Profile

• What was needed: E4.1 series energy chains
• Requirements: Given the 17.5m and 8m travel of cantilever and drilling floor skid, respectively, a safe cable guidance system for an additional load of 200kg/m was needed.
• Industry: Oil and gas
• Success for the customer: The plastic energy chains are designed to be strong and lightweight at the same time. This reduces the system's total weight. It is also particularly suitable for environmental conditions at sea (corrosion, wind, etc.)

Superlative energy chains: Despite high cable weights and enormous dimensions, the robust plastic energy chains safely move the drill floor skid and cantilever.

Problem

Modular drilling rigs are required for such situations as when drilling equipment needs to be added to fixed drilling platforms.
Mobile drilling vessels have all the necessary equipment for mooring at the drilling station and precisely placing the extended drill pipe. For this purpose, a huge cantilever moves over the drilling platform over which the drill pipe is finally to be set up and precisely positioned. Large cable guidance systems are required to ensure that the entire movable structure for setting up and placing the equipment can also move smoothly and without failing. In this application, the cantilever should be able to travel 17.5m, the mobile drilling floor 8m. The moving cables reach an additional load of 200kg/m, a major cable guidance challenge. The harsh conditions at sea meant that the solution needed to be particularly robust and durable, withstand corrosion, and have as little dead weight as possible.

Solution

Two of our E4.1 series plastic energy chains are used today to safely move the cantilever's cable load. Specifically, the E4.350 e-chain was chosen. It is the largest plastic energy chain installed on a cantilever and drilling floor.   It is not only strong, but also designed to use installation space optimally. This reduces weight and the drive energy required on the drilling rig. The heavy duty chains handle the heavy weight of the cantilever cables without any problem. Good preparation is also important for implementing such a project: Both energy chains were pre-assembled at our plant in Cologne so that they could be installed quickly on the drilling platform.

The chain could be installed quickly on the drilling vessel because the cable guidance system had been pre-assembled at our plant in Cologne.

The heavy cables on the drilling vessel required a particularly robust guidance system. This results in additional loads of about 200kg/m.