Damen completes Golar LNG’s Methane Princess repairs

Damen Shiprepair Brest carried out repairs to the hull of the 266-meter, 138,000-cbm, liquefied natural gas carrier Methane Princess owned by Golar LNG.

In order to carry out the repairs over a four-day period, repairs were done while the vessel was both afloat and with the cargo tanks holding either some liquefied gas and gas vapour, Damen said in its statement on Monday.

The damage, which occurred above the waterline on the aft starboard side, was the result of a collision with a harbor tug while berthing at the Punta Europa LNG terminal (EG LNG) in Equatorial Guinea.

Methane Princess then proceeded to the Milford Haven LNG terminal in the United Kingdom to offload.

The class association required immediate repairs and issued to the vessel an extension to the Methane Princess’s Class certificate which made her ineligible for charter until the damage was made good.

“To achieve this, the owners requested that Damen Shiprepair Brest (DSBr) perform the hot work repairs with the vessel afloat and with residual gas in the tanks so as to keep them cool. By doing so, the vessel could return to work almost immediately without the usual 3 to 4-day cooling down process,” the statement reads.

Upon vessels arrival, several controls were performed to identify the various risk areas and certify that the hot work area was safe before starting. The yard team then constructed a platform against the side of the vessel side, held in place by eyes welded on to the hull, and the work went ahead to remove and replace the damaged steel. Once the welding and the necessary tests and certification by the Class were completed, the hull area was painted.

Damen Shiprepair Brest has previously completed a scheduled intermediate survey that included a full scope of work on the engines, cargo tanks and related equipment.

The company noted it is in discussions with Golar regarding a variety of projects, with the LNG Golar Arctic is already booked in for the first half of 2019.

In recent years, LNG carrier maintenance has been concentrated in the Far East, where LNG demand was then concentrated. However, demand is returning to the North Atlantic as terminals for both exports and imports open on both sides of the ocean.

Damen said it has been investing in its yards to meet the anticipated demand.