Aquaterra to support BW Energy’s rig conversion job

Project & Tenders

November 10, 2021, by Nermina Kulovic

Offshore energy engineering solutions provider Aquaterra Energy has been awarded a $4.4 million contract with BW Energy.

Under the contract, Aquaterra Energy will provide procurement, engineering, manufacture, installation, and commissioning support of multiple conductor tensioning units for the repurposing of the Hibiscus Alpha jack-up rig to an offshore installation (OI), located offshore Gabon, West Africa.

Following up with its plans to convert a jack-up rig for its Dussafu project in Gabon to reduce investments and time to first oil, BW Energy bought the Hibiscus Alpha rig, then known as Atla, from Borr Drilling in November 2020. The rig is of a Friede & Goldman JU 2000 design built in 2003 by PPL Shipyard in Singapore.

In October 2021, BW Energy picked the UAE-based Lamprell to convert the Hibiscus Alpha rig into an offshore production facility. The work is scheduled to be completed in 2022.

In its statement on Wednesday, Aquaterra said it would provide its new digital tensioning monitoring system, which will remotely monitor the tension applied via an app. The technology will monitor the tension being exerted on each riser, sending real-time data about the tension tolerance to BW Energy engineers off and onshore.

As explained by Aquaterra, the reduced human error and instant alerting create major safety improvements, while the long-term benefit of the data will enable operators to monitor asset fatigue over time, resulting in safer and more cost-efficient operations.

The rig modifications and installation of the conductor tension units will take place in Dubai. Once the rig is shipped and commissioned offshore Gabon, Aquaterra Energy will provide training and support to upskill the local workforce.

Andrew McDowell, Operations Director at Aquaterra Energy, said: “This is a first of its kind project for us in this region. West Africa continues to be a prominent market for our services and we’re building an impressive track record for our riser and well solutions, alongside offshore platform development.

“Our engineering philosophy is built upon providing intelligent solutions that create project efficiencies, enhance safety and reduce risk. I’m pleased we can now add digital solutions that provide real-time data for our customers into that mix.”