Unique Project Air Freight Trial Means Faster Capping of Undersea Oil Spills

UK – NORWAY – Specialist heavy lift air freight group Antonov has released details of a landmark trial delivery it recently undertook together with air charter group Chapman Freeborn. The project cargo was a specially designed capping stack from Southampton based client Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL), a vital piece of emergency equipment in the event of a major oil spill. The successful test flight, the first time ever that a complete capping stack has been transported by air, means that oil companies can now reach faraway oil spills much faster and cap the wells more quickly.

The fully assembled subsea capping stack and housing, which weighed a massive 85.5 tonnes and measured 11.5 by 5.5 by 3.9 metres, was flown using an AN-124 aircraft in a test flight to and from Stavanger in Norway. The project means that, whereas previously transporting capping stack equipment by air would have meant breaking it down into multiple payloads and reassembling it at the destination before moving it to the incident site, the operation can now be managed with a one piece, complete unit. Chris Lund, Technical Manager for OSRL’s SWIS team, said:

“When every minute counts, the number one priority is stopping the flow of hydrocarbons as quickly as possible. The ability to transport a fully assembled capping stack by air is a critical development for the industry. Sea transport remains the most likely mobilisation option for the majority of well sites, but for wells in more remote areas, this is a vital addition to our subsea capping and containment offering.”

To enable the movement of the capping stack in a single operation, OSRL worked with L+M to design and build a bespoke frame, with support from Trendsetter, the capping stack manufacturer. The efforts were also supported by the engineers from Antonov Company’s design bureau, who ensured proper distribution of the capping stack weight along the cargo cabin floor and acceptable minimal clearances from the cabin frames and also reviewed and approved the stress levels of the combined skid/capping stack design for the maximum flight G-forces.

The AN-124 was chosen for the flight after an extensive logistics study by Chapman Freeborn. Its ability to travel up to 5,000km with a 120-tonne payload, self-loading/off-loading capabilities, which removes the necessity for a main deck loader, and availability on the European spot market cemented the choice. Martin Griffiths, Sales Manager at the UK office Antonov Airlines, observed:

“This was a very important test flight, as this represents the first time anyone has transported a capping stack on an aircraft that would be used in the event of an oil spill emergency, enabling a much quicker response anywhere in the world.

“We faced a variety of challenges including limited clearance for the cargo, the weight and size of the capping stack itself and its effect on the flight, as well as the requirement to load it fully assembled, as would have to be the case in an actual oil spill scenario.”

Photo: The self-loading/ off-loading capabilities of the AN-124 make it a unique air cargo tool.