Swire Energy Services USA manage, maintain and lease over 30,000 wire rope pipe slings (transit slings) and bundle clips, supporting the operations of major oil and gas operators in the region.

The service offering is unique to the region and brings its own operational and sustainability benefits.

What are wire rope pipe slings?

Pipe slings are manufactured to aid in the lifting operations for transporting drilling pipe and casings to offshore Oil & Gas rigs and platforms. The slings are made of steel wire rope, complete with a ferrule, which is secured at either end.

The process

• Slings are utilised for lifting offshore, a bundle clip is deployed as a safety mechanism to secure the load. Loads are lifted to and from the offshore drilling platforms.
• The pipe slings & bundle clips are transported back in bespoke-designed DNV certified offshore lifting racks.
• Upon their return each sling and bundle clip is inspected by a LOLER qualified engineer who certifies the equipment, documenting the slings’ completed inspection and operational fitness.

Sustainability – Avoidance of waste

On average the production of each single-use wire rope sling releases 36kgs CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere. When considering the magnitude of a 30,000 sling operation, the environmental benefits of the recycling process are significant. It is estimated that the recycle-focused rental solution sees an emission reduction of 97% to an operator, the rate of slings damabed beyond repair is <3% when part of the rental solution process. For an average sized operator, it is estimated that in excess of 1,300 tonne CO2 equivalent per annum of emissions could be avoided.

Safety benefits

The longer lifespan of the equipment permits an increased quality, as such IWRC wire is used for the slings. The wire core is an improvement in quality when compared to the fibre core used in the production of manufacturing pipe slings in other regions, it increases the MBL (Maximum Breaking Load) of the equipment, bringing an improvement in durability and safety.

The team

Our USA team manage over 30,000 slings for our key clients from our Houston Headquarters, Port Fourchon, LA and Houma, LA. Sam Ourso - Operations Manager, Jeramie Allemand – Fourchon Base Manager, and Pedro Merida – Compliance & Inspection Manager run the Sling Management service for our customers. In partnership with Chris Broussard – Commercial Manager the team support major Oil & Gas operators in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Team