Brimmond: the go-to for marine cranes in decom and beyond

Following a £750K investment, Brimmond now boasts one of the largest rental fleets of high-capacity marine cranes in the UK. Combined with the growth of our team of specialist technicians, this expanded capability has seen us working on an increasing number of excitingcross-sector projects in recent months.

RRS Sir David Attenborough

We are delighted to continue to support the RRS Sir David Attenborough - one of the most advanced polar research vessels in the world.

It has been an honour to maintain and service the 7Heila marine cranes onboard as well as assisting with other hydraulic related support. We currently have:
 
🔺 11 technicians onboard
🔺 59 work scopes carried out in total
🔺 16 pieces of equipment re-hosed, totalling 614 hoses, as part of our client’s planned maintenance works.

Andy Webb, Technical Superintendent of the RRS Sir David Attenborough said he was:
“Very impressed with the Brimmond team working this period. Hard working, excellent standard of work, adaptable and able to react quickly to emergent work.”

We look forward to continuing to work in partnership in 2024.

Resolving the decom cranes conundrum

We are also well placed to tackle what is a recognised challenge in the decommissioning sector: projects being held up as a direct result of the aging platform cranes’ operability and reliability. This not only has implications for the safety of personnel, but also for the subsequent downtime caused by delays in lifting activities.

These aging cranes are often de-rated, meaning there are limitations placed on their lift capacity and the weather conditions in which they are allowed to operate. Given that the North Sea is not renowned for its balmy climate, this leads to delays, which then impacts on project timescales and budgets.

Wehave extensive experience in providing temporary lifting solutions to support wellhead operations, reducing the reliance on platform cranes, and enhancing the safety and efficiency of these operations.

UK’s longest reach marine knuckle boom cranes

Having identified that deck coverage on platforms and vessels is integral to supporting our clients’ decommissioning projects, we have invested in two top-quality marine cranes with 6 extensions and an impressive 27 metres outreach. This allows us to offer the longest reach marine knuckle boom cranes available for hire in the UK.

These cranes have been specifically designed to cover a wide range of decommissioning lifting projects. One of these cranes is now at our premises and available, with the second due for completion in February. The two new cranes are longer versions of our existing popular rental 175txm crane previously utilised on North Sea platforms.

Collaborative working with WellGear

A recognised means of reducing costs and increasing efficiencies in the North Sea decommissioning industry, collaboration is a tried and tested way of working for Brimmond.

Combined with our deep understanding of well P&A lifting requirements, we are well positioned as the go-to firm for cranes and specialist personnel in the North Sea decom sector.

This was recently illustrated in the work we carried out with well P&A expert, WellGear. Having collaborated on a number of workscopes since 2017, we share an excellent working relationship.

Our ‘two companies – one team’ approach saw us working seamlessly together for a total of 967 days on two of the North Sea’s highest profile decommissioning campaigns.

With its ability to remain operational during higher wind speeds, thus minimising downtime and reducing the risks inherent with reliance upon aged infrastructure, our unique modular crane was key to unlocking optimal operational efficiencies.

Maintaining lean crew numbers, as well as personnel uptime was another factor in the success of the relationship. This was achieved through the introduction of cross-crew training, with personnel from Brimmond undertaking tasks for WellGear and vice versa.

In total this collaborative approach reduced risk, minimised bed-space requirement, and critically, was massively cost-efficient, saving 3,868 days on the project.

As the global energy industry transitions towards a net zero future, and decommissioning activity ramps up across the North Sea and beyond, it will become increasingly important to draw on innovative, collaborative solutions such as these, which prioritise safety and efficiency.

Brimmond offer tailored marine crane packages, drawing on our world-leading range of rental and stock marine cranes, augmented by our team of skilled technicians who provide installation and maintenance.

www.brimmond.com/marine-cranes

Read the latest issue of the OGV Energy magazine HERE