The offshore tank will have an increased service life

It is welded and fired at Tratec Halvorsen's workshop in Øyesletta. On the floor are what look like two giant iron pots.

- These will be new bottoms for a tank that measures over 11 meters in total and has a volume of 104 cubic metres. The end bottoms themselves have a diameter of almost four metres, so these are difficult things, says project manager Roald Ingebretsen.

Calculations we made showed that the existing end bases were undersized, so they must therefore be fitted to new ones, says Ingebretsen

WHILE work is in progress in the workshop, work is done outside on the installation where the tank is located. The old end bases must be cut off and transported ashore. The new ones must then be transported on board and welded on.

- The challenge is that the tank is in the middle of a large process plant. We therefore have to coordinate the work, so that we don't have to dismantle too much of the surrounding equipment. But we have found a very good solution, says Ingebretsen.

TOTAL IS 7-8 man from Tratec Halvorsen involved in the project. In addition to replacing the end bottoms, the tank bottom must be repaired and several of the connections on the tank replaced.

The starting point for the assignment is an inspection job with a condition assessment of close to 50 tanks and 20 heat exchangers. Errors and deficiencies are pointed out here, and what needs to be repaired is reported to the customer in order to increase the lifespan of the equipment.

Tratec Halvorsen was given the task of upgrading the large tanks.

EQUIPMENT ABOUT boards in boats and on permanent installations are often certified to last for 25 years.

Through extensive non-destructive testing (NDT), Tratec Halvorsen documents cracks, fatigue, erosion and other wear and tear damage, and describes which improvements are possibly necessary to be able to use the equipment for another 25 years.

- We have a strong focus on sustainability. By extending the life of tanks and heat exchangers, we contribute together with the customers to reuse and a greener world, says general manager of Tratec Halvorsen, Frode Olsen.

The old end bottoms on this tank must be sawed off and replaced with the new ones that are now being prepared in the workshopa.