Rig leg extension works completed ahead of schedule at Drydocks World

Mammoet has completed a series of heavy-lift operations ahead of schedule as part of the conversion of a former jack-up drilling rig into a wellhead platform at Drydocks World Dubai.

The project involves the conversion of the former Valaris 247 into the BW Maromba B wellhead platform, which is scheduled for deployment at the Maromba field offshore Brazil. Working for Drydocks World, Mammoet supplied engineering support, lifting equipment and specialist personnel to install nine rig-leg extension sections.

The scope covered three legs, each extended using three triangular sections weighing approximately 105 tonnes and measuring 10.2 metres high by 16.2 metres wide. Once installed, the extensions increased the height of the rig's legs from 175 metres to 205 metres, enabling operation at the field's required water depth and environmental conditions.

A notable feature of the project was the first deployment in the UAE of a CC 8800-1 crane equipped with a Boom Booster configuration. The crane operated with a 120-m main boom and a 96-m luffing jib, providing the lifting height and capacity required for the installation work. Mammoet said the Boom Booster increased lifting performance without the need to mobilise a larger crane.

The company also carried out lifting studies, ground-bearing pressure assessments and detailed execution planning to support the work within the constraints of the shipyard environment.

Ajith Puthenveettil Ramachandrakurup, senior project manager at Drydocks World, said: “The successful completion of the rig leg extension works is a significant milestone in that journey.”

Once the wider conversion programme is complete, the BW Maromba B wellhead platform will be deployed to support the next phase of development at the Maromba field offshore Brazil.