The Thunder Cranes Group said it has secured a contract to support Chevron on a three-year plug and abandonment project in the Gulf of Thailand that will include some 3,000 wells.
The multimillion-dollar contract will see Thunder Cranes add a further three brand new TC90XL cranes to its fleet.
“Apart from Malaysia and Brunei, Thailand has been a focal point for Thunder Cranes since our entry into the market a decade ago, and this latest award demonstrates the reputation we have successfully built in the region. In the next 6 to 12 months we will be expanding further and bidding on several major project contracts in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Vietnam and Indonesia,” said Chris Poheng, CEO of Thunder Cranes.
According to Poheng, “Providing an extremely niche service can make marketing Thunder Cranes a challenge, but when given the opportunity to provide solutions and demonstrate our capabilities, clients often find Thunder Cranes invaluable to their projects.”
Poheng credits Thunder Cranes’ combination of crane technology and personnel for fueling the Malaysian-based company's growth in the Asia Pacific region.
"Delivering operational efficiencies for our clients means continuously developing both our crane technology and our human capital," Poheng said. “Our offshore cranes can be rapidly deployed to any offshore location in the world in support of rigless well-intervention services, plug and abandonment projects, or facilities engineering.”
In addition, Poheng said, the deployment of portable cranes offshore requires highly trained and experienced staff, “As important as the technology is, the deployment of portable cranes offshore requires highly trained and experienced staff – it is a real skill."
Thunder Cranes' latest innovation, the soon-to-be-launched TC90-05XL modular offshore pedestal crane, is the fifth generation of its portable, modular crane.
Built in partnership with Appleton Marine Inc, the USA-based API crane manufacturer, and is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2019, the TC90-05XL features combined turret and sub-base minimize rig up and rig down time while maintaining the lightest component weight in its class, Thunder Cranes said.
Customized hoists made by Appleton are lighter and allow for more rope capacity with enhanced line speed, while different boom configurations provide clients with more options, resulting in more economically efficient lifts. The crane also features enhanced boom section connectors and a new control panel offering better visibility for the operator with simplified controls.