Marine operations with LSP-1

Operations in the process of construction of "LSP-1".
Construction of LSP-1 was carried out at OOO Astrakhan Shipbuilding Production Association.
Upon its completion, the platform was towed to the field and installed at the bottom of the sea at a given point. By the time of the completion of the construction of the LSP-1 in its free state, it was expected to have a draft exceeding the depth of the transport route to the point of installation. To provide a draft that allows towing, a transport pontoon was set up between the pontoons for LSP-1 braces. The barge "Sevan", specially for the transfer of LSP-1, was modernized in accordance with the design of 426MV carried out by JSC "KB Vympel" (Nizhny Novgorod) and certified as a transport pontoon with the assignment of a proper class of RMRS.
To ensure the throughput of the LSP-1 in the WCC, namely not more than 4.2 m, the towing of the LSP-1 together with the transport pontoon "Sevan" was envisaged. To build a transport pontoon "Sevan" in the aquatorium of the construction plant, the transport pontoon was positioned in the same line with the LSP-1 and was ballasted for a platform.
Further, the transport pontoon was installed under the lower horizontal connections between the LSP-1 columns.
The installation of the Sevan pontoon under LSP-1 was carried out at the stage of construction of the platform at OOO ASPO with further continuation of the debugging of the pontoon and its ascent together with LSP-1 immediately after the establishment and before the distillation.
As a result of the final deballasting of the transport pontoon, the draft prepared for towing LSP-1 did not exceed 4.20 m.

Transhipment of the complex "LSP-1 - Sevan" to the point of operation.
To ensure planned nighttime parking of LSP-1 in the WCC, the corresponding sludge sites were equipped with raiding mooring equipment, including Flipper Delta anchors, anchor bridles (chain or rope), raiding barrels or signal buoys with buoys.
Raid mooring equipment in the places of night storage of LSP-1 was installed and tested in advance (2-3 days before the start of the LSP-1 transfer) and dismantled immediately after the end of the LSP-1 transfer.
After the end of the LSP-1 transfer to the WCC (the arrival of the towing order for the Astrakhan sea raid to the incoming buoy of the WCC), regardless of the time of day, the towing order for the WCC was immediately changed to a towing order for towing the LSP-1 along the sea section of the track and the marine towing of the LSP -1.
After the end of the transfer of LSP-1 to the point of operation or to its location and after confirming the favorable weather forecast, an operation was started to remove the Sevan transport pontoon from under the LSP-1 with the subsequent positioning and installation of the LSP-1 at the point of operation.
The withdrawal of the transport pontoon "Sevan" from under LSP-1 included the following operations:
positioning of LSP-1 at the point with the help of tugboats;
ballasting and diving of the transport pontoon (at depths of 11.8 m);
the withdrawal of the transport pontoon from the LSP-1;
de-ballasting the transport pontoon before it ascends to the transport position;
Positioning and installation of LSP-1 on the seabed
The operation was carried out with the help of tugboats formed in the ship's warrant. For the operation on LSP-1, a specially prepared ship crew was landed. LSP-1 holding was carried out with the help of stern towing device of ships (towing winches and tow ropes); At the same time, the tugs of the vessels were attached to the mooring ropes provided and fixed to the LSP-1. The retention of the towboats themselves was carried out with the help of raid mooring equipment (anchors, bridels, raiding barrels), specially designed and laid on the ground, anchors.
Before diving (for the purpose of installation on the seabed), LSP-1 by means of tugboats was oriented at the course and location and taking into account the previously installed LSP-2 platform.
As the dive progressed, the LSP-1 position control was carried out continuously.
Immediately before installation to the bottom, the final correction of the position
platform, after which it was installed on the ground.
After installation on the ground, the actual location of the platform to the project site was determined, as well as the position relative to the LSP-2.
During the immersion and installation on the ground, permanent video surveillance was provided with the help of controlled TV equipment.
The LSP-1 was immersed in accordance with a specially developed ballasting instruction. The order and consistency of the ballast operations ensured the safety of the platform's immersion and personnel on board.
The safety of the parking LSP-1 on the ground before the installation of the pile anchorage was confirmed by appropriate calculations and no longer than 72 hours.
The end of the operation to install the LSP-1 at the point of operation
After the LSP-1 was submerged and installed on the seabed, the vessels carrying out the positioning and installation of the LSP-1 disengaged from the mooring ropes of the LSP-1 and the mooring raid equipment. At the end of the operation, the vessels should lift from the seabed and sample their mooring raid equipment on their own deck and deliver it to the shore base. Dismantled all the removable equipment (mooring lines and tow ropes), as well as the dismantling of welded equipment, which could interfere with the subsequent installation of equipment necessary for operation of LSP-1.
The ship pusher of the transport pontoon "Sevan" after its deballasting was towed to the port for its intended purpose.
The result of sea operations with LSP-1
In July-August 2009, the company "Crane Marine Contractor" prepared and carried out sea operations for the transfer of the transport complex "LSP-1 - TP" Sevan ", displacement of 19,000 tons, from the plant-constructor LSP-1 (Astrakhan Shipbuilding Production Association-AFS) , located in the Golden Pavilion on the Volga River (Astrakhan) to the point of installation and operation at the deposit. Yu. Korchagin, in the Northern part of the Caspian Sea, positioning and setting on the ground.
In carrying out these operations, LLC "Svarog" was involved. The company LLC "SVAROG" performed works on "Navigation support of transportation along the Volga-Caspian canal and setting on the ground at the deposit. Yu. Korchagin ice-resistant stationary platform LSP-1 ", with the use of high-tech equipment.

Marine operations consisted of 3 stages:

1. Towing of the transport complex "LSP-1-TP" Sevan "from the entrance to the water area of the AFS (Golden

Zaton) on the Volga River to "0km" of the Volga-Caspian Maritime Canal 15 km;

The river part of the Volga-Caspian channel (CWC) ......................................... ....................................... 150 km;

The marine part of the Volga-Caspian canal (VKK) up to the Astrakhan sea raid ......................... 38 km;

The total is about 203 km.

The first stage was limited by the transit dimensions of the WCC (according to passport data):

depth................................................. .................................................. .................................... 5.1 m;

width................................................. .................................................. .................................... 100 m;

radii of curvature on curvilinear curves of the fairway .................................................... ........... up to 500 m;

2. Towing in the offshore section of the distillation, in the shallow water of the Northern Caspian ................... 138 km;

3. Positioning and setting on the ground, with a preliminary ping-out from the LSP-1 transport pontoon-the barge-platform Sevan (pr. 426 MV) installed under the LSP-1 (between its lower pontoons) to reduce the draft of the LSP-1 from 7.0 m to a draft of 4.2 m for the unhindered towing along the Volga-Caspian canal (VKK).