SOHAR -- An oil rig that was damaged during the tropical hurricane Katrina in north central Gulf Coast of the United States in August 2005, has arrived at the Port of Sohar for a major repair and refit operation. The complete operation of towing the rig into the Port of Sohar took over three hours and involved the assistance of three tugboats, with other vessels standing by.
The tugboat pilots and staff of the Marine Department at the Port of Sohar delicately manoeuvred the otherwise non-manoeuvrable structure also known as a 'dead ship' from the pilot station into the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) quay. The oil rig was damaged during the Hurricane Katrina's violent sweep through New Orleans. L&T Modular Fabrication Yard LLC, which launched operations at Sohar last year, estimates that the time required for repairing and refitting the 75-metre structure is around 18 months. After the repair of the oil rig, it will be towed back to the United States.
By Staff Reporter
© Oman Daily Observer 2008
