Sonamet and Sarens have loaded a 2,200 tonne jacket onto a barge, for Chevron’s Sanha project.
Sarens oversaw the move. The Belgian company took care of planning, co-ordination and execution of the skidding and then load out of the jacket.
The crew used four 200 tonne stand jacks for the move, with 20 ballast pumps to maintain the barge at the right level during the transfer.
Chevron awarded the $300 million Sanha Lean Gas Connection (SLGC) project to Subsea 7 in 2021, with fabrication to take place at the Sonamet yard in Lobito.
SLGC is intended to tackle a projected supply gap at the Angola LNG facility.
Sarens said keeping the vessel level was a “seminal challenge”. While the weather was warm, Sarens noted “gusty winds” as it moved the jacket onto the barge. The jacket is 37 metres high and weighs 2,200 tonnes.
It took four weeks to move the equipment from Belgium to Angola and another three weeks to set up.
Sonamet expressed its gratitude to Sarens, in addition to Prezioso, Oceaneering and EDG. Sonamet is a joint venture of Subsea 7, Sonangol and Wapo.
The venture said moving the jacket onto the barge came after two years of team work.
Fabrication was due to take place from 2021 to 2022, with offshore work during 2023. The platform will be in 70 metres of water in Block 0, off Cabinda.
Sonamet has been working with Chevron’s Cabinda Gulf Oil Co. (Cabgoc) subsidiary since 1998, with the Vuko A and Kungolo B works.