Sonsub Expands Facility, Provides Subsea Service In Trinidad, Gulf of Mexico

On September 25, in Western Australia, Sonsub Inc.'s Asia- Pacific regional center relocated to new, larger premises in order to accommodate the center's expanding engineering, testing and administrative requirements. The Perth, W.A., facility acts as a focal point for administration, engineering, and marketing opportunities for territories which include the Middle East, the People's Republic of China, India, southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It also liaises closely with the company's joint venture operations in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Also in late September, Sonsub fulfilled a contract which involved mobilizing a 75-hp Discovery Advanced Remotely Operated Work System (AROWS) to Trinidad to support the installation of a British Gas platform in approximately 360 ft. (109.7 m) of water. Working under contract to Field Enterprises Ltd. of the U.K., Sonsub performed bathymetric surveys and provided general platform installation support.

Sonsub also recently completed a contract with Global Industries, Ltd., providing Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) services to install Shell Offshore Inc.'s Rocky pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. The pipeline will connect one of several subsea wells to Shell's Bullwinkle platform in Green Canyon 65A.

The work included monitoring the touchdown and placement of pipeline termination skids, and the deepest dual J-tube pull ever performed. J. Ray McDermott, S.A. awarded Sonsub three major projects to provide ROV support from its construction barges. The company supplied a 75-hp Triton AROWS and a 20-hp Viper ROV which was used to support Mobil's Pearl platform installation, Agip's East Breaks pipeline installation, and Tatham Offshore's platform installation. All the work was carried out in the Gulf of Mexico. For more information on Sonsub Circle 29 on Reader Service Card