Gibdock has completed its work on the semisubmersible accommodation platform, Etesco Millennium- the first offshore platform project to be undertaken by the yard in almost 15 years.

The semisub’s eight-month stay at the yard represented an important milestone for the Gibraltar ship-repair facility, as it continues its campaign to broaden the range of its growing offshore business.

Etesco Millennium arrived at Gibdock in October 2011, and the yard worked closely with the owner, Nazca Floatel BV and ship-manager, Okeanos BV, both of the Netherlands, in carrying out an initial inspection and then more detailed surveys to assess its condition.

Subsequently, ultra high-pressure work was carried out by subs supplied by the owner, which the yard assisted through the provision of 11,000 cu m of staging. This part of the job incorporated extensive blasting and cleaning, including work in the submerged tank areas, and necessary steel repair works to the cross braces on the columns of the rig.

Otto van Voorst, managing director of Okeanos, rated Gibdock’s performance highly. He said: “There were some technical challenges with this project but Gibdock overcame them very professionally. Looking after a rig this size is not Gibdock’s every day experience, but they worked well within the remit they were given and in particular showed great flexibility in handling technical steel work issues.”