Heavy? Absolutely. Heavy Metal? Some:
DID YOU KNOW? This is what an oil platform looks like before being submerged in the ocean.
The largest object in the world is made of concrete.
Wonders of engineering.
The record-holding largest object in the world is built of concrete. It is the Troll A marine platform, which extracts gas in the North Sea.
It is owned by Shell Oil and is the heaviest object ever transported by water from where it was constructed, on the coast, to its final location in the sea.
It was completed in 1991 and was moved by 10 ships over several days. It weighs 1,050,000 tons, and its construction used 245,000 cubic meters of concrete and approximately 100,000 tons of reinforced steel.
The Troll A in the North Sea is located 80 kilometers offshore northwest of Bergen, Norway. The platform is the largest ever transported, weighing 683,600 tons and standing 472 meters tall. The Troll A belongs to the gravity base foundations, meaning it rests on the seabed due to its weight. The construction of the platform cost $650 million at the time.
The Troll A platform is a milestone in engineering and has set several records in the Guinness Book. In 1996, it set the record as the largest oil platform in the world, a record later surpassed by the Petronius platform. In 2006, singer Katie Melua held a concert at its base, setting the record for the deepest underwater concert, 303 meters below sea level.
The Troll A platform has contributed to Norway's economic development, as the country is one of the world's largest exporters of natural gas. Additionally, the platform has helped reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve air quality, as natural gas is a cleaner alternative compared to coal or diesel.
The technology used in the construction and operation of the Troll A platform has been revolutionary. Shell has developed technology to produce, liquefy, store, and offload gas onto floating liquefied natural gas carriers (FLNG) at sea. These advanced technologies allow access to remote natural gas fields and serve larger fields with various FLNG installations.
The environmental impact of the Troll A platform has been minimized thanks to directional drilling, which has played a crucial role in accessing the Troll field while simultaneously reducing environmental impact. Directional drilling tools provide real-time data to guide the drilling process, ensuring precise well placement.
In summary, the Troll A in the North Sea is a natural gas extraction platform owned by Shell that has contributed to Norway's economic development and helped reduce carbon dioxide emissions and improve air quality. The technology used in its construction and operation has been revolutionary and has minimized environmental impact.
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