Shell Oil Co. has awarded a pipelay contract related to its deepwater Mars oil and gas field development project in the Gulf of Mexico to a unit of McDermott International Inc., New Orleans.
Pipelines tying in the Mars tension leg platform (TLP) in 2,930 ft of water on Mississippi Canyon Block 807 will set water depth records for pipelines in the gulf.
McDermott's Mars pipelay contract includes shallow water and deepwater spreads for oil and gas.
Installation of the shallow water portions of the lines is to begin in summer 1995 with McDermott's Derrick Barge (DB) 28 using an S-pipelay technique. McDermott's DB 50, starting in summer 1996, is to lay Mars deepwater pipeline segments using J-lay technology.
Shallow water line segments will terminate in 940 ft of water on Mississippi Canyon Block 409.
The shallow water oil line will consist of 24 in. concrete coated pipe beginning in 20 ft of water on Bay Marchand Block 3 and running 54 miles to West Delta Block 143, where 12 miles of 18 in. concrete coated pipe will continue to Mississippi Canyon 409.
The 14 in. concrete coated shallow water gas line will begin in 265 ft of water on South Pass Block 55 and run 21 miles to Block 409.
Mars deepwater oil and gas pipelines each will be 29 miles long, stretching from Block 409 to the Mars TLP.
EARLIER WORK
The pipelay job is the second Mars related contract held by McDermott.
Shell in October 1993 awarded McDermott a contract to fabricate the 7,200 ton Mars TLP deck. Fabrication of the deck is progressing at McDermott's yard near Morgan City, La.
McDermott last March finished laying 108 miles of pipeline on Shell's Auger development project, in which the Auger TLP was tethered in 2,860 ft of water on Garden Banks Block 426. McDermott used J-lay technology in spring 1993 to lay 40 miles of deepwater pipeline for Auger. McDermott also installed the Auger TLP beginning last January.
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