Irish Government Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has informed that subsea rock dumping operations will be carried out along the Corrib offshore field pipeline in mid October.
Van Oord’s flexible fallpipe vessel, Tertnes, will be used for the operations which should take 6-10 days to be completed.
The authorities have also informed that all vessels in the vicinity are requested to keep clear of the works as these works progress along the pipeline route and to comply with requests from Tertnes.
The Corrib natural gas field lies some 83km off the north west coast of Ireland, approximately 3,000 metres under the seabed and in waters 350 metres deep. The construction of the offshore pipeline was completed in 2009 when the pipelaying vessel the Solitaire, one of the world’s largest pipelaying vessels, successfully laid the 7,000 sections of pipe connecting Glengad to the Corrib Field.
Shell-operated Corrib is expected to supply up to 60% of Ireland’s gas needs at peak production.
[mappress] Offshore Energy Today Staff, September 28, 2012;