suction pile founded platforms

SPT Offshore is an independent offshore contractor that specialises in suction pile foundations and self installing platforms (SIPs) for the development of marginal oil and gas fields and offshore wind farms. Furthermore, SPT Offshore provides suction piles, suction pile clusters (SPCs) and suction embedded anchors (SEAs) for the mooring of floating units (FPSOs, MOPUs, buoys, FSUs etc), subsea structures and subsea pipelines.

SPT Offshore has a staff of skilled and professional personnel from project managers and project engineers, geotechnical, structural and marine engineers and naval architects to experienced offshore installation crews. Furthermore, SPT Offshore owns and operates a fleet of 20 suction pump units for the installation of suction piles and SEA anchors on a rental or supply basis from shallow (5m) to deep water (3,000m). Through SPT Offshore’s sister companies, we operate a fabrication yard (VSF) and marine base (Stemat) in Rotterdam, including a fleet of (DP2) vessels, a crane barge, barges, tugs and piling equipment.

SPT Offshore’s quality and safety management system has been certified to ISO 9001:2008 standards and OHSAS 18001 standards by Lloyd’s Register.

Self installing platforms and floatovers

SPT Offshore has developed several proprietary self installing platform (SIP) and floatover concepts. These offer cost reductions and scheduling flexibility in comparison with conventional heavy lift barges and piled platforms. As with installation, the SIPs are also easily removed and re-installed at other fields. Re-usable SIPs are the perfect solution for marginal field development.

F3FA SIP2 platform installation for Centrica, Dutch North Sea.
A 9,000t F3FA SIP2 platform installed.
Perenco Emeraude platform installation, Congo.
Simultaneous installation of four suction piles at Keppel Verolme GT1.
Ithaca Jacky platform installation, Beatrice.
Global Kumaza start-up pile, Mexico.
Gaz de France Q13 four-leg jacket, founded on suction piles.
Wintershall P6S MPP, relocated to Q1D.
GT1 self-installing trafo substation, founded on suction piles.

SPT Offshore has gained significant experience in the installation and relocation (for re-use) of various self installing platforms on suction piles in the Dutch sector of the North Sea and the Liverpool Bay area of the Irish Sea. In September 2010, we successfully installed the 10,000t F3FA platform for Centrica in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.

Suction installed wind turbines

SPT Offshore has developed the suction installed wind turbine (SIWT) concept for the development of innovative foundations for UK Round 3 offshore wind farms. The concept has some unique features:

  • ONE piece foundation and turbine installation, or
  • Optional installation of foundations with tower followed by nacelle and blades
  • No noise and completely re-usable, hence no environmental issues
  • Fast-track installation, hence a quick return on investment

Suction pile clusters

The suction pile cluster (SPC) consists of three separate suction piles interconnected at the top and bottom. Each suction pile has a separate suction opening. By adjusting the suction pressures for each opening, the SPC can be installed with a tolerance on verticality of less than 0.5°, whereas a single suction pile has a typical tolerance of 3° to 5°. SPT Offshore has developed several specific suction pump units for this application that use state-of-the-art control software to reach this accuracy.

Suction pile foundations

SPT Offshore has a great deal of experience in the design, fabrication and installation of suction piles for the foundations of offshore platforms and subsea structures. The company has designed and installed the suction pile foundations of various offshore platforms and structures in a wide range of soil conditions from very soft to very stiff clays in loose to very dense sands, and in soils with cobbles and boulders and in layered soils including layers of sands, silts and clays. SPT Offshore is the most experienced offshore contractor for this type of application.

For enquiries, please contact SPT Offshore managing director Mark Riemers.