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Crane components from Manitowoc Crane Group begin their journey to Azerbaijan. |
November 16, 2005 — A giant cargo plane loaded with crane components has been airlifted to Baku, Azerbaijan to ensure oil production continues unabated on the important Central Azeri Platform in the Caspian Sea. The parts were sent by Manitowoc Crane CARE, Manitowoc Crane Group's after-sales customer support brand, as a matter of priority due to the global demand for oil.
The Antonov AN-124 Russian heavy transport aircraft, one of the largest airplanes in the world, left General Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee September 22 loaded with lattice boom sections for a Manitowoc Model 18000 crawler crane. Each boom section weighs up to 19 tons (U.S.) so few other aircraft could handle such a heavy load.
Three Manitowoc Model 18000 lattice boom cranes are working on different sections of the Central Azeri Platform in Baku. The crane has a rated capacity of 825 tons (U.S.)
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The components will help ensure oil production continues in the region. |
Manitowoc's Model 18000, a highly popular crane among rental and rigging companies around the globe, includes a 48,800-pound line pull with 1.25-inch wire rope, CAN-BUS and EPIC technology. Power is provided from a 600-hp engine.
The majority of oil field projects taking place in Azerbaijan are as a result of a 30-year contract signed in 1994 to develop three old fields in the country • Azeri, Chirag and the deepwater portions of Gunashli. The deal was inked by an international consortium that comprised Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC), along with a collection of 10 major oil companies headed by BP. Total reserves are estimated between three and five billion barrels of oil.
