FloaTEC LLC (FloaTEC), a US-based JV between a subsidiary of McDermott International Inc. and Keppel FELS Ltd., announced that the P-61 tension leg wellhead platform (TLWP) has been successfully installed in the Papa Terra Field, Campos Basin, offshore Brazil.
The well sits at a water depth of 1180m. FloaTEC will also operate the facility for 3 years before handing over to the operator of the Papa-Terra JV, comprising Petrobras and Chevron.
The completion of P-61 leveraged the combined strengths and expertise of FloaTEC and its parent companies McDermott and Keppel FELS. The design, fabrication and completion of the TLWP was coordinated and executed by FloaTEC. The topsides were engineered in Houston by McDermott and constructed in Singapore by Keppel FELS. Tendons and piles were constructed at the McDermott’s fabrication facilities, while the hull was designed by FloaTEC in Houston and fabricated in Brazil by Keppel FELS Brasil at its BrasFELS yard. The topsides and hull were then integrated at BrasFELS using the float over method.
McDermott mobilized the Derrick Barge 50 from the Gulf of Mexico to the Papa Terra Field at the end of 2013 for the installation of the 8 piles and tendons. After driving the piles to the designated depth, the installation team executed the critical task of assembling the 128 tendon sections in to 8 full-length tendons and connecting them to the piles. The P-61 TLWP was then floated over the 8 tendons, and the tendons guided into receptacles and engaged at the corresponding TLWP tendon porches. A carefully executed de-ballasting process ensured that each tendon would be tensioned to the in-place conditions. The project was carried out with significant technical contribution by Chevron to the TLWP design, construction and installation.
“The patented Extended Tension Leg Platform technology from FloaTEC, construction capabilities of Keppel FELS, and offshore transportation and installation experience of McDermott combined to form a first-of-a-kind solution for this challenging deepwater environment,” said David Dickson, president and CEO at McDermott. “The alignment of all 3 teams with our customers’ requirements ensured successful and safe delivery of one of the most challenging tension leg platforms ever installed.”
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