Recently the contract for this unusual transport was signed in Grimstad, Norway.
The Nymo yard in Grimstad won the engineering of the modules that are to go on the Shah Deniz rig in the Caspian sea. The Shah Deniz project is spearheaded by BP and Statoil, owning a combined total of 51% of this project.

Nymo also endeavoured to take on the transport of the units once they were constructed. This is when they contacted T.P.Shipping, asking for guidance and offers to be put forward.

T.P. Shipping A/S is an independent shipbroker, freight contractor and operator who specialize on the heavy lift and project market world wide. Being located in Grimstad enabled T.P. Shipping to work closely with Nymo and match them up with the ideal partner for this job.

T.P Shipping approched a liner company specialised on traffic to the Caspian sea to enable competent handeling of documentation and routines enroute.

The transport itself will commence on the tail end of summer 2004. The job will need equipment that fits restrictions imposed on it by the dimensions of the Russian River and Canal system authorities. The barges will possibly have to be re-flagged to Russian flag for the duration of this voyage, as only Russian registered equipment is permitted on the canal system. The canal system stretches from St Petersburg via the lakes and then south to Astrakhan and finally into the Caspian sea. These massive units will be partially disassembled at Nymo yard before transport. Nevertheless they will be big enough. The heaviest unit weighs approximately 750MT and the tallest item will be close to 14m above river level. Most of the units will be placed on 3 barges that will be towed through the system by a minimum of 6 tugs. There will also be one river vessel employed to carry the smaller items safely through the system to Baku, where the modules will be re-assembled onto the rig itself.
The transport will take approximately 2 months, and should be finalized by early October.

The Shah Deniz gas and oil field was discovered in 1999, and is estimated to contain more than 400 billion cubic metres of gas reserves. The rig is estimated to be in full production within 2005.

more info: TP Shipping in The Heavy LIft Directory

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TP Shipping successfully broker multi m$ deal to transport rig modules to Caspian.