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MWS: Rig Moving

Loss PreventionMarine Warranty SurveyMWS: Rig Moving

Offshore Rig Moving Services

The movement and relocation of offshore rigs is a recurring and regular feature of offshore energy exploration, field development and operation. ABL Group is the world’s leading consultancy in rig moving operations, offering a broad range of services, including Marine Warranty Survey, to ensure the safe, efficient, economically viable execution of these regular offshore marine operations. We offer comprehensive through-life support for rig moving procedures for jack-up rigs, mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) and all other types of rigs. Our MWS teams are supported by significant in-house engineering & design capabilities specialising in rig moving operations, including in-house geotechnical engineering support. 

We understand that each rig move has its own characteristics, risks and challenges. Rig moves can range from short-duration “in-field” operations to relocation on bespoke heavy lift vessels or by long ocean towage. However, they may differ, all rig moves involve considerable expenditure, and ABL Group understands the cost of delays to the schedule. We provide services to support all types of rig moves, with an understanding of the importance of accurate planning and risk mitigation from the outset to ensure the risk of delay is understood and mitigated early on. 

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    Marine Warranty Surveys for Rig Moving

    • Review and approval of intended rig locations and rig move procedures – both semi-subs and jack-ups
    • Engineering review of technical documentation, e.g. mooring analysis, leg penetration analysis (LPA), SSA, sea-fastening, leg bending and cribbing for dry transports 
    • MWS site attendance for rig moves – in accordance with JRC guidelines 
    • MWS suitability inspections and approval of supporting vessels 
    • Approval of third-party or in-house tow masters 

    Mobile Offshore Units (MOU) Engineering Consultancy

    • Jack-up Site-Specific Assessment
    • New Unit Design inc. wind turbine installation vessel design
    • Conversion engineering of drilling unit to MOPU or accommodation unit
    • Jack-up going on location time domain studies (limiting installation weather criteria)
    Two tugs towing a jack-up rig

    Marine and Engineering Consultancy Services for Rig Moving

    • Production and/or review of marine procedures in line with the latest industry guidance
    • Planning and /or supervision of rig move operations as tow master or company representative 
    • All aspects of towage planning, including procedure development, tow resistance calculations, stability and motion response analysis and tow vessel surveys
    • Site-specific assessments to SNAME or ISO19905
    • Production of technical analyses and studies, including mooring analysis, jack-up rig footing penetration/punch-through analysis, dry transport engineering, environmental or metocean studies and rig feasibility studies
    • Offshore vessel/tug suitability and condition surveys
    • Risk assessments
    • Gap analysis, e.g. ERRV requirements when moving from the UK to Norway

    Jack-up Engineering consultancy

    • Jack-up Location Approvals 
    • Feasibility studies / Rig move planning and procedures
    • Site-Specific Assessments (SSA, Det. LPA, Directional and Seasonal Assess)
    • Other (dry transport studies, fatigue analysis, pushover assessment, impact studies etc.)

    Geotechnical Engineering

    • Jack-up LPA
    • Site Investigations
    • Group Modelling and Geotechnical Interpretation 
    • Geotechnical Design 
    • Foundation Installation Analysis
    • Cable Route Analysis and Planning 

    ABL Group companies OWC and Longitude Engineering offer specialist engineering, design and analysis capabilities to support with geotechnical engineering, marine operations engineering, and MODU conversion, design and upgrade.