An offshore platform crane changeout is the process of removing an existing offshore crane that is damaged, obsolete, or no longer suitable for operations and replacing it with a new crane.

Unlike a normal crane replacement on land, changing a crane on an offshore platform can be a complex lifting operation. The existing crane is often positioned on a fixed platform surrounded by production equipment, piping, walkways and other structures. There may also be limited deck space and no suitable location for a conventional mobile crane.

The biggest challenge is often simple:

How do you remove a large, heavy crane from an offshore platform when the crane itself is no longer available to do the lifting?

A temporary lifting system is therefore required to safely remove the old crane components and support the installation of the replacement crane.

In the Angola offshore crane changeout project, the existing PALP2 crane had suffered a technical failure, leaving its boom suspended and immobilised. Thunder Cranes provided a portable modular lifting solution to support the safe removal of the damaged boom. The TC20 Stiff Leg modular crane was selected for its lifting capacity, hook height and portability, with a TC05 used as an assist crane.

Thunder Cranes provides more than a temporary crane. The company supports the engineering, planning, rigging and execution required to make an offshore crane changeout possible.

The process starts with detailed site surveys and engineering studies. The team needs to understand the crane location, available deck space, structural capacity, access routes, lifting points, obstructions and the required load path.

Based on these findings, Thunder Cranes can design a suitable modular crane arrangement and lifting methodology.

For the Angola project, the restricted deck area required structural reinforcement before the TC20 and TC05 cranes could be installed. Engineering calculations and drawings were prepared, while customised I-beams and spacer pads were fabricated to support the temporary cranes.

The modular crane components were also transferred between two connected platforms using existing lifting equipment, manual skidding and controlled lifting. This demonstrates one of the major advantages of portable modular cranes: the crane does not have to arrive as one large machine. It can be transported as individual components and assembled where required.

Once installed and load-tested, the temporary crane can take over the critical lifting work required to remove the failed crane and can also provide temporary lifting support while the replacement crane is being installed and commissioned. Thunder Cranes’ current crane replacement approach is designed to maintain lifting capability during the changeout period where required.

For visitors who have never worked in the offshore industry, imagine a simple situation:

Your crane is broken — but you need a crane to remove it.

That creates a lifting problem.

The failed crane may be too heavy to dismantle using normal methods. It may be located in a difficult-to-access position, surrounded by piping or other equipment, and there may not be enough room to bring in a conventional crane.

A crane barge could potentially perform the lifting, but offshore sea conditions can make dynamic lifting more challenging for delicate operations. A modular crane installed directly on the platform provides a more stable lifting arrangement because the crane is supported by the platform rather than suspended from a moving vessel.

Think of an offshore crane changeout as a replacement process in four stages:

1. SECURE
Make the damaged or existing crane safe.

2. SUPPORT
Install a temporary modular crane capable of taking the required loads.

3. REMOVE
Disconnect, lift, lower and transfer the old crane components.

4. REPLACE
Install the new crane and restore the platform’s lifting capability.

Thunder Cranes can support the temporary lifting requirements throughout this process, including crane installation, load testing, specialist rigging, skidding, crane operation and engineering support.

When the crane needs replacing, you still need a crane to do the job.

Thunder Cranes provides portable modular lifting solutions that can be installed on the platform to safely support crane removal, replacement and temporary lifting requirements. From initial site survey and engineering to rigging, lifting and crane operations, Thunder Cranes helps turn a difficult offshore crane changeout into a planned and controlled lifting operation.