From Deepwater to Floating Wind Turbines

The legacy of Lankhorst and deepwater mooring innovation cannot be overstated. Many of the offshore energy moorings and deepwater deployment technologies that we now rely on are a direct result of its pioneering work.

Here are just a few of the Milestone Projects:

Petrobras P36 - first major fibre rope deepwater mooring.

Tahiti spar – first mooring where accurate rope length under tension was needed, Lankhorst achieved mooring lines within +/- 0.5% of the correct length after post installation tensioning.

Thunderhawk – Traditional thimbles for mooring line connections were too big and, as a result, expensive in terms of the length of rope required. Lankhorst developed a smaller thimble whilst retaining the same performance as the larger thimble with significant project savings.

Cascade Chinook – first FPSO with polyester rope on the Gulf of Mexico, the longest mooring rope manufactured so far - 2.5 km in one reel, a real test of Lankhorst’s ability to manufacture rope to a precise length.

Goliat FPSO – shallow water mooring, offshore Norway, only used synthetic fibre ropes because of the harsh environments and currents. It was the first mooring rope to feature a cut-resistant jacket.

These projects defined the benchmark for deepwater mooring. In so doing they laid the foundation for rope engineering and manufacturing developments designed to deliver the next generation of offshore energy moorings and deepwater deployment projects.

Global Manufacturing Strategy

Taking a global strategic view, Lankhorst relocated its deepwater mooring rope production to a dedicated production facility at Viana de Castello Portugal, meanwhile in Brazil, Lankhorst Euronete Brasil (LEB) was opened to serve the Brazilian market, and subsequently the global deepwater and heavy lift slings market. Manufacturing technology has kept pace too. Developments in new fibre coatings to reduce abrasion, the ability to incorporate filter technologies and accurate length production has enabled more efficient rope engineering, logistics and offshore deployment.

As Gama98® mooring lines have diversified into alternative forms of offshore energy such as floating wind turbines and wave energy, new splicing methods have evolved that are leaner and quicker to splice. In addition, training of dedicated splicing teams has reduced mooring line production lead times.

In Brazil, manufacturing was expanded to two production lines with the focus on improving velocity of production by reducing maintenance downtimes. The company often sends engineers offshore to advise on the deployment of mooring lines, a level of support that have been recognised with industry awards for Support, as well as, Project Management and Implementation.

The Brazilian facility also specialises in the manufacture of highly accurate rope lengths needed for Lankhorst’s industry leading heavy lift slings. For the installation of a deepwater heavy lift project, the four-point lift of a 100 ton pump module was within 0.02 degrees of dead level when suspended - an unprecedented level of slings lengths accuracy.

For further information on how Lankhorst Offshore can assist in delivering your next offshore project, visit www.lankhorstoffshore.com.