Press Release: McDermott completes pipeline system installation in West Natuna ahead schedule
Wednesday, February 14 2001 - 04:30 AM WIB
J. Ray McDermott, S. A., a subsidiary of McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR), recently completed installation of a 416-mile subsea pipeline system that will transport natural gas from the West Natuna Sea to Singapore, a $335 million project that was finished more than four months ahead of schedule.
Early completion of the West Natuna Transportation System (WNTS) allowed the pipeline's owner, the West Natuna Group, to complete "gas up" six months ahead of its gas sales contract start date. The West Natuna Group is comprised of Conoco Indonesia Inc. Ltd. (operator), Premier Oil Natuna Sea Ltd. and Gulf Indonesia Resources Ltd.
"This large, fast-track, engineer-procure-construct-install (EPCI) pipeline project presented several unique challenges all of which were managed with exemplary success," said Kurt Nelson, vice president and general manager of J. Ray McDermott, S. A., eastern hemisphere operations. "Our achievement in terms of safety, quality and schedule has given our team reason to be extremely proud of its performance."
The scope of work included design and procurement of all materials, pipe coating, fabrication of manifolds and pipeline end manifolds (PLEM's), transportation, installation, de-watering, drying, testing, commissioning and "gas up" of the system, which is comprised of 28-inch, 22-inch 16-inch and 14-inch pipelines.
The longest section of pipeline was a 292-mile, 28-inch trunkline beginning at the south end of the West Natuna fields to Singapore's Palau Sakra. Crews from J. Ray McDermott's pipelay vessels also installed four subsea manifold skids, three pipeline end manifolds (PLEMs) and three inline tees.
"Our crews were dedicated and worked hard on this project," said Alan Stewart, project manager for the WNTS project. "Our offshore pipelay vessels, the DLB-KP1 and DLB-26, performed admirably."
Stewart said that during offshore installation, the KP1 achieved daily layrates of 4.28 miles on the 28-inch pipeline and 3.72 miles on the 22-inch pipeline. Repair rates on the system were low and the KP1 actually laid 2,263 consecutive joints without a single repair.
Prior to installation, a total of 3.4 million cubic yards of sand, clay and rock were dredged in Singapore waters to form a trench with a maximum depth of 39 feet. The logistics of the installation in and around Singapore waters had to be carefully planned and executed because of heavy marine traffic in the area.
A significant challenge was the pipe-lay across the Phillips Channel and the Sinki Fairway, two of the busiest shipping channels in the world with more than 500 vessels using the Phillips channel each day. Working with authorities, J. Ray McDermott developed procedures that enabled a successful crossing. The pipeline also crossed 14 active submarine telecom cables without problem.
The WNTS will deliver a daily average of 325 million cubic feet of natural gas from the West Natuna fields to Singapore in accordance with agreements with Pertamina, the state oil company of Indonesia, Sembcorp Gas Pte. Ltd. of Singapore, the buyer, and the West Natuna Group.
J. Ray McDermott, S.A. is a leading worldwide marine construction company. Its services include design, fabrication and installation of spar platforms; design and installation of subsea facilities; design, fabrication and installation of new and refurbished bottom-founded offshore platforms; and, installation of offshore pipelines for the oil and gas industry.
McDermott International, Inc. is a leading worldwide energy services company. The company's subsidiaries manufacture steam-generating equipment, environmental equipment, and products for the U.S. government. They also provide engineering and construction services for industrial, utility and hydrocarbon processing facilities, and to the offshore oil and natural gas industries.
Contacts: Louise Denly, Public Relations; J. Ray McDermott/Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Phone: 971 4 8835 100; fax: 971 4 8834 330, e-mail: louise.denly@mcdermott.com, website: www.mcdermott.com (*)