Large Diameter Drilling (LDD) and Barge Master have completed what the companies claim to be "a world first" - drilling from a diving support and construction vessel (DSCV) in water deeper than 270 meters.
The two companies deployed LDD’s reverse circulation LD2500 drill rig with Barge Master’s motion compensation platform (BM-T700) aboard the SBM Installer DSCV.
"Typically, reverse circulation drilling takes place off a jack-up barge (JUB) or from the pile top itself, however, substantial water depths (ranging between 80-275m), challenging sea-bed conditions (sea-bed slopes up to 17 degrees), as well as the physical attributes of the anchor pile design, made this impossible," the companies said in a statement on Thursday.
The LDD devised solution mounted the LD2500 to a cantilever beam which was subsequently affixed to the Barge Master T700 motion compensation platform.
During the operation, the companies completed the installation of seven anchor mooring piles for a Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) Buoy.
The project (Limetree Bay Installation) was executed in the Caribbean Sea, circa. 2km off the coast of St. Croix, USVI, for Imodco Terminals, a subsidiary of SBM Offshore.
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