McDermott installs Papa Terra platform offshore Brazil

McDermott International, Inc. has installed the P-61 Tension Leg Wellhead Platform (“TLWP”) for the PPT BV Joint Venture, consisting of Petrobras and Chevron.

Once fully commissioned and operational, the project will enter the record books as the first use of dry-tree floating technology offshore Brazil and the first Tension Leg Platform installation offshore South America.

Awarded in 2010 to FloaTEC Singapore Pte, Ltd, a joint venture between subsidiaries of Keppel FELS Ltd.  and McDermott, the successful installation of the Papa Terra P-61 is a testament to the excellent working relationship amongst three leading offshore specialists, McDermott said.

“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 Chief Executive Officer at McDermott. “The alignment of all three teams with our customers’ requirements ensured successful and safe delivery of one of the most challenging Tension Leg Platforms ever installed.”

Topsides engineering was executed by McDermott in Houston and constructed in Singapore by Keppel FELS, and fabrication of the piles and tendons was provided by McDermott’s fabrication facilities. The hull was designed by FloaTEC in Houston and fabricated in Brazil by Keppel FELS at its BrasFELS yard. The topsides and hull were then integrated at BrasFELS using the float over method.

TK Das, President of FloaTEC, said, “We are proud to have successfully engineered our first TLWP, which has been constructed, installed and will soon be operational. This demonstrates FloaTEC’s technical strength, the expertise of our people and the benefits of our patented technology. Leveraging the support and capabilities of our parents, Keppel FELS and McDermott, we are committed to providing high quality and value-added solutions to our esteemed clients.”

The McDermott team was instrumental in providing float-over support and executing the offshore transportation and final installation of the TLWP offshore Brazil. The project was carried out with significant technical contribution by Chevron to the TLWP design, construction and installation. Commissioning of the platform continues, under the expertise of the FloaTEC project team.

Using the Derrick Barge 50 (“DB50”), a specialized deepwater construction vessel, to install the tendons, McDermott successfully completed its offshore campaign without a single Lost Time Incident. Recent enhancements to the DB50 include a new state-of-the-art switchgear and power management system with an upgraded level of auxiliaries resulting in improved reliability and station keeping – a critical feature during offshore installations.

A client representative was quoted as saying, “Congratulations on the excellent job of coordinating the work on board DB50. The team has demonstrated great maturity and professionalism in this campaign. It was a pleasure and a learning experience to work with McDermott on this project and our gratitude for your continued support and guidance to our staff. The challenging conditions at the offshore site made the installation of P61 the most difficult of any TLP. The most important thing was that operations were performed safely without damage to property, the environment or personnel. That counts a lot for both Chevron and Petrobras.”