In September 2016, Equnior has commissioned Axess Group to execute steam line and flare tip replacement during the turnaround period of their process plant in Kårstø, Norway.

With a total of 32 offshore installations connected to Kårstø shutdown for the maintenance, any delay would incur extra operational costs amounting to over USD 25 million per day. For this reason, detailed planning was crucial to ensure that the project execution met the extremely tight schedule.

Solution

The scope of work encompasses:

• Replacement of steam pipe assembly – total of 110m insulated pipes
• Replacement of 4 flares tip
• Replacement of guy wires, including tensioning and verticality measurements
• Repair of three insulated steam pipes

Axess took an innovative approach to carry out the flare tip replacement by engaging its experienced helicopter company with a lifting capacity of over 4.5T. The crew, equipped with specialised guidance tools, utilised the “long line” flying technique for precision and faster execution. Mobile cranes were also used to replace some of the flare tips.

Results

One of the key factors for the success of the project was Axess’ full control of the design from beginning up to commissioning of the refurbished flare. Due to extensive planning and engineering, we used fewer hours in lifting and installing the new 110 meter steam pipe, as well as removing the old line.

The whole project was a huge logistical challenge, with resources covering many different competence areas, a vast amount of tools and materials and 24/7 operations. Detailed engineering allowed us to work through different levels simultaneously in a very efficient and safe manner.