MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands oil industry will have its 'Made in USA' dock facility in Stanley harbor

The location of the 400x100 feet floating dock would be to the east of FIPASS

The Falkland Islands budding oil and gas industry advanced a further step this week when the Falklands' Planning and Building Committee gave planning permission to a temporary dock facility (TDF) in Stanley harbor that will provide logistics support to exploration drilling.

 Noble Energy Falklands Limited will construct and operate the dock in partnership with Premier Oil and it will lie 400 meters to the east of FIPASS.

Although the TDF will have a design life of 10 years Noble proposed that the facility be operational for three years and then removed in line with the Falkland Islands Government’s policy, that the effects of oil development on Stanley Harbor must only be temporary.

FIG will be offered ‘right of first refusal’ on the TDF at the end of the three year operational period.

Speaking to the committee in a short presentation Noble’s Richard Winkelman explained that the floating barge, causeway and mooring dolphins would leave New Orleans, Louisiana around January 25, come down the east coast of South America and land in the Falklands in early March when construction of the dock will begin.

Construction will involve a new road linking the causeway to Coastel Road followed by the installation of the floating barge unit, including ballasting. The causeway will then be installed including the beach landing point and ramp.

The installation of lighting will follow and the commissioning of a lattice boom track crane. Barge facilities will then be built.

The TDF will be operational on a 24-7 basis, 365 days a year and provide cargo handling services, lifting facilities and equipment and will have the logistical capabilities to handle materials for the offshore oil and gas industry including dry bulk powders, drilling mud and drilling water storage. It will also provide infrastructure to handle waste.

Other Falklands oil and gas operators are likely to share the dock, however Noble and Premier Oil will maintain the operational manning and overall responsibility for it. It is estimated that four people will be required to manage and operate the TDF on a day to day basis.

In terms of shipping movements, vessels will travel to and from the offshore assets, transporting supplies and personnel as required.

Offshore Support Vessels will enter Stanley Harbor and moor temporarily at the TDF in order to receive or backload materials and supplies. It is expected that the total number of vessel movements to the TDF from offshore operations will be an average of one vessel per day, with a peak of no more than three per day.

Noise impact on Stanley from the TDF has been assessed. It was noted that the baseline for noise was already high due to vessel movements to FIPASS thus noise impact from the TDF was considered, “minimal.”

Regarding dredging, the conditions imposed on Noble mean unless otherwise approved in writing by the Planning Officer, they cannot dredge more than 100 cubic meters from the seabed under the first causeway barge.

No other dredging is allowed and spoil is likely to be kept near the port on land. However this has yet to be decided.

Planning application by Noble was originally submitted in late November 2013 following extensive pre-application discussions.

At the meeting this week the planning committee debated a number of the 55 conditions imposed on Noble that accompanied the granting of planning permission.

One condition that imposed ‘no more than an average of nine vessels in any rolling three day period shall visit the development...’ was considered unnecessarily restrictive and will instead be combined into the requirement for a Harbor Management Plan.

It was also noted by Environmental Officer Nick Rendell that Noble’s Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) of the area was, “a very complete document.” (PN)