China HI (Heavy Industry, Mega Machinery) Technology, Exports: News & Discussions

[Shotgunner51]

Made in China: The Heavy Lifter
By MarEx 2017-06-14 20:34:08

COSCO's semi-submersible Xin Guang Hua recently hauled the cylindrical FPSO Western Isles from Shanghai to the North Sea.

As payloads get bigger, the ships carrying them across the world have to follow suit.


COSCO’s 98,370 dwt semi-submersible Xin Guang Hua recently hauled the cylindrical FPSO Western Isles, a 31,000-ton behemoth, from Shanghai to the North Sea.

Since her delivery into service in December 2016, Xin Guang Hua has been setting records. She is the largest semi-submersible in China and the second largest in the world. The Western Isles was the largest single piece of cargo by weight and the largest cylindrical object by volume ever carried by a COSCO semi-submersible.

Xin Guang Hua is owned by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers, while the Western Isles FPSO was manufactured by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industries Company. Both companies belong to the newly-merged China COSCO Shipping Group. Their collaboration in the transport of the Western Isles FPSO to the U.K. included everything from ensuring loading preparedness to the pre-voyage meeting and on-site loading, and was another example of Chinese companies adding “service by China” to the “made in China” label.

“Xin Guang Hua will significantly improve the service capabilities of our company‘s semi-submersible fleet for transporting large-scale international maritime projects and promote the progress of modularization and upsizing in the manufacturing industry. The vessel symbolizes a firm step towards our strategic goals of being the world‘s most competitive specialized carrier company and the leading provider of project logistics services,” says Han Guomin, General Manager of COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers.

Xin Guang Hua is the eighth semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel operated by the company. Designed by Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam, with detail design by MARIC, and built by GSI (Guangzhou Shipyard International), Xin Guang Hua is classed by DNV GL and CCS. In addition, she has been awarded the class notations 1A1 Semi-submersible heavy transport vessel and BIS DK (+) DPS(2) E0 ICE (1B) Recyclable RP.

“This is an impressive vessel, she has a very robust structural design and is equipped with redundant propulsion power, making her optimized for sea transportation of heavyweight and oversized cargoes,” says Chi Shaoguang, DNV GL’s Guangzhou Station Manager.

New flagship

60 millimeter steel deck plates and a reinforced load bearing structure enable a loading capacity of 25 tons per square meter.

The vessel features an ultra-long open and strengthened deck measuring 208 meters (682 feet) in length and 68 meters (223 feet) in breadth, providing a main deck area of over 14,000 square meters, equal to two standard football pitches. To ensure the cargo deck loading capability, the deck plates are made of 60 mm grade E steel plates, which in combination with a supported and strengthened internal structure, results in a loading capacity of 25 tons per square meter uniform load, and the load of up to 125 tons per square meter on transverse web frames arranged at every second frame.

The hull has been reinforced, and propulsion power meets the requirements for Baltic Sea 1B ice class (0.8 meters (2.6 feet) of floating ice), which means the ship is capable of sailing safely in moderate ice conditions at 10.25 meters (33.6 feet) loaded draft.

Equipped with two electric propulsion systems plus two sets of side thrusters fore and aft that meet DP2 dynamic positioning system requirements, Xin Guang Hua is the largest semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel with a DP2 dynamic positioning system in the world.

Electric power on board is supplied by six 4,750 kW diesel main generators. The vessel has redundant propulsion and steering systems with double propellers. This means that in the event of loss of main propulsion, she can sail on with no less than 50 percent of design power and sufficient steering capacity.

Xin Guang Hua has 117 ballast tanks with one valve to sea in each. When submerging, the onboard control system will open the valves of the corresponding tanks without additional power. Within six hours she can submerge to a depth of 30.5 meters (100 feet), where the waterline reaches 16 meters (52 feet) above the main deck.

When Xin Guang Hua has reached her required depth, four heavy-duty air compressors are available to lift the vessel back up. By virtue of her sheer size, this gigantic ship is capable of handling ultra-large indivisible objects such as offshore units, large steel structures, floating docks and feeder vessels which are unsuitable for ocean navigation. Xin Guang Hua is also able to handle salvage and rescue operations.

A new era for COSCO after 50 years

One day before the delivery of Xin Guang Hua, COSCO Shipping was renamed COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers, forming the largest specialized carrier company in the world. DNV GL has enjoyed a productive and cooperative relationship with the company for many years. This relationship was further enhanced when DNV GL and COSCO signed a new framework agreement at the beginning of 2017 to deepen their partnership in fields such as newbuilding, ship operation, loading technology, and engineering technology services. This is another step forward for both companies in their efforts to respond to the demands of global specialized transport by delivering well-designed solutions.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/features/made-in-china-the-heavy-lifter

 

[AndrewJin]

Made in China: The Heavy Lifter
By MarEx 2017-06-14 20:34:08

COSCO's semi-submersible Xin Guang Hua recently hauled the cylindrical FPSO Western Isles from Shanghai to the North Sea.

View attachment 403727

As payloads get bigger, the ships carrying them across the world have to follow suit.


COSCO’s 98,370 dwt semi-submersible Xin Guang Hua recently hauled the cylindrical FPSO Western Isles, a 31,000-ton behemoth, from Shanghai to the North Sea.

Since her delivery into service in December 2016, Xin Guang Hua has been setting records. She is the largest semi-submersible in China and the second largest in the world. The Western Isles was the largest single piece of cargo by weight and the largest cylindrical object by volume ever carried by a COSCO semi-submersible.

Xin Guang Hua is owned by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers, while the Western Isles FPSO was manufactured by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industries Company. Both companies belong to the newly-merged China COSCO Shipping Group. Their collaboration in the transport of the Western Isles FPSO to the U.K. included everything from ensuring loading preparedness to the pre-voyage meeting and on-site loading, and was another example of Chinese companies adding “service by China” to the “made in China” label.

“Xin Guang Hua will significantly improve the service capabilities of our company‘s semi-submersible fleet for transporting large-scale international maritime projects and promote the progress of modularization and upsizing in the manufacturing industry. The vessel symbolizes a firm step towards our strategic goals of being the world‘s most competitive specialized carrier company and the leading provider of project logistics services,” says Han Guomin, General Manager of COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers.

Xin Guang Hua is the eighth semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel operated by the company. Designed by Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam, with detail design by MARIC, and built by GSI (Guangzhou Shipyard International), Xin Guang Hua is classed by DNV GL and CCS. In addition, she has been awarded the class notations 1A1 Semi-submersible heavy transport vessel and BIS DK (+) DPS(2) E0 ICE (1B) Recyclable RP.

“This is an impressive vessel, she has a very robust structural design and is equipped with redundant propulsion power, making her optimized for sea transportation of heavyweight and oversized cargoes,” says Chi Shaoguang, DNV GL’s Guangzhou Station Manager.

New flagship

60 millimeter steel deck plates and a reinforced load bearing structure enable a loading capacity of 25 tons per square meter.

The vessel features an ultra-long open and strengthened deck measuring 208 meters (682 feet) in length and 68 meters (223 feet) in breadth, providing a main deck area of over 14,000 square meters, equal to two standard football pitches. To ensure the cargo deck loading capability, the deck plates are made of 60 mm grade E steel plates, which in combination with a supported and strengthened internal structure, results in a loading capacity of 25 tons per square meter uniform load, and the load of up to 125 tons per square meter on transverse web frames arranged at every second frame.

The hull has been reinforced, and propulsion power meets the requirements for Baltic Sea 1B ice class (0.8 meters (2.6 feet) of floating ice), which means the ship is capable of sailing safely in moderate ice conditions at 10.25 meters (33.6 feet) loaded draft.

Equipped with two electric propulsion systems plus two sets of side thrusters fore and aft that meet DP2 dynamic positioning system requirements, Xin Guang Hua is the largest semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel with a DP2 dynamic positioning system in the world.

Electric power on board is supplied by six 4,750 kW diesel main generators. The vessel has redundant propulsion and steering systems with double propellers. This means that in the event of loss of main propulsion, she can sail on with no less than 50 percent of design power and sufficient steering capacity.

Xin Guang Hua has 117 ballast tanks with one valve to sea in each. When submerging, the onboard control system will open the valves of the corresponding tanks without additional power. Within six hours she can submerge to a depth of 30.5 meters (100 feet), where the waterline reaches 16 meters (52 feet) above the main deck.

When Xin Guang Hua has reached her required depth, four heavy-duty air compressors are available to lift the vessel back up. By virtue of her sheer size, this gigantic ship is capable of handling ultra-large indivisible objects such as offshore units, large steel structures, floating docks and feeder vessels which are unsuitable for ocean navigation. Xin Guang Hua is also able to handle salvage and rescue operations.

A new era for COSCO after 50 years

One day before the delivery of Xin Guang Hua, COSCO Shipping was renamed COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers, forming the largest specialized carrier company in the world. DNV GL has enjoyed a productive and cooperative relationship with the company for many years. This relationship was further enhanced when DNV GL and COSCO signed a new framework agreement at the beginning of 2017 to deepen their partnership in fields such as newbuilding, ship operation, loading technology, and engineering technology services. This is another step forward for both companies in their efforts to respond to the demands of global specialized transport by delivering well-designed solutions.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/features/made-in-china-the-heavy-lifter

Powerful!

 

[JSCh]

China becomes one of the biggest oil drilling contractors in Kuwait: report
Source:Global Times Published: 2017/7/16 21:58:39

The huge amount of Chinese-made oil equipment imported by Kuwait shows the country's support for Chinese manufacturers in the field and breaks the monopoly of US and Europe in the Middle East oil sector, the People's Daily reported on Sunday.

As of end of the first quarter, Chinese enterprises had won contracts for 64 projects in Kuwait, covering such sectors as oil field services and exploration, infrastructure and telecommunications, with total value of $13.7 billion.

New contracts reached $3.01 billion in the oil drilling sector in the first quarter, becoming landmark projects in China-Kuwait cooperation, the report said.

Kuwait has so far bought Chinese-made rig equipment worth more than 4.3 billion yuan ($635 million), it noted.

Entering the Kuwait market in 2008, Zhang Congbang, manager of the Kuwait subsidiary of Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corp (SIPSC), said his team has transformed the Chinese enterprise's image and become the biggest rig contractor in Kuwait.

"When we arrived, the Kuwait side didn't show much interest in us and worried whether Chinese companies could complete projects with an expected high level of quality," Zhang was quoted as telling the People's Daily.

To break the monopoly of the US and Europe in the rig market in the Middle East, Zhang and his team worked with domestic manufacturers to understand the technological aspects required, helping them establish an internationalized quality system.

The team also engaged with executives of Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) to introduce the technological index and data of domestic equipment, and they invited the Kuwait side to inspect Chinese factories and learn the standard of "made in China".

"KPC agreed to use some Chinese rig equipment on a trial basis. Finally, the first-rate quality and reasonable price of domestic products won recognition from Kuwait," Zhang was quoted as saying in the report.

The Kuwait subsidiary of SIPSC signed a big rig agreement worth $1.15 billion in 2014 when the international oil price slumped, rising to become the biggest rig contractor in Kuwait.

At present, the company owns 53 drilling rigs, taking up more than 45 percent of the Kuwait market, according to the report.

 

[Han Patriot]

China becomes one of the biggest oil drilling contractors in Kuwait: report
Source:Global Times Published: 2017/7/16 21:58:39

The huge amount of Chinese-made oil equipment imported by Kuwait shows the country's support for Chinese manufacturers in the field and breaks the monopoly of US and Europe in the Middle East oil sector, the People's Daily reported on Sunday.

As of end of the first quarter, Chinese enterprises had won contracts for 64 projects in Kuwait, covering such sectors as oil field services and exploration, infrastructure and telecommunications, with total value of $13.7 billion.

New contracts reached $3.01 billion in the oil drilling sector in the first quarter, becoming landmark projects in China-Kuwait cooperation, the report said.

Kuwait has so far bought Chinese-made rig equipment worth more than 4.3 billion yuan ($635 million), it noted.

Entering the Kuwait market in 2008, Zhang Congbang, manager of the Kuwait subsidiary of Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corp (SIPSC), said his team has transformed the Chinese enterprise's image and become the biggest rig contractor in Kuwait.

"When we arrived, the Kuwait side didn't show much interest in us and worried whether Chinese companies could complete projects with an expected high level of quality," Zhang was quoted as telling the People's Daily.

To break the monopoly of the US and Europe in the rig market in the Middle East, Zhang and his team worked with domestic manufacturers to understand the technological aspects required, helping them establish an internationalized quality system.

The team also engaged with executives of Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) to introduce the technological index and data of domestic equipment, and they invited the Kuwait side to inspect Chinese factories and learn the standard of "made in China".

"KPC agreed to use some Chinese rig equipment on a trial basis. Finally, the first-rate quality and reasonable price of domestic products won recognition from Kuwait," Zhang was quoted as saying in the report.

The Kuwait subsidiary of SIPSC signed a big rig agreement worth $1.15 billion in 2014 when the international oil price slumped, rising to become the biggest rig contractor in Kuwait.

At present, the company owns 53 drilling rigs, taking up more than 45 percent of the Kuwait market, according to the report.

I am amazed that China can build directional drilling system, dynamic positioning systems with variable thrusters, these were a monopoly of the Nordic countries until recently.

 

[JSCh]

China completes first geophysical prospecting program at equator
(People's Daily Online) 14:37, July 17, 2017

(Photo/Courtesy of COSL)​

China has completed the first geophysical prospecting project in a 10,000-plus-square-kilometer region of sea water at the equator, marking another technological milestone in China's oil industry.

The project in Gabon was conducted by China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL) after the completion of a geophysical prospecting program of more than 5,400 square kilometers in Barents in 2016. Both programs aimed to create 3D seismic images. The consecutive service of the prospecting vessels proved their capability of working under extreme weather conditions.

The prospecting results would show the structural picture of the seabed and help pave the way for the development of oil reserve under the sea.

The company spent five months on the project in Gabon, the longest surveying time ever for the Chinese ships. The ships were able to map 89.1 square kilometers at a time, with 12 cables stretching over 8,000 meters under sea. The largest area surveyed in one day was 116.14 square kilometers.

According to Qi Meisheng, CEO of COSL, the completion of the project at the equator has proven that China is capable of supporting the oil industry—at a time when the Belt and Road Initiative gradually goes into action.

 

[JSCh]

Meet "Sky Whale" - China's huge cutter suction dredger, specializing in dredging and blowing-sand reclamation.

​

 

[JSCh]

China’s domestically-developed dredger marvels the world
(People's Daily Online) 17:34, July 31, 2017

China’s development of heavy-duty machinery has earned so much pride for the country in recent years. The self-propelled cutter-suction dredger, Tianjing or Sky Whale, is one good example.

The vessel is the largest cutter-suction dredger in Asia. Financed by Tianjin Waterway Bureau Limited under China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), the dredger is co-designed by Shanghai Jiaotong University and German company, VOSTALMG. It was built by China Merchants Heavy Industry (Shenzhen) Company Ltd.

Surrounded by steel frames and crane arms, the vessel’s deck is more like a construction site. The only thing that distinguishes it from a real construction site is its clean environment. People on the vessel are required to put on safety helmets once they step out of the cabin.

China has a long history of dredging, though modern technology has since replaced human labor.

Tianjing has been hailed as a mighty tool for island-building because of its strong excavation and hydraulic reclamation ability. According to a crew member, Tianjing can excavate 4,500 cubic meters of mixture from the seabed each hour - the equivalence of a 0.5-meter-deep pit and a standard soccer field size.

The reamer of Tianjing

Cuts rocks as easy as mud!

The vessel’s reamer has endowed it with powerful ability. The reamer is normally inconspicuous in pictures, but people will be astonished when standing right in front of it. The diameter of small reamers is 2.8 meters, while that of larger ones could reach 3.15 meters, said Wang Ming’an, former Tianjing captain and vice general manager of the Overseas Business Division of the CCCC Tianjin Waterway Bureau Limited.

It was learned that the unit price of the cutter tooth on the reamer, which is used for excavation, is 1,500 RMB ($223). Driven by a 4,200-kilowatt variable-frequency motor, the cutter teeth could excavate moderately- and highly-weathered rocks with compression strength as high as 40 MPa.

“Concretes can be easily ground by the reamer,” said Wang, adding that rocks are as soft as mud for the machine.

Powerful self-propelling ability, automatic dredging control system

In addition, the dredger has two other “killer skills”: powerful self-propelling ability and advanced automatic dredging control system. The cockpit located on the top floor of the vessel is the “brain” that realizes the two functions.

Covering an area of about 40 or 50 square-meters, the cockpit offers a strong taste of high-tech style that can easily be associated with the flight deck of a spaceship in a sci-fi movie.

The automatic dredging control system lies in the cockpit, integrating all operations in a 2-square meter station. The remote control is operated just by clicking the mouse or pushing the buttons. Crew members can even take a cup of tea while excavating, a staff on the vessel explained.

Positioning and self-propelling systems are on the two sides of the dredging control station. The staff member said that cutter-suction dredgers are not new as they have been widely applied in engineering dredging projects.

However, most of them are not equipped with self-propelling systems. They depend on other ships to mobilize to different work points. As Asia’s first self-propelled cutter-suction dredger, Tianjing can sail to any part of the ocean.

The cockpit of Tianjing

Export limitations

On May 25, China’s Ministry of Commerce limited exports of large-scale engineering ships. Without government approval, exports of cutter-suction dredgers with reamer power equal to or larger than 500 kilowatts, excavation depth equal to or larger than 15 meters, and installed power equal to or larger than 2,000 kilowatts, are not allowed anymore.

Wang said all CCCC Tianjin Waterway Bureau Limited vessels are subjected to the export limitations. He added that their vessels could work in foreign countries, but purchases are not allowed.

According to Wang, when the dredger arrives at a construction site, a key pile with a diameter of 1.8 meters is then laid and a transverse axis arranged on both sides of the ship bow.

An axle beam weighing 1,100 tons reaches out to press the cutter in case the latter rebounds after touching hard sand and rocks under the sea, Wang explained. Tianjing’s mud conveyance distance is 6,000 meters.

Moves forward like walking in water

Tianjing looks like a walking person in water as its main and supporting piles submerge in turns.

Crew members do not feel bored as Tianjing is equipped with facilities such as dormitory, playroom, fitness room, laundry, medical room and canteen.

The average age of the crew is 28 years old. Usually, these young people have to work 3 consecutive months before they are allowed to have vacation.

How to keep the food and vegetables fresh is a challenge. Li Yuelai, Tianjing political commissioner and deputy Party secretary of the CCCC, said most vegetables were damaged by wind and storm after some time.

Tianjing has made China’s dredging industry comparable to the world’s leading companies, said a CCCC staff. Before 2005, Chinese dredging companies largely relied on imported equipment and the country’s dredger-building technology was undeveloped as a result of foreign blockade.

The able dredger has so far taken part in many hydraulic reclamation projects, Li said, emphasizing that Tianjing has attracted the attention of some foreign engineers.

Besides Tianjing, China has also developed a more advanced self-propelled cutter-suction dredger named Tiankun. It has a designed production capacity of 6,000 cubic meters per hour and cutter efficiency of 5,000 kilowatts, a CCCC staff said.

Capable of evacuating 35 meters in depth with maximum conveyance distance of 15,000 meters, Tiankun tops the world in terms of long-distance delivery capacity and other capabilities. The research and development of Tiankun has promoted the transformation of the country’s dredge-building technology from “Made in China” to “Created in China.”

 

[JSCh]

Largest Chinese-made tunnel boring machine completed
gbtimes Beijing
2017/08/02

China’s largest domestic-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) rolled off the assembly line in Kunming, Yunnan Province, on Tuesday.

The machine, named Colourful Cloud, has a diameter of 9.03 metres, making it the first TBM larger than nine metres across to be built in China. It weighs nearly 1,900 tonnes and is 230 metres long.

According to the China Railway Tunnel Group, the newly-developed TBM will be used to penetrate the complex 34-kilometre-long Gaoligong Tunnel, which is part of the railway project stretching from Dali to Ruili in Yunnan Province.

Using Colourful Cloud, the company can excavate more than 400 metres per month, while previous machines working on the tunnel were only able to advance a maximum of 101 metres in that time.

In January 2016, China’s smallest domestic-made TBM was completed and boasted a diametre of just 3.53 metres.

TBMs are used to excavate tunnels using a circular cross section that boars through a variety of soil and rock strata, taking on anything from hard rock to sand.


Largest Chinese-made tunnel boring machine completed | gbtimes.com

 

[JSCh]

 

[JSCh]

Tech breakthrough puts China among leading makers of tunnel borers
(CNTV) 15:09, October 27, 2017

The China Railway Group (CREC) on Thursday announced its completion of a huge tunnel boring machine (TBM) with advanced capabilities for drilling in wet conditions, a breakthrough which the company sees as a demonstration of its world-leading status.

TBMs are tube-shaped monsters used to drill underground tunnels. They have massive blades on their shield-like fronts which can break through harder rocks compared with traditional drilling and bombing method.

The newly-built TBM is 15.03 meters wide, about 4,000 tons in weight and 100 meters in length.

According to a report on tunneltalk.com, there are only two TBMs in the world with a diameter larger than 17 meters. The size of all the other mega-TBMs is below 16 meters. The new TBM by the CREC ranks 10th in the world.

"This TBM is a sign that our technology has already caught up with, if not surpassed, the world's best," said Liu Hui, chief engineer at the CREC.

Slurry-balanced

The machine is also the largest TBM built by China with a feature called slurry-balancing.

When using a TBM to drill a tunnel, the machine may turn away from its designed route because the material it is boring into is too soft compared to rock and mud.

Modern TBMs use slurry to balance the pressure, and stabilize the machine. Slurry can also help flush out the drill cuttings.

Developing countries like China have previously been unable to develop slurry-balancing borers, so have had to import expensive TBMs from the West. That's why China was highly motivated to develop its own technology.

The new machine will be first used in an underwater tunnel project in south China's Shantou City.

"The rocks in our tunnel are too hard, and composed of various materials," said Xiao Guanping, a major investor. "This machine is customized to deal with our problem."

 

[Dungeness]

Tech breakthrough puts China among leading makers of tunnel borers
(CNTV) 15:09, October 27, 2017

The China Railway Group (CREC) on Thursday announced its completion of a huge tunnel boring machine (TBM) with advanced capabilities for drilling in wet conditions, a breakthrough which the company sees as a demonstration of its world-leading status.

TBMs are tube-shaped monsters used to drill underground tunnels. They have massive blades on their shield-like fronts which can break through harder rocks compared with traditional drilling and bombing method.

The newly-built TBM is 15.03 meters wide, about 4,000 tons in weight and 100 meters in length.

According to a report on tunneltalk.com, there are only two TBMs in the world with a diameter larger than 17 meters. The size of all the other mega-TBMs is below 16 meters. The new TBM by the CREC ranks 10th in the world.

"This TBM is a sign that our technology has already caught up with, if not surpassed, the world's best," said Liu Hui, chief engineer at the CREC.

Slurry-balanced

The machine is also the largest TBM built by China with a feature called slurry-balancing.

When using a TBM to drill a tunnel, the machine may turn away from its designed route because the material it is boring into is too soft compared to rock and mud.

Modern TBMs use slurry to balance the pressure, and stabilize the machine. Slurry can also help flush out the drill cuttings.

Developing countries like China have previously been unable to develop slurry-balancing borers, so have had to import expensive TBMs from the West. That's why China was highly motivated to develop its own technology.

The new machine will be first used in an underwater tunnel project in south China's Shantou City.

"The rocks in our tunnel are too hard, and composed of various materials," said Xiao Guanping, a major investor. "This machine is customized to deal with our problem."

View attachment 433611​

Post #68 8/2/2017 9.03m "The largest TBM made in China";
Post #70 10/27/2017 15.03m "The largest TBM made in China"!

Post #xx x/x/2020 18.03m "The largest TBM in the world"?

 

[JSCh]

Tiankun, China's largest cutter-suction dredger, to launch on November 3
Source: Globaltimes.cn Published: 2017/11/2 15:35:47

 

[JSCh]

Blue Whale 2 to be completed soon
By ZHONG NAN and REN XIAOJIN | China Daily | Updated: 2017-05-26 07:30

Move is part of effort to enhance energy security and secure available resources

The construction of the ultra-deep-water semisubmersible drilling rig Blue Whale 2, which can mine both combustible ice and oil, will be completed in the second half of this year, according to its manufacturer.

China Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd (烟台中集来福士海洋工程有限公司; Founded by Singaporean Brian Chang in 1994, full subsidiary of CIMC since 2013), the producer of the Blue Whale 1, succeeded in collecting methane gas trapped in ice-like crystals beneath the surface of the South China Sea last week. It said the functions of the Blue Whale 2 will be slightly different from the first model in terms of flammable ice drilling.

View attachment 400712

Blue Wale 1, produced by China Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore Ltd​

Combustible ice, a particular kind of natural gas hydrate usually existing in seabed or tundra areas, is formed under strong pressure and low temperatures. It is regarded as a clean energy option with high energy density and huge reserves.

Eager to enhance energy security and secure more available resources, China will select another location in the South China Sea to test the drilling and production of combustible ice for the second time after three to five years. It hopes to undertake commercial mining by 2030, according to the Ministry of Land and Resources.

"The priority now is to lower production costs and environmental risks," said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Energy Policy Studies at Xiamen University.​

"The 118-meter-tall Blue Whale 1 oil exploration platform is able to reach the seabed 3,658 meters below the surface and dig a record-breaking 15,250 meters into the seabed," said Wang Jianzhong, president of CIMC Raffles.​

The Chinese government has set a target of developing deep-sea energy resource production, at depths of 1,500 to 3,000 meters using domestically developed technology during 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). It will also enhance mine detection, drilling technology and equipment upgrading for natural gas hydrates and transportation.

"The frequent and fierce typhoons in the deep-water area of the South China Sea are the biggest obstacle to oil exploration. The uncertain temperature also adds to the difficulty in deep-sea drilling," said Yang Yongtao, project manager of CIMC-Raffles' drilling product department.​

He said therefore both oil rigs need to have a solid base to eliminate the risk in future operations. Otherwise it will be unable to stand firm, not to mention carry out oil drilling. Compared with other prototypes being used in the world, the Blue Whale series of products are 30 percent more efficient and 10 percent less energy consuming.

China found combustible ice in the South China Sea in 2007. The land reserves in Qinghai province were discovered in 2009.

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2017-05/26/content_29504025.htm

Blue whale 2 reported by CCTV is ready for sea trial.

 

[cirr]

U.S. port to receive four Chinese-made cranes

2018-02-23 13:39 Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping

A Chinese heavy-lift ship carrying four big container cranes is sailing toward Tacoma, a port city in Washington state, local authorities said Thursday.

The 47,107-ton heavy load carrier Zhen Hua 28, which is 232 meters long and carries the flag of China's Hong Kong, is scheduled to arrive on Friday in the port of Tacoma, according to the latest announcement by the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NSA), the port authority based in the Puget Sound region that comprises the seaports of Tacoma and Seattle, the largest city in Washington.

The ship will sit at anchor in Commencement Bay for a day or two before delivering the cranes to Husky Terminal at the northwest end of the Blair Waterway, the NSA said.

The four cranes are part of the eight new super-post-Panamax cranes ordered by the NSA from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (ZPMC), a Chinese multinational engineering company and one of the world's largest manufacturers of cranes and large steel structures.

The NSA said the other four cranes will arrive in 2019 and will be installed at Husky Terminal, which is undergoing terminal improvements estimated at about 250 million U.S. dollars that began in September 2016 on Tacoma's General Central Peninsula.

The new cranes will have an outreach of 24 containers and a lift height of over 50 meters above the pier deck.

The upgrading project will strengthen and realign a berth and add eight new super-post-Panamax cranes capable of serving two 18,000-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) container ships at the same time.

Currently, no cranes are being manufactured in the United States and ZPMC delivers more than 200 cranes every year around the world, including many seaports in the United States.

http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/02-23/293293.shtml

 

[TaiShang]

U.S. port to receive four Chinese-made cranes

2018-02-23 13:39 Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping

A Chinese heavy-lift ship carrying four big container cranes is sailing toward Tacoma, a port city in Washington state, local authorities said Thursday.

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