Riser Plate Protection Cover Replacement
Offshore Nigeria – MV Svenja and the challenge of deep-water heavy lifting
Precision engineering in remote waters
SAL replaced a Riser Protection Frame (RPF) on the EGINA FPSO (OML 130, Nigeria) – one of Africa’s largest FPSOs. The campaign was executed with MV Svenja (Type 183) for Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria, in collaboration with Marine Platforms Ltd (MPL).
Mission scope: one frame out, one frame in
Operating in DP mode, MV Svenja served as offshore feeder and wet-storage platform. The damaged 240-tonne RPF was removed and returned to port; the new 190-tonne RPF (24.8 × 31.5 × 4.1 m) was transported to site, upended by Svenja’s twin 1,000-tonne cranes, and transferred to the installation vessel Maersk Inventor via custom hang-off frames engineered and fitted by SAL.
Engineering the unconventional
SAL designed, fabricated and installed two special hang-off frames to enable safe transfer between two DP vessels. A detailed motion study modelled pendulum behaviour during upending and transfer, and a bespoke deck tugger arrangement ensured clear, efficient workflows on deck.
Operating under time pressure in deep water
The Egina field lies ~200 km offshore Port Harcourt, with production from 44 subsea wells at ~1,750 m water depth. With the FPSO shut down for the exchange, time was critical. Coordinated operations between MV Svenja (DP1) and Maersk Inventor (DP3), under strict QHSE oversight, completed the mission within 24 hours.
