Solitaire (ship)

Rear view of Solitaire

S -Lay

2-60 inches

3 × 350 t

2 × pipeline preparation 5 × Applicator

Class 3, triple redundant

• IMO: 7129049

The solitaire is the world's largest pipe laying vessel. The working vessel is owned by the Swiss offshore service provider Allseas and continues today under the flag of Panama.

History and Background

Because of the experience that Allseas had with the Lorelay, the first pipe fitters, collected with dynamic positioning, was the development of Solitaire. It was created in 1998 by the total conversion of the bulk carrier Trentwood, which was built in 1972 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Hiroshima. The conversion was carried out by Swan Hunter shipyard in Newcastle upon Tyne. In the works 9000 tons of steel in the vessel's structure, equipment 4000 t, 3000 t piping and 1200 km of cable were installed. The shipyard also took over the testing, commissioning and supported Allseas in the sea trial and the pipeline laying tests.

After its completion, it has defined new standards in terms of laying capacity and depth for laying the pipeline industry. Unlike other pipe fitters, which are designed as semi-submersible or with flat hulls, it has a conventional hull form. Thus, the Solitaire achieved high transfer speeds, a very good seaworthiness and provides hull and deck ample work space. This is also evident in the storage capacity of 22,000 tonnes of pipes, what, makes independent, especially in offshore operations of supply ships.

Technology and equipment

Drive and Dynamic Positioning

The vessel was fitted with a diesel-electric drive conversion. The basis is formed by eight diesel engines of the Vasa 6 R 46 B of the Finnish company Wärtsilä with an output of 5850 kW. Their power is converted from eight generators into electricity, which in turn is used for the supply of induction motors of the original eight propeller gondolas of type FS 3500-671 Manufacturer's Lips. As part of the upgrade 2009, two other propeller nacelles were added at the rear.

The Solitaire was initially equipped with a triple redundant system for dynamic positioning of class III. It was while equipped with two types of ADP702 ADP701 and a Kongsberg. In the years 2008 and 2009, this stand-alone solutions were 22 (two systems ) and K -POS 12 is replaced by integrated systems of types K -POS (a system ) that with the automation system K- Chief 700 and the drive control system K- Thrust are networked via Ethernet.

Pipeline laying equipment

The Solitaire uses for laying the pipelines, the S- lay method. In this case, the welded pipe over the " stinger ", an arc-shaped steel structure, out except board and lowered onto the bottom of the sea.

The processing of the pipeline segments is done in a highly automated: First, the "Single Joints", ie individual segments with a length of 40 feet ( about 12.2 meters ) to two welding stations to "Double Joints" welded. This Double Joints are welded in the so-called "Firing Line", which extends practically over the entire length of the ship in the middle of the pipeline. For five welding stations are used, for which a developed Allseas automated welding system called "Phoenix" will be used. After the welding stations stations for a radiographic examination and four stations follow the surface coating to increase corrosion protection.

A weld cycle takes about three minutes to give the Solitaire is able to move an average of around 5 kilometers (km) pipeline per day. However, the record of Solitaire is over 9 km. In addition to the record of the biggest laying length per day keeps them in the meantime also the record for the largest burial depth of 2775 m, where they moved two pipelines with eight and ten inches. In addition, a 24-inch pipeline was laid at a depth of 2550 m. Possible that maximum benefits were only a doubling of the capacity of the three " Tensioner " - a kind of caterpillar- shaped retaining clip - to 350 t per unit, which was conducted in 2005.

Projects

The Castoro Sei and Castoro 10, both of which belong Saipem, the Solitaire worked at the Nord Stream project for laying a gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea. With its completion, it was the longest underwater pipeline in the world. In 2006 she worked with the Saipem 7000 at Langeled pipeline project, the second longest underwater pipeline.

Special equipment

• Cranes: two cranes to pipeline transfer with a capacity of 35 t at 33 m radius or 18 t at 42 m; a special crane with a capacity of 300 t at 17 m or 40 t at 57 m
• Workstations: two welding stations for double joints, five welding stations for pipeline, a station for radiographic inspection and four stations for coating
• Capacity of Tensioner: 3 × 350 t at 30 m / min
• Pipeline diameter: 2 to 60 inches