Heerema starts construction of Marathon Oil’s Alba Platform

Today the ceremonial first cut of steel for the Alba field B3 compression platform project was celebrated by operator Marathon E.G. Production Limited (MEGPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation and Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG) together with its project partner Iv-Oil & Gas (Iv) at HFG’s Poland fabrication facility in Opole.

Bryan K. Wallace, Alba B3 Platform Project Manager, performed the first cut of the steel, which will be used to build the 4,500 ton Alba B3 compression topside destined for the Alba gas and condensate field. The Alba field is located approximately 20 miles offshore north of Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea.

HFG as main contractor will manage the overall project and jointly execute the EPC scope from Iv-AGA’s (a subsidiary of Iv-Groep) offices in Houston, United States. Immediately after the project was awarded in April 2013, the design and engineering started. The T&I of the platform has been subcontracted to HFG’s sister division Heerema Marine Contractors in Leiden, the Netherlands.

The Alba B3 compression platform will consist of a 4,500 ton topside and a 4-legged 2,000 ton jacket which will be fabricated at the Heerema Zwijndrecht and Heerema Vlissingen yard, respectively. At HFG Polska, one of the HFG fabrication yards and specialised in fabrication of complex small steel structures, the nodes and plate girders of the Alba B3 compression topside will be fabricated. The nodes and plate girders will be delivered to Heerema Zwijndrecht where they will be fitted in the topside.

Koos-Jan van Brouwershaven, CEO of Heerema Fabrication Group said: “The first cut of steel today at our brand new facility in Poland, HFG Polska, represents an important milestone in the fabrication process of the Alba B3 compression platform, where we physically commence construction of the topside. By using our own facility in Poland we are able to offer our client, MEGPL, delivery of the same high-quality and safety standards as clients are used to expect from a Heerema company.”