Mammoet Replaced RFCC Reactor on Refinery Oman

Mammoet was contracted by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to support heavy lifting activities during the turnaround of Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company’s (Orpic) Sohar Refinery in Oman. The scope included removal of the existing RFCC Reactor in one piece and installation of a new reactor, external riser and associated components during Turnaround 2019.

Mammoet said they were chosen because of their expertise in turnarounds and shutdowns, focus on safety and ability to minimize downtime. Also, Mammoet’s knowledge of the site played an important role in the decision: in 2005 Mammoet assisted in the construction of the Sohar refinery and installed the original reactor using its ultraheavy lift ring crane – PTC 35.

The PTC crane is the ideal crane for construction and revamp projects in refineries with complex, congested spaces because of its vast lifting capacity, long reach and relatively small footprint, hence Mammoet proposed to re-use this crane for the exchange of the reactors. Project-specific challenges were overcome in the positioning of the PTC crane at site which included limited working space to assemble the crane and minimum clearance for lifting maneuvers. Mammoet, in close collaboration with L&T developed detailed erection and lifting plans, and procedures, where in some cases clearances of only 500mm were possible, requiring close coordination and cooperation on site. As a result, the 1600-ton crane safely removed the old reactor and successfully positioned the new 37-meter-long reactor, weighing 740 tons onto its foundation. The lifts were carried out effectively within the lifting height of 99 m.

Commenting on the lift, Hamed Faqir Al Balushi, Manager Project Management, Orpic said “On behalf of Orpic, I take this opportunity to congratulate the entire L&T Team for having completed all the Heavy Lifts of RFCC Reactor Replacement Project successfully and safely. The flawless execution of these critical Turnaround activities demonstrates L&T’s strength in planning & execution of such high-risk jobs. Kudos to entire construction team for converting plan into reality ahead of time, particularly engineering, manufacturing teams of L&T and heavy lift crew of Mammoet, as the components went into the place as they were expected to.” Concluding the note: ‘Excellent planning, execution & team work’.

Anupam Ghosal, Head of Modification, Revamp and Upgrade (MRU) business of L&T Heavy Engineering commented “It’s a proud moment for L&T. Conclusion of this very critical project of RFCC Revamp to the satisfaction of ORPIC once again establishes world-class competencies of MRU business. As part of this project, Reactor and Riser assembly was manufactured in the state of art facilities of L&T Heavy Engineering located at Hazira, India. All activities for the turnaround, from engineering to execution, were planned over a course of more than a year. Reactor lift, weighing 740t, was challenging with several variables affecting the flexibility and needed a meticulous planning over a course of several months by L&T in coordination with Mammoet. Flawless lifting of the reactor was a momentous occasion. We are indeed happy with the end result and thank Mammoet team for their professionalism.”