Australian hose reel manufacturer ReCoila Reels displayed its value-adding capability by customising a twin reeling station for Malaysian powerhouse Petronas.
ReCoila’s ability to refine engineering and build to high specifications landed it a contract to design and manufacture a twin reeling station to manage hoses for diesel refuelling responsibilities and potable water distribution on offshore platforms in the Malacca Straits.
For ReCoila Managing Director Mr Michael Pawson, the Petronas contract potentially opens a doorway to more work in a region, which traditionally doesn’t use Australian manufacturing.
Mr Pawson explains ReCoila Reels won the contract based on its proven track record in designing and manufacturing customised solutions that require a high degree of accuracy and heavy duty tolerance and reliability.
Operating offshore oil and gas platforms in the Malacca Straits, Petronas sought out ReCoila’s custom product largely to update their processes and equipment. The platforms feature twin function points, which act as refuelling stations for diesel operated equipment, as well as distribution points for potable drinking water.
Since offshore platforms in this region are closer to sea level due to the lower swell height compared to that of their North Sea counterparts, reels are not traditionally used to lower hoses to transfer diesel or water, but are merely lowered by cranes directly from the platform.
The hoses however present a very real safety hazard, weighing more than 500kg and are cumbersome and awkward to handle manually. The premature failure of the hoses due to the continued end load twisting was also a real problem.
ReCoila was commissioned to custom design and engineer hose reels to perform this task safely while also ensuring extended hose life. Since the platforms were never designed for reels, ReCoila’s solution needed to retrofit seamlessly.
Given that each of the twin reels was over 2.5m in diameter, the challenge for precise measurement, design and construction was critical.
When installed and commissioned, one side of each twin reeling station will provide potable drinking water while the other will transfer diesel for refuelling generators, cranes, handling equipment and other fuel powered equipment.
