GSP Bigfoot 1 set sail towards Akcakoca field in Turkey
April 12, 2010
The shallow water pipelay & heavy lift barge will perform pipelay works in the western part of the Black Sea, on the Turkish continental shelf. The operation enters in the offshore construction works package for the second phase of TPAO’s development project of Akcakoca gas reserve.
GSP Bigfoot 1 will install a subsea pipeline, approximately 7 km long, 12” in diameter, realizing the connections to the existing 12” offshore trunk pipelines, for transportation of the natural gas to the Cayagzi Plant, near Akcakoca. The tie-in to the offshore trunk pipeline will be realized via a wye fitting connection. GSP previously completed the pre-installation subsea survey.
GSP Bigfoot 1 is programmed to conclude the subsea pipelay operation in a two weeks time frame. The technical vessel will be accompanied by two AHTS offshore support vessels, GSP Vega and Amber II. The offshore construction project also includes the installation of a steel jacket, 101 m and 1600 t, and of the largest modular double decked platform in the Black Sea. Both steel works were realized in GSP’s Shipyard, in Constanta Sud – Agigea, as part of the same contract.
The technical vessel performed the sea trials in the Black Sea starting with the 8th of April. The reconversion and classification of the vessel were technologically rich processes. GSP Bigfoot 1 was equipped with the most modern navigation, power generation and pipelay systems, in GSP’s constant pursuit of perfect performance. The sea trials of the technical vessel were conducted in order to measure the performance and general seaworthiness of GSP Bigfoot 1, speed, maneuverability and directional stability, equipment and safety features.
The sea trials were monitored onboard by the maritime crew, the ABS representative, GSP’s management members. The American Bureau of Shipping, the classification society, supervised the entire reconversion process in order to issue the class certificate. GSP Bigfoot 1 successfully completed the sea trials; all the tested equipment as well as the vessel’s features confirmed the full engineered potential.
General information:
GSP is a member of Upetrom Group and it’s headquartered in Constanta Harbor, Romania. GSP is a regional leader in offshore drilling, providing a wide range of offshore drilling and drilling connected services, offshore constructions, engineering solutions and technical consultancy.
The companies within Upetrom Group have activities in onshore and offshore drilling, oilfield equipment production, design engineering, as well as in the tourism sector. Today, Upetrom Group has more than 5000 employees and is operating worldwide, with representative offices in various countries.
Further Information:
Sanda Gabriela Murtaza, PR & Corporate Communication Specialist, Grup Servicii Petroliere
Tel.: +40 241 555 255, extension 2161
E-mail: public.relations@gspoffshore.com
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