The heat exchanger is refurbished

- This exchanger is so powerful that it will never rust. But it must be tight and withstand pressure for the next 25 years, says head of fabrication, John Vester Nielsen.

In the workshop, intensive work is being done on a flange on one end of the gray colossus. Four men are on the move. One is secured with a safety harness and sits on top, while he communicates with the others.

The heat exchanger is one of several installations that Tratec Halvorsen has been commissioned to extend the service life of a customer.

- FOR THAT arrived here at the workshop, it was dismantled from the ship and sent for sandblasting. We reassemble the parts, pressure test and inspect. When our job is finished, the exchanger is sent for painting again before it is handed over to customers, explains Nielsen.

The heat exchanger consists, among other things, of 500 small tubes. These must be tight and withstand pressure. Through thorough pressure testing of all pipes, leaks were discovered in eight of them

- It is impossible to insert new ones. The pipes that are not tight are therefore plugged. In that way, they are taken out of production and thus no longer pose a risk, says Nielsen.

NEXT TO the heat exchanger has several smaller pressure tanks and filters in a row. They are also refurbished and ready for 25 new years in the North Sea.

In the second part of the workshop, it is carried out extensive engineering work and upgrading of an eight meter long, four meter wide and seven meter process module. Here, over 1,000 parts have been disassembled and reassembled.

Four men work to get the flanges locked.

The bolts are screwed on.

John Vester Nielsen. head of fabrication, measures the diameter of the heat exchanger.

500 small tubes pass through the exchanger. Eight of it had to be plugged.

Full concentration at the top of the heat exchanger.

Several small pressure tanks and filters have had their lifetime extended and must be returned to the customer.