whenever necessary and without the need for dry-docking, thereby enabling the FPSO to remain on station," Miko Marine said.

For the Bacalhau project will feature Miko will use high-power permanent magnets to position and hold the closure in place. 

Depending on the size of the closure, four to ten powerful Miko MAM permanent magnets are used to hold the cofferdam in place. 

"With each magnet being capable of holding up to 2000 kg it is possible to achieve an immediate watertight seal for the closures without the need for any other fastening devices being fitted to the hull. Flotation material is integrated within the blanking plates and this makes them neutrally buoyant and easily handled underwater by ROV," Miko Marine explained

Further, Miko said that each magnet is attached to its closure by a flexible joint which enables the plate to be maneuvered and positioned precisely against the hull before it is tightened into place. 

"When the repair work is finished the magnets are simply freed by having their release lever rotated by a diver or ROV, enabling the blank to be quickly retrieved by crane and stored on board," the Oslo-based company said.