May 10 - Mammoet has undertaken a delicate load-out operation and transport through jungle terrain for Marathon Oil's Alba gas field.
The engineered heavy lifting and transport company handled heavy components for the oil major's Alba B3 compression platform, which has been newly constructed for the Alba gas and condensate field located approximately 32 km offshore from the capital Malabo in Equatorial Guinea.
The components include a topside and jacket built in the Netherlands and a flare and bridge built in Equatorial Guinea.
The topside and jacket were manufactured in two different locations in the Netherlands by the Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG), a sister company of Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC). HFG did the engineering, procurement, installation and construction work (EPIC) for the Alba project.
Back in December 2015, Mammoet loaded the 5,800-tonne topside (measuring 40 m x 40 m x 35 m) onto a barge, which then sailed to a second port for load-out of the 2,600-tonne jacket. Mammoet carefully controlled the ballasting operation to keep the partially loaded barge level and in line with the quayside, despite a tidal variation of up to 5 m. HMC then transported the barge from the Netherlands to Equatorial Guinea.
While the operation to transport the topside and jacket was underway, Mammoet was in Equatorial Guinea picking up the 73 m high flare and the 33 m long bridge. These components were manufactured by a local subcontractor ECG on Bioko Island, where the country's capital Malabo is located.
Mammoet transported the flare and bridge on self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT) and reports that most of the route from the construction site to the loading point was through the jungle. Mammoet surveyed the entire route and equipped the SPMTs with turntables to navigate narrow sections of road. Mammoet also advised ECG on necessary road improvements and movement of power cables along the route to ensure safe passage.
Arriving at the Port of Malabo, the flare and bridge were rolled onto a barge, which HMC then transported to the Alba B3 field.
On site, the flare and bridge were brought together with the topside and jacket. All components were installed by HMC and it is currently carrying out the hook-up and final commissioning.
