Hot Bolt Clamp & Rope Access - North Sea

Challenge

Stork was contracted by a major North Sea Operator to survey the corrosion of the flange bolting on the platform foam system. Over 50% of the flanges were at significant height and not accessible by scaffold. As the foam system is a key part of platform safety, the flanges could not be reworked using traditional techniques. This would require the system to be fully isolated, depressurized and drained.

Solution

Stork’s specialist technicians worked with the platform personnel to plan the scope of work in order to work with the flange anomalies and 15 pipe U-bolt supports. Hot Bolt Clamp provides an alternative solution to traditional bolt change outs, allowing the systems to remain live during the bolt change. Using HBC ensured there was no interruption to the foam system and maintained platform safety.

In addition, due to the height of the flanges, a rope access team was used to access the foam system. This working at height solution allowed for an immediate completion of the workscope as no scaffolding was erected. Using Stork’s patented technology, the bolting was quickly and safely replaced in order to fully restore bolt mechanical integrity.

Benefits

Hot Bolt Clamp technology ensured full bolt mechanical integrity was restored quickly and safely without interruption to the process. By deploying the rope access technicians, the requirement for a large scaffolding scope was removed, as were all associated logistics and costs implications.

Whilst on the platform, additional flanges were identified by the Offshore Inspection Engineer as requiring action. These were also completed within the existing project timeline.