A&P assisted McNulty in the assembly, installation and commissioning of the modules, which were fitted with mechanical and electrical equipment. Process equipment added to the skids took the maximum single lifting weight up to 450 tonnes.

Compressors, pumps, filtration equipment, de-aeration equipment, pipework, controls and instrumentation were added to the skids. The lifting task was thus able to commence within a week of the vessel's arrival.

Various routine drydocking activities took place alongside the plant upgrade works. Some 15,000m 2of TBT coatings were removed from the vessel's hull, followed by recoating with a 10 year life tin free alternative.

A full blasting and recoating was undertaken in both of the vessel's slop tanks.

Haewene Brim has a long history at A&P Tyne, having been originally converted there from the multi-service tanker Berge Hugin . The Hebburn drydock is the only facility in the UK and one of only three in Europe adapted to accommodate operational FPSOs of this size.

Measuring some 250m in length and with a dock gate 44m wide, it is serviced by 100 ton cranes on both sides and is equipped with a number of sunken pits that allow vessels with underslung turret mooring arrangements and azimuthing thrusters to be accommodated. Two new pits were created within the scope of works to enable complete changeover of the two Rolls-Royce azimuthing thrusters.

As part of the service provided, the entire management teams of Shell, Bluewater, McNulty and A&P were accommodated within the Hebburn complex, fostering close cooperation and communication between them.

MJ Information No: 20016