Sector:
Oil and Gas
Expertise:
Heavy lifting
Crane lifting
Jacking
Benefits:
Reduced disruption
Protected infrastructure
Optimized schedule
Location:
Qatar
Lifting big to make up for the lost time.
In the Ras Laffan Industrial City Complex lies the Oryx gas-to-liquids plant. At the heart of the plant are two 2,200-ton reactors. Delivered behind schedule, the reactors somehow had to be installed without holding up the rest of the construction planning.
Through a combination of ingenuity and lifting power, Mammoet managed to carry out the world’s heaviest onshore lift to date and put the reactors in place after the surrounding structures had already been built. Despite earlier delays, the plant could still be finished in time.
The Ras Laffan Industrial City complex is one of the world's largest gas processing locations. In a place like this, each idle day has serious financial consequences. Losing time constructing a plant is not an option. In Oryx's original building plans, this wouldn't have been an issue.
But when the two main reactors were delivered behind schedule, neighboring construction activities would have had to be suspended until the reactors had been installed. That's why Oryx commissioned Mammoet to devise a plan to place the enormous reactors in a way that would allow construction work to continue as scheduled.
To overcome the challenges of weight and space, Mammoet sent in its Mammoet Sliding Gantry (MSG), along with a crew of 25 experts. The MSG80 is a 3,600-ton capacity containerized lifting device operated with strand jacks. At the time, it was the only land crane in the world capable of lifting weights of this magnitude. Considering its capacity, it has a relatively compact design and slewing radius.
Perfect for operating in the congested Oryx facility. Mammoet's approach and specialized equipment made it possible to position the reactors right in the middle of the surrounding infrastructure.
Originally scheduled for installation at the beginning of the construction, the reactors ended up being the very last modules to be installed. And yet the overall planning wasn't affected. The Oryx project demonstrates that smart engineering can indeed move time.
