Maritime Developments (MDL) has concluded a pipe replacement project in Honker Bay, California.
MDL’s 25Te 2-track Tensioner (MDL TTS-2/140) was used to handle a small-diameter steel pipe, as part of a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) project.
The operation facilitated the replacement of a 1.9 kilometers long 8-inch pipe and was carried out from an anchored barge, approximately 2 kilometers from shore.
The barge operation consisted of stacking 61 meters long steel pipes to form a single 1.9 kilometers long section. The tensioner was used to hold two sections of pipe to facilitate welding, and then to push the pipe horizontally onto support rollers until it reached the final length.
The complete automation of the tensioner, including readouts provided by the control system, ensured that the product was handled under correct tension and speed, and prevented the growing pipeline from moving out of the firing line.
The complete pipe was then submerged in the bay and installed in place of the original section using the HDD rig.