Claxton's new CCSS delivers huge rig time savings

Claxton's new CCSS delivers huge rig time savings

NORFOLK, United Kindgom -- Claxton Engineering, an Acteon company, has developed a new conductor cementing support system (CCSS) that has typically saved 12 to 18 hours of rig time per conductor waiting for cement to cure.

Recently, it has become increasingly common for operators to install a jacket, and batch set the platform conductors, so that the topsides can be installed at a later date. The operator brings a rig over the jacket and uses it to run a conductor and then to hold the conductor in place while the cement cures: a process that typically takes 12 to 18 hours.

The Claxton CCSS secures the conductor with a hydraulic jack-and-clamp mechanism that holds the weight of the conductor while the cement cures. This means that the rig no longer has to hold each conductor, and can therefore move to the next slot and begin running another conductor.

Dannie Claxton, technical director of Claxton, said, "The CCSS has a holding capacity of 135 to 160 t and is suitable for conductor diameters of 24 to 30 inches. However, we can scale the design to any conductor size on request and tailor the footprint and weight handling capacity to a specific slot or jacket configurations. The new system has a compact design and can be repositioned easily without a crane. In addition, it offers schedule flexibility because it splits in half, thereby enabling operators to run the conductor before, or after, the CCSS is in place."

"The CCSS has already been used successfully in the field on projects for two major North Sea operators. We expect further interest, due to the system’s huge cost-saving potential," Claxton concludes.