YARDS • POWER & AUTOMATION • LØFTETEKNIKK • RIG SERVICES • GEO
From farmhands to general foremen Page 11
JUNE
2015
Bending for the future
Ship repairs – Westcon’s roots
Customised rig assignments
Page 4-5
Page 7-9
Page 16-21
2 WESTCONTACT
Contents 4
Able to deliver piping to the aerospace industry
6
The Bosphorus specialist
7
Ship repairs: More than 200 yard stays
10 “Apprentices are a social obligation” 11 The Lunde General Foremen 14 Getting equipped for Arctic assignments 15 Innovation solutions for safety and the environment 16 Tailors assignments to customer needs 22 Westcon’s backbone is its internal expertise 23 Westcon Subsea worldwide 24 Ready to welcome rigs in Florø 26 Work-at-height experts from Westcon 28 Vintage ship M/S Atløy ready for another season 29 Always prepared with Westcon’s 3D solutions 29 Westcon Geo on all the seven seas 30 Progress with safety in focus 31 Advantage: Money has been replaced by points 32 Where you find us and what we do
Editor: Liv-Kari Bødtker Editorial staff: Westcon and Medvind24 Text and photo: Medvind24 by Kari Aakra, Ellen Marie Hagevik and Torleif Heggebø. Layout & design: Zpirit Print: HBO Editions: 15 000 (norwegian) / 1 500 (english) Photo frontpage: Jan Nordtveit Westcon Group N-5582 Ølensvåg Tel: +47 53 77 50 00 www.westcon.no westcon@westcon.no If you have views on or input to the magazine, please contact livkari@westcon.no
“We intend to succeed in a tough market” “WE ARE OPTIMISTS, OF COURSE,” says CEO Arne Birkeland, commenting on how the market fluctuates between optimism and pessimism in step with the changes in the oil price. This year will be tough, and next year may be the toughest in a long time. We are prepared for that. We will continue to deliver what the customers want, while keeping costs at an acceptable level. We will achieve this by continuously improving our competitiveness. We will not spend more than we have to, but we will invest in what is necessary to lead the field. “There are still assignments to compete for, both this year and next. Songa, for example, will be preparing four new CAT D rigs. Why should the rig owners choose Westcon over other yards around the North Sea basin?” “Reliability,” answers Birkeland. “They can rely on us to deliver what is required. We have handled many newcomers to the Norwegian continental shelf and we are the only group that has systematically developed our knowledge about the regulations and requirements that apply to rigs on the shelf. We are able to document successful completion of previous projects. We also have great capacity, even if the rigs arrive at close intervals. We have the facilities, expertise and systems that are needed to deal with unforeseen events that require attention, without this being at the expense of the customer’s most important concern, namely to get the rigs into operation on paid assignments,” says Birkeland. Westcon has three rig quays in Ølen, one in Florø and one at Helgeland. “We have enough space to accommodate many rigs at a time, but this is about more than just space. We also have sufficient capacity in areas such as project management, management expertise in different disciplines and engineering. We do not want to over-sell our expertise and not be able to deliver what we promise. We have a tradition for dealing with the challenges we encounter rather than saying no,” stresses Birkeland. SHIP REPAIRS – WESTCON’S ROOTS
“Much of the recognition we have enjoyed in the rig market is based on our history of good workmanship in the field of ship repairs. Multi-discipline competence, the ability to deal with challenges at the lowest possible level, our practical approach and the fact that we are solution-minded are all elements we have developed through our presence in this segment,” says Birkeland. In ship repairs, competition is, if possible, even keener than in the rig market. Ship repair assignments are traded on a spot market with a shorter time horizon than rig maintenance, and they are subject to keen competition from both Norwegian and foreign yards. “Westcon’s advantages are our extensive experience and good references in the field of ship repairs. We have four facilities covering more or less the whole Norwegian coast, and thus have the biggest capacity of all yards in Norway. We have what it takes to succeed in a tough market, and this applies to both ship repairs and the rig market,” Birkeland believes.
JUNE 2015 3
4 WESTCONTACT
Mark Gerard (with red hardhat) from Unison has been training the operators of the new pipe-bending machine. From the left: Knut Olav Sørheim, Steffen Feder, Sjur Lunde and Roy Åge Grundberg.
Able to deliver piping to the aerospace industry
Just before Easter, the smaller of the pipe bending machines arrived in Ølensvåg. When both pipe bending machines are in operation, Westcon will be among the world leaders in pipe bending.
“It’s like going from 1930 to 2016 in one stride. I say 2016, because we will be a year ahead of the rest of the world when the world’s biggest electric pipe bending machine is in place”, says Tommy Nilsen, Prefabrication Lead in the piping production hall. The largest pipe-bending machine from Unison will be able to
Today, the parts for this bend take 16 hours to assemble. The big pipe-bending machine will do the job on one section of pipe in half an hour.
bend pipes up to 10 inches in diameter. A bend that presently takes 16 hours of cutting out parts, bending, and welding can be completed in around half an hour. The smallest machine can bend pipes in under a minute. At present, each bend is done separately, and the parts are welded together. In the piping machine, the piping bends will be carried out on a single piece of pipe. The accuracy is so great that we can deliver piping to the aerospace industry. Lasers and computers control everything. For example, measurements taken in Singapore can be transferred directly to the machine, and the job can be started immediately if desired. Thanks to the investments in the piping production hall, we will become a unique supplier in Norway, and can compete in the global market for all kinds of piping work”, says Nilsen. For the customers, this means that a pipe that needs to be changed on an operational rig, for example, is scanned, the order is sent, the bending is carried out, the pipe is sent back and can be installed without shutting down the rig. All in the course of 24 hours if necessary, and weather permitting.
JUNE 2015 5
Committed to efficiency and the environment The two new halls in Ølen are a significant boost for Westcon. They enable increased efficiency and reduced risk for the customer, both in the form of reduced time consumption, and the fact that all kinds of maintenance jobs can be carried out in the yard.
Tommy Nilsen, Head of Prefabrication in the pipe hall, with test bend number two. “When production starts, our accuracy will be so great that we can deliver pipes to the space industry,” says Nilsen.
THE WORLD’S BIGGEST
The smaller piping machine arrived before Easter. The world’s biggest will arrive in the summer. As the machines are electrically powered, they are very quiet. When all the machines in the piping production hall are in operation, they don’t generate any more noise than four refrigerators. The pipe bending machines will be fed by a storage and retrieval system. Until now, the pipes have been stored in 14 pipe racks that have occupied a lot of floor space. The new racks are a towering nine metres high, and the pipes are put in place and selected by a feeder. “Everything happens automatically. When an order is entered into the computer, the storage and retrieval system machine picks up the correct pipe and sends it to the cutter; the cutter is preprogrammed and does the job without anyone around. The pipes are marked by lasers, are cut and rolled out to the sides. From there, they are either sent to the pipe bending machine, or to pre-fabrication. There are major forces in operation here, and the cutter has a laser fence for safety. If anyone gets closer than 80 cm, all the machinery shuts down. The safety zones for the storage retrieval system and the pipe bending machine are also secured with lasers in the same manner”, says Nilsen.
Miljøstasjonen (the environmental station) is Westcon’s biggest environmental initiative ever. The new 3600m2 building encompasses three halls for sandblasting, painting/finishing, maintenance, waste management, and hazardous waste sorting. “In the old buildings you could see nothing but dust clouds when there was sandblasting underway. Now top-notch equipment ensures that there is as little dust as is possible. The girt is recycled, and around 80 percent of the sand is reused”, says Magnus Haugland, Logistics and Facility Manager at Westcon Yards in Ølen. FULL CONTROL OF EMISSIONS
Miljøstasjonen utilises recycled heating, and there is 100% percent control of emissions to air and land when it comes to hazardous waste. This is also positive for the customer’s environmental accounts. MORE EFFICIENT PRODUCTION LINE
The old piping construction hall has been expanded with a new 2700 m2 building, and a further 540 m2 through dividing part of the existing building into two floors. Flerbrukshallen (the mulit-purpose hall as the extension in known) contains many things. In the new high-roofed assembly hall, two gantry cranes can lift 160 tonnes up to 20 metres. The hall is used for a range of tasks, not only heavy lifting. Next door is the new warehouse, which contains 1250 pallets. Here, stock items and equipment from several warehouses share premises, and are readily available by way of a new warehouse robot. Piping, (see separate article), assembly and pre fabrication have been given more space, and the extension has also made room for the machining workshop. “The extensions have led to significantly improved logistics, and a more efficient production line, something which benefits the customers,” says Magnus Haugland.
FULL CONTROL
The storage and retrieval system doesn’t just feed piping; it also maintains a full overview of every centimetre of pipe in the storage racks. If the remaining pipe section is 50 cm or longer following cutting, it is sent back to the racks. “Any remaining lifting is done by gantry cranes. The five operators and three warehouse workers who will be working in the piping construction hall will all be specialists when they have finished all the courses. Most of the work is done via computer,” says Nilsen. The new Miljøstasjon hall is top notch when it comes to both equipment and working environment. There is plenty of space too, so components up to 8x8 metres can be brought in.
6 WESTCONTACT
The Bosphorus specialist What do you do when your drilling rig is too tall to go under the bridges in the Bosphorus Strait? You call Westcon, of course. On the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Black Sea, it becomes clear that GSF Development Driller II will encounter problems in Turkey. The derrick, which towers 70 metres above the drill floor, is 40 metres too tall to pass under the bridges in Istanbul. While Driller II is being prepared for departure from the Gulf of Mexico, the rig owner gets in touch with Westcon. A team of engineers prepare to leave over night. On 2 June 2014, they head south and meet the rig in Gibraltar on course for Palermo on Sicilia. The plan is to call at the Fincantieri yard in Palermo, where the derrick on Development Driller II will be cut in two 30 metres above the drill floor. Extensive work is carried out by a Westcon team with wide-ranging skills over a period of 10 weeks. On 6 September 2014, Driller II sails through the Bosphorus, its height reduced by 40 metres since it arrived in Palermo.
The Westcon team accompanies the rig. In Constanta in Romania, the top part is reinstalled. The full-scale derrick is back in place after 50 days, before further derrick assembly and system installations are carried out. Development Driller II sails off to carry out a drilling assignment for Lukoil in the Black Sea. On 30 October, the remaining Westcon staff can finally return home from Constanta. At the busiest point, there had been 120 Westcon employees on board at one time. A total of 300 people were involved in the project during the less than five months it took to carry out everything from engineering to welding and installation. This included those who worked on board as well as workers in Gibraltar, Palermo, Istanbul and Constanta.
See video from the project at www.westcon.no/the-bosphorus-challenge
In 2009, Westcon carried out the same operation on Ocean Rig’s Leiv Eriksson. On Development Driller II, however, the scope of the work was twice as great and there was much less time for preparation than there was on Leiv Eriksson. PHOTO: BITMAP
A partner for the rig owners With its highly competent technical staff and long experience of providing rig services, Westcon is more than just a total service provider for projects. Westcon also plays a supporting role in the technical operation of the rigs. “One of our strengths is our flexibility and ability to mobilise quickly for challenging assignments. We have further developed all the rig expertise that Westcon has developed through the years, and we can now also offer services independently of the yards,” says Asbjørn Jacobsen, General Manager of Westcon Rig Services. A KEEN EYE
With more than 150 specialised multidiscipline engineers with extensive
experience of offshore modifications, operational support and rig projects, Westcon Rig Services has the solid expertise it needs to cover all project phases. At the same time, Westcon is also a partner for the customer in the actual operation of the rig. “Many rig owners make extensive use of expertise that is hired in on a project basis and that is hard to retain in the long term. We have become specialists through many years of working on multiple
projects. That has enabled us to retain the extensive technical expertise that we offer our customers, in connection with projects and the operation of the rigs,” explains Jacobsen. “We have a keen eye and provide all kinds of rig-related maintenance services. We see our customers as partners. As partners, we take a long-term view and seek to think even smarter as regards the operation of the rigs. Our goal is to cut our customers’ costs,” says Jacobsen.
JUNE 2015 7
SHIP REPAIRS
Sarsen was docked at Westcon in Florø at the end of April. This is where it will be fitted out and prepared for exciting archaeological exploration and excavation voyages. PHOTO: ØYVIND SÆTRE
Giving Sarsen new life as an expedition vessel Westcon in Florø is converting the former research vessel G.O. Sars, built in 1970, into an expedition vessel for marine archaeological exploration and excavations. Terje Totland, Head of the Shipping Division in Florø, is very pleased with the conversion job. The contract is worth more than NOK 100 million in all. “Assignments that are a little out of the ordinary are always exciting. When choosing equipment and solutions, we have had good and close collaboration and a good dialogue with the owner and his team. We still need to carry out all the modification and refurbishment work before the ship is equipped for new expeditions,” says Totland. Sarsen, which was the name given to
the ship after it was sold by the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research in 2004, is scheduled to be ready for new assignments in late summer. After various voyages on several oceans and having been laid up in the Far East, the ship arrived at Westcon in August last year. PROVIDING MANY JOBS
“The project provides work for 50–60 workers from most disciplines at the yard, in addition to 20–30 hired workers, whose work will mainly consist of fitting out the vessel and electrical work,” says Totland. Since last year, the ship has undergone extensive classification work, the thickness of the steel hull has been measured, some of the steel has been replaced, the hull has been painted and various items of equipment have been removed. The ship
was docked at the end of April so that the conversion work could be completed. “Finding technical solutions and choosing equipment in line with the client’s wishes while ensuring that stability and dimensions do not suffer has been a long process. Among other things, the vessel will be fitted out with a 30-tonne foreship helideck, a new accommodation area, new cranes, a new ventilation system, new electrical installations, new navigation equipment, new auxiliary engines and control panels, an emergency dieselpowered generator, and diving and ROV equipment,” says Totland. The plan is for the ship to be ready for expeditions in autumn this year – about a year after it arrived at Westcon’s yard in Florø.
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SHIP REPAIRS
Ship repairs:
More than 200 yard stays During the first four months of the year, more than 65 vessels have visited Westcon’s quays or docks in Ølen, Karmsund, Florø and at Helgeland. This is well on track to equalling the more than 200 yard stays in 2014. “Regardless of which facility we look at, Westcon’s biggest assignment this year looks like being the conversion job on Sarsen in Florø,” says Georg Matre, Head of the Westcon Yards’ Ships Repair department. “We receive a steady influx of supply vessels, fishing vessels, cargo ships, express boats and ferries that come for classification or docking, but in terms of sheer size none of our other assignments so far can compete with Sarsen,” says Matre. Last year, the four yards had about 140 vessels in dock and carried out work on approximately another 70 vessels quayside – a total of 200 maintenance and repair assignments. “Half the assignments consist of planned periodic inspections. The rest are miscellaneous assignments as a result of groundings, engine problems and other unforeseen events. With good, easily accessible yards in strategic locations along the coast, short distances to our customers and the competitive terms we offer, we are in a good position to meet the ship-owners’ need for quick repairs,” Matre tells us.
Georg Matre, Head of the Ship Repairs in Westcon Yards.
OFFSHORE AND SPECIAL-PURPOSE VESSELS DOCKED AT WESTCON IN 2015 North Purpose Stril Power Stril Mermaid Ajax Solvik Supplier Viking Avant
Normand Skipper Normand Arctic Olympic Challenger Deep Energy Havyard (nybygg) Normand Subsea
Artmeis Athene Ocean Alden Propser Ocean King Marjata Sarsen
Short distance to yards an advantage If offshore vessels have to travel long distances in order to get to a yard, the costs escalate fast. There is a lot of offshore activity west of Stavanger and Bergen, which means that Westcon’s yards in Karmsund, Florø and Ølensvåg are in favourable locations. “The location and the quality of the work that is done are of major importance to our choice of yard,” says Technical Superintendent Øyvind Kallevig of Solstad Offshore.
The shipping company’s supply ship Normand Skipper is one of the vessels on which assignments have been carried out at the yards in both Karmsund and Ølensvåg. “The first time we had Normand Skipper in dock here in Karmsund was for classification in April, and of course we hope to see her again on other occasions,” says Project Manager Kåre Jarl Salvesen at Westcon in Karmsund. Solstad Offshore visits the Westcon yards on a regular basis. Normand Westcon has extensive experience of carrying out ship repairs. By taking on assignments for the offshore fleet, here represented by Normand Skipper, the company is able to demonstrate the quality and efficiency of its work across disciplines.
Skipper has been in dock three times for classification in Ølensvåg, and already in june this year a new offshore vessel from the same company is expected to enter the dock in Karmsund. POPULAR ASSIGNMENTS
“Assignments for the offshore fleet secure work for all the disciplines at the yard, and give us an opportunity to demonstrate our ability to perform quality work efficiently, where all the disciplines are required to cooperate. It is important to deliver on time and to high quality standards,” says Salvesen. “Westcon started out as a ship repair yard, and it has extensive experience of floating vessels, from small fishing smacks to big offshore vessels. Ship Repairs represent Westcon’s roots, and all our yards are well-equipped to receive many ships in the years ahead, whether fishing vessels, merchant navy vessels or offshore vessels,” says Matre.
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SHIP REPAIRS
Something special about fishing boats “Fishing boats have a soul. They are more than just a workplace – for long periods they are also a home for the crew. The boats are often owned by the crew. They represent the crew’s life’s work.” Project Manager Kolbein Lunde at Westcon in Ølensvåg is almost reverent when he talks about fishing boats. Nothing pleases him more than when fishing boats come to the yard for maintenance or repairs. “It is with the fishing boat owners that we develop the closest relations. More than anybody else, they are concerned that we do a proper job and we also involve them in most of what’s going on while their boats lie here. We have quite a few fishing vessel jobs in the course of a year,” says Lunde, who would be more than happy to make new acquaintances among the fishing boat owners. Kai Eliassen, General Manager of the shipowners Knester (blue hardhat) praises Westcon, here represented by Project Manager Kolbein Lunde, for involving the shipowners in the work.
SATISFIED CUSTOMER
Satisfied customers tend to come back another time. Purse seiner Knester from
Bekkjarvik in Austevoll is at the yard in Ølensvåg for the second time this year. “The first time was in January, when the main engine broke and many of the components had to be replaced. Westcon won the contract in competition with several other yards,” says Kai Eliassen General Manager of the shipowners Knester. “We liked what we saw: a yard with good facilities, skilled professionals, good work progress and excellent logistics. We particularly liked that Westcon appointed a project manager who involved us as customers and allowed us to do some of the tasks ourselves where possible. The price and delivery terms were competitive and we feel that we are well looked after. The choice was not difficult when the need for other services arose,” says Eliassen.
Framework agreement crowns long-standing collaboration Three express boats and 12 ferries from Boreal Transport Nord are scheduled for routine classification and maintenance work at Westcon in Helgeland. Westcon has delivered services to the shipping company for many years, and it has now signed a framework agreement under which it will carry out all yard work on the shipping company’s boats until the end of 2016, including mechanical work, surface treatment, welding, electrical and other work. “We have been working hard to retain this client for many years, and entering into
an agreement of this kind is a milestone for us. We have experienced keen competition from several local yards, and we see the agreement as a declaration of trust and a hallmark of quality that confirms our key values: ability to deliver, quality and price” says Marketing Manager at Westcon Helgeland, Ken Roger Skogsøy. The framework agreement means predictability for both parties. In Westcon’s case, it also provides security in relation to an upcoming investment which will give the Westcon Helgeland Facility a dock which will be covered in it’s entirety.
“When the shipping company sends us an overview of planned yard stays, we are able to prepare in advance and reserve capacity to execute the work. We expect that about three quarters of our workforce of 40 employees will be working on assignments for Boreal Transport Nord at times, and it is also possible that external specialists will be given assignments under the framework agreement,” says Skogsøy.
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“Apprentices are a social obligation” Westcon has had a focussed commitment to apprentices for many years, and this spring the group has over 40 apprenticeship places.
During the recent Næringsgiv 2015, Westcon was awarded the prize Training Company of the Year in Vindafjord and Etne. “Taking on apprentices is a social obligation that we feel is important to take
“Why an industrial plumber and Yards?”
on, to ensure that we have skilled workers in the future. We are very fond of our apprentices, and it is a privilege to follow them from their first placement to gaining a trade certificate”, says Head of Personnel in Westcon Yards, Gunnlaug Habbestad.
“Why an institutional cook and Catering Partner?”
ALL PHOTOS: JAN NORDTVEIT
“I grew up in my father’s plumbing FREDRIK business. As a plumber you NIGARDSØY (19) are never out of work, and industrial plumber training enable From: possibilities offshore. There are Svelgen, living in Florø many who wish to work in Yards as it is a workplace that takes Workplace: good care of the apprentices, Westcon Yards, Florø and I’m glad I got a place”, says Discipline: Nigardsøy, who has been working Industrial plumber on a rig in Ølensvåg for a few weeks, along with some other Trade certificate Florø employees. examination: Summer The intention was to start 2015. Starting on a new working as soon as possible after apprenticeship in the the apprenticeship was over, but autumn of 2015. now he wants to take another trade certificate. He has had feedback from others this is a waste of time, but he doesn’t agree with this. “You always have a use for knowledge, and it gives increased opportunities for work. I have considered going to vocational training school, but I also want to start working as soon as possible, and I would gladly work in Florø”, says Nigardsøy.
“It suits me better to work with HARALD large quantities and not in a HAALAND (26) restaurant. Besides, this training provides better opportunities for From: getting an offshore job, or work on Etne, lives in Ølensvåg a ship. I chose Catering Partner because I had heard a lot of good Workplace: things about the company and the Catering Partner in working environment. It all turned Ølensvåg out to be true, and I really like it Discipline: here”, says Håland. Institutional cook At the time of writing it is hectic here, with a good 1000 people Trade certificate who need 4 meals every day. examination: “You soon get used to making Spring 2017 food for so many. After a while it’s harder to estimate for 6 people than 600”, says Håland, and laughs. “Even though it is hectic at times, I am still allowed to be an apprentice and use time on what needs to be learned. I have not regretted for one day that I chose Catering Partner. If I should get a position, working here after the trade certificate exam is certainly a possibility,” says Haaland.
JUNE 2015 11
The Lunde General Foremen Birger Alf Lunde is working on a farm a few hundred metres north of Westcon, an agricultural mechanic who is now a farm hand in his home district. The year is 1994 and it is only a few months until Westcon in Ølensvåg is to receive its first rig. Recruiting is in full swing. Could he consider swapping the agricultural machinery for a rig, or even several?
ALL PHOTOS: JAN NORDTVEIT
On April 17th, Safe Britannia sails into Ølensfjorden. Three days later, Birger Alf clocks in to the yard for the first time. He has not regretted for one day that he said yes to the request from Ole Johan Veim, a good 21 years ago. Two and a half years later his brother Thor Ove, four years his junior, became his colleague. He is also a trained agricultural mechanic from the agricultural college in Etne. GRAND TO COMPLETE NEW VESSELS
It’s a while since Thor Ove had his first days in the maintenance department, repairing broken equipment. After a few months he got a job in the dock, and was there just under six months. These were good times in shipbuilding, and Westcon needed people to finish the vessels.
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MIDLIFE CRISIS OR THE JOY OF MASTERY
Markus (nearly 6) is a future generation Westcon employee, but first he is going to football training with Dad Thor Ove.
So, it’s two quite different brothers we meet up with in the dining room of the youngest one, on this Thursday, just after work. One is always on the go, we find out. The other has not yet reached what he calls a midlife crisis. “Birger Alf can never sit still. He always has to have something to do, and if it’s not work then he’s either out on his bike, skiing, or out on the fjord fishing. He took up the first two activities in recent years, something which I take as a sign that he has reached his midlife crisis”, Thor Ove believes. “It’s no crisis”, insists Birger Alf. “Just the joy of mastering something. Reaching a goal. I am a person who exercises, but I have to practise to keep up. We are a great gang in Westcon Aktiv who motivate each other to do physical activity, something which comes in handy when a lot of the working day is spent sitting in an office”. “You too would benefit from joining in, Thor Ove,” teases Birger Alf. “Maybe you too could get through the Skarverenn race, or take part in Birken on a bike, if you started to exercise. Not to mention cycling up the 1.3 kilometre steep forest track to Vakadalen behind Kåtanuten”, he laughs. HAPPIEST AT HOME IN THE GARDEN
“We equipped empty hulls,” he recalls. “I remember best of all Viking Lady, maybe because I got to go to Turkey to follow up the final phase of the hull work, before the ship was to go to Norway and Westcon in Ølensvåg”. “It was always grand when a new build was going to be christened”, Thor Ove recalls. “The last days were hectic, getting everything ready for the day of the christening, but, my goodness, how good it felt to stand there, knowing that you had been a part of making the finished product. Not like it is with rig projects, where it’s just a case of repairs and maintenance”.
“There’s been no shortage of attempts by my brother, and other Westconnites, to get me both on a bike and on skis, but that’s not who I am. I am happiest here at home with the family, the house, and the garden, when I’m not at work or taking the oldest boy to football training and matches”, says Thor Ove, and reveals that his activity plans are all about developing the garden, with more lawn in front of the house. He is also going to build himself a garage, if he can get a little help from his brother when the frame is going to go up. He’ll manage the rest himself. Incidentally, Thor Ove came home a bit later than Birger Alf today. He has picked up his two boys from kindergarten, and tells HOMESICKNESS AND SPEEDING us immediately that in an hour’s time the oldest, Marcus, who is Thor Ove worked at Sunnhordland Mekaniske Verksted (SMV) in nearly six, must be ready for football training. Of course, Dad is Skånevik for six months before having to do his military service. He going too. blames a combination of extreme homesickness and a UP patrol Besides, Mum is at work this (traffic police) looking for speeders for a afternoon, so he doesn’t have an little of the “blame” for his ending up in alternative either. We suspect that Mum “Birger Alf can never sit still, he Westcon after military service. has had to keep track of logistics always has to have something to do.” maybe “I was a little too heavy on the gas many times when the man of the house pedal, and lost my licence on the journey has been occupied with work - on THOR OVE over the mountains whilst on leave. With travel assignments, long workdays, and the yard at walking distance, I at least weekend working. wasn’t dependant on a car for getting to and from work after I had Thor Ove offers us a cup of coffee, looks at his watch, and finished military service”, he recalls, insisting that he has calmed confirms that we can chat a bit longer before he and the boys have down a notch or two. to go out the door again. BECOMING A FATHER WAS THE GREATEST
TWO BROTHERS AND EIGHT CHILDREN
“Having a family and becoming a father has helped - incidentally, one of the greatest things to happen in my life. Becoming a father is huge”, he says and is backed up on this by Birger Alf. Birger Alf has really understood how great it is to become a father. We can’t interpret it any other way, as his family presently includes six children - five girls and one boy. He was present at five of the births, but he missed the last one as he was on Gran Canaria, on a Westcon assignment in Las Palmas, on board the rig Eirik Raude. That too was quite something, but he would have preferred to be with his wife during the birth.
The brothers are neighbours, if anyone should wonder. They have each built their own house on the family farm, up on the hillside in Lunde - right under Kåtanuten. Birger Alf built his house in 2005, Thor Ove moved into his three years later. Big houses, not the kind where there’s no room to swing a cat round. Here, there is space to play for all the eight children, whether they are at home with Mother and Father or visiting Uncle and Auntie. From here they can see down to Westcon, and have a view over the fjord towards Ølen, the centre of the municipality. From here they can follow all the shipping and rig traffic to and from their
It’s no small number of platforms that Alf Birger and Thor Ove have boarded over the years at Westcon. It’s a rare thing for them to have assignments on the same platform.
Birger Alf has tried many times to get Thor Ove to join him on his ski and cycling trips, to no avail. Thor Ove is content with the exercise he gets on the stairs up and down from the platforms
workplace. In the near future they will also be able to look down on the boss, who is building a house on the fjord just below. They also see across to the farm where they grew up. It’s a long time since they drove around on tractors, or jumped in the hay as 8-9-year-olds. They were good times. “Not forgetting all the times we used the silo as a swimming pool,” they tell us, and see that we are wondering about this. “You know, when the grass has been put in the silo, it must be put under pressure. It is covered with a tarpaulin, and then it is filled with water to press the grass together. You can bet it was fun to swim in that pool, probably most of all because we weren’t allowed”, the two of them admit. “We had a great place to grow up in, and it was natural to come back here when we were going to settle down with our families. Here, there is plenty of play space for the children, and we don’ t need to worry so much about disturbing the neighbours by mowing the lawn during their after-dinner nap. The two brothers are sitting here, thinking back to the time before they started their careers in Westcon, back to carefree boyhood days, and to the future - possibilities in Westcon.
Birger Alf has also tried his hand at being Assistant Project Manager. None of them are opposed to advancing further. If the opportunity arises, and everything else suits, they are not ruling out that they may make use of the opportunity to train as Project Managers via the training possibilities offered by the Westcon Academy. And they may get company form the next generation of Lundes in a few years. “Our oldest daughter is taking TIP - the equivalent of the former machine and mechanic training course. She is following in my footsteps”, says Birger Alf, with more than a little pride. And Markus, who is now ready for football training - yes, he is certainly going to work at Westcon..
CONSIDERING THE WESTCON ACADEMY
Thor Ove reminisces. Think of the road the brothers have followed from when they received their first pay packet at Westcon. They have worked their way up, have taken responsibility, and have been shown trust. Today they are both General Foremen, which, among other things, means that they have lead responsibility for all the foremen and workers within the various disciplines on the project. This can involve 50 to 300 people, depending on the size of the project.
“We had a great place to grow up in, and it was natural to come back here when we were going to settle down with our families.” BIRGER ALF
Birger Alf is an active man, which has yielded good results both in cycle races and cross-country ski races. Here, on wheels, with some of his home “prize collection”.
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Getting equipped for Arctic assignments When the rig sets course for the Barents Sea to operate at temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius, dealing with the cold, frost and ice will be a job in itself. Westcon is doing that job before departure. It is all about insulation, installing heating cables, protection against frost and ice, cladding and safeguarding. Westcon’s winterisation equips the rig for the sub-zero temperatures that await it. “The winterisation of the rig has to be adapted to both the platform and the region. Upgrading is required regardless of whether the rig is to operate at five or twenty degrees below zero,” says Finn Seglem, Senior Engineer at Westcon Rig Services in Stavanger. EQUIPPED FOR THE ARCTIC
After being upgraded by Westcon in 2013, a drilling rig set out for the Barents Sea, fully equipped to operate at 20 degrees below zero. During the yard stay, Westcon had prepared the rig for Arctic conditions by every means – from the pre-engineering phase to the installation of heating cables and erection of walls to protect against the ice and cold. The following year, another drilling rig dropped anchor at the yard for fitting out and winterisation before heading to the Kara Sea to operate at temperatures as low as 23 degrees below zero. “We deal with concerns about exposure to frost, draughts, ice and cold,” says Seglem.
Westcon maps the condition of the rig, the challenges that the temperature will entail, and how the rig can meet the official requirements for safe operation under such harsh weather conditions. The wind cooling effect is estimated in order to identify exposed areas that need to be protected – for example the lifeboat area, the muster station or the whole drill floor. Next, the quality of the steel must be assessed so that it can be upgraded, if necessary, to withstand lower temperatures. Finally, the drilling equipment is assessed. Will it be operational at 20 degrees below zero? HOT AREAS IN COLD REGIONS
The rig is then fitted out as required, whether it is the cranes that need upgrading or the hull that needs to be reinforced to withstand ice loads and ice floes. Pipes and installations are fitted with insulation and heating cables, which are also installed on walkways, gangways, stairs and potentially slippery surfaces. Areas and equipment are enclosed and heaters are installed. Given the level of activity in the Barents Sea and possible future operations in other Arctic areas, winterisation is a focus area for the services offered by Westcon.
The winterisation team from Westcon takes account of all the possible challenges that can arise in areas where the temperature can be 20 below zero or colder. Westcon attends to the whole process, from surveying to detailed engineering.
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“Typical areas of use for the new e-SEA Energy Control solution from Westcon include hybrid power systems, backup power, Peak-Shave and electric propulsion systems,” says Frode Skaar, Director of Sales & Marketing in Westcon Power & Automation.
Innovation solutions for safety and the environment Westcon is continuously working to provide smart new solutions. Our most recent innovation helps to reduce the energy consumption of and emissions from ships and offshore vessels. “We have developed new battery solutions for ships aimed at ferries and offshore vessels in particular. We have focused on retrofit solutions, which means that we can install our battery solution on an existing vessel,” says Frode Skaar, Director of Sales & Marketing in Westcon Power & Automation. The new solution, e-SEA Energy Control, involves Li-On battery packs developed for both the marine and offshore market. REDUCES EMISSIONS
“Westcon delivers battery packs adapted to each ship following a thorough review of the vessel’s fuel consumption and operating scenarios. This solution helps to reduce emissions, maintenance costs and operating expenses by lowering fuel consumption. It also improves the ship’s redundancy and safety, while also giving a faster dynamic response,” says Skaar. Among other things, the retrofit battery solution could be ideal for offshore vessels that frequently use dynamic positioning. A typical offshore vessel has four diesel generators to ensure a high degree of redundancy, which in turn leads to an unfavourable load on the engines, and a too high degree of rotating accessible output at times. Westcon’s new solution makes it possible to install a battery instead to deal with the peak loads, thereby reducing the number of rotating generators and enabling a smoother and more efficient load profile.
“That means you can manage with two diesel engines. The customer saves money, and the environment is spared unnecessary emissions. Batteries can also be installed on ferries, which have a great potential for saving fuel and reducing emissions by installing batteries on board,” says Skaar. SUCCESSFUL IRM-EX SYSTEM
Westcon Power & Automation offers several products based on technology that the company has developed for both the marine and offshore industry, focusing on safety, cutting costs and ensuring efficiency for the customer. One of the company’s most recent innovations, which has gained a good foothold in the market, is the system for periodic inspection, repairs and modification (IRM) of Ex equipment. “Our experience is that rig owners and operators are deeply concerned with safety and set stringent requirements for Ex inspection and maintenance in framework agreements, and we have carried out assignments for six rigs in the past year alone. Our focus is on delivering this type of services that help to raise the level of safety in the oil and gas industry,” says Kåre Topnes, Sales Manager Oil & Gas at Westcon Power & Automation.
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Tailors assignments to customer needs Close cooperation with the customer, the ability to find simple, smart and multi-discipline tailored solutions and teams that are ready to go anywhere in the world, are some of the advantages that Westcon can offer its rig customers.
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CUSTOMISED RIG ASSIGNMENTS
A rig’s life starts with its construction. Westcon does not build rigs, but offer everything from follow-up during the construction phase to extension of the rig’s life, for example through conversion and adaptation for special assignments. A team of around 100 Westcon engineers are ready to contribute in disciplines such as welding, structure, pipes, mechanical work, HVAC, drilling, electrics, instrumentation, automation, maintenance technology, 3D surveys and hydraulics. Since the first rig arrived in April 1994, more than 800 other Westcon employees have developed a unique experience base in, among other things, Black disciplines (piping, Structural, Mechanical, HVAC) and White Disciplines (Electrical, Instrumentation, Automation). New knowledge and products are constantly being added. PLANNING AND PREFABRICATION
Follow-up during the construction phase means that Westcon is responsible for planning, pre-engineering and preparations for, for example, electrical and mechanical installations. When the rig is ready to be transported to the Norwegian continental shelf,
Westcon accompanies the rig some or all of the way. Work carried out en route includes clarification of the scope of work, minor installation jobs and inspections. By that stage, the planning of the main work to be done at Westcon’s yards has already been going on for some time. Westcon’s project team has a tight cooperation with the customer where all relevant disciplines work together. Engineering is in progress, modules are being prefabricated, electrical systems such as switchboards are being completed as far as possible and the piping is made ready. Manning during the stay at the yard is planned. Procurements are made. When the rig arrives at the quay, everything is ready for installation ALL KNOW-HOW AVAILABLE IN-HOUSE
“The only thing we do not do is global analysis. Westcon can plan, build and carry out everything else. Based on Westcon’s expertise in lifting technology and in electrics and automation, and the know-how that is available at all four Westcon yards, we are able to tailor the assignment to the needs of each individual customer. The engineers work in close cooperation with the skilled workers on all parts of the assignment. We are good at finding simple and smart solutions and, when faced with new challenges, we think on our feet. Everything is documented in Westcon Information System (WIN), which is a database for all parts of a project,” says Technical Manager Geir Trengereid. Through 20 years of working for the rig market, Westcon has developed a number of systems and facilities in order to offer the customer what the customer needs, regardless of whether the assignment is big or small. “3D modelling, 3D scanning and animation have added a new dimension to both planning and execution. The new pipe hall (see pages 4 and 5) with its warehouse and bending machines, enables us to deliver all piping much faster,” Trengereid says.
“The engineers work in close cooperation with the skilled workers on all parts of the assignment. We are good at finding simple and smart solutions,” says Technical Manager in Westcon Yards Geir Trengereid.
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CLASSIFICATION AND MODIFICATION
When the rig is completed and ready for assignments, annual checks are required of IRM tools, inspections and audits of cranes and lifting appliances etc. Operational support may also be needed in other areas. Westcon can take on these jobs, regardless of where in the world the rig is located. The rigs undergo intermediate classification, but the main classification takes place every five years. This is a big job where the rig’s condition is checked and necessary repairs are carried out to ensure that it meets the classification requirements. A classification job has to be well planned to ensure efficient logistics and execution. When the rig either starts getting old or it is to perform operations other than those it was built for, Westcon carries out conversions, modifications and adaptations for special assignments. This can be done at Westcon’s yards or anywhere in the world, including while the rig is in operation. GOES WHERE THE CUSTOMER NEED
Westcon has specialised in mobile offshore units. Assignments involving everything from the replacement of a pipe to major
“We deliver multi-discipline tailored solutions. The project teams are put together from skilled personnel from all the disciplines offered by Westcon”, says Aleksander Stople, head of the Offshore Modifications department.
CUSTOMISED RIG ASSIGNMENTS
modifications are carried out by flexible teams that go where the customer needs them. “We deliver multi-discipline tailored solutions. The project teams are put together from skilled personnel from all the discipline areas offered by Westcon. Everyone is a specialist in their field, at the same time as they have the competence needed to assist with most types of installation work. This saves our customers both costs and berth space on board the rig. We have eight containers that are fitted out with basic equipment that can be expanded depending on the type of assignment. Westcon has the equipment, materials and personnel needed to mobilise offshore at just a few hours’ notice,” says Aleksander Stople, head of the Offshore Modifications department in Westcon Rig Services. Westcon carries out critical and complex maintenance and modification jobs while rigs are in operation. This is in order to maximise the rig’s uptime. This entails stringent requirements as regards planning and logistics management. “We use 3D scanning and animations to check that our plans are feasible. Animations are also very useful information carriers. It takes just two minutes to give everybody the same information and understanding of what to do,” says Stople.
CUSTOMISED RIG ASSIGNMENTS
“Westcon has the equipment, materials and personnel needed to mobilise offshore at just a few hours’ notice.” ALEKSANDER STOPLE, HEAD OF THE OFFSHORE MODIFICATIONS DEPARTMENT IN WESTCON RIG SERVICES
More than 100 people from Westcon were involved in the Eirik Raude project in Las Palmas in early winter 2012. PHOTO: DÁCIL MANRIQUE DE LARA MILLARES
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CUSTOMISED RIG ASSIGNMENTS
Rig Manager Malvin Eide PHOTO: ØYVIND SÆTRE
“The length of the yard stay is sacred” Unforeseen challenges usually arise in most assignments. “But at Westcon we accept all challenges and do everything in our power to deliver on time,” says Rig Manager Malvin Eide. Rigs and assignments differ, of course, but a good rule of thumb is that 60 per cent of the time is spent on planning and preparations, and 40 per cent on execution. “The earlier we start discussing with the customer, the better we are able to plan engineering, big procurements that we need to have delivered at the right time, manning plans and prefabrication jobs. The best thing is if we can be involved a year before the rig arrives at the quay. That enables us to influence the job much more based on our experience. It helps to reduce the length of the yard stay for the rig, and the length of the yard stay is sacred. If the scope of work increases, we still deliver on time,” says Eide. CLOSE COOPERATION WITH CUSTOMERS
Close cooperation and a good dialogue with the customer is important from the tender until the scope of work has been
executed. Eide emphasises that it is important to listen to the customer and be proactive, and help the customer to find good solutions. “We get good feedback on that. At the same time, we have always challenged our customers to tell us what they want and what they think we could be better at. We have listened and built accordingly. Today, Westcon can offer the customer everything they need in-house,’ Eide says. CONSTANTLY IMPROVING
Westcon has five to six rigs at the yard during most years. This means that its expertise is maintained in all disciplines, and it has developed an extensive experience base in both black and white disciplines. “It costs to invest, but it produces results in the long run in the form of more rigs and more customers. We are constantly striving to improve. We need to lead the field in terms of price, quality, delivery and HSE in order to compete. At the same time, we have the ability to react quickly and get things done fast, safely and satisfactorily. We are a service company, and nothing is impossible for us,” Eide says.
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CUSTOMISED RIG ASSIGNMENTS
“We want to be the benchmark yard for our customers” Continuous improvement processes in all areas will help Westcon to achieve Managing Director of Yards Øystein Matre’s goal for the company: To be able to compete with all-comers in the North Sea basin. “I want Westcon’s yards to be state of the art. We want to be the benchmark yard for our customers. That’s how good I want us to be,” says Matre. “We need to address the future in several dimensions. We must have the best equipment available, and we must invest and upgrade. We are also reviewing our work methods. Simplification and good systems are important. It is a way of ensuring that our work processes are correct. And more responsibility must be given back to skilled workers. Our employees display great loyalty and take great pride in completing projects on time, to the right quality standards and in a safe manner,” says Matre. “WE MUST HELP TO MAKE OUR CUSTOMERS GOOD”
If Westcon benefits from all these processes, Matre aims to put the group in a position to compete with all-comers in the North Sea basin. “It is important to us to have good partners in our customers and suppliers. We need to have a strong focus on our customers and work in more integrated project teams. If we are to become good team players, we need to train together. That should be our customers’ motivation for choosing Westcon – the certain knowledge that we will make them better at what they do,” Matre says. THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING WILL HAVE TO WAIT
Westcon is noticing the changes in the market that followed in the wake of falling oil prices. There is a pressure on prices from all directions and more competition from abroad. Nevertheless, major investments have recently been made in facilities and equipment, including the new halls Miljøstasjonen (environmental station) and Flerbrukshallen (multi-purpose hall). Matre believes that this is necessary in order to get customers to choose Westcon. One thing has been put on hold, however.
Øystein Matre, CEO of Westcon Yards. PHOTO: ØYVIND SÆTRE
“We had plans for a new administration building, but history tells us that all shipyards that build grand and impressive administration buildings experience hard times afterwards. So we have put it off for years, which is why the administration is still holed up in not very impressive temporary premises,” Matre tells us with a twinkle in his eyes.
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Esben Zimmer (in the middle) has been a project manager before. Now he also has the formal qualifications.
Westcon’s backbone is its internal expertise “Westcon’s skilled personnel are the company’s backbone. If we are to develop as an expertisebased enterprise in the shipping and offshore industry, our employees must develop along with the company,” says Stein Fridfeldt, Head of Human Resources. Among other things, employees can top up their expertise by taking courses and study modules organised locally by the Westcon Academy. EDUCATING PROJECT MANAGERS
Together with the Norwegian Business School BI in Stavanger and Vindafjord Employers’ Forum (VAF), the academy has held two study modules in project management during the past year, both concluding with exams. Esben Zimmer and Lukasz Manczak are two of eleven
employees who were given the opportunity to take this study module. Both of them have worked for Westcon for many years. Zimmer is an electrical engineer, currently electrical discipline manager for the Safe Scandinavia project. Manczak is an engineering manager for the same project. WANT TO STUDY MORE
Both of them set great store by this Lukasz Manczak opportunity to take further education recommends others to and the fact that they can study locally, take the courses and study programmes offered by the but they admit that it has been hard Westcon Academy. to combine studies with a full-time job and family duties. Zimmer would definitely consider taking part 3 of the study programme, however, if it is offered locally. PASSING THE EXAM WAS A PERSONAL TRIUMPH
FACTS ABOUT THE WESTCON ACADEMY Established in 2012 Has held approximately 20 courses alone or in collaboration with Vindafjord Employers’ Association (VAF) The main focus is on project management and technical subjects, but it also offers other types of courses and study programmes The courses/ study programmes are mainly held in Ølen, but also at a technical college in Stavanger
According to Zimmer, his wish to continue studying if given the opportunity is the result of his competitive instinct. “I consider myself one of the veterans of this team (51), but I would like to demonstrate that I can keep up with the younger guys, at the same time as I consider passing the exam to be a personal triumph. I have worked as a project manager many times before, but I have never been formally trained as a project manager until now. I have now acquired the formal qualifications,” says Zimmer. “My theoretical knowledge is now in place. Now it’s just a case of translating theory into practice. The role of assistant project manager together with a more experienced project manager will be useful,” Manczak believes.
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Subsea production is in demand in Florø. The yard has had major deliveries to global subsea players, and Westcon is committing even more with an expanded service range on rigs during yard stays. PHOTO: ØYVIND SÆTRE
Westcon Subsea worldwide Westcon’s subsea equipment is now contributing to the development of giant fields in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, and off the coast of West Africa. Now the rigs owners will also be able to make use of our subsea expertise during yard stays in Westcon yards. From design and engineering to fabrication, integration tests, and mobilisation from the dock. The production has been non-stop at Westcon Subsea since its start-up two years ago. “We deliver in all disciplines, both advanced pipe welding, structural steel, assembly, and integration testing, and our production is aimed at several global companies in the subsea market”, the leader for Westcon Subsea, Steinar Matre, tells us.
This is an important extra service to be able to offer – especially since we have top modern facilities for this with our new large workshops and halls. By having these services at the yard, we save the customers the extra work and costs that would be required when sending the equipment for maintenance and repairs elsewhere,” says Matre. FOCUSING ON THE FIELDS OF THE FUTURE
NEW FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT AND SUBSEA SERVICES DURING YARD STAYS
Westcon has recently signed a framework agreement for fabrication, testing, and delivery of subsea equipment to the global subsea giant OneSubsea. “This is an important milestone in our business commitment. Now we are upgrading our production facilities further, and strengthening our core competency to be even more competitive in the battle for more projects, both on the Norwegian shelf and internationally”, says Matre, and continues: “We will be supplying maintenance services for subsea and well control equipment to rigs that are in for maintenance and repairs in Westcon yards.
Subsea equipment signed by Westcon have been delivered to major fields all around the world, among other places to the Exxon Mobile operated Julia field in the Gulf of Mexico and the Total operated MoHo field off the coast of West “They are coming Africa. “In the course of the year, Subsea equipment back and wanting from Westcon will also be delivered to several more, something projects on the Norwegian shelf, among others Gina which confirms that Krog, Ivar Aasen and Snøhvit fields, in addition to the Polarled pipeline project. As a relatively new we have gained a player in the subsea market, a close cooperation solid foothold in the with the customers have given us a flying start. They are coming back and wanting more, something market.” which confirms that we have gained a solid foothold in the market,” Matre tells us. STEINAR MATRE
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Ready to welcome rigs in Florø Westcon is looking forward to receiving rigs to yet another new location now that Florø has a new quay and deeper port area. Westcon’s yard services will now be within closer range for rigs in the northern section of the North Sea. A new rig quay with increased sea depth will be ready at the end of June 2015. “The time factor is a crucial issue when rigs are coming in for upgrades, maintenance, and repairs. The sailing time is an extremely vital factor for many customers who require these services on rigs along the Norwegian coast. Westcon has, up until recently, been able to offer its yard services in Ølensvåg, and is now expanding this with the same level of competency and equally good facilities in Florø. A new alternative, enabling a shorter sailing time for several operators, Anders Myklebust, Maintenance Lead for Westcon Yards, Florø, tells us.
MAJOR FIELDS IN THE VICINITY
The new rig quay in Florø has been constructed according to the Westcon standard, as in Ølensvåg. “Now we are going to welcome rigs to an identical rig quay, with the exact same mooring options as at the yard in Ølensvåg. The rig quay is 32 metres wide, with a 20 metre depth just outside”, says Myklebust, who has been engaged as project manager since the spring of 2104 for the work on the new quay facility. The yard’s new quay is ideally situated, with a range of major fields such as Snorre, Statfjord, and Gullfaks just off the coastline. Due to the high level of activity on the fields west of Florø, this
JUNE 2015 25 The Florø yard has undergone a comprehensive development during the past year. ”Now we are looking forward to welcoming rigs to the quay in Florø in the near future”, says Anders Myklebust at Westcon Florø. PHOTO: ØYVIND SÆTRE
Doubling crane capacity From this summer, Westcon will be able to offer the same massive crane capacity on two of its quays in Ølensvåg. The first parts of the new crane have already arrived, and in the course of the summer the new crane will be in operation on quay 3 at the yard in Ølensvåg. The new crane gives the yard a big lift - literally. “The crane on quay 2 has an 80 metre range and can lift a total of 160 tonnes. Now we are also getting an identical crane on quay 3. We will thereby have two cranes that not only lift to a great height, but also can reach around to almost anything on a regular rig”, says Logistics and Facility Manager Magnus Haugland, Westcon Yards in Ølensvåg. The large crane, that has until now only been available on quay 2, has been much in demand among customers, and this capacity can now be offered to several simultaneously. “With two cranes of these dimensions, we will work much more efficiently during projects”, says Haugland.
Moving all work indoors In the course of the autumn, all projects in dock at Westcon Helgeland will get a roof over their heads. The work on a comprehensive upgrade commences this summer.
quay will play an important role for Westcon, as we now have several locations at which to offer rig services,” Myklebust relates. SEVERAL BOATS SIMULTANEOUSLY
The Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) has also completed a deepening of the whole shipping lane into the yard; rig access to the yard has therefore been improved even further. Simultaneously with the new rig quay build, a pier west of the dry dock has also been constructed. “This has enabled an extension of the quay length on the northern side, which is now a total of 186 metres, with a 13 metre depth, which allows for the mooring of several ships simultaneously. The Fitting Out Quay towards the east has new fender work and has been deepened to 8 metres along 80 metres of the quay,” Myklebust informs us.
“We are expanding and building a roof over the whole dock. We are also installing a bigger port towards the open sea. This will grant us a significant competitive edge, as all work can then be done under cover”, says Marketing Manager at Westcon Helgeland, Ken Roger Skogsøy. This construction will resolve the challenges that the weather has presented up until now to outdoor work, such as welding and surface finishing. “Outdoor work has also led to some extra work, as we have had to erect tents and such like. Now we will have the facilities that enable us to move whole ships and all other work indoors. Thus we will ensure even better predictability on completion of projects”, says Skogsøy.
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Work-at-height experts from Westcon Westcon’s industrial climbers are not just mechanics, electricians, welders, NDT inspectors or inspectors. They are first of all experts in rope access and work at heights, and access problems are efficiently solved by Westcon Løfteteknikk’s climbing teams. The year is 2012 and Scarabeo 8 is moored at the quay in Ølensvåg. New supports are to be welded onto the outside of the railings. The team assigned for the job consists of industrial climbers who are also experienced welders. They lower themselves over the railing and get the job done. During West Alpha’s yard stay two years later, another team of industrial climbers ensure that all the bolts on the windbreak wall are doubly secured, replace the steam line and install new ladders to the top of the derrick. Water bags and weight cells are also rigged to carry out various load tests. NDT inspections are carried out and the net around the helideck is replaced. “We are the skilled workers’ extended arm, working under the expert guidance of the foremen. Most of the climbers also have other qualifications and can carry out the work at hand while hanging in thin air” says Lillian Bakke, Project Manager at Westcon Løfteteknikk. MULTIPLE SKILLS
The flare tip is to be replaced on a rig off the coast of Vietnam. The job is a twofold one: Westcon’s team of climbers are also electricians, and the first part of the job consists of being hoisted up from the deck to disconnect the electrical cables for the flare tip. The next step entails working from the air. The team is picked up by a helicopter, and lowered down to the flare tip to disconnect it, together with experts from Vertek.
Westcon’s industrial climbers are an example of what is known as multi-personnel. “In addition to being welders, electricians, mechanics and NDT personnel, they have the climbing skills that are needed to do the job while hanging in a harness alongside the rig, below deck or up in a derrick,” says Offshore Human Resources Coordinator Victoria Freihow in Westcon Løfteteknikk. And the combination of skills can save the customer both costs and time. SAVES RESOURCES
A 12-feet container weighing 8 tonnes is to be rigged into place on board Maersk Integrator. One way of doing this would be to install lifting appliances and erect scaffolding in order to hoist the container into place. A climbing team from Westcon is put on the case instead. They climb up and install chain hoists on the rig, which are then used to place the containers in their proper position. A job well done. “Westcon currently employs almost 20 rope access technicians. A climbing team whose members are skilled in the necessary disciplines, have better access and can do the work more quickly than if we had to use lifting equipment and scaffolding. The job is done in a fraction of the time and requires fewer personnel,” says Freihow.
Lifting across the nation In addition to offering a wide range of lifting equipment and lifting gear, Westcon offers all kinds of services relating to lifting and work at heights. Westcon Løfteteknikk supplies everything from wires and chains, hooks, fibre slings, winches and hoists to training courses, inspections and certification. In addition to products, the complete package from Westcon includes the services of the company’s own lifting experts. “Instead of using several different suppliers, the customer can get the complete package from us,” says Rune Bjørkvold, Sales Manager in Stavanger. “In addition to our own products, we can provide logistics solutions for
and maintenance and inspection of our customers’ own products. We also offer our customers support in the form of engineering services, testing, certification and inspection of equipment, regardless of whether the ship is moored in the USA or at our own quay,” says Bjørkvold. Westcon has also adapted its cranes and lifting equipment to the offshore and shipyard industries. Westcon now supplies winches and pneumatic- and manual hoists to rig companies and the offshore industry along the whole Norwegian coast.
‘Our customers also take the equipment with them for projects all over the world,’ says Harald Våga, Sales Engineer in charge of hiring out equipment. “While we sell a lot of equipment, more and more customers see the advantage of hiring equipment during peak activity periods. We ensure that the equipment arrives when it is needed and we pick it up again when the project is completed. This saves the customers having to maintain large amounts of equipment that is only used for limited periods,” says Våga.
28 WESTCONTACT After many days and hours of voluntary work, the vintage boat M/S Atløy is ready for another season sailing on the Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord.
Vintage ship M/S Atløy ready for another season “We cannot thank Westcon enough for the kindness we were shown in connection with M/S Atløy’s yard stay. We were welcomed with open arms and they have done everything for us, lent us equipment and helped us to get the boat ready for a new season.”
Leif Kvalvik, leader for M/S Atløy’s dedicated team of friends is at loss for words when it comes to describing how well he was received at Westcon when he asked for a space where maintenance and repairs could be carried out on the boat. At the end of April, the vintage ship M/S Atløy had seawater under its keel again after a winter in the dock at Westcon in Florø, where it had been laid up free of charge while the maintenance
work was in progress. Most of the work has been carried out on a voluntary basis by the vessel’s dedicated team of friends. “I am so happy to see that some of the old vessels are still being preserved, and that there are enthusiasts who are willing to spend their spare time on such projects,” says Totland, Head of Westcon’s Ship Division in Florø. And it is thanks to these enthusiasts that the boat can once again be seen sailing the Norwegian Fjords. They have worked all winter: replaced steel sheeting using old-style rivets, removed the cement that was used as ballast, done paintwork and carried out maintenance on the engine. Personnel from Bredalsholmen Dock and Vessel Conservation Centre, who are experts in the maintenance of vintage boats, have been responsible for the riveting. “Our contribution has consisted of building a lifting frame for the boat when it was brought ashore last autumn, overhauling the propellers, painting it below the waterline and erecting scaffolding, in addition to some minor service jobs. This is not a project we make money on, but we have contributed and shown social responsibility on behalf of the local community,” says Totland, who gives credit to the team of enthusiasts for the work they have put into preserving the boat. M/S Atløy will spend the summer on the Sognefjord and the Hardangerfjord. “And next winter we are hoping that we will be given a berth in Norway’s biggest boathouse at Westcon in Florø for sandblasting and renewal of Atløy below the water line,” says Kvalvik, leader of the dedicated Atløy enthusiasts. The team of volunteers has completed its work. Rolf Grønnevik, leader of the local vintage boat association (on the left), Hans Esøy and Leif Kvalvik, leader of the team of volunteers is very satisfied with the stay at Westcon in Florø.
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Always prepared with Westcon’s 3D solutions Westcon 3D is always one step ahead. Using 3D visualisation, Westcon ensures that new modules can be installed on board without a hitch: with adequate clearance, no crashes and in exactly the right place. There are several challenges involved in getting new modules and new equipment on board a rig or a ship: Is there enough clearance? Is the equipment’s trajectory onto the rig free of obstacles so that it does not collide with other objects? How can several such operations be coordinated so that they can be carried out simultaneously while avoiding collisions? Using 3D laser scanning, total station surveys and photography, Westcon is able to visualise rigs, ships, industrial sites and actual operations before starting jobs. Before new equipment and modules are taken on board a rig, Westcon can use 3D technology to simulate the whole operation and ensure that the process runs smoothly. AVOIDS SURPRISES
“We collect point cloud data from of the rig and the area and create three-dimensional image that is an exact copy of what the reality actually looks like. Using 3D visualisation enables us to find ways of solving challenges where the engineers see no obvious solution. The 3D technology can thereby save the customer problems that could have led to delays and higher costs,” says Harry R Berg, Head of Westcon Rig Services’ 3D department
Visualisation of the operational analysis on board a rig where three subsea modules, a BOP, an X-mas tree and a running tool have been prepared in the moonpool area on the platform.
PREPARES THE OPERATION IN ADVANCE
One platform that was expected at Westcon had estimated that a 40-day yard stay would be required for maintenance and upgrading. Westcon’s 3D department was in place and collected data well before the rig arrived. The engineers scanned the area so that the production of parts could start before the rig arrived. “This made it possible to install all the equipment, smoothly and without any hitches. This meant that the assignment was completed well ahead of schedule, and the platform was able to leave Westcon after only 28 days’ stay,” says Berg. So far in 2015 the vessels have been deployed in all four corners of the world on assignments for Shell, PGS and Chevron, among others – from Brazil to Las Palmas, the Barents Sea and the Red Sea. ILLUSTRATION: MAGSEIS
Westcon Geo on all the seven seas A fleet of five seismic vessels from Westcon Geo is helping the world’s leading seismic contractors and oil companies to explore for new fields in all corners of the world. The Westcon company Maritim Management hires out seismic vessels and has a total of 250 employees working as crew on board the ships. Westcon owns five vessels; Sigma, Artemis Athene, Artemis Arctic and Artemis Atlantic. “Our vessels are easy to manoeuvre and use ocean bottom as well as 2D, 3D and
4D seismic acquisition even under difficult conditions,” says Vessel Manager Stig Reite. STRONG CURRENTS AND SHALLOW WATERS
From the beginning of January till midMay, Artemis Arctic was on assignment for Dolphin, 120 kilometres northeast
of Mumbai. The vessel acquires 3D seismic data using six streamers, each six kilometres long. The assignment was difficult because of strong currents, shallow waters and many other vessels to navigate between. In other words, it was an assignment for which Westcon’s fleet is well-equipped. “We have had quite a few similar and challenging assignments lately – in Oman, Tunisia and the North Sea. Several of our customers have their own vessels, but they are too big to be deployed on this kind of assignment in such shallow waters. Our vessels are better suited,” says Lars Olav Ramsfjord, the captain of Artemis Arctic.
30 WESTCONTACT
Progress with safety in focus Karl Johan Hustvedt coordinates work permits (WP) on the Safe Scandinavia project. Safety comes first when 50-100 work operations are to be carried out simultaneously without hampering progress.
“Safety comes first, but we must also ensure that we are on schedule. It is important to ensure a smooth transition between the various work operations. As WP coordinators, we play an important role in planning safe and efficient execution of the work,” says Hustvedt. “Everybody who is going to carry out a new job on the rig, must report to us in the WP office by 13:00. We clear the jobs before meeting with the project management, rig personnel, safety inspectors and foremen at 16:00 on the same day. At the meeting, the jobs are either approved, put on hold because other jobs have higher priority or are awaiting clearance of the area before the job can be done, or rejected on the grounds that they cannot be carried out until later for various reasons, in which case the job must be reported again,” explains Hustvedt. At present there are between 50 and 60 active WPs in the project, and between 140 and 150 that are ready for activation. When a job is completed, the foreman contacts the WP coordinators to close the job, which means we can open the area for new jobs.”
Two hundred people evacuated in less than 15 minutes Everybody can feel secure if they know that the safety procedures function as intended should an incident occur. Drills are held regularly at Westcon – for the sake of safety.
Safety and WP Coordinator Karl Johan Hustvedt with Engineer Marianne Vee checking that everything is in order. PHOTO: JAN NORDTVEIT
Suddenly the alarm sounds. In less than 15 minutes, everybody, except those with emergency response responsibilities on board the platform, has been evacuated and assembled in the muster area on Westcon’s quay in Ølensvåg. The evacuation goes according to plan. All 200 leave the platform without incident, quickly and efficiently. Westcon Emergency Response Team is soon on the spot, ready for action. This time, Karl Johan Hustvedt has been granted leave from his role in the team. In addition to being
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Money has been replaced by points Equal access for everybody, using points instead of money, and many options to choose from are the essence of Westcon’s new welfare programme, Advantage.
Karl Johan Husvedt spends much of his time coordinating the jobs to be done on the platform. The Work Permit Coordinator compensates for sedentary office work by climbing up and down the stairs at a fast pace when he has business ashore. PHOTO: JAN NORDTVEIT
team leader of the Emergency Response Team’s first-aid team, Hustvedt is also safety inspector at the yard. In this particular project he is also a Work Permit coordinator. Hustvedt has been informed about the drill. From the quayside, his colleagues in the team can confirm that what they were supposed to be drilled in, namely evacuation of the platform, has been accomplished as expected. The observers can confirm that work sites are rapidly and effectively secured before the workers make their way towards the gangway. The long line of people quickly descends the approximately 200 steps to where the access guard stands, then proceeds to the nearby muster area. Hustvedt has put on his ‘safety hat.’ Another safety guard is on duty and has already cordoned off the exit from the muster area. “We must make sure that everybody who was registered as having boarded the platform is also registered as having left it,” explains Hustvedt. “If not, we would have to perform a manual count and find out who was missing. That is why the safety guard has cordoned
Advantage was developed by Omega, a neighbouring enterprise, for internal use and has been successfully used by it since 2005. Westcon adopted the programme this spring. Initially, only the 500 employees of the Yards departments in Ølen, Haugesund, Karmsund and Stavanger have access to Advantage, but the plan is that the whole group will eventually be included. The welfare programme is based on points. The employees receive a fixed number of points every month, and they can also earn further points by exercising, running voluntary groups, taking on roles as hosts etc. Instead of paying a share of the costs, which has been the norm when renting company cabins and for some events, a deduction is now made from the employee’s allotted welfare points. “We have trips planned both abroad and at home, but we also want the welfare programme to have a local profile and we will make use of what is on offer locally. Options offered under the Advantage programme need to be
planned and ready in good time. Most activities in 2015 are already in place, and work has started on planning the tour programme for 2016,” says Welfare Coordinator Liv-Kari Bødtker.
One of the welfare activities offered under the Advantage programme in 2015 is an activity day in the climbing park in Nedstrand. PHOTO: HØYT OG LAVT
“We practise being prepared for what should not happen, for safety’s sake,” says Safety Inspector Karl Johan Hustvedt. PHOTO: JAN NORDTVEIT
off the exit until everything is clear,” explains Hustvedt. A representative of the customer wants to enter the area to check that the drill goes as intended. Hustvedt stops him as a matter of routine. “In situations like this, we cannot differentiate between the guys on the shop-
floor and the project managers,” stresses Hustvedt. Together with his colleagues in the HSE department, he can confirm that the drill went well. “There is always room for improvement, which is why we hold these drills,” he says and resumes his role as WP coordinator.
Return address: Westcon Yards AS, Jektevikvegen 45, N-5582 Ølensvåg, Norway
Where you find us and what we do
HELGELAND
YARDS
Westcon Yards consists of four modern shipyards, each of which is equipped to carry out the most demanding vessel and rig projects. The defining traits of Westcon Yards are efficient mobilization of personnel and resources and the ability to always complete projects on time.
LIFTING TECHNIQUES
Westcon Løfteteknikk is Norway’s leading provider of cranes and heavy-lift services, including access techniques, control and certification, courses and training.
N O R T H
Westcon performs engineering, maintenance and modification of drilling rigs even when they are not in our yards. We offer complete projects on all rig systems, and all project phases and disciplines covered by Westcon Group. Our success factors include good rig awareness, excellent ability at implementation, and advanced use of 3D methods.
S E A
RIG SERVICE
ÅLESUND
FLORØ
POWER AND AUTOMATION
Westcon Power & Automation offers solutions that are expertly tailored to each customer’s needs. We have highly qualified employees and resources within installation and commissioning. GEO
Westcon owns and operates several seismic vessels, offering cutting-edge subsea seismic technology.
STORD ØLEN HAUGESUND/ KARMSUND STAVANGER
POLEN POLAND
westcon.no