ALE was awarded the contract to supply and operate an external barge ballast and de-ballast system for six jackets ranging from 14,000 to 18,000te as part of the ACG Full Field Development in the Caspian Sea.
The jackets were loaded-out one at a time using a gripper jack system, with ALE providing the pumping and flow distribution elements and computer monitoring of the ballasting. ALE overcame specific engineering challenges during the course of the project – with respect in particular to the penetration of the strengthened skid tracks. Using CAD, we successfully configured the required ballast plan to overcome these obstructions without any reduction in flow rate.
Ballasting of the barge was coordinated from a central control room on the barge. Real-time control and monitoring feedback measured by depth transducers in the ballast tanks facilitates precision displacement control of the barge. The semi-automated system keeps the barge at a constant level through tide changes.
