GustoMSC to launch SmartCrane at OTC 2016

GustoMSC, a Dutch company providing engineering and design services for the international offshore energy companies, is set to reveal its SmartCrane solution at the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, May 2-5, 2016.

The company says that the SmartCrane can be retrofitted to existing cantilever jack-up rigs instantly increasing efficiency, or fitted onto a new-build design.

GustoMSC said it had two elements hight on the agenda when developing the SmartCrane: facilitating simultaneous operations independently of any operation in progress on the drill floor and easing material handling underneath the cantilever or between the work platform and drill rig;And enabling a wire line operation away from the drill floor is a huge advantage in development drilling and plug and abandonment operations.

The SmartCrane enables wire line through its moveable arm with the hoisting point underneath the cantilever. In this way, wire line operations can take place on one well while development drilling or plug and abandonment operations are going on at another well.

GustoMSC promises the savings in rig days for a plug and abandonment operation can amount to around 10% compared to the conventional way, in which all activities such as logging and cementing must be performed in a sequence on one well from the drill floor. The SmartCrane enables several activities to take place at the same time on one well, or to do preparatory work on one well while the drill floor is working on another well, the designer adds.

In addition, GustoMSC says, the SmartCrane provides a 20 metric tons hoisting capacity underneath the cantilever at any position outside the drilling riser, and also has the possibility to reach to the main deck of the rig. Thus, it can transfer containers and other pieces of equipment (<20 mt) from the main deck of the rig to underneath the cantilever and vice versa.

“This is a unique feature that greatly enhances safety and efficiency, as crane access to the well head from the drilling rig is difficult due to the area being blocked by the cantilever,” GustoMSC said in a statement.

The SmartCrane will be launched at OTC Houston. More information will be presented at the GustoMSC stand 11007.