Recently, the tugboats produced by SCO HID Shipyard have officially started to be used at the oil terminal of the Alajah Wharf in the Caspian Sea

Recently, the tugboats produced by SCO HID Shipyard have officially started to be used at the oil terminal of the Alajah Wharf in the Caspian Sea. It plays a crucial role. Its main task is to dredging the channel for oil tankers to ensure that they can berth at the terminal safely and efficiently to load crude oil.

The main tasks of the tugboats produced by SCO HID Shipyard are as follows:

The duties of tugboats for roadway dredging

1. Waterway maintenance requirements

Sediment deposition: The Caspian Sea coast is affected by river input (such as the Volga River and the Ural River) and ocean currents, making the waterway prone to shallower due to sediment deposition.

The draft limit for oil tankers: Large oil tankers (such as Aframax and Suezmax) have a draft depth of up to 15-20 meters when fully loaded. Sufficient water depth is required to safely enter and exit the terminal.

- Dredging project: Regularly use dredgers to remove silt from the channel, but tugboats are required to assist in positioning and moving the operation area.

2. The core role of tugboats

Dredging equipment support

- Positioning and anchoring: The tugboat assists the dredger in precise positioning and adjusts the anchor position to adapt to changes in the operation area.

- Equipment towing: Towing dredgers and mud barges (barges for transporting silt) to the designated area and assisting them in moving the operation site.

- Pipeline layout: If a suction dredger is used, tugboats will assist in laying and maintaining the sludge discharge pipelines.

Waterway safety guarantee

Real-time monitoring: During the dredging period, tugboats are on guard at the periphery of the operation area to prevent other vessels from mistakenly entering the dangerous zone.

- Emergency response: In case of malfunctions of the dredging equipment or sudden changes in weather, tugboats can quickly intervene to stabilize the equipment or assist in evacuation.

The responsibilities of tugboats in the berthing and loading process of oil tankers

1. Port entry guidance stage

- Navigation assistance: The tugboat guides the oil tanker along the dredged deep water channel, avoiding shallows or remaining obstacles.

Dynamic positioning: In narrow waterways, tugboats fine-tune the position of oil tankers by pushing or towing them to prevent them from deviating from the waterway.

2. Berthing operation

- Precise jacking: Multiple tugboats worked in coordination to smoothly push the oil tanker to the berth, ensuring it was aligned with the oil arm.

- Wind and wave resistance for stable berthing: In the Caspian Sea during winter, the wind and waves are relatively large. The tugboat continuously provides lateral thrust to counteract the offset effect of the wind and waves on the oil tanker.

3. Departure from the port after loading is completed

- Assist in disembarkation: The tugboat tows the oil tanker away from the berth until it enters the safe area of the main channel.

- Channel inspection: After the oil tanker leaves the port, tugboats can assist in inspecting the channel to confirm that there are no new siltation or obstacles.

Why did the customer choose SCO HID tugboats after inspecting multiple shipyards?

High power and mobility: Adaptable to complex hydrological conditions in the Caspian Sea (such as shallow water areas and sudden waves), providing stable thrust.

Professional design: Hull structure reinforcement (such as ice area reinforcement) to meet the slightly icy environment in the northern Caspian Sea during winter.

Multi-functional integration: Some tugboats are equipped with fire-fighting equipment and oil spill recovery devices to deal with the potential risks of crude oil loading.

The SCO HID tugboats at the Alajya Terminal are not only "towing tools", but also the executors of the dredging project and the guardians of the safety of oil tankers