Oil Rig Photos - Mossgas FA installation 1990/91

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Oil Rig Photos

No: 216 Contributor: Garve Scott-Lodge Companies: Saipem Year: 1991 Country: South Africa

Mossgas FA installation 1990/91

This picture, taken from the Micoperi (Saipem) 7000, shows the FA jacket and module support frame in position, before installation of the accommodation and drilling modules etc. Behind the platform is the South Seas Driller which was being used as an accommodation barge or 'flotel'.

Sticking out of the top of the MSF are 9 of the eventually around 20 conductors. At this point they were being moved around by the swell, and gently banging together like tubular bells. Once the crane barge had put all of them in place, it used a pile driver to start 'tapping them down'.

The geology under the platform consisted of about 10 metres of hard rock, then around 80m of soft clay before hitting hard rock again. The piledriver would tap a conductor about 120 times before it would reach the clay, at which point it would just freefall down for the next 80 metres - a very impressive site.

A later stage of construction can be seen in picture #83.

Picture added on 06 December 2006

This picture is in the following groups
Saipem 7000

Comments:

Oh, I remember it well! We built the jacket in Saldanha bay, one of the best jobs I have had, and such a beautiful country.

Added by Billy Winton on 01 March 2007.

Good to see a part of the project I missed as my contract ended on the completion of the Jacket at Saldanha Bay. Pleasant memories.

Added by Gordon Smith. on 31 December 2007.

Worked on this project as a welding supervisor from start to finish at Saldanha Bay - a great experience - never forget it, a great tribute to all involved.

Added by Dave Fairley on 02 February 2010.

Good to see the rig again, I redesigned the hydraulic / pneumatic control system for both cranes, and was sent over to SA as project engineer by Offshore Crane Engineering.

Added by Bernard Clark on 30 July 2010.

I worked on this job too ... definitely one of the best experiences of my working life. The other guys I worked with on night shift.
Jim Flynn, John O'Donnell(RIP), Davy Noseworthy, John McBeth, John Murie, Wullie Hope, Tam Duff, Jimmy Gillan, Podge Hume(?) And loads of others.
Anybody have contact addy's for any of these guys it would be much appreciated!

Added by Frankie Devlin on 10 November 2010.

I worked on this project as a dimensional control surveyor. A great project and made many new friends. Would love to hear from any one who worked at Saldahna Bay.

Added by Mike Caffery on 02 January 2011.

I was planning Manager on the jacket project at Saldahna Bay, having first of all been at the node and tubular fabrication subcontractor (Dorbyl Heavy Eng) up in the Transvaal for about 6 months. A great job, in a fantastic country and with some really special people. I see Gordon occasionally at Clems and I met Podge Hume last week at the Leven Thistle. Sorry I don't have an address for him. Mick where are you hiding now? Maddog Martin was over visiting SA just last year.

Added by Malcolm Snedden on 16 February 2011.

Hi. Louis Williams here from Saldanha Bay. I started my welding career on the FA Jacket in 1989 with Wully Lawley and Willy Cooldridge on night shift on the sub-arc. Like to hear from any of you.

Added by Louis Williams on 24 December 2011.

South Africa