Bardex Corporation, Goleta, California, has recently signed a contract with Russia's largest shipyard, JSC PO Sevmash, for design, manufacture and supply of a rig skidding system for use on the Prirazlomnaya offshore ice-resistant fixed platform located in the eastern Barents Sea (Pechora Bay) and to be operated by Sevmorneftegaz, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gazprom. The graphic shows an artist’s impression of the platform in operation during winter.

The skidding system is designed for operation in the extreme cold of the northern Russian winter at ambient temperatures down to -40 degrees. Two hydraulic gripper jacks rated over 600 tonnes capacity will skid the main support frame (skid base) and a further two hydraulic gripper jacks rated over 300 tonnes capacity will skid the drilling substructure. Bardex will supply a hydraulic power unit comprising two 30 kW electric motors coupled to four pumps, heat exchanger and 400 litre reservoir. The HPU is instrumented and has an integrated skidding control console.