traNsPOrt BIG FOOT HULL, TO BE THE WORLD’S DEEPEST TLP INSTALLATION.
Dockwise delivers mega sized ETLp hull Mid March 2013, Dockwise announced that it has safely transported the Chevron-operated Extended Tension Leg Platform (ETLP) hull from Silli-do Island, South Korea around Cape of Good Hope and discharged at Corpus Christi, USA. The mega sized hull will be used for the Big Foot field, considered to be one of the largest and deepest oil discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico. The ETLP hull was transported from Silli-do Island, South Korea around Cape of Good Hope to Corpus Christi, USA.
‘A great deal of engineering was required to ensure a safe and successful transport across the open ocean’ - Bas Mabélus, Project Manager Journey The Big Foot ETLP pushed the Mighty Servant 1 (MS1) to the vessel’s limits. For this project, the deck was enlarged with four outriggers and was opened to re-enforce the internal hull to support the mammoth cargo. “A great deal of engineering was required to ensure a safe and successful transport across the open ocean,” commented Bas Mabélus, Project Manager at Dockwise. The hull was loaded at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering yard and transported 16,100 nautical miles totalling 60 days. World’s deepest Technology advancement continues to push TLPs into deeper water. Tension leg platforms (TLPs) historically have been limited to working in around 5,000 ft (1,524 m) water depth because of the challenges associated with tendon design and installation. The Magnolia TLP is the deepest TLP installation to date at 4,700 ft (1,432 m) water depth. The Big foot TLP will be pushing the boundaries to 5,330 ft (1,615 m) water depth to be the deepest TLP installation. 34
OV 2-2013.indd 34
OFFSHOrE VISIE
2 / 2013
18-04-13 11:07