Case Report: Replacing Rubber Fenders at a Crude Oil Terminal
At 13:06 on 16 October, the tanker NEW LAUREL came alongside the crude oil terminal's KA platform. With this berthing, the newly replaced rubber fenders on the platform had been proven by three tanker berthings, ensuring smooth berthing and safe crude oil discharge operations.
Planning around the berthing window
The work began in late August. Based on the terminal's vessel arrival schedule and operating windows for September, the terminal operations department brought together several contractors, including Guangzhou Jian'an, Huazhou Marine, CNPC Emergency Response, Daqing Construction, Fuyuan Industry and Trade, and CCCC Third Harbor Engineering, for a dedicated meeting on the fender replacement. The meeting agreed the organisation, the work plan, the measures to be put in place, the equipment to be prepared and the emergency arrangements. In early September a second set of workshops was held with each contractor on its part of the work to ensure well-coordinated operations. At the same time, the department reported its maintenance plan to company management, coordinated closely with the planning department on vessel arrivals, and kept a close watch on the weather forecast. In the end, the window from 23 to 30 September was chosen to carry out the replacement.
Removal and installation
The last vessel of the month berthed on 24 September and left at 13:24 on 26 September. To avoid disrupting operations, the department's management decided to start the fender replacement only after that vessel had departed. To complete the work efficiently and to a high standard, the department's responsible manager and lead engineer supervised on site throughout, resolving difficulties and bottlenecks as they arose, with the aim of finishing before the National Day holiday. Missing that deadline would have meant tighter controls on work over the holiday, delaying the replacement and affecting the scheduled berthing of the tanker Jin Zhenzhu on 7 October.
As soon as the vessel left, CCCC Third Harbor Engineering deployed two anchor-handling boats and a tug to the designated position in front of the berth to help secure the jack-up vessel Haifeng 1005, and set up a 320-tonne marine crane. Daqing Construction had brought back two experienced scaffolders from Guangxi to help erect the scaffolding over the water. Guangzhou Jian'an, Huazhou Marine and the Guangdong rescue station worked together to prepare the lifting gear and tools and to transfer the new fender panels and drum-type rubber fenders from the product terminal to the crude oil terminal.
On the afternoon of the 27th, with the marine crane and scaffolding ready, removal of the damaged fenders began, and by the morning of 28 September the old fender panels and drum fenders had been removed. Throughout the job, managers organised the work carefully and Guangzhou Jian'an brought in additional experienced crew, forming two shift teams that worked from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, and on the longest day until around 10:30 p.m. The crews worked through intense summer heat, including through the midday break, rotating staff so the work never stopped, and pushed the schedule forward while keeping safety the top priority.
Completion ahead of schedule
On 29 September the last bolt was tightened on the KA platform's rubber fenders, marking the successful completion and handover of the replacement. The work had been planned at nine days and reduced to seven days after review; it was actually completed in 4.5 days, 2.5 days ahead of the original plan.
"Rubber fenders are an essential safety installation at any terminal. They cushion the impact of tankers berthing and unberthing and protect both the terminal structure and the ships from damage," said Mou Fangqing, the deputy manager in charge. "The fenders on the KA platform weigh 30 tonnes in total, and removing and installing them at sea was very demanding. It involved working at open edges, scaffolding over the water, marine transport, offshore lifting and extreme heat. As this was our first fender replacement, with many work points, a tight schedule and a heavy workload, it was a real test for the whole terminal team, a valuable learning experience, and something that brought the team closer together." He added that the terminal team would continue to live up to the company's values of dedication, enterprise, hard work and excellence, turning the impossible into the possible and contributing to the company's high-quality development.
