Marine engineering and propulsion specialist Royston recently assisted in the overhaul of the diesel power plant onboard one of Europe’s largest drillships as it sailed while on passage.
Drawing on its international capabilities and resources, a five-strong team of Royston engineers undertook the 48,000-hour overhaul of a Wartsila W16V16 diesel generator onboard the 228m Stena Carron, as part of a planned maintenance program.
The job was completed as the ship sailed from the Caribbean to a position off the Guyana coast, where it is currently carrying out drilling operations.
The overhaul included the replacement of parts where necessary as part of a 48,000-hour service, which included inspection and refurbishment work on the crankshaft main and thrust bearings, main bearing jacks, connecting rods, piston rings, crowns and skirts, along with the installation of new big end bearing shells.
Royston engineers also completed the replacement of OEM overhauled turbocharger cartridges and repairs to the turbocharger exhaust manifold, carried out upgrades to intermediate gears, camshaft gears, and the speed governor. Following completion of the work, the generator was fully checked and tested to ensure maximum operational capacity.
“Royston has completed another quality job for us during these challenging times,” Fraser Scott, engineering superintendent at Stena Drilling, said in a statement announcing the overhaul. “It reflects the experience and expertise they bring to their work, going over and above expectations in support of our vessel fleet operations and maintenance.”
Built in 2008, the Stena Carron is one of six vessels in the Stena Drilling fleet and is a sixth-generation harsh environment, multi-purpose dynamically positioned drillship, capable of drilling to depths up to 10,000 ft. It has managed pressure drilling capabilities, a wireless unit tower and enhanced drilling fluid storage.
“This latest project for Stena Drilling shows that regardless of a vessel’s location in the world, and the status of its engines, we have the flexibility and resources to respond rapidly with a highly skilled and efficient engineering team,” Shaun Cairns, Royston’s operations manager on the contract, said.
