News - Marine & Offshore

Metalock Brasil, renowned for its expertise in Marine repair services, has successfully completed a complex structural repair operation on a Suezmax oil tanker following damage 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, Brasil, for unloading.

In the Bay of All Saints (Bahia), Metalock Brasil’s team boarded the vessel 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 surfaces and various curvatures of the its structure, all the skills of Metalock Brasil’s technicians were put to the test.

Repairs were conducted at a relentless pace, with teams working in alternating shifts 24 hours a day over a period of ten days. Upon completion of the structural repairs, non-destructive testing (NDT) methods such as liquid penetrant, vacuum box, magnetic particle, and ultrasound tests were carried out. 

The inspections, conducted by the Classification Society and the Shipowner, resulted in satisfactory evaluations, confirming the success of the repairs.

We assured the client, one of the leading Asian shipowners based in Singapore with a fleet of over one hundred vessels, of the quality and efficiency of the services provided by Metalock Brasil.