EXMAR report 2023

A fully integrated project The development of the Congo LNG project over the past year was a great example of how all departments and companies in the EXMAR Group worked together to come up with an innovative solution to add value using existing assets. • EXMAR Offshore Company (EOC) started work once agreement was reached with Eni on the launch of the conceptual design phase for the split mooring. The proof of concept was secured for Eni in wave basin tests at Marin in Wageningen (Netherlands) in spring 2022. • The team of designers and engineers then got to work. While EOC’s focus was to mature the split mooring concept, several other parts of the project needed to be dealt with as well. DVO helped with the personnel handling plan and a basic design for the boat landing towers. First up was an assessment of the mooring ropes. Bexco came in to help select the right hawsers and demonstrate to Eni that polyester mooring hawsers are a good fit for the permanent split mooring configuration. • Spread mooring was a completely new concept, which meant that the EXMAR teams had to prove it would work, based on a technology qualification assessment (TQA) by classification society Bureau Veritas. This was yet another example of why EXMAR is considered a pioneer within the industry, with past creations such as ship-to-ship transfers which are now widely used in the shipping industry, and the development of the TANGO FLNG itself in the world’s first FLNG project. • For the implementation, an integrated EXMAR project team was set up to ensure everything went smoothly. At its biggest the team consisted of 180 people from every part of the EXMAR Group. As the detailed design and engineering phases advanced, a team in Dubai oversaw the first steel cutting and welding of all new structures. Despite the extremely challenging timeline, the project always proceeded as planned. EXMAR Infrastructure, EOC, Shipmanagement, Technical, DVO and Bexco worked side by side on the project. The diverse, integrated EXMAR Group project team worked relentlessly to get both TANGO and EXCALIBUR ready. Three million person hours were invested in the conversion of the two vessels without a single lost time injury. An incredible feat! All EXMAR Group companies working together + EOC DV Offshore Infra- structure Technical + Shipman- agement Bexco + + + + EXMAR Infrastructure • Project management • Commercial management EXMAR Technical • Engineering project management • Class certification • All process related modifications EOC • Design of patented split mooring system • All structural calculations • Yard engineering EXMAR Shipmanagement • Conversion supervision • Implementation of all the modifications • Safety study updates • Pre-commissioning activities • Pre-operation activities DV Offshore • Mooring verifications • Boat landing design Bexco • Supply and certification of nylon ropes Further implementation The split mooring was key to ensuring the two vessels could function as one using a liquid transfer system (LTS). EXCALIBUR, built as a ship and requiring regular dry docking, is set to remain in Congo for at least ten years. This necessitated extensive life extension work in addition to project-specific modifications, including the full refurbishment of one of the 60-bar boilers and the installation of thousands of anodes in the ballast tanks. It will be managed as a single terminal rather than two separate assets for future operations and maintenance (O&M), with a fully integrated terminal organization having been developed to enhance efficiency and collaboration. 42 INNOVATIONS