Moved six rigs in one month

Text: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

- The jobs have come close recently. Part of the explanation is that such "rig moves" are dependent on good weather. When there is a weather window, everything must be moved at the same time. Then there will quickly be many assignments in a short time, says operations manager at FFS, Leif Steinar Simonsen.

The first moving job was done by FFS Arion with Maersk Interceptor on the Danish oil field Harald. New in 2014, this was the world's largest jackup rig. It is 90.5 meters long and 105.4 meters wide and is registered in Singapore.

AFTER A CARD trip to Jøssingfjorden and two towing missions there, the trip went to the British sector. In glorious weather, the Liberian-registered jackup rig Noble Hans Deul was towed into position at Scroby Sands Wind Park, located east of Great Yarmouth on England's east coast.

Then we went to the jackup platform Erda, built in 1982 and registered in the Netherlands. The rig was towed out of the English port city of Hull and out into the North Sea on the British sector.

AFTER THIS the mission was to return FFS Arion to the Danish city of Thyborøn, where the tugboat now has its permanent base. But along the way, another "rig move" appeared.

Valaris 247, also called Rowan Gorilla V, was on its way down from Dundee and needed towing assistance to Ravenspurn – a gas field off Flambrough Head in Yorkshire.

- We chose late last autumn to anchor FFS Arion in Thyborøn. This means the boat is closer to the market for "rig moves", which we are already seeing an effect of, says Simonsen.

ALSO FFS ATHOS has had a busy spring so far with several tows along the coast. The boat has also performed two "rig moves".

First, the Singapore-registered Noble Resolute was towed into place off the coast of the Netherlands. The jackup rig Ocean Endeavor then received assistance from the dock at Hanøytangen out to the British sector of the North Sea.

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