M-I SWACO has developed a new technological solution and has now been awarded a contract with Statoil that is valued at around NOK 500 million, including options.
Statoil has not used this type of technology on supply vessels before but M-I SWACO has used the technology on its own vessels. This is the first time that the Schlumberger company M-I SWACO has commercialized the technology.
This is what the M-I SWACO tank cleaning module looks like.
"The solution increases the safety of our personnel as there is no need to enter the tanks and we reduce both time use and costs," says Jone Stangeland, vice president of logistics and emergency preparedness at Statoil.
The supply vessels transport chemicals in tanks below deck. When the tanks are emptied offshore they must be cleaned before being used for other assignments.
Manual tank cleaning is carried out by emptying the tanks of residual volume before personnel enter them, erect scaffolding and rinse with water and chemical cleaning agents.
Manual tank cleaning normally generates a high volume of waste and a typical clean can involve 10–15 cubic meters per assignment.
"By cleaning the water in the same operation, the volume of waste is reduced significantly," says Stangeland.
The new system will fit onto a lorry, and once the system has replaced manual cleaning, vessels will spend much less unproductive time while docked in connection with tank cleaning.
They will also be equipped with a marine generator that can be used instead of the main engine, when the vessel is docked.
"We have also specified strict requirements for NOx emissions and all new vessels are equipped with trip computers so that the crew can monitor fuel consumption, and adjust the speed and log fuel consumption more efficiently," says Stangeland.
