Bluewater FPSO gets engine overhaul

The 252m vessel has operated in the Pierce Field in the UK sector of the North Sea since 1999 on behalf of Shell UK Exploration and production.

Steve Williams, lead mechanical technician on the Haewene Brim, said: “The Royston team have been extremely professional throughout and have really worked hard at all times.”

He continued: “The team is very well balanced in terms of their skills and expertise and have also fitted in very well on board. I cannot commend them enough, and look forward to working with them again on the next overhaul.”

The Haewene Brim was originally built at the Samsung yard in Korea as a multi-purpose shuttle tanker and was converted to an FPSO at the Aker McNulty yard in Newcastle in 1998.

The vessel is powered by main generating sets consisting of four 5.2MW Wartsila W46 medium speed diesel engines.

Royston engineers, alongside a Wartsila team, scheduled 48,000 hours service on the first engine to dismantle it and overhaul the cylinder headsand liners, pistons, con rods, cam shafts and bearings.

It started earlier this year but 100mph winds and adverse weather conditions meant the work was halted. When work resumed damage to the crankshaft journal bearings was identified, so Royston engineers remained on board to oversee and assist with this work.

When the service of the first engine was fully completed, Royston carried out remedial work on another of the Haewene Brim engines.