Marine Warranty Services at Shetland's Total Gas Plant

In December 2012 Shetland Maritime Ltd were contracted by Global Maritime Ltd to provide local marine warranty services in Shetland for the arrival of all heavy lift units for the Shetland Gas Plant presently being built by French energy giant Total. Global Maritime Ltd are providing marine warranty services globally to Petrofac who are responsible for the logistics and construction of the Shetland Gas Plant. Once completed the  SGP will process gas from the Laggan and Tormore Gas fields 143 kilometres West of Shetland and then pump the gas out to the East of Shetland to join into the FLAGS pipeline system ultimately coming ashore at St Fergus gas terminal in the NE of Scotland.

Total cost of the Laggan Tormore project is estimated at £3.3Billion and the Shetland Gas Plant which hopes to be operational by the summer of 2014 is estimated to cost £800Million.

The Gas Plant is being constructed like a huge global jigsaw puzzle with units being produced worldwide in countries such as Kuwait, India, Belgium, Italy, USA and UK and then shipped to Shetland to be assembled at the Sullom Voe site. Depending on the size of vessel being used the shipments either arrive at Sullom Voe and are transported to site by self propelled modular transport or if the ship is greater than 120m in length then the ship discharges in Lerwick and the units are transferred by means of SPMT on to a barge which is towed to Sullom Voe and then transferred to site again by SPMT.

Shetland Maritime Ltd have been overseeing the discharge of the heavy lift vessels in Lerwick and Sullom Voe, loading of the barge, seafastening of units in Lerwick and discharge of the barge at Sullom Voe.

To date we have dealt with 16 shipments on a wide variety of heavy lift vessels and barges. There will be at least another 3 heavy lift ships and 3 barge deliveries to Shetland plus approximately 10 barge trips from Lerwick to Sullom Voe which will take up the remainder of 2013.

In order to provide 24/7 cover for Petrofac’s needs Shetland Maritime have recruited a small team of experienced marine professionals who work closely with Petrofac’s Logistics team and Mammoet the main transport contractor.