Excellent engineering by OEC and Tenenge results in the successful installation of 34 LPG bullets at the Barra do Dande Oil Terminal

The advanced engineering of OEC and Tenenge was highlighted in the successful installation of 34 ASME-certified Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bullets in their final locations at the Barra do Dande Ocean Terminal (TOBD) on January 12.

Each of the bullets, 72 meters long, eight meters in diameter and weighing 420 tons, were manufactured in China and transported to Angola via three HLV (Heavy Lift Vessel) voyages. The complexity of this transportation and installation required specific knowledge of the naval area and heavy load handling adapted to the construction method of mechanical equipment, resulting in a reduction of six months in the total delivery time.

Débora Coting, engineering and construction methods manager, highlighted the team’s preventive approach to dealing with potential risks. “There were uncertainties about maritime transport due to the risk of accidents from transporting a load with such a large overhang, but these were resolved beforehand in the technical feasibility phase. We analyzed adversities and mitigated risks with excellent engineering.”

In addition to transporting the equipment between China and Angola, installing the bullets at the Terminal, which is 55 meters above sea level, was also a major challenge to overcome. Both the client and the competitors who presented their projects at the time of bidding for the contract considered that it was impossible to manufacture the bullets anywhere other than the site itself, because transporting such a large piece of equipment both to reach the shore of the terminal and to place it in its proper place did not seem feasible.

At this point, Tenenge’s differential in having a Construction Methods area was essential to winning the contract and carrying out the operation. “Since everyone understood that it was practically impossible, due to the size and logistics of transporting this bullet along Angola’s roads, we tried our best to make this alternative feasible throughout the proposal. To do this, we carried out detailed technical and economic feasibility studies to prove that it was possible to build outside and transport the complete bullets to the site. What made the idea feasible was the fact that the original ramp of the project had a slope of 7%, which was the limit for taking the equipment from sea level to the top of the cliff, and then installing it in its final location,” said Jacques Raigorodsky, a senior consultant specializing in Construction Methods.

By overcoming construction, transportation and installation challenges, this conclusion marks a significant step forward in the development of the Barra do Dande Ocean Terminal, a project won by OEC in 2021 after winning an international tender promoted by Sonangol, Angola’s state-owned oil company.

The next steps include interconnecting the pipes, grounding the bullets, commissioning and testing, which will be carried out by OEC’s electromechanical team in Angola over the next few months.