InterMoor Completes Juniper Mooring Installation Contract
InterMoor has completed a mooring and foundation installation campaign for bpTT’s Juniper gas project offshore Trinidad and Tobago, reportedly the largest foundation installation campaign offshore Trinidad and Tobago to date.
InterMoor provided engineering and design services to identify a reliable and cost-effective mooring solution and performed configuration studies as part of the mooring analysis. The company designed and fabricated eight piles (4 ft in diameter by 128 ft long) at its facility in Morgan City, Louisiana, and provided offshore project management services for the mooring preset campaign. This included installing the driven piles using H-Links and 1,000 ft of ground chain per leg from the Boa Deep C construction vessel.
Trinidad restricts boat-to-boat transfers, so transporting the piles offshore using a single boat presented a challenge. However, InterMoor was able to complete the installation with the eight piles and additional equipment on the vessel’s deck. The Juniper project was carried out in a water depth of 330 ft, with strong water currents.
The mooring solution engineering began in 2011 with the initial front-end engineering and design (FEED) study, and offshore installation was completed in early November 2014. Jacob Heikes, project manager at InterMoor, said, “Despite numerous logistical obstacles to overcome as well as the expedited schedule necessary to complete installation engineering and pile, chain and H-Link fabrication, the foundations and pre-set mooring lines were installed successfully and on time.”
During the installation campaign, InterMoor’s sister group company MENCK was also involved, providing the hydraulic hammer. InterMoor’s locations in Aberdeen, Scotland; Stavanger, Norway; Morgan City, Louisiana; and Houston all contributed to the project.