A crane vessel operated by China's Shanghai Salvage Bureau will be fitted with pipe laying equipment following upgrade works at the facilities of local shipbuilder Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries.
The self-propelled, DP3-capable Chuangli currently boasts a stern-mounted crane with lifting capacities of 4,500 tons and 3,500 tons when fixed and fully rotating, respectively.
The retrofitting will entail the installation of S-lay pipe laying system capable of laying pipes at depths of up to 3,000 metres. Upon completion, she will become China's first crane-equipped, pipe laying vessel utilising a fully domestically produced pipe-supporting frame solution.
The added equipment will also enable the vessel to take on other functions such as repairing damaged subsea oil and gas pipelines, deployment of deepwater oil spill containment devices, and accurate positioning of pipelines and cables during large-scale underwater salvage operations.
Deck space on the vessel will be reserved for the potential future installation of J-lay and R-lay systems as required by the operator.
