April 15, 2006
GCI announces completion of system
upgrade for Hercules Offshore, Inc.
GCI has installed and commissioned a
Digital SCR and Generator Controls Upgrade on location for
Hercules Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, USA. The upgrade
was made on a legacy International Switchboard Corporation
(ISC) Type I control system. The existing controls as
well as the SCR Bridges were replaced with a complete ABB
DCS 500 2000 Amp unit resulting in a significantly reduced
footprint in each SCR Bay. The additional space
garnered with this replacement was utilized to replace the
original ITE circuit breakers with current generation 2000
Amp Frame General Electric (GE) Power Break II circuit
breakers. Additionally, the existing analog Engine-Generator
controls were replaced with digital GE Engine Generator
Regulator (EGR) control modules. These units contain
all required control functions, associated fault detection
and annunciation in a single unit.
GCI's
ability to install and commission the SCR and Generator
controls on location rather than having the rig moved into
port or a shipyard was a primary consideration in the vendor
selection process. “Our ability to perform the upgrade
without bringing the rig into port coupled with the rig’s
constrained maintenance availability were the two primary
reasons GCI was selected by Hercules for this upgrade.”
commented Pat Edgar, President of GCI.