Jack-up duo reborn: Petrodec unveils fused platform at Damen’s shipyard

Damen Shiprepair, part of the Dutch shipbuilding giant Damen Shipyards Group, has hosted a naming ceremony for a self-elevating heavy lift jack-up, being repurposed from two former units by decommissioning services specialist Petrodec, at its yard in Rotterdam. 

As disclosed by Damen, the decommissioning player decided to create the new unit, named Obana, by merging two used jack-ups that were transported to Rotterdam. Additionally, a new mid-ship section was built in Dubai.

The Obana will undertake the decommissioning of complex offshore platforms in the UK North Sea.

According to Dutch Offshore Energy Solutions (DOES), which assisted in the conversion process and provided agency and rental services to Petrodec, the two jack-ups in question are Brage and Gabrus, and the new jack-up will measure around 200 meters in length.

Peter Altena, Managing Director at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam, said: “This has been an exciting and unique project, and we are very proud of the result. In total, our scope has involved 500,000 hours of work, undertaken without a single lost time incident – a great achievement and a testament to the excellent partnership between Petrodec and Damen Shiprepair. Together, we wrote a little piece of history.”

Once the mid-section arrived in November 2024, Obana’s 2,000-ton crane was moved from Liebherr in Rostock to Rotterdam and installed at Mammoet. After that, the Dutch firm welcomed the three units measuring 80 x 230 metres at its dry dock number seven, said to be the largest in Western Europe.

Damen also prepared the forward and aft sections of the jack-ups and created four new passageways linking these via the mid section, adding approximately 300 tons of steel in total.

The installation of reinforcement and foundations for Obana’s two 60-ton cranes and the main crane’s boom rest added a further 200 tons of steel. The shipbuilder then provided help with installing the two crane pedestals and the main crane boom rest.

Additionally, Damen also assisted with the piping interface for the three sections, ensuring all systems were connected, painting of the external hull, voids, and areas merged, including main deck parts.

As part of its offering, the Dutch player recently revealed a hull cleaning service that uses a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for its task. This vessel technology, described as “groundbreaking” and “innovative,” was said to be the first of its kind in France.