An offshore Platform, located along the western shore of Cook Inlet, experienced a large fender loss due to a major storm. The fender came to rest on the seafloor at the base of the platform in approximately 80-ft of water.
The platform fenders are mechanically raised and lowered with the tide to keep visiting tankers properly fended during calls. Each fender is constructed of a steel framework that measures approximately 96-ft x 30-ft x 8-ft and weighs 175 tons each. The fenders are critical to platform operations to prevent damage to the tankers and platform due to the ice and water currents impacting the area. The meant recovery and repair were needed in a timely fashion.
A temporary system needed to be devised in order to keep the platform operational as well as develop and execute a salvage plan to remove the 175-ton damaged fender from the water, take it to shore for repairs, and reinstall.
With repairs to the fender completed PPM was back on site for positioning and reinstall of the now repaired system.
