Metalock oil tanker repair

Metalock Brasil has recently completed a complex structural repair operation on a Suezmax oil tanker following damage it incurred during a cargo transfer operation in Gabon, Africa.

The incident occurred when a strong wave caused the rupture of the cargo transfer hose, the impact of which tore a gash in the vessel’s bow and damaged the bulb plating. The vessel’s crew carried out an emergency temporary repair with a cement box, allowing it to sail to Salvador, Brazil, for unloading.

Metalock Brasil’s team boarded the vessel in the Bay of All Saints (Bahia) to carry out the permanent repairs. In a challenging logistical operation, plates, equipment, and materials were transported over 1,000 miles from Santos (São Paulo) to Salvador (Bahia), and subsequently by boat to the vessel. Due to the complex surface and various curvatures of the its structure, all the skills of Metalock Brasil’s technicians were put to the test.

Repairs were conducted by teams working in alternating shifts, 24 hours a day over a period of 10 days. Upon completion of the structural repairs, non-destructive tests were carried out. This was followed by inspection by the classification society and resulting in successful repair.

The repair being carried out

The completed repair