First Subsea's Ballgrab ball and taper connection works on the simple principle of a ball engaged in a taper. The ball grips the item to be held, in direct proportion to the load applied. Once engaged it cannot be released until the load has been removed. A simple disengage mechanism allows the tool to be released and re-used.

Automated inspection of Canrig SureGrip™

The Canrig SureGrip™ Automated Casing Running Tool uses ball and taper technology to provide both the gripping / handling function and rotational torque for the threaded pipe sections, specifically casing, during rig operations. Each machined segment of the SureGrip™Automated Casing Running Tool is measured with the CMM both before and after testing to ensure the quality of the finished tool. Testing of the tool is conducted by subjecting the assembled tool to variable loads - the hydraulic system has 12 lifting points each capable of 1,000t.

In addition to the Canrig SureGrip™ tool, the First Subsea ball and taper connection technology is used in other demanding oil and gas applications, such as deepwater subsea mooring systems, pipeline recovery tools, diverless bend stiffener connectors and AutoSwage pipe repair tools.

Brian Green, general manager, First Subsea, commented, "This is an important investment for First Subsea and reflects our commitment to quality and lean manufacture across the company. All our ball and taper connectors are used in mission critical applications, and so we always undertake extensive modelling and testing. The ability to perform in-depth metrology gives us a greater insight into ball and taper connector performance and will be invaluable for our new product development."

For details of First Subsea's Ballgrab connector technology call +44 (0)1524 387777 or e-mail info@firstsubsea.com. For information on First Subsea visit www.firstsubsea.com.

First Subsea's Ballgrab ball and taper works on the simple principle of a ball engaged in a taper. As the SureGrip™ is lowered on to the pipe end, the balls roll down tapers and grip the outer wall of the pipe in direct proportion to the load applied.

The SureGrip™ CRT marks a significant advance in the efficiency and safety of casing operations by reducing manual handling, equipment and personnel needed during casing operations. Moreover using the ball and taper, multi-point grip has been shown to minimise damage to the pipe casing and overcomes technical and load limits of traditional die slips. Sharp indents from die teeth are eliminated as well, reducing potential casing failure methods later in wellbore life.

"We are delighted that Canrig Drilling Technology Ltd has chosen to use Ballgrab ball and taper technology for their innovative SureGrip™ CRT. The ball and taper gripping mechanism is well proven in some of the most demanding offshore mooring and connector applications, so it is pleasing to see it now being applied to drilling operations," said Brian Green, general manager, First Subsea Ltd.

For more information on Canrig Drilling Technlogy Ltd and the SureGrip™ CRT visit www.canrig.com, email info@canrig.com.
 

Moored in 100m of water, in Peregrino field, Block BM-C-7, Campos Basin, Brazil, the STP buoy mooring system comprises 10 mooring lines arranged in three clusters anchored to the seabed.

The buoy mooring lines consist of a driven pile and bottom chain attached to a spiral strand wire segment and a male Ballgrab mooring line connector. Each of the male connectors were connected to female Ballgrab connectors mounted around the side of the STP buoy. All subsea connections to the buoy were performed quickly and trouble-free by use of ROV.

The Peregrino STP Buoy and mooring system is supplied by Advanced Production and Loading (APL), a BW Offshore division.

Buoy Pull-in Tool to Retrieve Buoy

When the Peregrino FPSO arrives at the field, the STP buoy will be pulled in using a male Ballgrab buoy pull-in connector tool. It is lowered into a female connector integrated within the top of the STP buoy and used to pull the 600 tonne buoy into the vessel integrated mating cone module. Once the STP buoy has been pulled in and locked, the FPSO is permanently moored at its location.

For details of First Subsea's Ballgrab mooring connectors call +44 (0)1524 387777 or e-mail info@firstsubsea.com. For information on First Subsea visit www.firstsubsea.com.
 

Traditional fibre rope mooring connectors are often cumbersome to handle and time-consuming to complete during deepwater mooring operations offshore. LankoFirst is developed specifically for deepwater fibre connections. The connectors are smaller, lighter, stronger and more efficient than current plate links and thimbles. Moreover, they are easier to make-up and the rope splice is slimmer, and therefore lighter, for the same MBL.
 

Importantly the LankoFirst fibre connector has been designed to be safer and easier to assemble offshore, whether vertically or horizontal. LankoFirst sub-connectors are integrated with the spliced rope during rope manufacture, ensuring the quality of the splice and saving time when assembling the connectors on the vessel.
 

LankoFirst – dedicated deepwater fibre connector
 

Dave Rowley, director, Offspring International, says, "LankoFirst gives naval architects and installation contractors a dedicated deepwater fibre mooring connector that is smaller, lighter, easier and quicker to make-up than traditional rope connectors. Moreover, as offshore projects move to deeper waters the number of fibre rope connectors needed will increase, and so the ease of assembly and time saving benefits with LankoFirst will make a substantial impact of reducing mooring line installation times."
 

Manufactured from the same materials, and to the same high quality standard, as First Subsea's subsea mooring connectors, the LankoFirst is designed to easily run and retrieve across the mooring vessel's stern rollers and on anchor handling ships. "Our world leading metals forging research has been important in providing us with the technical know-how to optimise the design to make the LankoFirst connector small, light and easy to assemble, yet able to withstand the rigours of deployment over the stern roller," comments Brian Green, general manager, First Subsea.
 

Range of Flexible Fibre Rope Connections
 

For maximum installation flexibility, the LankoFirst connector is available as three types of connection: Clam, Snap and Link. The Clam connector is where the sub-connector is spliced with the rope during manufacture and enclosed within clam shell case during deployment for fibre rope to fibre rope (R2R) and fibre rope to chain (R2C) connections.
 

The Snap connector is for fibre rope to fibre rope (R2R) connections where the spliced rope is integrated with the connector during rope manufacture and simply snapped together offshore.
 

The Link connector is for fibre rope to fibre rope (R2R) where spliced ropes integrated with connectors (female clevis head and male padeye) during rope manufacture and a pin connection made offshore.
 

"LankoFirst brings a level of flexibility and ease of installation to fibre deepwater connections that simply hasn't existed before. They can now choose the connector that best suits their requirements in terms of the type of connection and how they want to deploy it offshore. In all cases the LankoFirst connectors share the same high quality engineering and design needed to meet mechanical and fatigue demands of their mooring system," says Chris Johnson, sales director, Lankhorst Ropes Offshore Division.
 
 

4 November 2009