TUG Magazine May 20041.78 MB

May 2004
SMIT S A LVA G E C O M P L E T E S
CHAL L E N G I N G J O B
ON ‘TA S M A N S P I R I T ’
( PAGE 5 )
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Work on new head office is progressing
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SMIT wastes no time with implementation of new safety code
3
‘Tricolor’ wreck removal resumed in May
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Operation ‘Everton’ grand success
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SMIT Panama prolongs exclusive concession
8
New pusher tugs for Keppel SMIT Towage
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Barracuda/Caratinga FPSO project in Brazilian waters
9
SMIT Bristol assists Dutch Navy
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Four sheerlegs place new cyclist bridge over river ‘Waal’
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Transport of tunnel parts for High Speed Train Tunnel
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Dahej outfall project
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‘John Ross’ becomes ‘Smit Amandla’
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SMIT webshop opens its doors
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Helping hand
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page
4
SMIT starts construction
of two new vessels
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8
New building tugs expected
for SMIT Panama
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Promising new pro-active
Fast Oil Recovery technology
page
Successful parbuckling
operation of MV ‘Rocknes’
10
page
‘Rion Antirion’ bridge
challenges ‘Taklift 7’
New contracts
SMIT Terminals in Africa
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page
page
W W W. S M I T. C O M
WORK ON NEW HEAD OFFICE IS PROGRESSING
Work on the new SMIT head office is well underway. With only a few months to go before the
big move, the office appears to be nearly finished. However, there is a great deal of work to do
before it is ready. Although the outside may be nearing completion, work has yet to begin on
the inside.
POS I T I V E
SIGN S
A few months ago, SMIT presented the 2003
annual figures, which were obviously good.
Naturally, we are delighted and proud, especially after the past few lean years.
The improved result is a direct result of the
support and trust that we have always had
from our clients and we are very grateful to
them!
Our strategy of returning to our core activities
- ‘lifting’, ‘towage’, ‘pushing’ and ‘pulling’ - has
also paid off. After a period of reorganisation
and economizing, SMIT is now back on track.
This means that we are looking to the future
with confidence. And the main focus of our
attention is our most important stakeholder
and that is you, our client.
The relocation of the head office has been in the works for quite some
time now, and there are many more months of work ahead. Certain individuals have been appointed to lead the moving operation to ensure
that it runs smoothly once the big moment comes. In the meantime,
warehouses that used to be in Maassluis and Ridderkerk have already
been relocated. The warehouse where all kinds of SMIT equipment is
stored is now located just a stone’s throw from the new head office, next
to the harbour bay where SMIT recently began mooring its sheerlegs,
tugs and barges. SMIT Harbour Towage Rotterdam’s tugs will remain at
their current strategic position.
The company Multiplan of Den Bosch is responsible for the complete
development of the project, and supplied the architecture and the interior design. After being chosen as a preferred company out of the six
that were asked to submit draft plans, Multiplan provided SMIT with
an architectural design that was very much in line with the company’s
wishes. Their interior designer subsequently submitted a draft plan, and
after studying the plan SMIT was content to have Multiplan co-ordinate
and develop this part of the building process. The floor plan is designed
in co-operation with SMIT’s Facility Services department.
The new location offers SMIT several advantages. For one, the 13 locations in Rotterdam will soon be combined into a single homebase and
three secondary facilities. This is much more cost-effective and will also
help to integrate the different operational and office units, which will
generate a sense of unity and shared responsibility. This will provide
SMIT with the great advantage of having all its operations integrated at
a single location, thus creating maximum synergy.
The new location is called Pier 3 of the Waalhaven in Rotterdam. SMIT’s
initiative to set up its homebase at that location has served as a catalyst
for the development of this particular part of the Waalhaven and the
area will now be developed as an extensive office park for the maritime
industry. SMIT’s facility will be the first of at least four office buildings for
port-related organisations. Talks with the authorities on accessibility to
the site have been completed.
In future the development plans for the Waalhaven may go much further
than merely attracting new companies. Parts of the Waalhaven may be
filled in to create a site for a new football stadium. These plans, however,
are still under discussion.
The floor plan of the new office has been designed to improve internal
integration. Where the current office has a kind of “cell” structure where
many employees have their own office, the new building has a lot of
glass and open workspaces. Free and open communication between
colleagues is the goal for the future.
Waalhaven, pier 3
SMIT expects to move into its new building at the beginning of
December 2004.
In order to serve you even better in the future,
SMIT has started a programme of fleet renewal
and expansion. We are working to strengthen
our service offerings within the defined core
activities. In addition, we have signed contracts
for new ships. There is an article in this edition
of TUG Magazine about the new ships that
have been ordered for the Harbour Towage,
Terminals and Transport & Heavy Lift Divisions.
These vessels are part of the new standardisation process and is based on its proven technology. The construction of the new SMIT head
office currently underway at the Waalhaven in
Rotterdam is another positive sign.
SMIT and its people are looking ahead with
confidence. And the primary objective is- as
always - a healthy relationship with you, our
client.
Ben Vree
Chief Executive Officer
Colophon
For any information about specific activities,
equipment and services, please apply to:
SMIT
Zalmstraat 1
P.O. Box 1042
3000 BA Rotterdam
Tel + 31 10 454 99 11
Fax + 31 10 454 97 77
E-mail [email protected]
SMIT’s new head office.
Editor
SMIT Public Relations
Marije Soto
Hans de Jong
Design & production
Studio Clarenburg, Schiedam
Photography
SMIT Public Relations
Ian Jackson
Edwin Otter
Roderik van Nispen
Peter Maenhoudt
Illustrations
Studio Clarenburg, Schiedam
Printing
Schefferdrukkerij bv, Dordrecht
Texts
SMIT Public Relations
TRS Public Relations
Copyright
Texts can be reproduced after
permission from the editor
TUG MAGAZINE
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Berthing place for barges
and sheerlegs.
2
Floating pier,
length 200 meters.
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3
New warehouse.
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Dry storage.
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Outside storage.
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Headquarters.
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Aerial view of new location at
the Waalhaven in Rotterdam.
SMIT WASTES NO TIME WITH
IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW SAFETY CODE
SMIT’s SHE-Q Department, which provides
Safety, Health, Environment and Quality
support to all SMIT’s activities, is working
on the final stage of the implementation of
the ISPS code.
The ISPS (International Ship & Port Facility
Security) code is one of the most recent developments in international legislation for the
shipping industry. The code was established
in accordance with the new international perspective on criteria for the security of shipping
activities. SMIT is affected by the code not only
because of its fleet, but also due to its having a
number of port facilities under its control.
The concept of having one internal service
provider for vessel management within SMIT
(Smit Vessel Management Services) has proven
its value through the efficient and timely
implementation and certification of the fleet in
compliance with the ISPS code. Although not
entirely completed yet, there is a clear indication that all the vessels exceeding 500 gross
tonnes within the SMIT fleet will be in possession of a valid certificate well before the deadline of 1 July 2004.
Certification means that personnel on board
and ashore have received security training, that
hardware for vessel identification is installed,
that there are security plans for each and every
vessel and security drills have been held. In
cooperation with the Port of Rotterdam authorities, security plans are being developed for our
new facility at the Waalhaven in Rotterdam.
Due to our role as a provider of harbour towage
services in the major ports of the world, it is
anticipated that the impact of the ISPS code
will go beyond our 500+ gross tonnage vessels
and port facilities and will affect the security
measures on harbour tugs, which no doubt play
an important role in the security structure of
ports. The same goes for the Terminals Division,
where we will tie in with the security plans of
the onshore and offshore terminals in delivering
our services to the oil industry.
‘Toolbox meeting’: before a diver descends, he and his
colleagues check the diving plan including all safety aspects.
3
W W W. S M I T. C O M
‘TRICOLOR’ WRECK REMOVAL RESUMED IN MAY
The wreck removal of the ‘Tricolor’, the vehicle
carrier that was lost in December 2002, 20
miles off the French coast in the English
Channel, resumed in the beginning of May.
Four sections from the vessel that was cut
into nine still lie on the ocean floor and will
be lifted and transported to Zeebrugge.
All the cutting work on the vessel finished
last year before the operation was halted in
November due to bad weather conditions.
The 1987-built ‘Tricolor’ was lost following a
collision with the container ship ‘Kariba’. The
‘Tricolor’ was en route to Southampton from
Antwerp, laden with nearly 3,000 luxury cars.
There were also some 2,000 tonnes of bunker
oil on board. The vessel suffered damage so
severe that she went down in less than half
an hour. Thankfully, all crewmembers were
rescued.
So far, the Combinatie Berging Tricolor, the
consortium responsible for the wreck removal
operation, has performed all eight required
cuts and has removed five of the nine sections
from the seabed. The cutting was done using
the specially designed cutting wire also used
by SMIT for removing the nose of the Russian
nuclear submarine ‘Kursk’.
CBT has sub-contracted SMIT Salvage to finalise the work. Besides removing the remaining
sections of the wreckage, the salvors will make
sure that all debris larger than one metre is collected. This includes the cars that have slipped
out of the vessel into the sea. As there may still
be small quantities of oil trapped on board the
vessel, an anti-oil-pollution vessel will be stationed next to the ‘Tricolor’ to prevent oil from
escaping. Depending on weather conditions,
SMIT Salvage intends to complete all its activities on the ‘Tricolor’ in August this year.
‘Taklift4’ working on site.
SMIT STARTS CONSTRUCTION OF TWO NEW VESSELS
SMIT Transport & Heavy Lift (a division
of SMIT) has ordered two new ships to be
built at the Keppel Singmarine shipyard in
Singapore. This order involves the construction of two Anchor Handling Tug Supply
Vessels. Both vessels have a bollard pull
capacity of 70 tonnes and will be delivered
in the second half of 2005.
In addition to the contract for the two new vessels, SMIT has also taken an option on two other
vessels with a bollard pull of 120 tonnes. These
are the first vessels in SMIT´s new standardisation process. All four ships share the same basic
design. They have 450 square metres of open
deck space, underdeck supply capacity, accommodation capacity for more than 40 persons,
Dynamic Positioning 2 and FiFi I.
The investment will provide SMIT with vessels
capable of performing a diverse variety of tasks.
In addition to tasks such as anchor handling
and supply, the ships can be used for salvage
and maritime projects. The ships have also been
equipped to hold a deck crane and an A-frame.
The variable purposes of the vessels, and the
possibility to adapt and configure them, enables
us to meet our client´s wide-ranging requirements. The vessels will be used for anchor handling, supply, salvage and project support in
Southeast Asia and West Africa.
SMIT has chosen Keppel Singmarine to build
these vessels due to the yard’s expertise in the
construction of this type of vessel and because
of its established reputation of delivering highquality work at competitive prices.
Technical details
70 TBP AHTS
Bollard pull:
70 tonnes
Horse power:
2 x 3300 bhp = 6600 bhp
Length overall: 70.9 m
Beam:
16.0 m
Draft:
5.6 m
Deck space:
450m2
Dynamic Positioning 2 (DP2)
Fire Fighting I (FiFi I)
Winch: 225 tonnes brake force, 150 tonnes pull force;
2 drums: 2 x 1000m x 58mm
Bow screws:
2 x 750 bhp
Stern screws:
1 x 750 bhp
Accommodation: 42 persons (18 x single
and12 x double cabins)
Option: 120 TBP AHTS
Bollard pull:
120 tonnes
Horse power:
2 x 5000 bhp = 10000 bhp
Length overall: 70.9 m
Beam:
16.0 m
Draft:
5.6 m
Deck space:
450m2
Dynamic Positioning 2 (DP2)
Fire Fighting I (FiFi I)
Winch: 400 tonnes brake force, 150 tonnes pull force;
3 drums: 1 x 1800m x 68mm and 2 x 1300m x 68mm
Bow screws:
2 x 750 bhp
Stern screws:
1 x 750 bhp
Accommodation: 42 persons (18 x single
and 12 x double cabins)
TUG MAGAZINE
SMIT SALVAGE COMPLETES
CHALLENGING JOB ON ‘TASMAN SPIRIT’ IN PAKISTAN
The ‘Tasman Spirit’ grounded in the
Channel of the port of Karachi on 27 July.
SMIT Salvage removed the remaining oil,
prior to the wreck removal operation. The
entire operation has taken several months.
SMIT Salvage was awarded the contract
to remove the wreck of the Motor Tanker
‘Tasman Spirit’ near Karachi in Pakistan in
December 2003 by The American Club, the
P&I club of the Greek-owned ‘Tasman Spirit’.
Hans van Rooij, managing Director of SMIT
Salvage said, ‘The wreck removal operation was
extremely challenging. The SMIT team not only
had strong currents, access difficulties and zero
visibility to contend with, but also the fact that
the vessel was embedded in a trench some
six metres deep and had completely fractured
into two sections. We are pleased to have finished the job with our team safe. They did a
good job.’
The ‘Tasman Spirit’ wreck removal operation took place in the middle of a busy shipping lane.
Indications were that SMIT’s spread could be
It was the forward section that had sustained
subject to customs duties of some 46% of
the most severe structural damage, with over
the value of the equipment either on site or
90% of the bottom plating damaged or missen route. If accurate, the total sum due would
ing up to a height of four meters from the
have been approximately $14 million. It is
keel bottom. The aft section cargo tanks had
customary for coastal states to waive customs
experienced severe damage to the bottom
requirements if, as was the case in Karachi, the
plating and longitudinal bulkheads, and a large
equipment is only going to be in the country
section of the starboard side shell plating and
temporarily to carry out a specific operation.
tank framework was destroyed.
But the magnitude of these potential duties and the wording of
Due to the time constraints
We have a
related financial guarantees
placed by the approaching
were threatening the practimonsoon season, and the
great team working
cal and financial basis of
previously unknown extent
the salvage operation to
of the damage sustained by
successfully on a
remove the wreck of the
the `Tasman Spirit´, a com‘Tasman Spirit’.
bination of patching and liftchallenging job.
ing was employed to expedite
Hans van Rooij, said at this
the wreck removal while allowpoint, ‘I am flying to Karachi
ing for contingency
immediately to join my team and
planning.
help them get to the bottom of these
problems. Salvage is never an easy business,
On 10 February salvage work on the ‘Tasman
but in this case we have a great team working
Spirit’ was temporarily stopped whilst SMIT
successfully on a challenging job. We want to
Salvage awaited clarification of a demand
re-float the ship and make the channel into
by Pakistan customs for extraordinarily high
Karachi safe. However, now we have a bureauduties on their equipment. This was the point
cratic mountain to move before we can do our
in the operation at which the forward section
job.
of the wreck was ready to be re-floated and
I am hoping that common sense will prevail
taken to Gadani Beach, where a buyer awaited
and I am looking to meet the people who can
delivery.
make the right decisions.’
The wreck of the ‘Tasman Spirit’ was eventually
successfully removed. The aft section was refloated and was delivered to buyers at Gadani
Beach in the province of Baluchistan, Pakistan.
This followed the earlier removal of the forward
section of the tanker.
The semi-submersible barge ‘Smit Anambas’
The broken vessel was partly submersed.
Speaking in London, Brian Davies, Claims
Director of The American Club said, ‘We are
very pleased with the outcome. SMIT has
completed a difficult operation under difficult circumstances well within the required
time frame. It was very important to remove
the wreck before the onset of the South West
monsoon.’
lies next to the ‘Tasman Spirit’.
The removal of the wreck ensures that the
channel is much safer for navigation into and
out of Karachi, the port that handles some 90%
of Pakistan’s seaboard trade.
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W W W. S M I T. C O M
‘Rocknes’ during the parbuckling operation.
SUCCESSFUL PARBUCKLING
OPERATION OF MV ‘ROCKNES’
When the rock-dumping vessel ‘Rocknes’ capsized and sank in the Vatlestraumen in Norway
on 19 January, the country was shocked by this terrible accident. Not since World War II had
a naval accident caused so many deaths in the country. It took the lives of eighteen seafarers. Fortunately, twelve members of the crew were rescued immediately after the capsizing
due to the fast response of emergency teams.
A survey of the vessel´s condition led to the belief that it could be salvaged, repaired and put back
into use. For this reason, experts from SMIT Salvage were contracted to find a salvage approach
that would allow the ‘Rocknes’ to be recovered with the least possible damage. It was decided
that the best method would be to parbuckle the vessel using specialised techniques well known
to SMIT Salvage. The work would be difficult and hazardous, and require meticulous and detailed
planning for every stage of the salvage operation.
The parbuckling operation was completed, the vessel was stabilised and de-watered to allow a
search party in to find the bodies of missing crewmembers. Unfortunately they only found one, and
one remains missing. In the meantime another team worked on the preservation of the engine and
other important instruments. Other parts of the vessel were sprayed with anti-corrosion material.
When the final tasks were finished the vessel was towed to a dry dock in Bergen where SMIT’s
involvement ended and repairs were started. Yet another complex and difficult salvage operation
had been completed successfully.
´PRIDE OF AMERICA´
REFLOATED IN BREMERHAVEN
SMIT Salvage has successfully refloated
the cruise ship ‘Pride of America’ at the
Bremerhaven in Germany. The three
flooded decks of the cruise ship were
dewatered and the vessel was towed into
a dry dock where repairs got under way.
Heavy winches on barges
pulled ‘Rocknes’ in a upright
position.
After weeks of careful preparations, the parbuckling operation was eventually carried out on 28
March. Wires slowly pulled the ‘Rocknes’, with her length of 166 metre and weight of approximately 9,000 tonnes, 180 degrees round to an upright position. The wires were connected to the
vessel’s bottom plates from where they passed around the hull to surface again on the other side
of the vessel and led to winches placed on two barges. The barges, which were moored in the bay,
were specially outfitted for the operation. The pulling capacity needed for the operation was a
minimum of 3,000 tonnes divided over eight winches. This entire operation was performed at the
CCB yard in Agotnes.
Before the parbuckling began, the vessel was secured at her starboard side by means of hold-back
wires connected to 12 rock anchors each drilled 12 metres down into the rock structure of the jetty.
On the portside the ‘Rocknes’ was connected to the two pull-barges. Winches that were mounted
on these barges pulled into the opposite shore. Here, strongpoints had been installed, also by
means of the rock anchor technique. The barges were pulled towards the shore and the attached
vessel was forced into a rotating movement. It was pulled into an upright position in one day.
In order to facilitate the parbuckling process, the vessel’s starboard side tanks were ballasted and
her portside tanks were pressurised with air. In accordance with the laws of physics, the starboard
side tanks lost buoyancy and sank while the portside tanks rose. In addition, the starboard tanks
were able to resist the water pressure when the tanks reached the rotating depth of approximately
20 metres.
The Norwegian Cruise Line ‘Pride of America’
has a length of over 280 metres and a passenger capacity of more than 2,200. It is
owned by Norwegian Cruise Line, a subsidiary of Malaysian Star Cruises, who bought
the vessel as an uncompleted hull when
American Classic Voyages went bankrupt in
2001. The Lloyd Werft Shipyard was lengthening and composing the vessel when it took
on water during a storm at Bremerhaven in
January. The storm caused the vessel to take
on water, probably as a result of a hull leak.
Three decks of the ‘Pride of America’ filled with water.
After the storm the vessel listed approximately 14 degrees to starboard and settled
on the bottom of the harbour, with three
decks submerged. A construction crane
crashed into a building when the ship listed,
injuring three workers on the ship. SMIT
Salvage was called in to upright the partly
flooded cruise ship.
After several weeks of preparations the pump
operation started in mid-February. Prior to this
operation, SMIT connected the submersible
barge ‘Giant 2’ to the port side of the cruise
vessel in order to stabilise it.
Within 20 hours the vessel was refloated and
placed in a nearly upright position. One day
later the cruise liner was towed to a dry dock
at Lloyd Werft where it will be completed.
SMIT Salvage looks back on a well-performed
operation.
TUG MAGAZINE
TEAMWORK BETWEEN SMIT AND OMANI GOVERNMENT
MAKES OPERATION ‘EVERTON’ GRAND SUCCESS
On 7 April 2004, SMIT Salvage successfully
completed a major pollution prevention
operation. The tanker ‘Everton’ had collided with a Taiwanese fishing vessel on the
morning of March 22, and large fires broke
out aboard the vessel. An Omani response
team managed to put out the fires, and
passing vessels picked up the crew.
The success of the operation diverted the
threat of a major ecological disaster.
During the operation, SMIT Salvage worked
closely with an Omani task force of naval units
and the Coast Guard. Together they implemented a salvage plan involving temporary
repairs to the tanker, the safe discharge of
over 80,000 tonnes of crude oil at a safe location and the towage of the casualty to Fujairah
for repairs. Access to sheltered waters was an
important factor in the successful outcome.
SMIT Salvage Managing Director Hans van Rooij
mentioned that the successful tanker salvage
and pollution prevention operation shows what
can be accomplished through close co-operation
between salvor, governments and national
response agencies. The Government of Oman
supported the salvors when they requested a
place of refuge for the ‘Everton’ and the conditions set for a safe haven were fair and reasonable. It was also said that the ‘Everton’ salvage
SMIT’s team worked with the ‘Everton’ Master,
Chief Officer and Chief Engineer on a work
programme that would prepare the ‘Everton’
for a safe ship-to-ship transfer of its cargo. One
member of the salvage team assumed the role
of Shoreside Coordinator and worked closely
with the Omani authorities. Meanwhile, the tugs
‘Hellas’ and ‘SmitWijs London’ were standing by.
The cargo transfer was initially meant to take
place at Salalah, but favourable weather permitted a change of plan. After the gash in
the tanker’s side was effectively closed with
chicken wire and polyurethane foam, the
vessel was towed to a sheltered bay where
the transfer was performed under excellent
weather conditions.
The gash was effectively closed with
SMIT Salvage was impressed at the high level
of response capability shown by the Omani
authorities. The very high level of co-ordination
was apparent from the first, when the salvage
team was met at the airfield and driven to a
boat waiting to take them out to the naval
vessel. Then the pollution control equipment
was brought up swiftly and at the initiative of
the agencies ashore. The attitude towards the
request for a safe haven was positive. Thanks
to the Omani authorities, no time was wasted
when the team arrived on scene.
After the completion of the ship-to-ship transfer from the ‘Everton’, ‘SmitWijs London’ towed
the vessel to Fujairah Dry Dock for repairs and
the operation was brought to an end.
chicken wire and polyurethane foam.
The ship-to-ship transfer was performed
and cargo transfer represents a model for
future operations of this type for SMIT Salvage.
The ‘Everton’ was heading from Kharg Island to
the Egyptian Red Sea port of Ain Sukna when
the accident occurred in the Gulf of Oman.
The fishing vessel ran off immediately after the
collision, leaving the ‘Everton’ with a horizontal
split in its port side shell. All the damage was
above the waterline, but some 400 tonnes of
oil was lost. The oil ignited and most of it was
consumed in the resulting fire forward. The
crew was forced to abandon ship and all but
one were rescued. The last seafarer was never
found, despite an exhaustive search and rescue
operation. The Omani response team eventually put out the fires on 24 March.
After receiving a Lloyd’s Open Form for the
‘Everton’, SMIT salvage sent out a team of five
to Oman. Omani military personnel picked
them up on the island of Masirah and took
them to the ‘Everton’, where they arrived on
25 March.
under excellent weather conditions.
When they arrived onsite, the salvage team
saw that the fire damage to the port side was
quite severe. The fire had reached the accommodation. The main collision damage consisted of a 13-metre-long gash in the side shell,
some 35-40 centimetres wide. This ran horizontally some 5 metres above the water line and
1.5 metres below deck level. There was minor
leakage from the gash in the side.
7
W W W. S M I T. C O M
SMIT PANAMA PROLONGS EXCLUSIVE
CONCESSION WITH MIT/CCT TERMINAL
SMIT has succeeded in renewing its exclusive concession for the provision of harbour
towage service at the MIT and CCT container
terminal. The Manzanillo International
Terminal (MIT), owned by SSA, and Coco Solo
Terminal (CCT) are situated on the Cristobal
side of the Panama Canal. In 2001 SMIT
Panama was awarded an exclusive concession agreement for harbour towage services
at both terminals for a period of three years.
General Manager Capt. Ronald Neomagus says:
‘The MIT/CCT container terminals are the largest container terminals we have in Panama. As
a result, the towage operations at these terminals are of importance to us. Not only because
of the substantial number of tug jobs, but also
because of the fact that we can now continue
rendering assistance to many of SMIT’s global
customers, like Maersk, P&O Nedlloyd, Mitsui,
Hapag Lloyd, NYK and ZIM Lines. In order to
ensure optimal logistics combined with timely
and safe berthing and unberthing of vessels,
SMIT has set up a SMIT implant office with
MIT in 2001. The value of our companies’ past
experience was, without doubt, an important
advantage we had during the contract negotiations. Over the last years we have managed
to build up a relationship of mutual trust and
understanding with both the board and the
employees of MIT/CCT. This positive relation-
ship has, of course, also contributed to the
continuation of our exclusive concession.’
Capt. Ronald Neomagus also mentions the fact
that SMIT Panama has always provided the
right tugs for the job. The ‘Smit Mersey’, ‘Smit
Mississippi’ and the ‘Smit Tobago’ are dedicated
tugs for towage at the terminals. The first two
tugs have a bollard pull of 62 tonnes. The ‘Smit
Tobago’ has 40 tonnes. The 1999 DAMEN built
tugs are particularly suited to this type of work.
With these tugs we can ensure timely and safe
berthing and unberthing to our customer at all
times. ‘We are happy to say that SMIT will continue to do this job in the next years to come!’
NEW BUILDING TUGS EXPECTED FOR SMIT PANAMA
SMIT has ordered two new tugs for its
towage operations in Panama. The new vessels will be built with DAMEN Shipyards in
Galatz (Romania). SMIT has chosen to purchase two Azimuth Stern Drive Tugs with
4626 bhp and a bollard pull of 54 tonnes.
Due to the positive experience with the
‘Smit Mersey’ and Smit Mississippi’ , the
choice for ASD propulsion was obvious. Our
customers, the pilots and the terminal operators gave their full support to our choice.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the first
new tug is expected to arrive in Panama
in the first week of September 2004. The
second tug will arrive approximately seven
months later.
The investment in new tonnage is a logical result of the positive future outlook for
the harbour towage operations in Panama.
Several investment projects are expected to
be finalised in the near future. For example,
in Cristobal (Atlantic side) both the MIT and
CCT terminals are currently investing in extension of the quay space and container yards.
As a result, more traffic is expected. In Balboa
(Pacific side) the container terminal owned by
Hutchinson Whampoa will also be extended.
Extension of the quay in Balboa will provide
space for more panamax vessels. The new
infrastructure will add an estimated 450,000
TEUs per year to the existing 360,000 TEUs
handled in 2002. The project is expected to be
completed in 2004.
dent that the investment will give a positive
incentive to the shipping community. With the
new powerful ASD tugs, SMIT will be able to
continue providing quick and safe assistance
to our customers in valued Panama.
Damen ASD tug
2810
With its investment in new tonnage, SMIT
acknowledges the strategic importance of its
operations in Panama. The company is confi-
NEW PUSHER TUGS FOR KEPPEL SMIT TOWAGE
The ‘Maju Star’
Joint venture company Keppel SMIT Towage
Pte Ltd has just taken delivery of two pusher
tugs, ‘Indah Tiga’ and ‘Maju Star’, from Keppel
Singmarine.
The tugs measure 27.9 metres in overall length
and 3.8 metres in draft design. Each of these
tugs is powered by two 1,800 hp Niigata
engines and has a bollard pull of 45 tonnes.
Both tugs are also equipped with fire-fighting capability. Each of them is fitted with two
SKUM fire monitors (600m3 each). The tugs are
classified by Lloyd’s Register.
The ‘Indah Tiga’
These two tugs are currently working in
Singapore Harbour and have increased the
fleet size of Keppel SMIT Towage Pte Ltd to 28.
TUG MAGAZINE
BARRACUDA/CARATINGA FPSO
PROJECT IN BRAZILIAN WATERS
SMIT Transport & Heavy Lift has successfully completed
work on the inshore integration of the P-43 (Barracuda)
and P-48 (Caratinga) Floating Production Storage and
Offloading units (FPSOs) in Brazil.
SMIT’s involvement consisted of the project management,
engineering and provision of equipment and services, required
for the safe transportation and installation of the 24 topside process modules. Kellog, Brown and Root INC awarded
the contract in June 2002. They based their award on SMIT’s
proven ability to produce high-quality results coupled with
SMIT’s provision of tailor-made solutions.
To lift the modules, SMIT utilised its Brazilian based sheerlegs, ‘Taklift 6’, with a capacity of 1,200 tonnes and a draught
of approximately 3.50 meters in combination with its 1,600
tonnes ‘Taklift 4’, which was mobilised out of Europe and has
a draught of approximately 4.00 meters. Both sheerlegs were
ideal for the performance required in very shallow waters.
‘Taklift 4’ and ‘Taklift 6’ performing a tandem lift.
Due to the weight (up to 1,600 tonnes) and required outreach,
12 modules required a tandem lift by both sheerlegs. The
remaining lifts were performed by either ‘Taklift 6’ or ‘Taklift
4’ separately. Together, the two floating sheerlegs performed
approximately 70 lifts, some of which were done under challenging conditions. One of conditions was that the lifting work
required the design and fabrication of a purpose-built lifting
frame, which was utilised for both single and tandem lifts.
While the Barracuda FPSO was moored in Niteroi, a small
town near Rio de Janeiro, the Caratinga FPSO was moored at
a yard in Angra dos Reis, about 130 kilometres south of Rio de
Janeiro. SMIT subcontracted the Brazilian company Superpesa
to transport all the modules by barge from the four different
manufacturing yards in the Rio de Janeiro area to the FPSOs.
Local partners Camorim and Wilson Sons provided the tugs for
assisting the sheerlegs and for the towage of the barges. The
last module was installed on Caratinga FPSO at the end
of February 2004 according to schedule.
SMIT BRISTOL ASSISTS DUTCH NAVY
To ensure that the officers and crew of the
Dutch frigate HNLMS ‘Willem van der Zaan’
were fully trained and ready for their frontline role in the war against drug smugglers
in the Caribbean, they needed to practice
intercepting, stopping and searching a
‘gofast’ type of craft. SMIT Bristol was asked
to assist the navy and deployed one of its
high powered patrol craft in the English
Channel to act as the gofast.
A letter of thanks
from the the Royal
Netherlands Navy
Dear Captain Shaw,
As with all good things, our training
period has come to an end. We are
back in the Netherlands and preparing
for our next deployment (to the West
Indies). I would like to thank you for the
excellent support you provided during
the work-up serials. Your comments
have been noted and our plans have
been adapted accordingly.
Many thanks and with regards.
Hugo Ammerlaan
CDR H L J Ammerlaan RNLN
CO HNLMS ‘Willem van der Zaan’
The Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, in the
Caribbean, are devolved territories of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands. This means that
they handle all their own governmental affairs
apart from defence and foreign affairs. One
frigate with a helicopter, two maritime patrol
aircraft and part of the third battalion of the
Marine Corps are permanently stationed in the
Caribbean at Parera Navel base on Curacao.
The Flag Officer Caribbean of the Royal
Netherlands Navy is the sub-commander of
the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force East (JIATFE),
an American organisation that combats drug
smuggling.
approaching 40 knots, and trying to escape from
the helicopter and frigate.
‘Armed intervention is authorised and the
helicopter takes up position very close astern
of the gofast. The idea of this manoeuvre is
to put the front wheel of the helicopter onto
the top of the engines of the gofast and apply
pressure. This makes the gofast come off the
plane to become a displacement vessel and
reduces its speed. In the practice operations it
is not physically done but the helicopter pilot
does practice coming up very, very close to the
gofast and very low to the sea at speed.
‘With this manoeuvre not stopping the gofast
the frigate decides to open fire, the helicopter
withdraws and two shots are fired just ahead
of the gofast. When the gun is turret-mounted
on a frigate moving at speed in a seaway and
the target is also moving in a seaway at close
to 40 knots you will appreciate the skill needed
to place a shot just ahead of the gofast but
close enough to intimidate the crew to stop.
The SMIT crew onboard certainly appreciated
that they deliberately missed!
Due to the close proximity of the northern
coast of South America, the Netherlands
Antilles and Aruba are favoured targets of the
drug smugglers, who use small but high powered craft, ‘gofasts’, to transport drugs into the
territories, hopping from island to island and
using their speed to evade capture by JIATFE.
This year the current Netherlands West Indian
Guard Ship is handing over her role to her
replacement, HNLMS ‘Willem van der Zaan’.
Captain Trevor Shaw of SMIT Bristol reports:
‘Just over the horizon HNLMS ‘Willem van der
Zaan’ detects the movement of a high speed
gofast and quickly gathers speed to intercept.
Radio contact is established with the gofast and
questions are asked. Within minutes the frigate’s
helicopter is launched and is quickly circling the
gofast. Clearly the gofast is not responding to
the polite and reasoned requests to stop and
be searched. In fact it seems to be going faster,
‘The gofast crew decide that things are getting
a little hot and eventually agree to stop and be
searched. The frigate comes in close to provide
protection and observation, to check if anything
is being thrown overboard, and sends two boats
laden with armed marines to search the gofast
and her crew. One set of marines board to
search while the other marines lay close alongside with their guns trained on the crew. The
9
A SMIT Bristol patrol vessel assisting a rescue operation.
‘drugs’ are quickly found and the gofast and
crew are arrested.
‘For us an exciting and exhilarating ‘game’ comes
to an end. But it is not a game. The exercise trains
young men and women of the Royal Netherlands
Navy to find drugs in a hostile environment and
help stop the influx of drugs into our civilised
society. They learn from their ‘mistakes’ in a safe
training environment, it makes them safer for the
real dangerous operations, when the gofast crew
will fight back with real weapons, and it makes
them more effective.’
W W W. S M I T. C O M
WORLD’S LONGEST CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE
CHALLENGES SMIT’S ‘TAKLIFT 7’
The Rion-Antirion Bridge that is currently
under construction in Greece will connect
the Peloponnese with the western mainland
of the country. Once finished, it will be the
world’s longest cable-stayed bridge, with a
length of approximately 2.3 km. After winning the contract for the tow-out and installation of the bridge’s four pierheads in 2000,
SMIT is now involved in the second phase of
the project, comprising heavy lift work for
the installation of the pylonleg covers, the
pylonhead sections from which the bridge
is stayed and in total 184 bridge girders.
For this task ‘Taklift 7’ was mobilised into
Greece, together with the anchor-handling tug
‘Zeeleeuw’. Support pontoon ‘Tak 5’ is used for
transport and storage of the 175-metre-long
longboom of ‘Taklift 7’. The floating sheerlegs
has performed some major lifts, one of them to
a height of no less than 162 metres with a load
of 185 tonnes. The lift was performed at the
maximum capabilities that this sheerlegs has
to offer. The lifting work is even more challenging due to the conditions onsite. The crew of
‘Taklift 7’ has to deal with fierce winds, strong
currents and heavy shipping traffic.
the largest ever built for a bridge. The construction involves the use of the most advanced
technologies in the construction of offshore
concrete platforms and long cable-stayed
bridges. The completed bridge will allow traffic
to cross the Corinth Gulf Strait in only five minutes, whereas it now takes 45 minutes by ferry.
Due to the fact that the bridge project leaders
have discovered the ease of having a floating
sheerlegs onsite with the flexible capabilities
and lifting speed of the ‘Taklift 7’, the sheerlegs
performs far more lifts than initially planned.
After completion of the bridge, ‘Taklift 7’ will
assist in disassembly of the 175 metre-high
tower cranes installed on each pylon. SMIT’s
work on the project is anticipated to end in
July 2004.
The Rion-Antirion Bridge consists of five spans,
with the larger spans reaching 560-metres in
length. In addition to being the world’s largest
cable-stayed bridge, its foundations are also
‘Taklift 7’ installs a bridge segment using its 175-metre-long longboom.
TUG MAGAZINE
FOUR SHEERLEGS PLACE NEW
CYCLIST BRIDGE OVER RIVER ‘WAAL’
A large crowd gathered near the river Waal
when four sheerlegs placed a cyclist bridge
across the river on 20 March 2004. The contract for this project was awarded to SMIT
Heavy Lift at the beginning of 2003 and
involved the planning and execution of the
lifting work.
For this project four floating sheerlegs were
mobilised, including the SMIT sheerlegs
‘Ajax’ and ‘Taklift 3’. Barges and tugs were also
present onsite to assist the sheerlegs during
the lifting and transport of the newly built
bridge.
Before the operation started, the bridge was
positioned on the north bank of the river. The
sheerlegs, held apart at a stable distance by
barges that were secured between them, were
brought into position along the length of the
bridge and were attached to it.
Because the operation would utilise the entire
river breadth, shipping traffic was halted that
day. The sheerlegs formation lifted the bridge,
aided by an anchored winch barge and tugs
to keep them in their proper positions during
the bridge’s transport from the riverbank to
its cross-river position. First, the weight was
built up in steps of 50 tonnes, in order to allow
interim checks. When the weight had been
fully transferred to the sheerlegs the bridge
was lifted up.
The formation was then warped to its end
position and the bridge was lowered to a
five-centimetre distance from its supports.
Couplings were installed to secure it to the
existing railway bridge next to it. The sheerlegs
then lowered and released the bridge onto
the supports. The weight was transferred successfully and the operation was concluded.
The bridge has provided the inhabitants of
Nijmegen with a fast connection between the
two riverbanks.
The bridge slowly being transported to its final destination.
TRANSPORT OF TUNNEL PARTS
FOR HIGH SPEED TRAIN TUNNEL
The HSL (High Speed Line) Tunnel Project
that is being carried out by the Dutch
‘Bouwcombinatie Drechtse Steden’ has
contracted SMIT Heavy Lift - Marine
Projects to transport tunnel elements from
Barendrecht to sink-down trenches in the
Oude Maas and the Dordtsche Kil. The HSL
Tunnels are important parts of the new HSL
line between Amsterdam and Brussels.
Upon arrival at the site, the tunnel elements
were sunk down in custom-made trenches and
secured together by the BDS combination.
Every tunnel consists of seven tunnel elements
built at a construction dock in Barendrecht.
The transports from Barendrecht to the two
end locations were performed by four 1,800
BHP tugs, a pusher tug and support vessels.
The 14 elements would take one trip each. The
formation had to wait until an hour before
high tide to leave the construction dock
because of the currents. A current-measuring
vessel signalled when the vessels could leave
the dock. Once the formation reached the river,
it had to maintain a pre-set speed that would
ensure that it arrived exactly on schedule.
The timing was important because waiting in
the middle of the river with the elements was
intolerable. With their length of 150 metres
and a beam of 17.7 metres, they would have
blocked the entire river.
The formation moved along at a speed of 2.5
knots (4.5 km/h), carrying a structure that
would allow trains to run at a steady speed of
300 km/h. After the successful and uneventful transport of all 14 tunnel elements the HSL
Tunnel Project was brought one important
step closer to completion. Once completed it
will provide the Netherlands with an economically vital railway connection.
Manoeuvring with one of the tunnel parts.
11
W W W. S M I T. C O M
DAHEJ OUTFALL PROJECT
The pipeline in Dahej
In Dahej, on the Golf of Cambay in Gujarat province in northwest India, industry is expanding
and diversifying. An LNG terminal built by Ballast Nedam was recently put into operation there.
GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Cooperation), which is financing and supervising the
expansion, had a 40-km-long pipeline laid inland to be used by the factories in the area to drain
their cooling water and other wastewater. The pipeline
emerges at the coast near Dahej, where the final section
was laid in the sea.
Last year SMIT Marine Projects in Singapore was contracted
to lay the final section. For that purpose, the ‘Container
Aquarius’ was converted into a pulling barge with a capacity
of 550 tonnes and moved to India. Because GIDC incurred
technical difficulties onshore, however, the pipe was not laid
and with the monsoon approaching the pull was cancelled.
After the monsoon, improvements resumed on the equipment onshore and SMIT Marine Projects in Singapore was
contracted again for the bottom pull of the pipe, which has
a diameter of one metre. The ‘Smit Asiangi’ was converted
into a pulling barge for the project and equipped with three
lucker winches (one in reserve) on board with a total pulling
capacity of 850 tonnes. The container ship was also equipped
with two crawler cranes with lift capacities of 250 tonnes and
150 tonnes respectively, plus eight point mooring and considerable space for accommodating the 44 crew members.
The vessel had a recreation room and several offices for GIDC
and SMIT. In addition, there was a communication room with
a telephone and e-mail service that was operated via the
Mini-M or Iridium set for communicating with the rest of the
world. There was also a local mobile telephone onboard for
reaching the onshore co-ordinator, Mike Smith.
The pipeline was to be laid from the beach, which under normal circumstances would not have
been a problem. However, at that particular location the current is strong. During the spring tide,
6-7 knots and a drop of 8 metres were measured, which means that at low tide the beach is over
1.5 kilometres wide and at high tide the water rises to the dunes. Consequently, the ‘Smit Asiangi’
could not get too close to shore and had to secure the pipe at a distance of 525 metres by pulling a thin line across, followed by a thicker floating line after
which the team was able to draw the pull pennants (98
mm in diameter) over that distance with the on-deck 60tonnes winch. Oil drums were attached to the line to keep it
afloat, which meant that the team had to begin at a tactical
moment, or else the current would have been too strong and
would have shifted the line, making it impossible to maintain
its position.
All these factors significantly influenced the operation and
added to the difficulty. Once the vessel had been secured in
the right position the two drawing lines were put under light
tension while the team waited for the green light from shore
to begin the pull. The deck crew worked in 12-hour shifts to
allow operations to continue round the clock.
All the winches were operated locally while the pipe was
being pulled and a large crew was needed, seeing that the
vessel was moving out to sea during the pull. As the vessel
was secured by a line between itself and the pipe with a fixed
length of 550 metres, the anchors on the ‘Smit Asiangi’ were
shifted simultaneously during the pull. Two anchor handlers,
the ‘Smitwijs Tempest’ and the ‘Smit Sumatera’, were on hand
for this purpose.
Crew working on the pulling wires.
Cosmopolitan crew
The crew aboard the ‘Smit Asiangi’ was a cosmopolitan group, originating from the Netherlands,
the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Thailand and Singapore. They worked well together as
a team. A catering company prepared the meals on board, which were generally thought to be
good. Unfortunately, though, they forgot to load the ice cream in Singapore…
In total, the pipe had to be pulled 2,700 metres to lay the end
in the sea at CH 4450 from the dune edge. Once the pipe was
in place, divers unfastened the pull lines on the pull head of
the pipe and after a number of valves had been replaced on the pipe the demobilisation of the
‘Smit Asiangi’ could begin. The ‘Smitwijs Tempest’ towed the ‘Smit Asiangi’ to Singapore, where it
was stripped of the project material.
The project was completed successfully.
TUG MAGAZINE
NEW CONTRACTS SMIT TERMINALS IN AFRICA
Following a highly successful fourth quarter
in 2003, SMIT Terminals West Africa started
off operations in Africa in 2004 with the
award of a new two year SPM Operation and
Maintenance contract in Takoradi, Ghana,
by Volta River Authority (VRA).
Having first secured the contract in 1997, this
extension was as a result of SMIT’s continued
and uninterrupted professional service at the
terminal, which plays a crucial role in VRA’s and
Ghana’s electricity supply commitments. The
operation involves the importation of Light
Crude Oil through the buoy and pipeline for
use in VRA’s combined cycle thermal power
station located on the beach in Aboadze. The
operation is supported by the MV ‘Sea Reliance’
and on-site SMIT Representatives.
One of the highlights of the end of 2003 was
SMIT’s I-Tube installation contract at the Jade
Platform offshore Equatorial Guinea. The function of the I-Tube is to act as a splash zone
protection sleeve for an umbilical that will be
installed at a later date. SMIT’s responsibilities,
under the overall review of clients MEGI (Mobil
Equatorial Guinea Inc), included installation
engineering, installation operations and project
management.
The 13 tonne I-Tube was installed in two 10metre lengths, which were connected below
the water by SMIT divers. The Jade platform’s
crane was used to lift each I-Tube length from
the deck of the support vessel into the water
where the load would be transferred to a specially installed winch positioned on the platform cellar deck. The stability of the transfer
was maintained through the use of soft ropes
and a 10-tonne hold back winch positioned on
the vessel aft deck. With diver assistance and
monitoring, the platform winch then pulled the
I-tube up into position where it was secured to
the platform legs using pre-installed clamps.
Thanks to a thorough preparation process and
a number of site visits, the operation went off
exceptionally well and the actual installation
work was completed within 24 hours.
Assistance of a tanker in ‘Mosselbay’, South Africa.
Further SMIT works undertaken in the
Equatorial Guinea region in the last quarter
included floating hose support services on
the FSO ‘Magnolia’ and FPSO ‘Zafiro Producer’
for client MEGI and the UWILD (Underwater
Inspection in lieu of Dry Docking) inspection
of the MODU (Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit)
Sedco 700 for client Transocean Sedco Forex.
In Angola, joint venture company SMIT
Octomar recently completed diving support
services for the installation of the Kizomba, a
four-legged Tension Leg Platform (TLP) positioned in 1,250 metres of water depth in Esso
Exploration Angola Limited’s (Esso) Block 15
offshore Angola. Part of the SMIT dive team
was based on SMIT Transport Africa’s ‘SMIT
Lloyd 33’, enhancing SMIT’s ability to provide
the client with a comprehensive service.
SMIT Octomar’s client for this development
was Heerema Marine Contractors which, in a
joint venture with ABB, were responsible for
the engineering, fabrication, integration, installation and commissioning of the surface wellhead platform.
SMIT Octomar’s scope of Diving Support
Services included the:
} connection of the 8 TLP anchor tendons;
} installation of hydraulic actuation tools for
the clamping process;
} connection of all submersible pumps for
the TLP ballasting;
} corrosion cap removal;
} removal of actuation tools and all hydraulic connectors.
This three-week, 24-hour-a-day diving operation
was undertaken from the TLP platform with a 20strong SMIT dive team. The dive equipment was
positioned on the TLP platform, 25 metres above
the water and a Diver Launch and Recovery
system was used to transfer divers between the
platform and the work location.
SMIT Terminals’ most recent success has been
the award in early April of a Saturation Dive
Intervention contract offshore Saudi Arabia,
where the STWA 9 Man Saturation Dive system,
‘OCTOSAT2’, will be installed on the Client’s DPII
Dive Support Vessel, ‘Aquanaut’, for pipeline
support works in a 55-metre water depth.
SMIT Terminals also provides maintenance services to SPM’s.
13
W W W. S M I T. C O M
‘JOHN ROSS’ BECOMES ‘SMIT AMANDLA’
To an African drum beat and with majestic
Table Mountain as a backdrop, SMIT representatives and invited guests gathered
to witness the signing of the South African
National Pollution Prevention and Response
contract between SMIT and the National
Department of Transport a couple of months
ago. A traditional choral group livened up
the proceedings, which was also a celebration of the rechristening of the tug ‘John
Ross’ to ‘Smit Amandla’, following her acquisition by joint venture company SMIT Dudula
Marine and a celebration of her return to the
South African ship’s registry.
The National Pollution Prevention and
Response contract is the backbone of SMIT’s
operation in South Africa. Over its 27-year
history, it is those working aboard the tug
and supporting her from the office who have
helped fulfil the National Department of
Transport’s wish to safeguard the South
African marine environment.
SMIT CEO, Ben Vree, who travelled to South
Africa to join in the celebrations, noted in his
speech that: ‘This contract is not just about the
fine tug you see berthed alongside this hall.
While her capabilities are important, it is the
whole package that comes with her - the infrastructure, the networks and most importantly,
the SMIT people - that enables us to offer the
level of service excellence that we have been
able to provide over the course of the nearly
three decades that this contract has been in
operation.’
South African officials and SMIT employees at the
‘Smit Amandla’ rechristening ceremony.
The weather was perfect, the music distinct
and vibey and the celebrations began after
the formal proceedings were concluded. SMIT
Salvage’s General Manager in Africa, Captain
Dave Main, rang the ‘John Ross’ bell for the last
time and 20 year-old SMIT Deck Cadet Ryan
Smith rang the ‘Smit Amandla’ bell for the
first time as the South African flag was raised
aboard the tug. SMIT employees and guests
enjoyed sumptuous luncheon snacks and were
given guided tours of the ‘Smit Amandla’, hosted
by Captain Danny Betts, his Officers and Crew.
During the ceremony, Ben Vree concluded by
paying tribute to the people of SMIT who bring
life to the contract saying:
‘I would like to pay tribute to the many Masters,
Officers and Crew who have lived and worked
aboard this tug over the years, for without their
dedication to the job, their commitment to
the tug, their professionalism, experience and
pride she would not boast such a golden reputation within our global industry and in the
minds of the South African public.”
SMIT participates in
Asia Pacific Maritime
Exhibition
SMIT Singapore, together with joint venture
partners Asian Lift and Keppel SMIT Towage,
took part in the Asia Pacific Maritime held at
the Singapore Expo on 24, 25 and 26 March
2004.
Singapore’s Minister for Transport, Mr Yeo
Cheow Tong, officially opened the exhibition.
During those three days, several thousand
trade visitors attended the exhibition, some
stopping at SMIT’s booth to obtain information and brochures on SMIT and to inquire
about services.
The ‘Smit Amandla’.
During the exhibition, videos such as the
‘Raising of the Kursk’ and the salvage of the
‘Herald of Free Enterprise’, amongst others,
were played for public viewing. These videos
attracted considerable interest, with many
viewers watching the screening from start
to finish.
TUG MAGAZINE
SMIT WEBSHOP OPENS ITS DOORS
The SMIT website has been upgraded with
a webshop. As of January 2004 visitors can
choose from a large selection SMIT articles.
At the start site visitors could only buy books
and DVD’s about the salvage of the Kursk online.
But when the PR department was inundated
with requests for more items, it was decided
that something needed to be done to improve
the situation. Shortly afterwards, the SMIT
clothing line was introduced in the webshop,
together with a variety of other products such
as multitools, lighters and more. And for those
who do not care for the fancy stuff, we still offer
the very interesting Kursk book and DVD.
The prices in the shop are very reasonable;
most of the top-quality products are sold at
cost price. The SMIT logo is modestly incorporated in the products, but is large enough to
show off with. The logo can be regarded as a
quality emblem, because SMIT strives to deliver
only the best quality products and services to
its customers.
We have carefully selected a reputable Dutch
bank to handle the webshop orders. The
Rabobank Internet Banking System
guarantees safe credit card orders for
any kind of card worldwide.
After your order is placed it will be
delivered to your home within
just a few days. It doesn´t come
any easier than that. So make
your way to www.smit.com
and have a look at our
webshop!
HELPING HAND
The closets and garages of many SMIT
employees in the Netherlands were recently
subjected to some serious spring cleaning.
Together, these folks managed to fill an
entire container with items intended for a
SMIT project in South Africa. Shoes, coats,
walking sticks, pots and pans, go-carts, highchairs - you name it, they probably got it!
Joe Slovo Formal Settlement is located 7 km
from SMIT’s office in Cape Town. Within this
vibrant community, previously of Marconi
Beam Informal Settlement, unemployment is
rife and Poverty Relief a real need. SMIT was
fortunate to cross paths with Stan Isaacs of
Blaauwberg Development Forum (BDF) and
together BDF and SMIT are working with a
team of dedicated women from Joe Slovo who
form the Khulanathi Project Committee.
The SMIT employees
assist in contributing to the ‘Kulanathi’ (a
Xhosa word meaning ‘grow
with us’) project. In the township, which has
20,000 residents, they started a small shop selling second-hand items collected by SMIT. The
proceeds go to a soup kitchen set up next to
the container. Here, the impoverished residents
of the township can enjoy a complete meal for
a nominal price.
A large-scale collection drive was launched in
Rotterdam to help our Cape Town colleagues.
SMIT Salvage donated a container and the collection got underway. At first the donations
trickled in, but by the end of the drive full bags
were arriving. Due to the success of this project,
SMIT intends to organise another drive next year.
A full container was sent to South Africa.
15
W W W. S M I T. C O M
SMIT BACKS PROMISING NEW PRO-ACTIVE FAST OIL
RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY
SMIT Salvage has recently been working closely with the developer of the
new JLMD system, Jean-Luc Dabi. The
French inventor devised a new proactive Fast Oil Recovery system that
is meant to aid in the quick transfer
of cargo from sunken vessels on the
seabed. The system has received much
positive media attention in and outside
France and the first orders for its instalment have already been received.
The JLMD system is pre-installed on
tankers. The system is based on the
Archimedes principle, which predicts
that cargo oil, chemicals and bunker oil
will drift on water. The system consists of
pipes in the hold connected to on-deck
easy-access points that allow salvors to
connect hoses to pump water in and the
cargo and/or chemicals out. The existence
of these access points removes the need
to drill holes in the hull, which under
normal circumstances is a time-consuming activity during a salvage operation.
By reducing the time necessary for the
recovery of the cargo, a great deal of
spillage can be prevented.
By pumping water into the compartments of the vessel the oil is driven up
and can consequently be collected by a
supporting vessel, using pumps to remove the cargo from the compartment’s highest point.
Because the JLMD system offers multiple connection points across the vessel, the highest
and lowest points can always be reached, regardless of the angle at which the vessel rests
on the sea floor.
Another advantage of the JLMD system is that every access point is stand-alone. The advantage of this is that when one compartment is lost, for example when a vessel is torn apart,
the remaining compartments can still safely be emptied. These situations occurred with the
‘Erika’ and ‘Prestige’ tanker accidents. Furthermore, when a vessel has sustained collision
damage and one or more of the access points can no longer be used, the remaining ones
still allow the system to be used.
Whatever the position and condition of the vessel, the JLMD system always helps salvors to
transfer a tanker’s cargo much faster than normal. Costs are reduced significantly because
the spillage of pollutants is minimised and salvors can work faster. And due to the positive
effect of JLMD on the preservation of the environment, the LPO and Bird Life International
have decided to back the system.
The success story continues: the JLMD system is relatively inexpensive to install on new built
vessels, and existing vessels can be retrofitted at a limited cost. The system comes with full
support from JLMD and SMIT, which offer ship owners and underwriters 24-hour service
and feedback. Moreover, SMIT is well versed in the system and together with their unrivalled
ability to offer fast salvage services worldwide, they are an excellent partner for the salvage
of vessels that have the JLMD system installed.
JLMD and SMIT recommend adding the system to all tankers in the future. This will greatly
enhance the safety of international transport of oil and chemical cargo, which is beneficial
to everyone involved.
Seawater
Oil/cargo
Three different ways ships can sink;
the system always delivers a ‘ no need
to drill solution’ to get the cargo out.