Australian shipowner MMA Offshore orders mud agitators for its AHTS MMA Chieftain, which is operating in the Middle East region.
Norwegian pump and liquid handling specialist PG Flow Solutions will supply a set of PG-Submix 80 hydraulically driven mud agitators to the AHTS (anchor handling tug supply vessel), plus hydraulic power unit and control system. This proven solution meets with the stringent demands of Saudi Aramco, in the most efficient way available. MMA Chieftain is one of several OSVs being retrofitted with these solutions.
The MMA Chieftain is a key marine asset for MMA in the Middle East region. The vessel supports various anchor handling, towing and supply scopes offshore from Saudi Arabia.
The PG-Submix 80 mud agitator is a slow turning, paddle-type propeller with large diameter range and very high thrust, generating up to 12.400 m3/h vertical primary pump flow. The agitators are placed at the bottom of the mud tanks on board the AHTS to prevent drilling mud and brine from settling at the bottom of the tank.
The advantage with the agitator is that it does not leave any “blind spots” in the tank, as the agitator slowly pushes the mud towards the bottom of the tank, where the highest velocity is needed, and then up against the walls of the tank. This ensures that the drilling mud is kept in continuous suspension.
AHTS MMA Chieftain. Photo credit: MMA Offshore
PG Flow Solutions has not disclosed the value of the contract.
“Our agitators are a crucial solution that ensures that the vessel crew can empty their mud tanks swiftly, without having to worry about build-up of solids causing excessive cleaning challenges, and increased turn-around-time at shore-base. This reliability extends the operational window of each vessel, which in turn is positive for operators of oil and gas fields,” says Are Hjertvik, vice president of sales at PG Flow Solutions.
This proven solution has also solved similar challenges on a growing number of drilling rigs around the globe, as demand for uptime rise in the challenging markets.
PG-Submix agitators can be utilised in all processes where continuous suspension of liquid in tanks are required. It can be supplied as hydraulically driven as well as in an electrohydraulic (Submixe) version, in all material qualities such as carbon steel, stainless, duplex and even superduplex for challenging liquids.
MMA Offshore specialises in providing marine solutions and expertise to the offshore oil and gas industry. The company owns and operates 30+ offshore vessels capable of supporting marine and subsea projects. MMA Offshore operate their offshore support vessels in Australia, South East Asia, India, Africa and the Middle East.
PG Flow Solutions provides proprietary solutions, systems and products for companies within the energy, maritime, aquaculture and land-based process industries. The heritage of the business is pumps and pumping systems. The company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility is located in Sande, Vestfold, Norway. Its subsidiary Calder Ltd operates out of a similar facility in Worchester outside Birmingham, UK, while subsidiary Cflow Fish Handling AS operates out of Aalesund, Norway. Source: MMA Offshore