More Than 450,000 Freight Tons Were Delivered Over 12 Months
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The Jumbo-SAL-Intermarine (JSI) Alliance has completed its heavy transport scope for the Basrah Refinery Upgrade Project, or BRUP, in southern Iraq.
The series of heavy-lift moves carried out for constructor Japanese Gasoline Company (JGC) was one of the largest projects ever undertaken by the alliance, the group said. Over the course of a year, the group delivered some 450,000 freight tons of cargo from the Morimatsu plant in Nantong, China, and other locations in Asia.
Two heavy-lift vessels were assigned to the project: Jumbo Kinetic, equipped with two, 1,500-tonne cranes, and SAL Heavy Lift’s MV Svenja, with its two 1,000-tonne cranes. The ships together transported some 84 modules using JCG’s specially designed lifting frame.
Other vessels from the combined JSI Alliance fleet were also deployed, undertaking a series of seven voyages consisting of cargo that included seven, 82-meter bullet tanks weighing 800 tons a piece.
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“By pooling its vessels, the alliance is able to provide a flexible service, whereby it can ensure the availability of a vessel with the required capabilities, while continuing to support other clients,” the group said. “This has proven to be of considerable value during the Basrah project, allowing the alliance to swap out modules, using the most suitable vessel for each voyage and avoiding interruptions to the workflow. At the same time, the Alliance was able to put its vessels to work on other projects in between cargoes, thereby avoiding congestion at the single berth available in Nantong.
“This was just one of the many steps JSI took to ensure optimal efficiency during the project. Other measures included investing in HPME rigging and increasing the number of crew onboard the vessels. An additional gain in efficiency was achieved with the development of a straightforward enhancement of the lifting frame. JSI devised a system whereby wooden blocks were added to the lifting beam to create an extension of the guideline. With this, the process of hooking on the modules was sped up in a safe manner. Based on such measures, the project became increasingly efficient over time, with module transportation rising from one module per day at the outset, to nine modules during a six-day period at its conclusion.”
The BRUP, located adjacent to the current Basrah refinery, aims to increase processing capacity from 210,000 to 280,000 barrels per day. Refinery owner South Refineries Company, part of Iraq’s Oil Ministry, awarded JGC an EPC contract in 2020 to build a number of primary processing plants, including a fluid catalytic cracking unit, a vacuum distillation unit and a diesel desulfurization unit.
The project, aimed at reducing dependence on imported fuels, is slated for completion in 2025, according to the Japanese contractor.
U.S.-based operator Intermarine joined the Jumbo-SAL partnership in March. The group boasts a combined fleet of more than 50 project cargo vessels including DP2 vessels, range-extending fly-jibs, ice-class ships, and specialized submersible deck carriers. Its lifting capacities range from 160 tons to 3,000 tons, making it the world’s largest fleet in the 800-ton-plus sector.
The JSI Alliance will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Europe on 21-23 May in Rotterdam.
