Able to operate fully autonomously in the remotest regions of the world, the megalift SkyCat-1000 offers a uniquely cost-effective and flexible heavy equipment transporter for the oil and gas industry, and specifically for the delivery of pipeline direct to trench site.

Large payload module: with a payload module of 400ft (123m) in length, the 160-ft lengths of pipeline produced at the factory need not be cut for transport and welded back together on site: indeed, two lengths could be welded at source and carried as a single 320-ft section. A total of 12 such lengths could be carried by the SkyLine vehicle in a single trip, equivalent to 1.2km of pipeline.

Stacking and unloading: the 320-ft lengths would be stacked in 2 tiers, thereby greatly facilitating loading and unloading. The SkyCat could even unload the pipeline directly alongside the trench by taxying on its hover-cushions and discharging the pipe behind it by means of a system of ramp rollers. This would offer significant savings on handling and damage.

Major cost savings: initial evaluation of a sample route (Lake Baikal, Russia, -Beijing) indicates that fleet of 3 SkyCat-1000s could transport 4km of pipeline a day at a cost of some $115,000 per km and complete the 3,000km pipeline route in just 2 years. In addition to the direct cost savings, significant cost benefits accrue from enabling the pipeline to come on stream far earlier and, with it, the revenue flows.

Other key applications: these include the transportation of crews and accommodation units as well as heavy equipment in units (such as compressors) – and particularly in regions otherwise accessible only in certain seasons of the year.