18-08-08 QatarGas has installed new modular topsides for LNG Berth 5 at Ras Laffan Port, making it as the first of its kind to be used in the region.
The 1,000-ton module was fabricated at Adyard in Mussaffah, United Arab Emirates and sailed to Qatar following load-out. It was lifted into place on the Berth 5 marine platform using two cranes working in tandem, which each have a load capacity 900 tons.

The new berth, installed as a modular unit, is an innovation that is typical of the QatarGas projects which have continuously tried to utilise the best available technology, the company said. The modular build was used to reduce the overall schedule by allowing Berth 5 marine construction and module fabrication to proceed in parallel.
The next berth is also adopting the modular topsides construction.

"This project represents another pioneering milestone for QatarGas with the use of the modular topsides rather than building in-situ," said Jayme Meier, QatarGas 2, Common LNG Sub-Project Manager.
"By taking this innovative approach we have been able to build the marine platforms and topsides simultaneously and reduce the overall schedule by several months. However, the best achievement of this project is that it was completed with no lost time incidents. I would like to thank Adyard and CTJV contractors for working with the QatarGas team to achieve this success."

The QatarGas 2 project is the first fully integrated value chain project in the industry and includes many different sub-projects and includes common infrastructure.