Sarens Group awarded heavy lift oil refinery contract
Two 1,600 metric ton cranes to be mobilized for hydrocracker reactor and depentanizer lifts.
12
May 2016

The Sarens Group, a global leader in crane rental services, has received the heavy lift contract from Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR) to support the construction and expansion activities at an oil refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Early on, Sarens USA and KBR formed a collaborative and constructive working relationship during the project's design phase and worked collectively to ensure that all facets of the heavy lift scope were clearly defined and investigated to produce a successful outcome.

"We are excited to provide our engineering and heavy lift services to KBR for the refinery construction and expansion projects," says Sven Janssens, operations manager for Sarens USA. "The projects pose several unique challenges, including the need for two 1,600 metric ton capacity cranes on-site at the same time. Few lifting companies can provide this level of service, but Sarens has the largest fleet of Terex® CC8800-1 cranes, so we are able to accommodate KBR's needs."

Beginning in March 2016, the contract includes the heavy lift and placement of two hydrocracker reactor vessels, the largest weighing 359.7 metric tons. Among other supporting equipment, the lifts will require a CC8800-1 crane with 84 meters of main boom, superlift tray containing 640 tons of ballast weight. Sarens plans to mobilize up to (14) qualified craftsmen to support the heavy lift activities.

"The main challenge for this contract," says Sean Poynter, project estimator for Sarens USA, "is the site will be active at the time of our heavy lift and rigging operations. The crane must also be set back from the installation site to clear major plant equipment, so the combination of distance and reactor weight made the CC8800-1 the right crane for the job."

With a start-date of March 2016 and estimated 10-month completion timeline, the contract includes the heavy lift and placement of 48 modules and two tower vessels. The heaviest pick for this new construction project is a 583-metric ton depentanizer used in the oil refining industry.

To support this effort, Sarens will mobilize a second CC8800-1 crane, complete with 96 meters of main boom, superlift with 640 tons of ballast weight. Fourteen Sarens craftsmen will be assigned to this project to support the large number of lifts.

This contract will continue Sarens' long and successful history of providing heavy lift services for the oil industry. "Our flexibility to meet KBR's construction schedule was a primary reason Sarens was selected to provide heavy lift services for the projects," concludes Janssens.