Technology from Europe:
the Netherlands

North Sea projects for Dutch company

Rotterdam-based BAM Steel Structures successfully completed North Sea projects for ConocoPhillips, Wintershall, Shell, Maersk, Statoil and NAM – an impressive lineup of oil/gas companies around the North Sea. The yard in Rotterdam is a platform specialist with conditioned assembly halls suitable for construction of modules and jackets up to 5,000 mt. 

First to be completed was an EPCI contract for a 1,000-mt compression module for ConocoPhillips. This new module will double existing compression capacity of the Murdoch MD platform in the UK southern gas basin. This is the latest phase of the Caister Murdoch System III project. The T&I was subcontracted to Heerema Marine Contractors – the company mobilized its crane barge Thialf for the installation. 

For Shell's Carrack field, another current UK southern sector project, BAM completed the 1,200-mt jacket and 1,100 mt of piles. Gas from the 10-slot, minimum facilities platform will be transported through a pipeline some 85 km to another new (reception) platform at Shell's Sole Pit Clipper complex. 

Load out of Wintershall Q4C 2,000 mt topsides at BAM yard.

For the Dutch shelf, the Q4C platform was completed under an innovative alliance with the field's operator, Wintershall. The design process by Wintershall was a concurrent operation with the outfitting and construction by BAM of the topsides, jacket and piles (total weight 4,000 mt). In addition, it was responsible for the EPC 22-man, 400-mt living quarters. The project was successfully completed in no more than eight months. 

Maersk awarded BAM Steel Structures two process modules for the Halfdan NE (380-mt) and Tyra WE (650-mt) developments – a short-track project completed in four months. 

In Norway, Statoil required an expansion of the Mongstad refinery to boost crude oil production. Part of the upgrading was the VPME project coordinated by AkerKvaerner. The process module and two PAUs were fabricated by BAM in three month's time. The project included transportation to Norway on a seagoing cargo barge. 

Presently, the company is working for NAM for a compression modification on the K8 platform. The contract scope includes fabrication of a compression module, hook-up and offshore platform modifications. 

BAM Steel Structures was formerly known as HBG Steel Structures. The name was changed after a recent merger with Royal Dutch BAM Group.