Grove Cranes on the Ichthys LNG Processing Facility in Darwin for Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift

A large and varied fleet of Grove all-terrain cranes has been workingon the second stage of a major turnaround project at one of the world’s largest, most complex LNG processing facilities – the INPEX-operated Ichthys LNG processing facility near Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory. For the first stage of the turnaround, nationwide fleet hire and logistics solutions provider Tutt Bryant Heavy Lift & Shift sent a fleet of mobile cranes, mostly made up of Grove all-terrain cranes.

GMK4090-1

As with the first stage, Manitowoc supplied 24/7 onsite technical support with two senior technicians who provided full-time coverage on a rotating basis. The existing Grove fleet on the job was a mix of four-, five- and six-axle all-terrain models:

• one 90t GMK4090
• two 100t GMK4100L-1 units;
• one 95t GMK5095,
• one 130t GMK5130-2,
• one 150t GMK5150L;
• two 300t GMK6300L cranes

And, additionally, for the second stage of the work to support operations:

• one 400t GMK6400
• one 250t GMK5250XL-1.

Putting added pressure on the cranes was the extreme heat and humidity of the local area plus a requirement for them to fit the 24/7 work schedule. But with their comfortable, air-conditioned cabs, the Grove cranes provided a pleasant work environment for the operators.

GMK6300L-1

If any issues arose, one of the two Manitowoc technicians was on hand to offer support, keeping unexpected stoppages to a minimum. Delivering 24/7 coverage to ensure the Grove fleet remained at maximum operational strength reflects Manitowoc’s long-standing commitment to customer support.

GMK6400-1

“I can’t speak highly enough of the two Manitowoc technicians – during the first stage of the turnaround they worked seamlessly with our team and minimized any machine downtime,” said West. “On the project, there are no cell phones allowed. We expected this to cause some delays with service, but the Manitowoc guys have found solutions in minutes, rather than hours.”

GMK5250XL-1

“We carefully selected this fleet to provide a good mix of capacities for maximum flexibility, with their class-leading boom lengths providing optimized access to all areas of the plant,” said Rob West, senior divisional manager at Tutt Bryant. “We added the new models for extra capacity, fleet refreshment, and to provide more versatility. The long-boom GMK5250XL-1 means it can take on work where we previously relied on larger cranes. We purchased the GMK6400 because we knew we could use it for some heavier tasks, but we also knew we’d get good utilization from it in the future.”

Featured Title photograph

Grove GMK5150-1

Source Manitowoc Grove