At 5pm on July 1, 2019, the phone rang at ABB Turbocharging’s head office in China – it was an emergency call from the Exploration Branch of SINOPEC Shanghai Offshore Petroleum.
They had a serious problem. A turbocharger on the left main engine of the customer’s exploration vessel suddenly stopped operating, leading to the engine shutting down. With half its engine power disabled, there would be no way the vessel could complete its work on schedule.
Immediately, ABB located the nearest service center – Guangzhou, in south-east China – and assembled a special project team. At the same time, they talked through diagnosing the problem and a repair solution with the customer.
By 10pm that evening, a plan had been agreed.
And so, at 6am the next morning, on July 2, two service engineers left Guangzhou by bus, carrying all the tools and parts they needed. They arrived at Qianhai Wharf, Shenzen, and made their way to where the ship was moored, boarding the vessel at 12.30pm.
But no time could be spared. The engineers set to work immediately, and continued without breaks. After working nine hours straight, they had disassembled and then reassembled the faulty turbocharger.
Thirty minutes later, the diesel engine had been recommissioned and a test-run conducted.
Success – the left main engine was working. But the story hasn’t finished yet…
Day two
While the initial problem was fixed, the customer asked ABB to comprehensively overhaul the two turbochargers mounted on the vessel as soon as possible when the vessel was berthed at Chiwan Wharf on the following day, July 3. They wanted to eliminate any possible technical issues and ensure the safe use and operation of the equipment.
ABB immediately responded to the customer’s demand and sent an extra engineer from Guangzhou to support the original team with the on-site maintenance. At the same time, two additional engineers at the Guangzhou Service Station were placed on standby, ready to inspect the returned parts of turbochargers.
Despite their long day previously, the three service engineers continued to work as quickly as possible from 6am on July 3 to 8pm on July 4, to carry out the overhaul as quickly as possible. Being skilled and experienced engineers, the team took just three days to complete the whole operation, including the on-site disassembly and overhaul of both turbochargers and close inspection of the cartridge from one of the turbochargers at the service station.
Service rewards
SINOPEC Shanghai Offshore Petroleum was delighted by the outcome and our team’s work. As a result, ABB Turbocharging was awarded the title “Outstanding Contractor” for 2019 by SINOPEC Shanghai Offshore Petroleum in recognition of its superior service quality. We’re truly honored by this recognition.
The Shipping Department said: “We often have to face various emergencies during offshore operations, so we attach great importance to the safety, reliability, and efficiency. As our reliable partner and the global leading turbocharging solution specialist, ABB not only has high-quality products, but also provides a solid guarantee to us with its strong service network and high-quality services.”