Skidding system

MechDes designed a skidding system for its client IHC Offshore Systems, a company for equipment and ships for the offshore and dredging markets. This system is used when working on oil wells from the ship the Helix Seawell. All equipment on the Helix Seawell has been completely replaced by the new skidding system. For this assignment we did both the basic and the detailed design, including strength and fatigue calculations.

The skidding system is placed on a pallet. This can be operated and maintained from the tower. The entire system can skid back and forth between the ship’s parking and moonpool position.

The skidding system consists of a pallet of 5 x 4 meters to which two push-pull systems are coupled. These systems can skid the entirety from the parking position to above the moonpool. This concerns a distance of approximately 5.5 meters. On the pallet is a tower of approximately 27 meters high, to which the equipment can be attached. There is a maintenance platform every 3 meters. The equipment on the skidding system has a weight of 120 tons and is approximately 4 x 4 x 23 meters (lxwxh).