Reverse Installation of Platform Modules

Decommissioning often involves systematically disconnecting and removing topside equipment in a “reverse-installation” process to reduce structural weight before heavy lift vessels (HLVs) arrive. Thunder Cranes supports the removal and backloading of various modules, including:

• Living Quarters & HVAC Systems

• Helidecks and Helideck Support Structures

• Generators, Turbine Gen Skids, & Production Modules

• Wellhead Equipment, Accessories, & MOL Pumps

• Communications Equipment & Lifeboats

• Sewage Treatment Units & Utility Vessels

• Staircases, Walkways, Bridges, & Non-Bearing Structures (e.g., Flare Booms and Flare Tips)

• Platform Crane Takedown

Key Advantages of Modular Rental Cranes

• Mitigate Downtime: Conducting static lifts directly from the platform provides precision and efficiency. Unlike vessel-mounted cranes affected by sea swells and wave motion, platform-based cranes allow work to continue by staging materials on deck during poor weather.

• Mitigate Shallow Water Issues: Heavy lift vessels often face draft limitations in shallow waters. Modular cranes feature a compact load-out footprint, allowing deployment via shallow-draft supply vessels to enable piece-small decommissioning.

• Mitigate Support Vessel Costs: Featuring self-lifting technology, these cranes can rig up on remote or craneless platforms without requiring third-party barge cranes or heavy support vessels, significantly reducing overall charter costs.

• Enable Greater Recycling: Controlled, static lifts enable operators to safely dismantle and lower high-value topside assets intact, maximizing opportunities for asset re-sale, re-use, and recycling.

Case Study: Weight Shedding in the Gulf of Thailand

In a representative project for Chevron Thailand, Thunder Cranes deployed a TC90 modular rental crane (50–60 MT offboard capacity) to prepare a production platform for final removal.