Hydraulic equipment supplier Hytec Marine & Offshore Services, a member of the Hytec group, has completed a R3,1-million project involving the redesign of the pipe handling system and the construction of the control valve modules to be used on a drill ship.

The vessel services the petrochemicals industry off the west coast of Africa. The project was completed under tight deadlines, as the drill ship had to start drilling for a client that it was contracted to by a specific date, says Hytec key account manager Clynton Sutherland.

Hytec Marine & Offshore Services was awarded the contract directly by the client, as a result of the company’s experience and reputation in the petrochemicals industry.

The company redesigned, supplied and constructed the control system for the ship’s on-board pipe handling system, which supplies the ship’s drilling rig with the riser pipes necessary for reaching the ocean floor. Riser pipes are stored on the stern of the vessel, while the drilling rig is located amidships. The solution supplied is capable of forward and reverse movement, as well as articulation on a vertical plane.

The company designed the system using Bosch Rexroth components throughout to ensure increased precision and reliability under harsh conditions. The new pipe handling system has resulted in a safer, more efficient marine drilling vessel, as it provides improved stability at sea and eliminates damage to riser pipes during the handling process.

Hytec Marine & Offshore Services also supplied 189-l Hydac hydraulic accumulators to be used on the ship’s blowout preventer (BOP) systems. BOP systems are fitted to wells as emergency shut-off mechanisms, which will seal a well in the event of an emergency. The valve is operated remotely using actuators, which are powered by hydraulic accumulators.

Hydraulic accumulators are a means of storing energy, which places hydraulic fluid under pressure using an external force. This means that BOPs can operate in drilling operations without lag, immediately and inde- pendently of an external power source. Hytec Marine & Offshore Services imported control valves from the US to be used on the BOP systems to control the actuators that shut the well on the system.