Protea delivers Helix handling package

An advanced intervention winch system developed by Protea for Helix Well Ops UK Limited (Well Ops) has successfully completed initial operations off West Africa.

The system, comprising five winches, active heave compensators, and power and control equipment, was installed as an upgrade package to the existing well intervention tower on the Skandi Constructor.

"The winches are to allow the successful deployment and operation of guide wires and pod lines for well intervention in up to 1500m of water,” said Tomasz Paskiewicz, CEO of Protea.

“To successfully deploy, attach and maintain these connections to subsea well heads, precise position control, accurate heave compensation and reliable constant tension systems are key.”

Working closely with engineers from Well Ops, Protea’s contract was for the development, supply, and installation of a turnkey system, including winches, heave compensators, hydraulic power unit, Nitrogen generator, and control system to meet the specific operational requirements of Helix.

In just seven months, over 50-tonne of specialist equipment was designed, built, and tested at Protea’s production facility in southern Poland (pictured left).

The project was the first to benefit from Protea’s new 2100sq m assembly hall, with 25m roof height and 120-tonne SWL overhead craneage.

“The new hall allowed us to fully assemble the equipment undercover and complete extensive functional testing prior to delivery, reducing the risk of delays during installation and commissioning,” said Michal Balcer, project manager.

Following completion of a test program, the equipment was delivered to Scotland for installation and commissioning on the Skandi Constructor by a team of Protea’s support engineers.

Initial offshore trials were completed in the North Sea in late 2013, and since then the equipment has been used on live intervention projects both in the North Sea, and off the coast of West Africa.