Last week at MTL, our team set up our bespoke hydraulic hatch milling equipment for a series of functional checks ahead of an upcoming offshore repair scope. We also used this as an opportunity to refresh our team’s competencies in delivering these complex, high-precision operations.
MTL’s hatch cutting method is very different from conventional approaches. Traditionally, welding or cutting a hatch requires significant scaffolding below the deck or large scaffold towers – often meaning a tank must be taken out of service before work even begins. Our method eliminates the need for demucking, cleaning, scaffolding, or rope access before cutting.
First, we install a hatch ring to the main deck using hotwork techniques inside a positively pressurised habitat, with automated hotwork shutdown in the event of any pressure loss within the habitat. This is typically performed with the tank inerted, to mitigate the risk of heat transfer to the in-service tank. Once the new hatch ring has been leak-tested, the tank is isolated and gas-freed, and our bespoke hydraulic hatch milling system precisely cold-cuts the opening, with no tank entry required. This allows the tank to remain in service right up until cutting through the deck, making the process safer, faster, and more efficient.
The result is a process to introduce a new hatch to a tank which doesn’t need the tank to be taken out of service or cleaned, and doesn’t require tank entry to complete.
Having an additional hatch provides better access and egress to the tank, safer rescue routes, and improved waste handling options for demucking campaigns and/or extensive repair campaigns.
At MTL, the development of these technical solutions is founded upon a desire to deliver the best solutions for our Clients. To find out more about how MTL approach technical challenges posed by FPSOs and the tailored solutions we could offer, please visit our website or reach out for a chat.