NEWS

Moving The Impossible

They say 'necessity is the master of invention', but how do you move a manmade mountain across the globe without deconstructing it? Champion Freight explores how the seemingly impossible is now possible.

Colossal Cargo

Published: 10 January 2014

How do you move a 50,000 ton offshore structure across the globe?

You won't find a crane large or strong enough to lift that kind of load and even if you could, how would you transport something that was never meant to be moved?

Blue Marlin transporting the Sea-Based X-Band Radar

Introducing The Blue Marlin

In a remarkably simplistic, but ingenious engineering triumph, the Blue Marlin is designed to sink, submerging a giant platform (resembling a flatbed truck) beneath its cargo. It takes approximately 12 hours for the 100,000 ton capacity ballast tanks to fill, allowing anything from oilrigs to the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (pictured - towering 85 metres in height), battleships and nuclear submarines to be manoeuvred above it and lifted out of the water for secure international transport.

Stretching a formidable 225 metres in length, the Blue Marlin can sink up to 25 metres below the surface and can accommodate 60 people, complete with workout room, pool and sauna.

Largest Load

In June 2004 the Blue Marlin set a new world record transporting the world's largest offshore structure from Okpo, South Korea to Corpus Christi, USA. Weighing in at 60,000 tons, BP’s Thunder Horse platform has a height of 129 metres and width of 105 metres.