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The customer was nearing completion of a latest generation ultra-deepwater drillship in a yard in South Korea and won a contract in Brazil.  A specific requirement was for it to handle subsea tree assemblies of up to 13m high in the moonpool.  The existing ship tree handling arrangement could only accommodate a maximum of 10m and so Hampco proposed an elevating transporter whereby the center section could be raised and lowered by 3m.  The section could also be locked in the raised position to allow Hampco's proprietary 1000T riser hang-off system to be deployed.  In order to meet the very demanding schedule, the majority of the unit was manufactured in Cape Town for collection during transit to Brazil with the intent of completing it in Brazil.  However, all fabrication and painting was completed in Cape Town ahead of schedule in under 4 months, leaving only the hydraulic outfitting and final commissioning to be completed in Brazil.

Elevating Tree Transporter & Riser Hang-Off