- Portofolio -

Ship Repairs - RAYMOND CROZE PROJECT

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On Monday 4 August, the cable layer Raymond Croze sailed from the shipyard after the completion of a very successful repair and refit programme. This vessel is owned and managed by France Telecom and the Malta Shipyards were pleased to have been awarded a major contract by this prestigious company.
During this refit the vessel was drydocked in No4 dock and a wide variety of work was carried out. The major items included:

The existing Fwd gantry crane was removed and a new gantry crane was fabricated and fitted. Electrical cables were partly renewed and the light mast was lengthened.

An Aft deck extension was fitted and a new generating set was installed. This included electrical cabling and fuel lines.

A new P.D.U. was installed.

A Fwd deck extension was fabricated in-way-of the R.O.V. deck. All existing R.O.V. equipment was removed and new more modern equipment was installed. This included the fitting of a large pulley for the umbilical cable, an umbilical winch, a winch hydraulic power unit, an ROV, buoy davits, and an extensive amount of electrical cabling. This modification also required the fitting of a larger R.O.V. crane.

A new R.O.V. console was installed in the computer room.

A handling crane was fitted on the Aft area of the vessel.

Other normal dock work including the propulsion machinery equipment [mechanical & electrical], auxiliaries, cleaning of tanks, external blasting and painting, was also carried out.

The work proceeded exactly as scheduled and the Raymond Croze was completed on time and to the satisfaction of the owners. All shipyard employees who were involved in this project should feel proud of a job well done!

Passenger Liners - M/V MARCO POLO - 2003 REFIT

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The Norwegian Cruise Line Marco Polo successfully completed it's 2003 scheduled refit and repairs at Malta Shipyards.

Background:
This cruise ship was built in 1965 and was christened Alexander Pushkin by her Soviet owners. Purchased in 1991 by Orient lines because of her classic profile and ice-strengthened hull, the vessel was re-built and re-named Marco Polo. The ship specifications are as follows:

Tonnage: 22,080 GRT
Length: 578.4 ft
Breadth: 77.4 ft
Draft: 26.9 ft
Speed: 20.5 knots
Passenger Decks: 8
Number of passengers: 826 double occupancy

2003 Refit:
The Marco Polo entered Valletta Harbour on the 3 October 2003 and went directly into No 4 Dock of Malta Shipyards. Work commenced immediately as the refit and repair schedule was extremely tight. The main work items during the refit were:

- Installation of bow thruster - The old bow thruster was removed and hull penetrations were prepared for the new bow thruster tunnel. A new bow thruster complete with tunnel was installed.
- Repair of damaged Hull bottom - On drydocking the extent of bottom steel damage was assessed. Approximately 20 tons of steel were replaced. This necessitated the removal of 70 tons of permanent ballast in the form of steel ingots, which had to be replaced on completion of the steel repairs.
- Port Shaft Repairs. - The port shaft was disconnected, withdrawn and removed to the engineering workshop for machining. When complete it was returned to the vessel and refitted with new seals.
- Port Propeller Repairs - The Port propeller was removed ashore for contact damage repairs. The damaged blade tips were renewed and after polishing the propeller was returned
- Blasting and Painting - An area of external hull was blasted and painted. Surface preparation was carried out using a combination garnet blasting and low volume water system that achieves SA 2.5 standard and is completely dust free. This allowed the rest of the dock work to continue without interruption.
- Rudder and steering gear repair - The rudder and steering gear were overhauled. The steering hydraulic pumps were removed to the workshop for repairs.

Other work, such as: renewal of several piping systems; overhaul of port and starboard stabilisers; main engine repairs; installation of new bridge navigational equipment; and the overhauling of sea valves, was also carried out. During the refit, several subcontractors were also engaged in upgrading work of the passenger areas.

The Marco Polo left Malta Shipyards on the 14 October as scheduled. The planned scope of work and a significant amount of additional items that developed had been completed during this refit. The Miami based technical management of the Norwegian Cruise Line expressed their satisfaction with the shipyard performance and praised all those involved for their commitment and workmanship.

Conversions - IKDAM FPSO CONVERSION PROJECT

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On the 4 October, 2001, the IKDAM FPSO, converted from the former M.T. Northia, sailed from Malta Drydocks to undergo sea trials before taking up station on the Isis field off the coast of Tunisia.
This marked the successful completion of the conversion project the contract for which had been awarded to Malta Drydocks by Brovig RDS of Aberdeen in January 2001 following stiff competition between a number of shipyards.

The project began in February and the work-scope involved the removal of the bulbous bow, extensive hull modifications for the connection of the patented Tripod Catenary Mooring System (TCMS), installation of new generating capacity, fabrication and installation of a helicopter deck, process deck, flare stack and bow cantilever and gantry, full hull blasting and coating, upgrading of accommodation, fire fighting and life saving systems and equipment and modifications to the propulsion system. The topside facilities, supplied, installed and commissioned by Expro Production Solutions, included an oil production plant which can process up to 30,000 bopd and a 3 mmscfd gaslift system.

The successful completion of this contract marked the return of Malta Drydocks to the offshore market after an absence of nearly twenty years. Peter Moore CEO of the Malta Shipyards stated that, “the completion of this contract clearly indicates to the market that Malta Drydocks has the capacity and capability to execute complex offshore engineering projects successfully without any compromise in safety or quality. The integrated project team has done an excellent job and the shipyard workforce has proved what it is really capable of. The project, which has not been without its challenges and difficulties, was also carried out concurrently with a second major refit contract, which was completed ahead of schedule. I am pleased to confirm that we are ending the project with the same philosophy with which it began, that of true partnership between the client and the contractor”.

Willem van’t Spijker, President of Coparex International commented:
“We are extremely pleased with the quality end product which was delivered by MDD despite material adverse circumstances beyond their control. Their positive, professional approach throughout this project has been a decisive factor in it’s ultimate success."


Offshore- ACTINIA

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It is some years since Malta Drydocks competed in the market for offshore drilling rigs, however, the shipyard has demonstrated that it is capable and has the resources to supply a competent and useful service for offshore drilling companies. In March/April 2002 Malta Drydocks successfully completed, ahead of schedule, a contract for the international drilling company Transocean Sedco Forex. The contract was for 22 days and the base scope work was completed within 18 contractual days, with the rig departing at TSF's convenience 24 days after arrival.
TSF's work scope was basically for the semi-submersible drilling rig 'Actinia' to have an 'ABS' class survey undertaken with additional work including but not limited to the following:

- The replacement of all 8 fairleaders. TSF had elected to have new fairleaders manufactured and installed, as opposed to reconditioning the original fairleaders.
- Replacement of the low-pressure mud system between the mud pits and the mud pumps.
- Replacement of selected under deck walkways and column ladders.
- Manufacture and installation of a new crane boom rest.
- Replacement of valves in high-pressure mud manifold and the standpipe manifold.
- Fabrication of two new stand pipes.
- Overhaul of pontoon hydrophones and pontoon side valves for the hydrophones.
- Replacement of a section of the diverter pipe.
- Circuit breaker replacement on main and emergency switchboard.
The work proceeded exactly as scheduled and the Raymond Croze was completed on time and to the satisfaction of the owners. All shipyard employees who were involved in this project should feel proud of a job well done!

The work was undertaken with the yard being fully utilised for ship repair, and completed with full quality control, NDT, and documentation, to Transocean Sedco Forex's satisfaction.

"MDD project team have worked closely with the TSF team assigned to the project. The co-operation and effort have been well appreciated" said Claude Gabillard TSF Manager of Projects.