Delivering Subsea Infrastructure

Award-winning multi-modal transport

The development of Premier Catcher makes it part of a critical supply chain. Installation of new towheads had to be achieved on a demanding 7-month schedule. This involved moving the towheads from multiple fabrication points to a single construction site for final assembly, before taking them offshore. But the route wasn’t straightforward.

• Phase One: Carry out HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) meeting with Client and Marine Warranty Surveyor to identify potential high risk areas of the project and then introduce mitigating factors to reduce the risk, from this all project documentation can be finalised and submitted to the client for final sign off prior to starting operations.
• Phase Two: Collect the Towheads from a remote site and transport to the quayside for load out, this included obtaining the necessary permits, road closures, rerouting local traffic and over bridging a weak rail bridge.
• Phase Three: Load the towheads onto a barge with our LG1750 crane, secure for sea transport, obtain approval for departure from Marine Warranty Surveyor and tow the barge to the port of Wick, arranging arrival and departure assistance from assist tugs, linesmen and pilots.
• Phase Four: RoRo the Towheads off the barge in the port of Wick, removal of the sea fastenings, ballasting the barge to a pre-determined draught, place conventional trailers under the tow heads and roll of the barge during a rising tide, this was repeated several times to safely remove all towheads to the holding area prior to movement to the installation site.
• Phase Five: Moving thorough the town of Wick with several towheads, roads needed to be closed, walls removed, lampposts lowered and other street furniture temporarily removed, we engage with the local scout group to conduct a letter drop informing local residents of the disruption, each move to site takes approx. 5 hours.
• Phase Six: Installation onto the “track”  at site, this involves moving along rough terrain for approx. 7km to install the trailing towheads and a much shorter journey to the beach end for the leading towheads, once at the correct pre determined locations, the towheads are lowered onto stools, then the jacking and skidding equipment is used to slide the towheads over and onto the tracks ready to be connected to the carrier pipe by our client