Great activity at the seismic base

Text and photo: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

- We have a lot to do at the moment. All work has gone painlessly and according to plan, so this is great fun, says Ronny Christoffersen, who is the manager of the FFS workshop.

Farsund has the world's largest seismic base. FFS has management agreements with several shipping companies, and part of the job is to ensure that the vessels are ready when they go out on assignment again.

In recent weeks, all focus has been on three boats.

- ESPECIALLY A LOT we have work on one of the boats. It has been here for six weeks, and will go out on another mission next month. The plan is for it to sail from Farsund on Christmas Eve, says Christoffersen.

The workshop team from FFS has replaced large quantities of hydraulic pipes on board. In addition, new lifting lugs have been welded in place.

- Right now we are replacing cables on the helicopter deck, and we are not quite finished with the pipe work. So this boat will have our first priority until it leaves Farsund, says Christoffersen.

NEW FLANGES until pipes and lifting lugs are manufactured on own water cutting table, which FFS bought in for the workshop earlier this autumn.

A water cutting table, also known as a water cutting table, is an industrial machine that is used to cut various materials using a high-pressure jet of water mixed with an abrasive substance such as sand.

- With the new water cutting table, we don't have to go through subcontractors when we have to produce simple parts. It saves us both time and money, says Christoffersen.

ON ANOTHER boat that is on the FFS quay, new lifting points have been welded. Soon the hydraulic pipes will be replaced. On a third boat, which is further inside the wharf, mostly small jobs have been carried out.

- There are plenty of local suppliers who help make this go as painlessly as it does. We have very good subcontractors who contribute every day with cutting-edge expertise in everything from electrical services, fixing up bathrooms, sludge suction, scaffolding and other things, says John W. Nilsen, general manager of FFS.

- The hotels and accommodation in the region obviously also benefit from the fact that there are many visiting service workers who come to the boats, he adds.

THIS WEEK has yet another boat returned to the seismic harbor in Lundevågen after being out on a mission. Here there will also be work for Christoffersen and his people.

- In the first instance, we are going to coil cables on board, then we will eventually see if there is a need for other maintenance work, he says.

FFS DISPOSES close to 15,000 square meters of indoor storage. Part of these areas are leased to Shearwater, which among other things uses them to store the workboats for the ships that are in storage.

- We also provide maintenance, upgrading and certification of these workboats, says Christoffersen.