Blackford Dolphin

Background

Nexos has been responsible for HVAC and refrigeration maintenance, service, repair, and upgrades on the Blackford Dolphin since 2018.

For any offshore asset, the reliability of HVAC equipment is critical, and for the Blackford Dolphin, the rig's relocation from the North Sea to Nigeria introduced significant challenges. The change to high ambient working conditions in Nigeria had a substantial impact on the HVAC equipment.

Scope overview

In 2022, Nexos conducted a comprehensive survey to evaluate the condition and design of all critical HVAC equipment onboard the Blackford Dolphin. The survey and subsequent testing led to nexos being awarded the contract for the design, installation, and commissioning of the following HVAC and refrigeration systems:

• Bespoke marine cooling system (140 kW) for the Drillers Switch Room
• Bespoke marine packaged HVAC unit for the MUX Room
• Bespoke marine packaged HVAC unit for the LER Room
• Bespoke marine packaged HVAC unit for the Drillers Cabin

To add complexity to the project, much of the work was carried out while the rig was operational, with phases of the project completed during the rig's tow from Las Palmas to Nigeria, and from Nigeria to India.

The project is now complete, and Phase II is currently underway, which will involve the replacement of an additional five complex HVAC systems.