Nearly two years ago GustoMSC introduced a smart crane for lifting and wireline operations under the drilling cantilever. Two years later, following industry feedback and further development, the equipment has evolved into Chela, named after the Greek word for a crab’s claw. Chela offers an extra hand in operations, and due to its crablike motion characteristics, it can reach below the cantilever as well as elevate towards the main deck, providing crane access to an area traditionally blocked by the cantilever when drilling.
Three key elements to enhance the overall efficiency of the drilling jack-up were used in the development of this piece of equipment: providing a large lifting envelope and wireline operation capabilities below the cantilever, easing material handling to the platform and increasing safety for lifting over live wells by applying high safety standards. The evolved Chela design raised these safety standards even further.
“Safety is simply expected to be at the highest level and we do not take this lightly," said Rutger Baan, Commercial Director GustoMSC. "Continuous improvement of safety at sea is a key driver for us to further develop our offshore technology. Chela is a perfect example of this ambition.”
Besides the reduced human involvement on the drill floor and access to the work area without handshakes, Chela features improved safety features with a fully redundant main hoisting system, a key technical feature needed when working over live wells. As a consequence, no single failure, including the failure of a hoisting rope, will lead to a high risk situation. Additionally, the new design will keep the load steady after rope failure. A snag load absorption system prevents excessive loads on the lifting ropes and structural parts of the crane. These features ensure an inherent safe use of Chela.
Chela enables several activities to take place at the same time on a wellhead platform, doing preparatory work on one well while drilling is done on another well. This feature results in significant savings in rig days for development drilling or plug and abandonment operations that can amount to around 10%, according to GustoMSC. With this multifunctional ability, Chela directly addresses the call from operators for cost reduction while maintaining the highest safety standards.